This easy Chocolate Trifle recipe is rich and decadent with layers of fudgy brownie, chocolate pudding, and whipped cream. It’s a chocolate lover’s dream, and it’s perfect for feeding a crowd! It’s often called a chocolate brownie trifle.
Not only is this Chocolate Trifle Dessert pretty, look at its yummy layers! It feeds a crowd, so it’s perfect for parties or family gatherings. The oohs and aahs you’ll receive when you make it prove it! There are so many occasions for Chocolate Trifle Recipes!
Since it’s so easy to put together, we highly recommend this chocolate brownie trifle recipe for anyone, no matter what skill level you are in the kitchen.
We made dark chocolate brownies from scratch for this recipe, so we didn’t need a brownie mix, but mixes are great to use in this recipe, too!
Table of Contents
Trifle Ingredients
Boxed Brownie mix – or homemade brownies (+ ingredients to make brownies)
Instant chocolate pudding mix – plus milk
Whole milk – for the pudding
Frozen whipped topping, thawed (or whipped cream) – such as Cool Whip
Bar chocolate candy or toffee bits
The addition of our crunchy Heath English Toffee bits for a topping is a great alternative to a chocolate bar.
We’ve got all the best Chocolate Trifle Recipes so that you can try each one! One of our favorites is Chocolate Caramel Trifle.
What To Serve It In
What makes this layered dessert recipe exceptional and eye-catching is displaying it in a stemmed trifle dish. If you need a Trifle Bowl
, this is the one we have.
The good news, it’s inexpensive and holds up well year after year.
If you’re a trifle fan, here are several more Trifle Recipes you have to try! Fruity, creamy, and chocolatey, they’re all here. The Berry Trifle is ahhhmazing!
Our all-time favorite is this No-Bake Caramel Apple Cheesecake Trifle.
Steps by Step Instructions (with Pictures)
Gather all your ingredients for your chocolate pudding trifle, and let’s get going!
Step 1 – Prepare Brownies (or cake)
Prepare your brownie mix according to package directions or make your chocolate brownies from scratch and cool completely.
Then, cut brownies into 1-inch squares.
Step 2 – Make Pudding
In a large bowl, combine chocolate pudding mix and cold milk. Beat with a wire whisk or electric mixer for 2 minutes.
Now, fold in 8 ounces whipped topping (or whipped cream) until no streaks remain.
Step 3 – Start Layering
In a trifle bowl, pretty glass serving dish, or individual serving cups, place half of the cut brownies, half of the pudding mixture, and half of the 12-ounce container of whipped cream or whipped topping.
Repeat layers. Shave chocolate or place toffee bits onto the top layer for garnish.
Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight before serving.
Can You Make a Trifle A Day Ahead?
Yes, you can make a trifle a day ahead of time. Just keep it in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It won’t get soggy overnight. The flavors come together nicely this way. However, left more than a day in the refrigerator, the cake may get soggy.
Helpful Tips & Tricks
- This chocolate trifle dessert can be made several hours to a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
- You can make this recipe in a large trifle dish or individual trifle cups. If making in individual trifle cups, divide your brownies into however many servings you are making. Then divide each one of those servings in 2 to create the brownie layer within the trifle cups.
- We don’t recommend freezing your trifle.
- See nutritional information in the recipe card, including saturated fat.
Substitutions
- You can substitute whatever type of candy bar (like a Heath Bar) or chocolate you prefer for the topping.
- If you like, you can substitute Cool Whip for the whipped cream.
- Depending on your preference, it’s okay to use cut chocolate cake instead of brownies.
More Chocolate Trifle Recipes
Chocolate Cherry Trifle
Caramel Chocolate Trifle
Chocolate Raspberry Trifle
Chocolate Chip Cookie Trifle
What Else Can I Use for a Trifle Dish
If you don’t have a trifle bowl, you can use a large serving bowl or a largemouth glass vase.
A Christmas Chocolate Trifle is one of the best desserts for the holidays.
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Chocolate Trifle Recipe
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- Mixing spoon or spatula
- Trifle Dish or Cups
- Baking pan
Ingredients
- 1 19.8 ounce package brownie mix {or homemade}
- 1 3.9 ounce package instant chocolate pudding mix
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 8 ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed (or whipped cream)
- 1 12 ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed (or whipped cream)
- 1 1.5 ounce bar chocolate candy or toffee bits
Instructions
- Prepare brownie mix according to package directions or make your own and cool completely. Cut into 1-inch squares.
- In a large bowl, combine pudding mix and cold milk. Beat with a wire whisk or electric mixer for 2 minutes, then fold in 8-ounces whipped topping (or whipped cream) until no streaks remain.
- In a trifle bowl or pretty glass serving dish, place half of the cut brownies, half of the pudding mixture, and half of the 12-ounce container of whipped topping—repeat layers. Shave chocolate or place toffee bits onto the top layer for garnish. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours before serving.
Video
Notes
- This recipe can be made several hours a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator until ready to eat.
- For the topping, you can substitute whatever type of candy bar or chocolate you prefer.
- Depending on your preference, it's okay to use chocolate cake instead of brownies.
- You can make this recipe in a large trifle dish or individual (mini) trifle cups. If making in individual trifle cups, divide your brownies into however many servings you are making. Then divide each one of those servings in 2 to create the brownie layer within the trifle cups.
Nutrition
We updated the images and recipe instructions in this post on 10/13/2019.
Enjoy this family-friendly classic! What’s your favorite dessert recipe for entertaining?
You may also like this amazing recipe for Homemade Almond Roca or this Saltine Toffee.
Read Next: 20 Best Trifle Recipes
