Raspberry and Rose Meringue Parfaits

These individual Raspberry and Rose Meringue Parfaits are the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert! Layered with rose-flavored mascarpone whipped cream, meringue cookies, and fresh raspberries, this super cute treat is sure to impress your loved ones.

Like a messy, deconstructed pavlova!

Just think of these creamy and cute Raspberry and Rose Meringue Parfaits as deconstructed mini pavlovas. The light Meringue Heart Cookies nestled in with whipped mascarpone cream and fresh raspberries make for a floral and romantic treat to serve to loved ones or friends. It’s the dessert that shows how much you care!

You can make these individual parfaits as easy or as complex as you like. Making homemade meringue cookies is a fun challenge if you’ve never done it before (this tutorial from The Kitchn is so helpful!) but you can always buy them instead. Layer them into cups with the homemade rose-flavored whipped mascarpone cream or keep things simple with storebought whipped cream. Either way, the finished Valentine’s parfait will leave you (and your loved ones) feeling impressed.

Cheers to this creamy and floral meringue raspberry dessert with a glass of champagne or an Orange Pomegranate Sparkling Cocktail! Because you deserve the celebrate in style.

Is this an Eton Mess?

You might look at these raspberry and rose meringue parfaits and think, “Isn’t this an Eton Mess?” A traditional English Eton Mess is layered with meringue, whipped cream, and strawberries. The two desserts are technically different because my parfaits are made with raspberries and a rose-flavored mascarpone cream to really take them to a whole new level.

Raspberry parfait ingredients

You can stop putting all of the pressure onto yourself to make the perfect dessert for Valentine’s Day. These raspberry parfaits are easy to put together, deliciously sweet, and so impressive! All you need are a handful of simple ingredients, like:

Mascarpone cheese

Mascarpone is a creamy, soft, and tangy Italian cheese. It’s similar to cream cheese but milder in flavor and much more luscious. You might even find it’s close to being as rich as brie cheese!

The mascarpone is whipped together with white sugar for structure and rose water for flavor. Instead of the usual whipped cream, this rose-infused mascarpone cream complements the fresh berries and sweet meringue cookies.

Rose water

The tiniest amount of rose water is blended into the mascarpone whipped cream for effervescence and floral tones. If you’re a big fan of rose water-flavored desserts or cocktails, start with a small amount and work your way up a drop at a time. Too much and the rose flavor will be overpowering.

Before you head to the store, make sure you know exactly the kind of rose water you need. Some varieties are food-safe and others are for beauty and skincare. Look for edible rose water in the Middle Eastern or international aisles at your local grocery store. I can almost always find Cortas or Sadaf brands at Ralph’s, but buying it online is a trusty back up too.

Heavy cream

Once the mascarpone, rose water, and sugar are whipped together, you’ll pour in some heavy cream and whip until stiff peaks form. It’s a must-have ingredient when you’re making homemade whipped cream and can’t be replaced with regular milk or half and half.

Raspberries

These fresh berries go so well with the floral rose flavor in this easy dessert. If you don’t have raspberries at home, go ahead and substitute them for any other fresh berry you (or your loved one) love!

Small meringue cookies

These Meringue Heart Cookies are easy to make and the perfect treat for date night. I made them with pink food coloring so they’d be a perfect fit on Valentine’s Day, but you can easily switch up the color for any occasion! Of course, you can always buy meringue cookies from the store if you’re in a hurry to put the parfaits together.

Customize the parfaits

When you really want to impress your date, customize this Valentine’s Day dessert with all of their favorites. There are a few variations you can make to the meringue parfaits so they’re exactly to you and your date’s liking:

• Add ins: Strawberry, raspberry, or blueberry syrup, crushed nuts, lemon zest, pistachios, or port reduction.
• Flavor the cookies: Add a little flavor to the meringue cookies by mixing in ¼ to ½ teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract. Just stay away from any watery add-ins or oil-based flavors.
• Instead of meringue cookies: Break up pieces of leftover vanilla cake or shortbread cookies.
• Instead of raspberries: Make this dessert with strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, or any other berry or fruit.
• Instead of mascarpone cream: Make homemade whipped cream or buy it from the store.
• Turn it into a trifle: Double or triple the recipe if you’re having a party and layer each element into one large trifle.

Make it ahead of time

While I don’t recommend assembling the parfaits too far in advance, you can prepare some of the elements ahead of time:

• Meringues: Make the meringue cookies up to 2 weeks ahead of time. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.
• Mascarpone cream: The cream layer can be whipped up a few hours before assembly. To make your life easier, store it in a piping bag in the fridge. Simply pipe the cream into the parfaits when your date arrives and enjoy!