Vanilla Mousse Parfaits are the perfect light dessert for any occasion. Since they only take 15 minutes to make and have a stunning presentation, you can make them on a weeknight or for an elaborate holiday party. Get ready for a celebration of flavors with this 2-ingredient dessert.

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Why We Love This Recipe
- Easy to make dessert.
With just 3 ingredients, this vanilla dessert is easy to whip up after dinner or for a party.
Another black-and-white dessert idea you might enjoy is our chocolate sourdough bread pudding, served with vanilla sauce for bread pudding over the top. Impressive, but easy to make, and it’s delicious! - Perfect to make with store-bought ingredients.
There’s no need to prep anything in advance for this layered dessert. Get your ingredients from the store and mix them together when you’re ready to eat. - Whip up fast for unexpected company!
When people stop by unexpectedly, you’ll be prepared with this 15-minute dessert.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Vanilla pudding mix: You’ll need the 3.4-ounce box of instant pudding mix for this recipe.
- Heavy whipping cream: In order to make the mousse light and fluffy, you’ll need to use the highest-fat cream – which is heavy whipping cream. There are no other alternatives here.
- Chocolate bread: Soft homemade or store-bought chocolate bread are great option.

Vanilla Mousse Recipe Tips
- Make a light and fluffy mousse.
This delicious mousse parfait comes together by first mixing the heavy whipping cream and the dry pudding mix.
Be sure to whip the two together until the mixture is light, fluffy, and thick.

- Cube the bread into bite-size pieces.
Because the bread is going into small cups or bowls for this mousse pudding, each piece needs to be small enough for the perfect bite.
You don’t want huge chunks that require multiple bites. That can get quite messy!

- Use a pastry bag to pipe the mousse.
Make these desserts 5-star restaurant-worthy by piping the mousse into the cups.
Do this by scooping mousse into a pastry bag fitted with the tip of your choice.
Use your hands to move the mixture toward the tip of the bag and then gently squeeze the mousse into the cups in a circular fashion.
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- Layer the ingredients.
For the perfect presentation, layer the mousse, bread, and toppings of your choice in clear cups or bowls.
Start with a layer of mousse, then bread, mousse again, then whipped cream, and chocolate shavings.

🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Chill the serving glasses in the freezer for 10 minutes before assembling your parfaits. This helps the mousse stay cool and firm, ensuring a perfect texture when served!
Serving Suggestions
Vanilla mousse parfaits are a versatile dessert that can be dressed up or kept simple to suit any occasion. Serve them with fresh berries like strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries for a refreshing contrast to the creamy mousse, or top it with oven dried strawberries. Pair them with a crisp cookie or a slice of our blueberry pound cake recipe for added texture and sweetness.
For a more indulgent presentation, drizzle with caramel or chocolate sauce and top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed nuts. These parfaits also pair wonderfully with a glass of chilled dessert wine, a hot cup of espresso, or a refreshing iced coffee. Perfect for brunches, dinner parties, or just because, these parfaits are sure to delight your guests!

Recipe FAQs
If your mousse comes out too thin, this is most likely because the heavy whipping cream wasn’t whipped long enough. You’ll want to mix the cream and pudding mix together until it’s thick.
We love using homemade chocolate sourdough bread, but you can use store-bought bread, brownies, or even cake.
Yes! We recommend using a chocolate pudding mix if you want to try another flavor.
If you have leftovers, the ingredients for this black-and-white dessert are best stored separately.
Keep the mousse and bread cubes in their own containers in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Freezing isn’t a great idea since the texture of the pudding will become grainy when thawed.
It’s so easy to make though! When you’re ready for this dessert again, you can easily whip up more.

Love Dessert Ideas? Here’s More…
- Dessert Recipes with Bisquick
- Recipe for Pear Crumble
- Chocolate Mousse Dessert Cups
- Pumpkin Pie Custard Recipe
If you tried this vanilla mouse parfaits recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

Quick and Easy Vanilla Mousse Parfaits
Equipment
- stand mixer - and whip attachment OR
- electric hand mixer - AND
- pastry bag - fitted with large star tip
Ingredients
- 3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix *this is the smaller sized box
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups chocolate sourdough bread cubes (3-4 slices of bread) or cake/brownies/chocolate dessert of choice
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer or a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the pudding mix and heavy cream.
- Using a stand mixer (fitted with a whip attachment) or an electric hand mixer, start combining the ingredients on low speed, gradually increasing to medium-high. Continue mixing until the consistency is light, fluffy, and thick.
- Spoon the vanilla mousse into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip (or you can use a small spoon). Pipe or spoon about one-half of the mixture evenly amongst 6 parfait glasses.
- Arrange bite sized cubes of your chocolate dessert evenly over the mousse, then pipe or spoon the remaining mousse over the top. Garnish parfaits with shaved chocolate, if desired.
Andrea says
I love a fabulously easy and decadent dessert like this light and fluffy vanilla mousse parfait.
Shweta says
This was so easy to make and the kids had a blast doing this with me! Can’t wait to make it again!
Beth says
I have never seen parfaits made with sourdough bread before! This sounds seriously amazing.
Toni says
This is such a great addition to our holiday menu!! It is so good!
Vicky says
“These Fluffy Vanilla Mousse Parfaits look so pretty! The delicate balance of flavors and textures make it the perfect holiday dessert!