Cranberry Granita Pudding Parfait

The prettiest glass of holiday granita pudding parfait with a gold spoon and topped with sugared cranberries.

5 from 1 review

Cranberry Granita Pudding Parfait

This recipe for Cranberry Granita Pudding Parfaits is a light and refreshing dessert, perfect for the holiday season. The parfaits pair a smooth and creamy vanilla pudding topped with a spiced cranberry granita. Creating a delicious mix of sweet and tart. A must have for your holiday dessert line-up!

Prep Time20

Chill4

Total Time4 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: Servings

Calories: 236kcal

Author: Erin Cernich

Equipment

Small Freezer-Safe Dish
Blender
Small Heavy Duty Saucepan

Ingredients

Cranberry Granita

10 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup sparkling water
¼ cup granulated sugar or any sweetener
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt

Vanilla Pudding

1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
¾ cup whole milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar or any sweetener
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Cranberry Granita

In a blender or food processor, add all of the ingredients and blend until the cranberries are completely blended and pureed.
10 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries, 1 cup sparkling water, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 pinch salt
Pour the cranberry mixture into a freezer safe dish, such as a small casserole dish or baking dish. Freeze for 30 minutes.
Remove the granita from the freezer. The edges and the top should have started to freeze. Scrape the mixture with a fork and freeze again. This creates the slushy granita texture. Repeat this process every 30 minutes for up to 4 hours. The granita is ready when it is completely frozen with a flaky texture.
Fluff the granita one final time before serving.

Vanilla Pudding

In a small mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolk, cornstarch, and cream until thoroughly combined.
1 large egg yolk, room temperature, 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch, 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
In a small saucepan, heat the milk and sugar over medium heat until bubbles start to form along the sides of the pan. Be careful not to boil.
3/4 cup whole milk, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Once the milk has heated, slowly drizzle in about half the mix into the egg mixture. Whisk constantly – this makes sure the egg yolk does not scramble. Add the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan, still whisking constantly, and cook the pudding over medium heat until it thickens and bubbles – about 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir until all of the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon salt
Strain the pudding over a fine-mesh strainer set over a small bowl. Cover the pudding with plastic wrap – with the wrap directly touching the top of the pudding. This will keep a skin from forming on the top of the pudding.
Refrigerate the pudding for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to set fully.
Once the pudding has set and the granita is frozen, spoon equal portions of the vanilla pudding into serving glasses. Fluff the granita one final time. Using a small cookie scoop or fork, scoop the granita on top the pudding. You will have leftover granita that you can enjoy another time. Garnish with sugar covered cranberries and enjoy immediately!

Notes

Chill and Freeze Overnight - The pudding can chill overnight, and the granita can freeze overnight. You can stop the scrape process after about 4 hours, and just scrape and fluff the granita before serving.

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