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Fruit Parfait Cups are a fun and colorful dessert recipe that will make the kids happy and impress everyone. But they don’t have to know about the secret that makes them super easy. Perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, or any spring occasion. They’re also one of the best gluten-free no bake dessert recipes in my recipe box!
Rainbow Gel Fruit Parfait Cups -> CLICK HERE TO PIN THIS RECIPE
Disclaimer: This recipe was developed through a sponsored partnership with Dole Packaged Foods. As always, all opinions are my own.
I know, I know… “Enjoy every moment!” “They grow up too fast.” Yadda, yadda, yadda.
While I don’t want time to just fly by, there is one day I am eagerly anticipating. It’s the day my little guy starts Kindergarten. No, I’m not trying to get him out of the house all day. I mean, he’s already at preschool and a perfectly happy little social butterfly. But I long for that period of at least a few years when they are at the same school and on the same schedule.
Right now our mornings and afternoons are crazy. In and out, out and in, sometimes with one kid, sometimes with two kids, sometimes alone until I collect the aforementioned kids. Drive to preschool, but time it just right to not get caught in the bus traffic from the middle school we pass. Walk to the bus stop. Walk home. And then do it all over again in a kind of reverse, juggled-up fashion in the afternoon.
Because of the timing, it also means the bug guy and I have around a half hour at home before his bus comes after 9 am (Seriously?! Why does elementary school start so late?!). Sometimes this is frustrating because he will get so engrossed in playing that it’s hard to drag him out of the house.
However, one thing I enjoy is that we do get this little pocket of time where it’s just he and I. Oh sure, sometimes I have to get dinner in the slow cooker, or do some dishes, or get laundry going. But other times it’s all about me and him. I’ll work with him on his writing journal or have him read to me or I’ll read a chapter of Harry Potter to him. And then we take the long way around the block to talk about what he has to look forward to that day, or what I packed him for lunch, and basically just transition from “home mode” to “school mode” without the distraction of an attention-seeking little brother.
And then sometimes we have just enough time to whip up a little treat for that evening, like these fruit parfait cups!
Yes, Rainbow Gel Fruit Parfait Cups are absolutely stunning, and yet can be made even in the smallest window of time.
It’s super quick and easy when you use a little shortcut – Dole Fruit Bowls in Gel. Instead of making a bunch of different colored gelatin, I picked up some of the different varieties, cut them into pieces, and layered them in a jar. A glass would work well too, or you can even make wee bitty ones if you pick up mini parfait cups, like the ones I used for these Mini Brownie Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse Parfaits.
Then it’s just a matter of pouring a simple gelatin mixture over your fruit gel cubes. Making gelatin is as simple as pouring it over a cold liquid, dissolving in a hot liquid, then adding some more cold liquid and chilling. In this case, the cold liquid was melted frozen yogurt! It’s a simple and simply genius way of making a creamy, vanilla-flavored gelatin. I got the idea from my friend Karyn of Pint-Sized Baker and her Root Beer Float Jello, and then used it when I made a Creamsicle Jello Mold. Since then I’ve been looking for a new way to use this simple and fun idea!
These fruit parfait cups are a bit more of a treat than, say, these Pineapple Upside Down Cakes, but everybody deserves to have something fun and special like this every once in awhile. And the benefit is that it’s a sweet treat that’s still packed with the goodness from Dole Packaged Foods, including real, all-natural fruit that’s low in calorie, fat-free, and high in Vitamin C. Serve them with a Rainbow Vegetable Sandwich from Two Peas and Their Pod to balance it out, and you’ve got a colorful lunch packed with fruits and veggies.
Other ways to eat the rainbow besides these Rainbow Fruit Parfait Cups are my Tropical Sunrise Fruit Salad with Coconut Chia Cream or this colorful Cranberry Orange Cream Cheese. And these Mango Lava Flow Smoothies even pack a bright punch.
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Or check out recipes from my friends, like Rainbow Popsicles from The View From Great Island or a Rainbow Smoothie from The First Year.
I am proud to be partnering with Dole Packaged Foods to create recipes featuring their highest quality, GMO-free fruits and veggies. You’ll always find Dole in my freezer and pantry, and often in #BugsLunchbox. So I’m thrilled to share ways to use their products, making it easy to get more fruits and veggies in your diet in a no-fuss way. Find out more about their products by following Dole Sunshine on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
I hope you enjoy the fruit parfait cups as much as my family does!
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Here’s the Rainbow Gel Fruit Parfait Cups recipe…
Rainbow Gel Fruit Parfait Cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream
- 2 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (1 envelope Knox unflavored gelatin)
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 4 containers Dole Fruit Bowls in Gel in a variety of colors and flavors, chilled in refrigerator
Instructions
- In the microwave or in a pot on the stove, gently warm the ice cream until it is partially melted, then stir until completely melted but still cold (if it is not still cold, chill briefly in the refrigerator. Transfer 1/4 cup of the melted ice cream to a medium-sized bowl or 2 cup measuring cup. Set the rest aside.
- Sprinkle the packet of gelatin over the quarter cup melted ice cream and stir in. Let sit for several minutes until absorbed and softened.
- Pour the boiling water over the gelatin and stir until completely dissolved.
- Stir in the remaining melted ice cream. Set aside to come to room temperature.
- Open the Fruit Bowls in Gel and run a butter knife around the edge to remove the gel from the bowls. Cut into pieces and divide between four jars or cups, gently layering the colors as desired.
- After ensuring the gelatin and ice cream mixture is at room temperature, pour over the fruit and gel in the jars or cups, about an equal amount in each.
- Refrigerate for several hours or overnight, until firm.
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Enjoy!
How fun are these!?! Super cute too!
What an absolutely fun and colorful treat! I love that you used the little Dole cups for a quicker way to put these together!!!
These are so fun. I love the served in these little jars! And I so know what you mean. We have 3 kids in 3 different schools, which means THREE different pick up and drop off times!!
These look fantastic! Fun!
These are so cute. I think these would be perfect for kids lunch or even taking on a picnic at the park. Such a great recipe.
We’re huge Dole lovers too. My favourite is the Mandarin oranges. I eat them constantly, from the moment I get up. I even take them on trips. For some reason they are the one thing I can eat even when the IBS is at its worst. Love them.
These are so clever, Brianne!!! I want to make these soon!!!