I have been obsessed with berries lately. They are in season here in Southern California so much earlier than I was used to on the East Coast, so I feel like I have been given this extra special gift this year. The berries out here are seriously better than I have ever tasted before. The pint of strawberries I picked up a from my favorite organic farmer this week, are seriously THE best I have ever had. I can’t get over it.

When Sherrie from With Food + Love invited me to share a seasonally inspired dish for The Spring Dish {PLANT POWER}Blog Series, I knew instantly I wanted to share a sweet berry recipe. I wanted simple and light, but with a little something special to make it unique. A fragrant lavender simple syrup compliments the berries with all that lovely soft aroma and flavor and the coconut sugar gives it a nice robust almost rustic finish. And of course, the whipped coconut cream is the best way to finish these parfaits off.

I have a serious obsession for all things lavender. In addition to being amazing in sweet desserts like this, in sparkling water or other cocktails, I also really love using lavender on roast chicken and other savory dishes. If you haven’t played with lavender in cooking yet, you really must get on that.

This recipe was originally shared on With Food + Love.

Lavender Berry Parfaits with Whipped Coconut Cream {Gluten-free + Vegan}

gluten-free, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free

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Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 -4 servings

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Ingredients 

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• 1 tablespoon dried lavender {culinary grade}
• ½ cup coconut sugar
• ½ cup water
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 can full-fat organic coconut milk, chilled overnight
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

• Start by making the lavender syrup. Add the first 3 ingredients to a small saucepan, stir well and bring to a boil over a medium-high heat, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain syrup through a sieve into a small bowl; discard solids. Chill completely.
• While the syrup is chilling, cut your strawberries and mix them with the blueberries in a large bowl.
• Once the syrup is totally cooled, pour it over the berries and toss it all gently to combine. It may be a little more syrup than what you want or need, so you may not want to add it all at once. Any leftover syrup would be great in smoothies, in iced tea, over ice cream, etc.
• Place the berries into the fridge until just before you are ready to serve. Make your coconut whipped cream.
• Place the can of coconut milk, in the refrigerator overnight. Just before you are ready to whip it, chill a glass or metal bowl in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• Being very careful remove the can of coconut milk from the fridge so you don’t disturb the separation. Open the can carefully, keeping them level. There will be a firm, waxy layer of coconut cream that is solidified on top. Carefully scoop this off into a chilled glass bowl. Keep the leftover coconut water, it is great for smoothies.
• Using a mixer, whip the coconut cream for 3 to 5 minutes until it becomes light and fluffy, with soft peaks. Mix in your maple syrup and vanilla, if you are using while the beaters are still going. Place the whipped coconut cream back into the fridge until just before you are ready to use, you can even beat it again quick.
• Assemble Parfaits:
• Take two serving dishes and add 1/4 of the berry mixture to the bottom of each one, then add a scoop of whipped coconut cream in an even layer. Add another 1/4 of the berry mixture to each, on top of the coconut cream and finish each with a layer of coconut cream and a sprig of fresh {or dried} lavender.