Easy Tiramisu Parfaits

No matter the season, I love no bake desserts.  You know what else I love?  A decadent tiramisu, and today's no-bake tiramisu parfaits are precisely that.

Tiramisu is a combination of sweet cream, coffee, lady finger cakes, and a hint of chocolate.  For many, that unmistakable combination of flavors hits all the right notes.  It's refined and elegant, and satisfying yet light, and serves perfectly all year round.

However, if we're being totally honest, tiramisu can be somewhat 'tedious' to prepare, and that's what today's recipe looks to solve.  In essence, we're combining the instantly familiar flavor of tiramisu, with a super-simple no-bake preparation process.

Why You'll Love No-Bake Tiramisu

• No Raw Eggs.  Traditionally, Tiramisu combines raw egg yolks and sugar, along with whipped egg whites and mascarpone.  This turns a lot of people off - myself included.  So, if raw eggs aren't you thing, today's tiramisu is a nice alternative.
• Less Expensive.  These days, we're all looking to save a few dollars on groceries.  This recipe trims the bill on homemade tiramisu fairly substantially by substituting out the mascarpone for a mix of sweetened cream cheese, whipped cream, and vanilla pudding.
• Simple and Quick to Make.  While homemade tiramisu can be a fairly 'involved' recipe (and that's putting it mildly), today's tiramisu parfaits are both simple and quick to prepare.
• Tiramisu Flare and Flavor without the Fuss.  While today's tiramisu trims down the price and process of traditional tiramisu, it does so without sacrificing flavor.  This recipe is balanced to possess that familiar coffee, cream, and chocolate combo that we all know and love.

Ingredient Checklist and Notes

• Coffee.  While I'm using instant, I'm doing so purely for convenience.  That said,Feel free to use the coffee of your choice.  Yes, espresso works great in this recipe.  The only requirement is that you allow it to cool to room temperature - or even chill it in the fridge.
• Vanilla Extract.  Standard vanilla extract is all you're looking for.  Vanilla paste or beans will also work.  These substitute at a one-to-one ratio, as always.
• Cold Whole Milk.  Fat is flavor, but it's also texture in this case.  As such, opt for whole milk, and be sure it's chilled.
• Vanilla Instant Pudding.  The bulk of the 'filling' for today's parfait.
• Cream Cheese.  Whipped cream cheese, with sugar, is serving as our mascarpone substitute.  You can use block cream cheese, and whip it yourself.  Simply whip until its light and fluffy.
• Lady Finger Cakes.  Storebought lady finger cakes are all you need.  No reason to fuss with making them yourself.
• Cocoa Powder.  For dusting over the top of the parfait.
• Whipped Cream.  Canned or fresh both work fine for this recipe.  Personally, I prefer to whip my own.

More No-Bake Desserts

• No Bake Candy Crust Cheesecake. Crumbled cookies and crushed candy are layered to form a thick, sweet crust under a lightly whipped cheesecake topping for the ultimate sweet treat!
• No Bake Banoffee Pie. Creamy caramel and whipped cream combined with bananas in brown butter graham cracker base, the creamiest caramel, and freshly whipped cream, this No Bake Banoffee Pie is a simple and sublime dessert that is perfect for the summer season.
• No Bake Whipped Cream Cheesecake.  This cheesecake is decadently textured and blissfully sweet, featuring a sweetened cheese and cream filling in a graham cracker crust, with a strawberry preserve and fresh blueberry topping.  As a nice bonus, this is - believe it or not - one of the simpler desserts that you can make at home.