Keep dessert simple, especially on hot, summer days. These easy and pretty Watermelon, Berries, and Cookies Mason Jar Trifles combine fresh fruit and sweet vanilla cookies.
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When you need a celebratory treat to serve on the 4th of July, one that boasts vibrant red, white, and blue, this mason jar trifle is just the ticket.
Or, if you're simply a fan of juicy watermelon sliced into fun stars, served with more fresh fruit, sweet cream, and crunchy cookies, this dessert is for you, too!
Grab some mason jars and that box of 'Nilla Wafers and make a batch of Watermelon, Berries, and Cookies Mason Jar Trifles for everyone.
Why you'll love this dessert
First of all, you'll love the fresh, lightly sweetened whipped cream that's so easy and quick to make. And it tastes AMAZING.
These trifles are also fun to make! The fruit and cream are layered into small mason jars making them easy to serve. A vanilla wafer cookie on top provides a satisfying crunch as you delve into the layers.
If you have kids or grandkids this is a great recipe to make with them! They can help cut out watermelon stars and layer in the ingredients.
🔪 How to make Watermelon, Berries, and Cookies Mason Jar Trifles
Step 1: Slice up a watermelon.
Cut the watermelon into slices about 1-½ to 2 inches thick.
Step 2: Cut out stars
Use a cookie cutter to cut stars out of the watermelon. Then slice the stars into thinner stars.
Step 3: Make the whipped cream
Make the whipped cream using a chilled bowl and beater, heavy cream, and sugar.
Step 4: Assemble the trifles
Make the layers in the mason jars, with the watermelon stars along the sides so they're visible through the glass. The cookie goes on top!
Tips:
- Get the freshest watermelon and blueberries you can find. A ripe watermelon should feel heavy for its size, have a hollow sound when you knock on it, and have one yellow spot from where it was laying on the ground. Check the blueberries for stems and discard any shriveled ones.
- In all likelihood, you'll have watermelon leftover. Use what you need for this recipe, then slice up the rest for snacking. Or use some to make Tomato Fruit Salad with Berries and Watermelon.
- Before slicing the watermelon, take a little slice off the bottom of it so that it sits flat while you make the larger cuts.
- If you don't have glass mason jars, clear plastic cups will work, too. Make sure they're clear so that the watermelon stars will show through the sides.
FAQs
Yes! You can layer the fruit and cream into the jars, cover them with plastic wrap and keep them in the fridge until you're ready to serve them - up to 8 hours in advance. Add the cookies to the top just before serving.
This dessert will work just fine with spray whipped cream—but you should really try making your own fresh batch! It's easy, quick, and really delicious.
The recipe for Watermelon, Berries, and Cookies Mason Jar Trifles is below! And here are more colorful fruit dessert recipes, too:
💬 How do you like these mason jar trifles? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Watermelon, Berries and Cookie Mason Jar Trifles
Ingredients
- 1 small watermelon
- 1 cup whipping cream
- ½ cup confectioner's sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 6 ounces fresh blueberries, washed and dried
- 4 vanilla wafer cookies (like Nilla Wafers brand)
- 4 small mason jars, or other glasses or clear plastic cups
Instructions
- Place the bowl and whisk attachment from a stand mixer into the freezer to chill.
Prepare the fruit:
- Meanwhile, slice one or two 1-inch thick slices from the watermelon. Use a small star-shaped cookie cutter (mine is 2¾ inch) to cut out watermelon stars from the slices.
- On a cutting board, use a sharp knife to carefully slice each star into 4 or 5 thinner stars - the thinner they are the more flexible they will be when placing them in the jars.
Make the cream:
- Get the mixing bowl and whisk attachment from the freezer and assemble them on your stand mixer. Pour the whipping cream into the bowl and whip the cream on high speed. After the cream has been mixing for 3 minutes, turn it off and add in the confectioner's sugar and the vanilla.
- Turn the mixer back on and beat the cream on high speed for another 2-3 minutes. Watch the cream carefully towards the last 2 minutes or so: you want the whipped cream to be stiff but if you overbeat it you will end up with vanilla-flavored butter!
Assemble the fools:
- Place ¼ cup of whipped cream into the bottom of the mason jar or cup (a ¼-cup spring-loaded ice cream scoop works really for this.) Tap the jar a few times on the table to settle the whipped cream.
- Hold the jar at an angle and place a watermelon star against the side of the glass. Still holding the jar at an angle, drop in 10-12 blueberries so that they layer against the watermelon slice. Then, place another watermelon star in the jar above the blueberries.
- Hold the top watermelon slice against the glass with your finger and spoon or scoop in another ¼ cup of whipped cream: the cream should go over the blueberries and between the watermelon stars, so that the stars are visible from the outside of the jar. Tap the jar on the table a few times to settle the whipped cream.
- Drop in 10-12 more blueberries on top of the cream. Top off the jar with one more watermelon star and one vanilla wafer cookie.
- Serve immediately. (If you are preparing these in advance, hold off on the cookies. Cover the jars loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate them. Top each with a cookie just before you serve them.)Makes 4 servings.
Notes
- Get the freshest watermelon and blueberries you can find. A ripe watermelon should feel heavy for its size, have a hollow sound when you knock on it, and have one yellow spot from where it was laying on the ground. Check the blueberries for stems and discard any shriveled ones.
- To make these in advance layer the fruit and cream into the jars, cover them with plastic wrap, and keep them in the fridge until you're ready to serve them—up to 8 hours in advance. Add the cookies to the top just before serving.
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