Recipe sponsored by Smart & Final in collaboration with Leyna’s Kitchen.

Cheesecake is a summer classic dessert that we all love. If you are looking for a lighter version alternative, try making it with ricotta and Neufchatel. Neufchatel is a creamy white cheese made from whole or partly skimmed milk in Neufchâtel, France. I found everything I needed to make this recipe at Smart & Final Extra! This dessert is super easy to make. It’s light, has low carbs, and gluten-free.

Ricotta & Neufchatel Summer Parfait

by Leyna’s Kitchen

Yields: 6 servings

Difficulty Level: Easy

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz Neufchatel (First Street Brand)
15 oz Ricotta (whole milk)
½ Cup Sugar (granulated) (First Street Brand)
½ Cup Chocolate Almonds (First Street Brand)
¾ Cup Raspberries (fresh)
¾ Cup Blueberries (fresh)
Piping bag with star tip

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a mixing bowl, first whip the Neufchatel until it’s nice and creamy with a hand mixer.
Add the sugar and whip until fully combined.
Add the ricotta and continue to whip until fully combined.
Fill the piping bag and place in fridge for 15 mins.
Using a small food processor, roughly chop the chocolate almonds.
Layering: Fill the parfait cups with 1 T spoon of the chopped chocolate almonds on the bottom. Lightly tap so that the almonds level out in the cup.
Pipe in a layer of the Neufchatel & Ricotta cream.
Layer with fresh berries.
Pipe in the final top layer of the cream, and top with the chopped chocolate almonds.
Keep in cooler until ready to serve. This can be assembled the day before.

I used whole milk ricotta in my recipe but you can also use low fat ricotta. I used 4 oz. containers but you can use what you have. Because of the fresh berries, it will last about 3 days so you won’t want to assemble them too early. TIP: If you would like it nut-free, you can crumble a gluten-free cookie for texture. I like shopping at Smart & Final because it has everything I need, and it is competitively priced. The bulk items are great for parties and they carry regular sizes too. This dessert is great for picnics or a summer bbq. I hope you like this lighter version of a summer classic. Enjoy!

~Leyna

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