Bloom the gelatin. In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 3 tablespoons of cold water. Let it sit for 5 minutes to bloom. If using chia seeds instead of gelatin, skip this step and plan to chill the pudding longer.

Heat the milk and sweetener. In a medium saucepan, whisk almond milk and granulated sweetener. Warm over medium heat until steaming, not boiling.

Temper the egg yolks. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with salt. Slowly pour in 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture while whisking constantly. Then pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan, whisking.

Thicken the pudding. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 5–7 minutes. Do not let it boil.

Add gelatin and flavor. Remove from heat. Whisk in the bloomed gelatin until fully dissolved, then add butter and vanilla. Stir until smooth and glossy.

Cool the pudding. Pour into a bowl, press plastic wrap directly on the surface, and chill for at least 2 hours until set. For chia-based pudding, whisk in chia seeds instead of gelatin and chill 3–4 hours, whisking once after 15 minutes to prevent clumping.

Prep the strawberries. Toss sliced strawberries with lemon juice and powdered sweetener if you like them a little sweeter. Let them sit for 10–15 minutes to release juices.

Whip the cream. Beat heavy cream with powdered sweetener, vanilla, and a pinch of salt to medium peaks. If using coconut cream, chill the can overnight and whip only the solid cream.

Assemble the parfaits. Spoon a layer of pudding into glasses, add a layer of strawberries, then a layer of whipped cream. Repeat as desired. Aim for 4–6 small parfaits depending on glass size.

Garnish and chill. Top with extra berries and a mint leaf if you like. Chill for 30 minutes to set the layers and meld flavors.