Celebrate Earth Day with a sweet treat that the kids are sure to love- Earth Day Parfaits! Cake, whipped cream, and blue jello come together to create personal sized desserts that everyone can enjoy.
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These parfaits are a fun way to represent the earth in a tasty snack. Earth day recipes like these parfaits and my Seedling Cupcakes are always a huge hit with the kids.
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- There's always room for jello. Adding cake and whipped cream into the mix just makes it so much sweeter and delicious.
- The recipe is easy. We make our green cake from scratch but all of the steps in this recipe are simple and basic making it great for any chef no matter the skill level of experience in the kitchen.
- Basic ingredients. We use very plain and basic ingredients to make these parfaits. From the cake to the assembly, everything comes together with cheap and easy-to-find ingredients.
🛒 Ingredients
- Blue raspberry Jello
- Water
- Cool Whip
Cake
- Canola oil
- Milk
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Large eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Green food coloring
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use simple pantry cake ingredients. This homemade cake base costs less than boxed mixes and gives you more control over color and sweetness.
Stretch with Jello and whipped topping. Jello and whipped topping are inexpensive fillers that add volume, helping this dessert serve more people for less.
Go generic where possible. Store-brand gelatin, sugar, and whipped topping work just as well as name brands.
🥄 Instructions for Earth Day Parfaits
Prepare Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease the inside of an 8 inch or 9 inch round cake pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, milk, sugar, vanilla, and eggs until combined.
- Add in the flour, salt, and baking powder until mixed. Stir in the green food coloring until color is achieved and incorporated.
- Pour the green batter into your prepared cake pan. Bake 25-30 minutes in the oven or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack before use.
- When completely cooled, break the cake apart into crumbs and set it aside in a bowl. I like to use just the inside of the cake so that I don't get the golden tops and sides.
Prepare Jello
- Prepare the jello as directed on the box and pour it into a bowl or square container. Chill until set.
- When ready to use, use the prongs of a fork to rake across the jello and make it turn into smaller pieces. Set aside.
Assemble
Arrange some green cake crumbs as the base in 8 parfait containers.
Add some blue jello over the top of the cake, filling it to the halfway point.
Add some whipped cream to the container, pressing it along the sides and not filling the parfait container more than ⅔ of the way full.
Add some more blue jello over the whipped cream, until the container is filled.
If desired you can add a dollop of whipped cream on top of the sky blue jello.
Place into the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour or serve right away. Enjoy.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
Use leftovers wisely. Turn extra cake into easy cake truffles instead of letting it go to waste.
Make cake truffles. Crumble the cake and mix with softened cream cheese or frosting until it holds together. Roll into 1 inch balls, place on a baking sheet, and freeze until firm. Dip the frozen balls in melted chocolate, let them set, and enjoy.
❄️ Storage and Make Ahead
Storage: Cover assembled Earth Day Parfaits and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Make Ahead: Bake and crumble the cake and prepare the Jello a day ahead. Assemble parfaits a few hours before serving for the best texture.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
Serve these Earth Day Parfaits alongside cupcakes, sugar cookies, or brownies for a dessert table. They also pair well with fresh fruit, lemonade, or iced tea for parties and gatherings.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use a dairy free or vegan version of cool whip like Cocowhip. You can even DIY your own whipped cream alternative if desired.
Yes, you can use a blue colored sugar free jello instead of regular blue jello.
These parfaits can last about 2-3 days covered in the fridge.
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🐝 If you tried these Earth Day Parfaits,, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Earth Day Parfaits
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil - ($0.23)
- ½ cup milk - ($0.10)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar - ($0.27)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract - ($0.03)
- 2 large eggs - ($0.30)
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour - ($0.16)
- ¼ teaspoon salt - ($0.02)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder - ($0.07)
- 6-8 drops green food coloring - ($0.04)
Parfait
- 2 boxes (3 ounces each) blue raspberry gelatin mix - ($2.96)
- 4 cups water - ($0.00)
- 1 container (8 ounces) whipped topping, thawed - ($1.07)
Instructions
- Prepare the cake. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan.
- Mix the batter. In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs until combined. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder and mix until smooth. Stir in the green food coloring until evenly colored.
- Bake and cool. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Crumb the cake. Once cooled, break the cake into crumbs and set aside. For the brightest color, use mostly the interior of the cake.
- Prepare the gelatin. Prepare the gelatin according to package directions and pour into a bowl or square container. Refrigerate until fully set.
- Shred the gelatin. Use a fork to rake through the gelatin, breaking it into small pieces. Set aside.
- Assemble the parfaits. Divide the cake crumbs evenly among 8 parfait cups. Spoon blue gelatin over the cake to fill halfway. Add a layer of whipped topping, keeping the cup no more than two-thirds full. Top with additional gelatin. Add a dollop of whipped topping on top if desired.
- Chill and serve. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving, or serve immediately.
- Enjoy.
Notes
- Leftover cake. You will have extra cake crumbs after assembling the parfaits.
- Whipped topping swaps. Dairy-free whipped topping or homemade alternatives can be used.
- Gelatin options. Sugar-free blue gelatin works well if preferred.
- Storage. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days.
Nutritional Information
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