Recipes Holidays & Events Christmas Recipes Christmas Dessert Recipes 13 Impressive Holiday Trifle Recipes That Are Easy to Make Let these delicious trifles be the star of your holiday dessert table. By Jennifer Anderson Jennifer Anderson Jennifer is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 29, 2024 Close Trifles look fancy, especially if they're served in a footed glass bowl that gives them a pedestal—but the secret behind them is that they are easy to make. A trifle is not really about the making; instead, it's about the assembling. Sure, some recipes call for baking sponge, almond, or another cake to layer with fruit, custard, whipped cream, and other delicious surprises, but many of our trifle recipes call for store-bought cake, such as pound cake. One non-negotiable thing is the serving dish. It doesn't have to be tall or footed, but it does need to be glass. Trifles are a dessert you need to see—there are layers, and we don't want to hide them. Another thing to love about the trifle is how well it takes on different flavors. We have fruit-first versions from berries to peaches, boozy versions with sherry and brandy, and holiday trifles with chocolate and peppermint. Ahead, we're sharing some of our favorite holiday trifle recipes that will be the star of your dessert table. 16 Make-Ahead Desserts for Entertaining (or Just Because) 01 of 13 Chocolate Cream-Puff Trifle Linda Pugliese We've combined the holiday classic with another crowd favorite: cream puffs! They're layered with anisette-soaked fruit, ricotta cream, and blood-orange marmalade. The best part? Everything can be made ahead. View Recipe 02 of 13 Pomegranate-Coconut Trifle Ryan Liebe Make magnificent trifle the centerpiece of your holiday dessert buffet. It has a pomegranate gelatin layer, a velvety coconut custard layer, and a coconut-water gelatin layer studded with pomegranate arils. Store-bought lady fingers keep each layer separate, and the trifle is finished with whipped cream and toasted coconut. View Recipe 03 of 13 Strawberry-Banana Pudding We call this dessert a pudding, but it can also be labeled a trifle. As you see, with its layers of fruit and vanilla pudding it has the aesthetic of a trifle, but as there is no cake or ladyfingers between the layers, it's a gluten-free take on trifle. View Recipe 04 of 13 Christmas Trifle Store-bought pound cake, lemon curd, and frozen sliced peaches are time-savers in this lovely layered Christmas dessert. View Recipe 05 of 13 Triple-Chocolate Peppermint Trifle Dip into spectacular layers of milk-chocolate pudding and snowy white-chocolate mousse balanced by chocolate-liqueur-soaked cake. Crumbled candy inside and on top adds crunch. View Recipe 06 of 13 Lemon Trifle Impress guests with layers of lemon curd, whipped cream, and ladyfingers soaked in sweet dessert wine. We served this one in ceramic, but it looks spectacular in a glass trifle bowl as well. View Recipe 07 of 13 Raspberry Trifle Frozen raspberries macerated in sherry and lemon zest give a lively kick to the layers of this festive, coconut-crowned trifle. View Recipe 08 of 13 Cranberry Trifle With layers of sweetened cranberries, buttery pound cake, and fluffy whipped cream, this trifle is a truly easy and dazzling dessert. You can prepare all the components ahead of time and assemble it shortly before serving. View Recipe 09 of 13 Frozen Chocolate-Mousse Trifles Chocolate angel food cake soaked in brandy and layered with chocolate meringue in these individual trifles will have your dinner guests swooning. View Recipe 10 of 13 Waffle-and-Strawberry Trifle Johnny Miller Hosting a holiday brunch? Consider serving this breakfast trifle. Save time without sacrificing flavor by using frozen waffles but making the creamy vanilla pudding from scratch. View Recipe 11 of 13 Lemon Cloud Trifle Ken Kochey What is a lemon cloud, you ask? It's a mixture of homemade lemon curd, freshly whipped cream, and egg whites that makes a delicious foil for angel food cake and sherry syrup. View Recipe 12 of 13 Sherry Trifle With Brandy Custard Layers of brandy-spiked pastry cream, ladyfingers, raspberry jam, toasted almonds, and amaretti cookies make a lovely chorus of flavors and textures in this holiday trifle. The piece de resistance? The whole thing is doused in sherry. View Recipe 13 of 13 Stone-Fruit Trifle With Lemon Mousse For the star dessert, make this trifle with peaches or nectarines. The stone fruit is caramelized to accentuate its flavors and layered with a lemon cream made by combining lemon curd with whipped cream. It's an adaptable recipe—you can make the lemon curd and an almond sponge for the trifle or you can opt for store-bought curd and pound cake. View Recipe Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit