Raw Pumpkin Cranberry Ginger Parfaits!
Raw Pumpkin? YES! It is super healthy (read about pumpkin here: raw pumpkin spice cookies), plentiful at this time of year and tastes great! I have a friend who is very raw food adverse, only because she really hasn’t tried anything. She stopped over as I was making these. I asked her if she wanted to try the raw pumpkin purée. Just the look on her face made me laugh. Her answer was a definite no. I told her to get over it and taste it. The look on her face changed completely. “Wow, this is really good!” she stated with a completely different look on her face. As she polished off one of the parfaits asking for more, I smiled.
I love all of the fall flavors that go with pumpkin. Cinnamon combined with cranberries and pecans make this dessert irresistible. The crowning glory is the layer and topping of ginger “cream”. This is an easy recipe to throw together. You just need to plan ahead to let the ginger whipped “cream” set up. This is a perfect dessert for your holiday table.
Raw Pumpkin Parfaits with Cranberries and Ginger Whipped "Cream"
SERVES 4
Pumpkin Purée
- 1/2 medium pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks (you need to use a sugar pumpkin for this)
- 1/4- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons raw agave nectar or sweetener of choice
- Place pumpkin, cinnamon and agave in food processor or high-speed blender. Pulse until puréed, adding water as needed. You will have to scrape down the sides of the food processor while processing.
Ginger Whipped “Cream”
- 1/2 cup cashews, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons raw agave nectar or liquid sweetener of your choice
- Place cashews and water in high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.
- Add melted coconut oil, fresh ginger and raw agave. Process until well blended.
- Transfer to container and chill until set.
Cranberry Layer
- 1 cup frozen cranberries, thawed
- 1/4 cup raw agave nectar
- Place in food processor and process until purée is achieved. I like this layer to be a little chunky.
Pecan Layer
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Place pecans and cinnamon in food processor. Pulse until chopped.
Assembly
- In parfait glass, place a layer of pecans, topped with a layer of the pumpkin purée, a layer of cranberries then a layer of the ginger whipped “cream”. Repeat topping with more pecans.
Kathryn wrote on November 11, 2011
I tried this too, and it paled in comparison to how yours looked. Mine was more a messy trifle. However, I adored the ginger cream, and thought the cranberry jam ace. They kept well and seemed to taste better for a little keeping. Thanks a million for sharing.
You are a gifted food photographer, your images always inspire me.
Nancee wrote on November 10, 2011
These parfaits look and sound delicious! Can’t wait to try them! Mmmmmm.
Jenni wrote on November 7, 2011
Seriously?! These look so good and pumpkin is one of my all-time fav flavors… even close to chocolate! YUM!!
tamara Kaneen wrote on November 5, 2011
I just made a slightly differnet version of this and the flavor combination was wonderful. I had already made a raw pumkin pie that was divine, made with cashews and sweet potatoe. (easier for me to digest) and the crust was slightly different than yours. I just dis-assembled it to make the layers and my whole family loved it. Inspiring as always, thanks for the post
Ludia wrote on November 5, 2011
I am reporting, as promised ……OMG, this is to die for. I made it a few days ago, and it instantly became my favorite dessert, perfect for this time of the year. Of course, mine did not look anything as beautiful as yours, Susan (how do you get the pumpkin part to be such a vibrant orange?) and I changed it a bit by blending an orange in with the cranberries, and adding nutmeg to the pumpkin puree.
I will bring it to a Thansgiving potluck, but would prefer to cart one dish instead of all the little ones, so am going to experiment by making it in a 7-inch trifle bowl and semi-freezing the layers before adding the next one. I will report on that, too. And, BTW, it does not have a raw uncooked taste, so everybody will enjoy it.
Yumm-o!
Ludia
Gena wrote on November 2, 2011
Just did a raw pumpkin parfait myself. Yours is absolutely exquisite! Love the scarlet red mixed in.
Stacy wrote on November 1, 2011
Can you make this ahead of time or does the cranberry begin to run? How long/ahead of time do you make this before eating it?
Thanks again! 🙂
Norma wrote on October 31, 2011
I can’t wait to try this, it looks so good. I was wondering if I could double the ginger whipped cream?
I would like to use it on my raw pumpkin pie. I miss cool whip and want something better to put on my pie.
Susan wrote on October 31, 2011
Norma, yes you can double without a problem. It is really delicious!
Eleni wrote on October 31, 2011
Susan, as a relatively newcomer to your website and F/B page, I want to congratulate you and thank you for your inspiring and beautiful work, great recipes, and commitment to healthy, raw eating. Also, I appreciate the fact that you are not dogmatic about going only raw.
Regarding this recipe, however, I did want to point out that some people (my husband included) are allergic to raw pumpkin seeds and raw pumpkin (and oftentimes to avocados, too). There are some threads about these allergies on line. So, as a cautionary note to others, when you do make this recipe for a party, make sure you let your guests know. It certainly is festive and perfect for this season.
Susan wrote on October 31, 2011
Yes, people have many different allergies. Some are allergic to coconut, many are allergic to different nuts and quite a few are allergic to many other things. I would hope that people with these allergies are careful as to the ingredients in everything they eat.