Dreamy, Creamy, Avocado (Key Lime-Kinda) Parfaits…Inspired by The Foodery

This was inspired by Jennifer at The Foodery.

Last month I hosted a recipe sharing party and Jennifer brought her totally gorgeous and totally healthy Avocado Key Lime Parfaits.  When avocados went on sale a couple weeks ago I knew immediately I was making this dessert.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have all the super-healthy ingredients Jennifer used in hers.  Because I would NOT be deterred I went to the old google-meister again and found something that fit my budget and my pantry ingredients.

Avocado Pie

Food Network

For the Crust:

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups graham crackercrumbs
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (I completely forgot to add this and never missed it…feel free to leave it out if you wish)
• Pinch of salt

For the Filling:

• 2 medium hass avocados
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (I added another tablespoon or so…once it’s mixed give it a taste to see how you like it)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of salt
• Whipped cream or confectioners’ sugar, for garnish (optional)

Heat oven to 350°.

Get cream cheese in bowl so it can start to soften and measure out all other ingredients.

I wasn’t making a pie but I still wanted that buttery, toasted graham cracker goodness so I crushed my crackers in a baggie using a heavy rolling pin.

Melt the butter, dump graham crackers on a cookie sheet and drizzle with butter.  Bake for about 15 minutes, stirring with a spatula every 5 minutes or to keep crumbs “crumbly”.

Halve and pit the avocado’s.  Add to bowl with cream cheese.

Beat with a mixer, on medium, until smooth and creamy.

Add sweetened condensed milk, lime and lemon juices and a pinch of salt.  Beat until smooth, scraping sides as necessary.  (The sun was playing peek-a-boo so my colors look off from picture to picture.)

I used a large mug for presentation purposes plus four jelly jars but I think six jelly jars would work perfectly.

**Reserve a few graham cracker crumbs for garnishing the tops of the parfaits.

Start by layering about a tablespoon or so of graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of the jar, add some filling, more crumbs, and top with filling.  The Food Network recipe admits the top of the pie will start to turn brown as the pie sits, because of the avocado, so, I laid plastic wrap directly on top of the filling.

Attach the standard mason jar lid and ring and refrigerate at least 4 hours for filling to firm up.

When ready to serve, remove lid, ring and plastic wrap and top with whipped cream and a few reserved graham cracker crumbs.

How pretty!!!

These parfaits have a dreamy cream pie consistency and have a bright “limey” flavor.  Not quite as tart as Key Lime Pie but you definitely know there’s lime in the mix.

And they are incredibly RICH!  Next time I make these I will use half-jelly jars for even smaller single servings.

But I’d definitely make these again.

Absolutely!

.