Ah, Thanksgiving. That magical day of the year where you can eat anything and EVERYTHING and not have to feel guilty about it. For most, Thanksgiving is a relatively stress-free holiday, a time to relax and enjoy time with family and friends. But for the many college-goers who aren’t going home for Thanksgiving, or if you’re planning on attending a Thanksgiving dinner and you don’t want to go empty handed, this is the recipe for you. These pumpkin pie parfaits taste just as incredible as the real thing but take half the time, don’t require an oven, and are simply too adorable to pass up.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 1 cup canned pumpkin pie filling (not plain pumpkin puree)
- 3 tbs. confectioners’ sugar
- Enough gingersnaps to equal 1 ½ cups crumbs (about 27 cookies)
Directions:
1. Prep your fillings: Beat the heavy cream and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Chill. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese (at room temperature) and pumpkin pie filling until smooth. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar. Taste and add more sugar if desired. Fold half of the whipped cream into pumpkin mixture.
2. Start layering: Crush gingersnaps. In 6 (8-10 oz) glasses, begin to layer cookies with pumpkin mixture and whipped cream. You should be able to layer them three times, ending with whipped cream on top. Garnish with more gingersnap crumbs or white chocolate chunks. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serves 6.
Bring these easy treats to Thanksgiving dinner this year and you’ll give everyone one more reason to be thankful you exist!
Picture courtesy of Women’s World Magazine.