Salted Caramel Pumpkin Parfaits

December 19, 2021

An easy and delicious recipe for enjoying this holiday season- this pumpkin and salted caramel parfait recipe is the perfect addition to your holiday dinner menu, from a fall – Thanksgiving treat into the Christmas season.

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Pudding Parfaits

These Salted Caramel Pumpkin Parfaits are layered with vanilla wafers, pumpkin pudding, and salted caramel sauce. You can either make your own salted caramel or take the easy road and use a pre-made.

This recipe is super easy to customize. A great no-bake desert.

Perfect for a quick and easy holiday treat.

The main component of the parfait is an incredible pumpkin pudding made with vanilla instant pudding, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and with an added layer of Cool Whip Cream Cheese Frosting to create some fluff and contrast against the bright orange pudding.

These parfaits have a nice, thick consistency, FULL of pumpkin flavor!

Just check out how gorgeous the color is.

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Parfaits

40 vanilla wafers, crushed

 1 – (5.1 ounce) package Jell-o vanilla instant pudding

1 – (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (This is pretty pumpkin-y. When making this again, I will reduce to 3/4 of the can)

2 cups cold milk

1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

1 – (10 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed

Cream Cheese – Cool Whip Frosting

1 – 8 oz brick of Cream Cheese

3/4 cup of confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp of vanilla

Beat together and fold into the Cool Whip

To Assemble the Parfait

In a large bowl, combine the instant pudding mix, pumpkin pie spice, and milk, and beat with a whisk for 2 minutes. Gently fold in pumpkin puree and set aside. Layer about 2 tablespoons of the crushed vanilla wafers into the bottom of serving(parfait) cups. Top the vanilla wafers with a layer of the pumpkin pudding mix. Add a layer of the cream cheese – Cool Whip frosting. Drizzle with a spoonful of the salted caramel sauce. Repeat the layers twice with remaining ingredients. Garnish the tops of the parfaits with extra salted caramel and crushed vanilla wafers. Refrigerate for about 2 hours before serving. Right before serving, I used a whole vanilla wafer for an additional garnish.

For the Salted Caramel

2 cups granulated sugar

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into cubes

1 cup heavy cream, room temperature

1 tablespoon sea salt

First prepare the salted caramel: 

Add the sugar in an even layer to a 2-3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. When the sugar begins to melt, use a whisk to stir the sugar until it is completely melted. Continue cooking the sugar until it becomes deep amber in color and reaches a temperature of 350 degrees. I recommend using a thermometer. As soon as the sugar hits 350 degrees, carefully add the butter all at once, whisking until the butter is melted. Be careful, the caramel will bubble up at this point. You can switch to a wooden spoon now if the sugar is getting stuck to the whisk. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in the heavy cream. Stir until the cream is incorporated into the sauce and the caramel is smooth. Add the sea salt and stir to combine. Allow the caramel to cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan before using. 

Side Note: The extra salted caramel can be stored in a jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Just heat it up before serving.

Recommendation: To make this an easy dessert, skip the making of the caramel sauce and buy one.

For all of us pumpkin lovers, this is an easy and decadent treat. Another way to skip the pumpkin pie with an easy to make and a no-bake dessert.