Banoffee Parfait

Our Banoffee Parfait has all of the same flavors of the world famous pie – in an easy-to-make parfait.

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What do you get when you cross a banana cream pie with toffee and coffee flavors? Our delicious Banoffee Parfait!

What is Banoffee?

Banoffee is a combination of the words “banana” and “toffee” – and you’ll find those ingredients most often combined together in a pie with a shortbread crust, coffee-flavored whipped cream, and chocolate on top.

According to Wikipedia, its origins trace back to 1970s England and The Hungry Monk Restaurant, in Jevington, East Sussex. The owner and chef were attempting to improve on a coffee toffee pie – and once they added bananas to the mix – it became an instant customer favorite dessert.

Today, banoffee pies are a favorite dessert all around the world – and we recreated it as an easy to assemble parfait with all of the same delicious flavors!

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Why you’ll love Banoffee Parfait

• The combination of flavors – shortbread cookie, toffee, banana, espresso – all go wonderfully together! Plus chocolate shavings on top add the perfect finishing touch.
• The creamy whipped cream layers perfectly balance the sweet of the parfait.
• You can make these parfaits in tall glasses as we did or use shorter glasses for smaller portions.

Key ingredients and Substitutions

• Shortbread crumbs – Buy shortbread cookies and crush them along with brown sugar and butter. Walkers Shortbread brand is a great choice and found at most supermarkets in the cookie aisle.
• Dulce de Leche – You could make your own from sweetened condensed milk – but cans or jars of Dulce de Leche are easy and delicious. Note that this is NOT the same as the soft jarred caramel you might spoon over ice cream. Dulce de leche is thicker and sweeter.
• Whipped cream – Buy heavy whipping cream and make your own whipped cream for this recipe. You’ll sweeten it with powdered sugar, and add flavor with espresso power (instant coffee can be used in a pinch) and vanilla extract.
• Bananas – Chose ripe firm bananas that you can easily peel and slice.
• Chocolate – Buy a thick chocolate bar that you can shave with a sharp knife.  We suggest a Ghiardelli milk chocolate bar like this.

Special supplies needed

• Sheet tray to bake the cookie crumbs
• Electric mixer and bowl to whip the cream
• Pastry bag with large star tip
• Tall parfait glasses (ours were two cup capacity)
• Sharp flat knife to shave the chocolate garnish

Chef’s Tip – Place the whipped cream into a pastry bag for easy piping into the parfait glass.

How do I make Banoffee Parfait?

1. Crush the cookies in a food processor with brown sugar and butter. (Save four cookies for garnish.)
2. Bake crumbs in the oven until crisp, then cool.
3. Whip cream with powdered sugar, espresso powder and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
4. Slice bananas.
5. Assemble parfaits with a layer of baked cookie crumbs, dulce de leche, sliced bananas and whipped cream. Repeat layers in that order until your glass is full.
6. Garnish with shaved chocolate and a shortbread cookie.

Chef’s Tip – If your parfait glasses are smaller than two cups capacity, you may need to divide the ingredients between six or eight smaller parfait glasses. Alternately, you could make mini-parfait desserts in tiny glasses.

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Frequently asked Questions

Can I make Banoffee Parfait ahead of time?  This dessert should ideally be made and served in the same day – although it can be made earlier in the day of your dinner party. Note that the crumbs will start to absorb moisture from the whipped cream and the sugars in the Dulce de Leche will also dissolve and get runny if left in the fridge for too long. (Having said that – this dessert will still taste delicious!)

How do I store leftovers?   Store covered in the refrigerator but note our comments right above. (This dessert will still taste delicious even if the ingredients start to soften!)

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