World’s Easiest Lemon Curd Parfaits (GF)

Today I am sharing the World’s Easiest Lemon Curd Parfaits, a beautiful dessert and boy is it a winner! Nothing to bake, throw them together quickly, and you can have these on the table in just a few minutes. It’s the best sweet ending to any meal!

All you need is vanilla ice cream, lemon curd, and whipped cream. Add some lemon zest and mint for garnishes and you’ve got a beautiful, simple, refreshing dessert.

If you have a last minute party or decide to invite friends over for dinner on the spur of the moment, this is the perfect dessert to serve. A quick stop at the store and you have all the ingredients you need. 

You can buy the lemon curd at the store (look near the jam selection) for the quickest way to prepare these parfaits, or make your own from scratch* which is easy and even better tasting! You will want to leave enough time for the curd to cook, cool, and firm up in the refrigerator, so you may want to make it a day ahead.

If you’ve never tried lemon curd, you are in for a real treat. It is a thick lemon spread perfect with scones, cookies, biscuits, crumpets, muffins, and more. But it is also so good that you will want to eat it by the spoonful, exactly what you will do with this dessert!   

Lemon curd is freshly squeezed lemon juice cooked with sugar and egg yolks, thickening as it heats up. Whisking butter into the thickened mixture creates a luscious pudding-like concoction. All you have to do is stir the mixture while it is cooking. For an impromptu dinner party, make a quick stop at the store to pick up these ingredients and dessert is virtually done!

One of the best things about lemon curd is that it can be made a week or two in advance! Just make it, cool it, and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can have this all ready to go before anyone shows up at your house!

I love that with just a few minutes prep they are all ready to go. And your kids will love to help you assemble these and be your little helper! You can even enlist the aid of your guests and have them give you a hand – an assembly line will have these made in no time and everyone loves helping with the party!

For an impromptu dinner party, make a quick stop at the store to pick up these ingredients (including store-bought lemon curd, look near the jams) and dessert is virtually done!

Calling these parfaits may be a bit of a stretch because they don’t contain any cake, biscuits, or other baked goods. You could certainly add them if you want, but the layers of vanilla bean ice cream and bright yellow lemon curd in glasses were too beautiful to just call this a sundae.

I really hope you make these World’s Easiest Lemon Curd Parfaits for your family and friends. They are so simple to make and the taste is incredible, like pure sunshine and happiness in every bite!

Enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!

If you try this recipe, let me know! Please leave a star rating in the recipe card, comment below, and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it @theheritagecook on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day and I love hearing from you!

 

Ingredients needed for World’s Easiest Lemon Curd Parfaits:

• Vanilla ice cream, lemon curd (homemade or store bought)
• Whipped cream, lemon zest, lemon wedges, mint sprigs

 

PRO Tip:

You can whip the cream ahead, cover, and refrigerate for a day or two head. If it separates, just whip it up again to recombine. This can save you time when your friends and family are in a hurry to dive into these! It also makes it easier to serve homemade whipped cream instead of the chemical-laden pre-whipped versions.

 

How to make World’s Easiest Lemon Curd Parfaits:

1. Soften the ice cream slightly to make it easier to scoop. Place a scoop of ice cream in the bottom of a parfait glass. Add a dollop of lemon curd and another scoop of ice cream. More lemon curd and finish with a dollop of whipped cream.
2. Zest some lemon peel over the top of each one, add a lemon wedge or slice and tuck a sprig of mint on the side.
3. Serve immediately!

 

PRO Tip:

If you want to make your own lemon curd from scratch, it is easy and it just takes stirring and some attention. You will be surprised how quickly it thickens and the bright, fresh flavor will knock you over! Check out this recipe.

 

Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):

• Ice cream scoop
• Clear glass parfait dishes
• Grater/zester
• Citrus reamer (if you make your own lemon curd)
• Paring knife (for slicing lemons)

 

Gluten-Free Tips:

* The recipe for the lemon curd calls for Meyer lemons which are delicious if you can find them. Otherwise, use regular lemons. They are a bit tarter than Meyers so you may want to add a bit more sugar – make it as sweet as you like.

This dessert is naturally gluten free, but whenever you are buying products from a store always carefully check the labels for potentially hidden gluten. If you have questions, contact the manufacturer for more information.

 

 

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This recipe is part of Food Network’s weekly Summer Soiree Fest celebration. See the links below for this week’s inspiring recipes! 

Dishin & Dishes: Nutella No Bake Cookies
The Lemon Bowl: Frozen Banana Pops
Creative Culinary: Milk Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter and Coconut Balls
Healthy Eats: 6 Slimmed-Down Desserts to Enjoy Without Turning on Your Oven
In Jennie’s Kitchen: Black Raspberry Bruschetta
Devour: Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth in Seconds with 4 Microwave Desserts
The Wimpy Vegetarian: Grilled Ginger Peaches a la Mode
FN Dish: 7 No-Bake Sweet Treats That Are Truly No Sweat

 

Welcome! The suggestions here are not intended as dietary advice or as a substitute for consulting a dietician, physician, or other medical professional. Please see the Disclaimers/Privacy Policy page for additional details. Unauthorized use, distribution, and/or duplication of proprietary material from The Heritage Cook without prior approval is prohibited. If you have any questions or would like permission, please contact me. We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases without any additional cost to you. This page may contain affiliate links. The author makes no claims regarding the presence of food allergens and disclaims all liability in connection with the use of this site. This post was first shared in July 2016. The article was updated in 2024.