These easy Roasted Cherry Parfaits topped with toasted almonds are a delicious breakfast or dessert for any occasion.

Easy Roasted Cherry Parfaits Recipe shewearsmanyhats.com

Fresh cherries when in season are such a treat. They’re gorgeous! Like edible rubies. Giant edible rubies. Cherries are perfect for so many different dishes. With fresh cherries on hand I was tempted to go with a summery cobbler or crisp, since they’re always nice with fresh fruit, but I’ve been trying to keep things on the lighter side and simple, so I decided on a using them in a Roasted Cherry Parfaits that could be enjoyed for breakfast, dessert or as a delicious snack.

Fresh Cherry Parfaits Recipe shewearsmanyhats.com

Some of the best cherries I’ve had over the years are the Cherry Oh! Cherries from Harry and David. Tasty bites of goodness they are! If you ever get the chance to try some, do pass it up. They are totally delectable on their own, but also perfect in desserts like this parfait.

Easy Roasted Cherry Parfaits Recipe shewearsmanyhats.com

This dessert is so very easy to make. Begin by tossing the fresh pitted cherries with balsamic vinegar. Make sure to spurge on good balsamic vinegar for these parfaits. A little goes a long way and will last a good amount of time. Let the cherries and balsamic vinegar mingle for a while. Then the marinated cherries hit the oven for a short time. Roasting always brings out such wonderful flavor in foods, and fresh cherries are no exception. The roasted cherries are perfect for a topping on ice cream or pound cake too. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. They are addicting.

Toasted slivered almonds and/or shredded coconut is perfect for layering in this parfait. A bit of a nutty crunch adds a nice balance to the parfait. Either almonds or coconut would be great alone, but I had both on hand so I used a combo.

Here’s a little roasting/toasting tip/shortcut for this recipe: I placed the cherries on one side of a large baking sheet and added the almonds and coconut in the last 5 minutes of roasting to toast them. One less dirty pan is always good in my book.

how to roast cherries shewearsmanyhats.com

Once everything is roasted or toasted, layer the ingredients with greek yogurt that was sweetened with honey. For more of a dessert version, use whipped heavy cream, sweetened with honey instead of the yogurt. Nothing beats a simple sweet parfait. Enjoy!

Easy Roasted Cherry Parfaits Recipe shewearsmanyhats.com

Roasted Cherry Parfaits Recipe

Easy Roasted Cherry Parfaits Recipe shewearsmanyhats.com

Roasted Cherry Parfaits Recipe

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

An delicious dessert made with fresh cherries that is easy to make.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh cherries, pitted and halved
  • 2 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup slivered almonds or shredded coconut (I used a 1/2 cup of each)
  • 1 cup of heavy cream, whipped, or greek yogurt
  • honey, sweeten to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees F.
  2. Toss cherries with balsamic vinegar and let marinade for at least 30 minutes.
  3. On a roasting pan, evenly spread balsamic covered cherries and roast for 25 minutes.
  4. On a roasting pan (or the same pan – see tip below*), spread the slivered almonds and/or toasted coconut, add to the oven and roast the cherries and almonds/coconut for an additional 5 minutes.
  5. Separately, sweeten whipped cream or greek yogurt to taste with honey.
  6. Layer all ingredients evenly between dishes.

Notes

(Makes approximately 4 3/4 cup parfaits.)


Did you make this recipe?

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Originally posted July 18, 2012. Updated August 19, 2015.

(This post was sponsored by Harry and David, but as always, all opinions are my own. Cherry Oh! Cherries rock, man. I’m a fan.)