Brownie Trifle

When you need a chocolate dessert to wow a crowd, but you’re not the most confident baker, turn to peanut butter brownie trifle. Though the name makes it sound as though it’ll be small, it’s a robust centerpiece of a dessert proportioned to serve 20.

Traditionally, trifle is a British pudding or dessert made with layers of sponge cake, macerated fruit, custard and whipped cream. It’s often presented in a tall, cylindrical pedestal bowl so you can see the layers of each component. For this version, we’ve replaced the cake with easy, peanut butter chip-studded brownies, the fruit with peanut butter cup candies and the custard with a light, sweet peanut butter mousse. It’s a chocolate and peanut butter lover’s dream come true.

Brownie Trifle Ingredients

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• Fudge brownie mix: Boxed brownie mix is an easy shortcut to make the brownies that form the bulk of this trifle. Make sure you have the eggs, oil or any other ingredients you’ll need on hand to make it.
• Peanut butter chips: Mixing peanut butter chips into your brownies gives them a cute, polka-dotted look once they’re cut into bite-sized pieces.
• Mini peanut butter cups: Chocolate peanut butter candies layer into the trifle with the brownies, and they crown the top too.
• Milk: Cold 2% milk combined with pudding mix acts as the base for the peanut butter mousse. You can substitute different dairy and nondairy milks, according to your personal preference.
• Instant vanilla pudding mix: Pudding mix is the hero ingredient that helps the peanut butter mousse thicken without cooking it. Make sure to use instant, as regular pudding mix won’t set without cooking and your mousse will be runny.
• Creamy peanut butter: Folding creamy peanut butter into vanilla pudding mix gives the mousse a creamy, peanutty flavor similar to that of a peanut butter cream pie. You can use a chunky peanut butter if that’s what you have on hand, but your mousse won’t have quite the same smooth texture.
• Vanilla extract: We add vanilla extract to help enhance the sweetness of the mousse.
• Whipped topping: You’ll need three cartons of frozen whipped topping to make this trifle. Half folds into the peanut butter mousse, and the other half creates the creamy layer on top.

Directions

Step 1: Mix and bake the brownies

Alejandro Monfort for Taste of Home

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare the brownie batter according to package directions, then stir in the peanut butter chips. Bake the brownies in a greased 13×9-inch baking pan for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs (do not overbake). Cool the brownies on a wire rack, then cut them into 3/4-inch pieces.

Step 2: Make the peanut butter mousse

Alejandro Monfort for Taste of Home

Cut the peanut butter cups in half, and set aside 1/3 cup to be used as a garnish at the end. In a large bowl, whisk the milk and pudding mixes for two minutes (the mixture will be thick). Add the peanut butter and vanilla, then mix well. Fold in 1-1/2 cartons of whipped topping.

Step 3: Assemble the trifle

Alejandro Monfort for Taste of Home

Place 1/3 of the brownies in a 5-quart glass bowl, then top them with 1/3 of the remaining peanut butter cups. Spoon 1/3 of the pudding mixture over the top. Repeat the layers twice, then cover everything with the remaining whipped topping. Garnish with the reserved peanut butter cups, and refrigerate until chilled.

Alejandro Monfort for Taste of Home

Brownie Trifle Variations

• Make an all-chocolate version: Omit the peanut butter chips and the peanut butter in the mousse, replace the instant vanilla pudding with instant chocolate pudding, and add in crushed chocolate cookie crumbs in place of the peanut butter cups for a chocolate-on-chocolate dessert.
• Change up the candy inspiration: Add a drizzle of caramel sauce in between the mousse and brownie layers and replace the mini peanut butter cups with chunks of Snickers, Milky Way or any other candy bar you like.
• Make a peanut butter brookie trifle: Take the chocolate down a notch by using a blondie mix or a cookie brownie mix for a trifle with both brownie and cookie flavors.

How to Store Brownie Trifle

Store any leftover brownie trifle in its original dish, covered, in the refrigerator, or transfer it to a smaller, airtight container.

Can you make brownie trifle ahead of time?

Yes, you can make trifle ahead of time, and in fact the recipe needs to chill in the refrigerator after assembly, so this would be a great dish to make a day before you plan to serve it.

Brownie Trifle Tips

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Can you make a trifle with brownies gluten-free?

Yes, the presence of gluten in this recipe will really come down to the type of brownie mix you use. As long as you use a trusted gluten-free brownie mix, or replace it with a batch of homemade gluten-free brownies, there are no other ingredients that would typically contain gluten.

Can you halve this brownie trifle recipe?

Yes, you can definitely cut down the proportions of the trifle. The best way to do it would be to bake the full pan of brownies as directed, but wrap half well and freeze them for another time. Use one package of instant pudding mix mixed with 2 cups of milk and 1/2 cup of peanut butter. You’ll still need about 1-1/2 containers of whipped topping. Use about 3/4 of one to make the mousse mixture and the remaining to top the trifle. Add half of the second container if you want a taller cream layer on top, and reserve the rest for another use.

Can you use almond butter in place of peanut butter?

Sure. You can replace the peanut butter in the mousse with almond butter and use almond butter cup candies in place of the peanut butter cups. Since almond butter baking chips have yet to be invented, replace them with chocolate chips or just skip them.