This post was created as in partnership with Imperial Sugar. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
Creamy, fresh strawberry mousse atop jiggly Jell-O set at an angle makes these Strawberry Mousse Jell-O Parfaits the perfect dessert for spring or summer. They are a fun and fruity treat that’s easy for making ahead and serving in elegant glass cups.
Call me old-fashioned, but I love having Jello for a treat every now and then! My family does too, to the point where both of our girls request jello for a birthday dessert and I have to talk them into a cake as well.
So you can imagine their delight as these fancy-looking strawberry jello dessert cups with sharp lines between the jiggly stuff and the creamy fresh strawberry mousse. It’s a stunning presentation that is actually super simple to achieve just by tilting your serving cups on their sides while the jello sets in the fridge.
Once they’ve chilled and set all the way, you can fill them the rest of the way and they look so pretty! It’s perfect for a Spring dessert table!
And the texture combination of jello and a light, creamy mousse is just lovely. It’s sweet without being heavy, and a little fresh fruit on top for garnish just really completes the look.
These are perfect for Valentine’s Day, Easter, a Mother’s Day Brunch, and basically any other event in between!
If you love fruity, creamy desserts, you’ll also want to try our Southern Banana Pudding! Or maybe this delicious Blueberry Delight!
Ingredients
- Strawberry Jello: You will need two of the smaller 3-ounce boxes of strawberry gelatin prepared according to the package directions. If you can’t find strawberry, cherry would work in a pinch, but it obviously has a different flavor.
- Strawberries: Use fresh strawberries, not frozen, to make the strawberry mousse and as garnish for the tops of the parfaits.
- Heavy whipping cream: There really is no substitute for heavy whipping cream here. It lends a wonderfully silky, smooth texture and rich flavor to the bright, fresh strawberry mousse.
- Sugar: Just enough to sweeten the mousse and balance the tartness of the fresh strawberries. The jello itself is already sweet, so we don’t want to overdo it by making our mousse too sweet.
How to Make Jello Parfaits
- Make the Jello: Just follow the package directions by dissolving the contents of the package of gelatin in boiling water, then adding cold water. Divide the jello evenly between your serving cups. Anything from small half-pint mason jars to fancy dessert cups will work well.
- Let the Jello set completely: Tilt the cups on their sides in a muffin pan and secure them with large marshmallows so they are stable while the Jello sets completely in the fridge. If it isn’t set all the way, you will lose that beautiful, sharp slanted line when you set the cups upright to fill them with mousse.
- Puree strawberries and sugar: Combine the strawberries and sugar in a food processor (affiliate link) or blender and blend until pureed. For a perfectly smooth mousse, you could pour this through a fine mesh strainer, but I rather like the texture.
- Fold the puree into whipped cream: Whip the cream with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Add the strawberry puree and gently fold it into the whipped cream to combine.
- Fill cups and chill: Gently spoon or pipe the strawberry mousse into the Jello cups, filling them all the way to the top. Chill in the fridge to set until ready to serve. I like to garnish with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and a sliced strawberry on top.
Can this be made ahead?
You can make these strawberry mousse jello parfaits up to two days in advance. Just cover them with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Tips for making these jello cups
- You can add some sliced or diced strawberries to the jello itself for even more fresh fruit taste.
- If you would like more of a classic set mousse, try sprinkling 1 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin over 1 tablespoon of water and letting it sit for 5 minutes. Then microwave it and blend with the strawberries and sugar. This will give a little stabilization to the mousse layer so it’s not so soft.
More Strawberry Recipes You’ll Love
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes
- Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream
- Fresh Strawberry Pie
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Strawberry Pretzel Icebox Pie
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Strawberry Mousse Jell-O Parfaits
Ingredients
Jell-O Layer
- 2 (3-ounce) packages strawberry gelatin
- 2 cups boiling water
- 2 cups cold water
Strawberry Mousse Layer
- 1 pound fresh strawberries
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- Sweetened whipped cream
- Additional strawberries for garnish
Instructions
- For the Jell-O layer, line up 8 individual cups. (To chill glasses at an angle, you can use a cupcake pan and set a large marshmallow under each cup to ensure they don’t tip back over while they cool.)
- In a large bowl, dissolve 2 packages of strawberry Jell-O in boiling water, stirring until completely dissolved. Then stir in cold water.2 (3-ounce) packages strawberry gelatin, 2 cups boiling water, 2 cups cold water
- Divide Jello liquid evenly between glasses and chill until Jell-O is set, about 4 hours.
- For the strawberry mousse layer, wash and hull strawberries. Add strawberries and sugar to a blender or food processor (affiliate link). Puree until smooth.1 pound fresh strawberries, 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- Using a mixer, beat heavy whipping cream in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Then fold in strawberry puree gently.1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- Spoon the mousse into the glasses on top of the set Jell-O. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. Garnish with sweetened whipped cream and extra strawberries, if desired.Sweetened whipped cream, Additional strawberries
