Easy, Easy Vanilla Bean Pudding Parfaits

Or: red, cream, and blue/black patriotic dessert.

Rather than whip up our semi-traditional strawberry shortcake for the 4th of July, I made cute little scrumptious pudding parfaits.  And rather than make the pudding from scratch as I intended, I used the packaged kind.

(Vanilla beans seemed like the perfect way to fancy up an otherwise lackluster dessert.)

 

The good news is this recipe is easy, cute AND delicious! The bad news is that it's so easy it's hardly a recipe at all.  I made servings for two, but it could easily (are you picking up on a pattern here?) be modified for four with all the pudding.  As for our "extra" pudding, well, let's just say, I love cooked pudding.....we're lucky it met with the berries at all.

{oopsie! now where did all that pudding go?}

If you'd like to try making vanilla pudding from scratch, try this recipe.  I promise I will someday and then we can compare notes.

Vanilla Bean Pudding Parfaits

Ingredients:
1 package cook and serve vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
1/2 vanilla bean 
4 strawberries 
14 blackberries

Method:
Combine milk, pudding mix, and vanilla bean seeds in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a full boil, whisking the whole time.  Remove from heat and allow the pudding to cool (if you have the self control for that).

Layer pudding, then berries, then pudding, and top with berries.

See, easy peasy.

Enjoy!