Chocolate Christmas Trifle

I hosted Christmas for my entire family a few years ago and let me tell you, my family is DESSERT-CENTRIC!!! We love a good dessert, especially during the holidays when you can indulge completely guilt free. I needed a dessert that would impress in both presentation and flavor – these Christmas Trifles knocked it out of the park! There were gasps upon entering the dining room and plenty of mmmm’s and aaaahhh’s upon eating. If you need a stand out dessert this Holiday Season, you cannot go wrong with these Chocolate Christmas Trifles.

These individual trifles have layers of chocolate brownies, fudge, peppermint cream cheese and Andes Peppermint Crunch Candies to top it off. Unlike this Thanksgiving Trifle, which is made in one large bowl, this dessert is made into individual trifle glasses. It is an incredibly easy trifle recipe and makes a super impressive Christmas dessert.

What is a Christmas Trifle?

A trifle is a traditional English layered dessert. It generally has multiple cake layers, pudding or custard layers and fruit layers.

You can see a great example of a one bowl trifle with this Thanksgiving Pumpkin Trifle.

This Trifle recipe for Christmas is a little different. Here we are subbing some of the traditional layers for more festive flavors: brownies, fudge, peppermint whipped cream and peppermint crunch.

This is a rich and indulgent dessert, perfect for the season!!

Holiday Trifle Ingredients

Here are the ingredients that you need to make your Peppermint Christmas Trifle, plus some tips on a few ingredients:

• Brownies: use the brownies that you like…fudgy, dark chocolate, triple chocolate, etc… Also, if you want to use store bought prepared brownies, go for it!!
• Cream Cheese: purchase full fat cream cheese, and make sure that it is completely softened so your whipped cream is smooth.
• Heavy Cream: make sure your cream is nice and cold, it helps your whipping cream come together faster and creamier!
• Fudge: use a store bought fudge, we really like Mrs. Richardson’s. Or if you want to go the extra mile you can make Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce.
• Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips: If you have decided to make this dessert, then run out and buy this asap. It sells out quickly at the holidays. It is basically peppermint white chocolate pieces that have just a sparkle of crunchy candy cane bits. You will find this either in the baking aisle or by the Holiday candy.

If you cannot find the Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips you can sub some of these options:

1. Wilton candy melts- candy cane flavor
2. white chocolate and candy canes chopped/crushed together
3. chopped up Andes Peppermint Crunch Thins

Individual Trifle Cups

Unlike a traditional Trifle Dish, this dessert is made in individual cups. Since it is such a rich dessert you can make them in a 6-8 oz. cup or if you really love dessert make them in larger 9-11 oz. cup (but I don’t recommend filling it all the way).

The glasses pictured are 11 oz. cups that I did not fill all the way. I got them at World Market, they are the Small Bodega Glass.

How to Make Chocolate Trifle

If you are not buying premade brownies, start by making your brownies in a 9×9 or 8×8 cake pan. Then cool completely.

Cut the brownies into ½ inch pieces and set aside.

Now it’s time to make the peppermint whipped cream!

Start by adding a ¼ cup of the cold heavy cream and the 4 oz. softened cream cheese to a mixing bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk together for at least one minute until it is completely smooth.

Add in the peppermint extract and powdered sugar and whisk until combined, then gradually pour in the remaining heavy cream and whisk until it forms soft peaks. It will be the consistency of thick pudding.

Warm the fudge in the microwave until it is drizzling consistency.

That’s it…it’s time to layer your trifles! In each glass layer:

• 3-4 pieces of brownie
• 1-2 tablespoon fudge sauce
• cover with a layer of peppermint whipped cream
• now a generous layer of the Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips
• Repeat all the steps one more time.

Pop the individual trifles in the fridge for 12-24 hours.

Serve them cold, right out of the fridge.

Christmas Trifle Recipe Variations

There are a lot of ways to customize these Chocolate Christmas Trifles to suit your holiday table. Here are some different ideas:

• Use a flavored brownie – fudge brownie, double chocolate, chocolate chunk, dark chocolate.
• Skip the peppermint in the whipped cream, use caramel instead of fudge, and crumble heath candy bars over top.
• Instead of Andes Peppermint Crunch on top, crumble Mint Oreos over each Trifle.
• Instead of the whipped cream/cream cheese, sub in vanilla ice cream or peppermint crunch ice cream. These will need to be assembled right before serving.

How to Store Peppermint Trifle

Keep any leftover Trifle Cups in the fridge, covered tightly, for up to 4 days.

WATCH: How to Make Christmas Trifle

You can watch me make this Chocolate Trifle on a 30 minute Episode of Pinterest TV! This is a great way to learn how to make this dessert if you are a visual learner.

More Delicious Desserts to Try

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