Holidays & Occasions Christmas Trifle Desserts We Love For Christmas By Cameron Beall Cameron Beall Cameron Beall is a writer, marketer, photographer, and creative with over a year of experience with Southern Living in the realm of homes and home building. She was infatuated by home design from a young age, credit to her mother and grandmother. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on October 3, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Photo: Helen Norman No holiday spread is complete without at least one dessert on the table, and in the South that dish is likely a trifle. They've been a Southern staple for as long as we can remember and are a great way to use up leftover cake or fruit that is especially in abundance around the holidays. One of the best things about trifles is how quickly you can create a delicious and picture-worthy dessert display—thanks in part to the iconic glass dishes in which they are assembled. With the primary base components consisting of cake, custard, and fruit layers, there is plenty of room for creativity when it comes to flavors, toppings, and composition. From a classic Brownie Trifle to a festive Ambrosia Trifle, these impressive (and impressively easy!) treats are ready for any celebration. Serve up a bowlful of cheer with one of our delicious and decadent holiday trifle recipes that are sure to be the start of the show. 01 of 15 Chocolate Trifle Hector Manuel Sanchez Recipe: Chocolate Trifle Don't be intimidated by this decadent dessert; even the novice baker can pull it off. With its rich flavors and elegant presentation, your guests will have no idea you didn't labor over the pudding and brownies all day. Kahlua adds a fresh flavor to a traditional chocolate trifle; however, if you prefer, 4 tablespoons of strong brewed coffee and 1 teaspoon of sugar may be substituted. 02 of 15 Cherry-Spice Cake Trifle Alison Miksch Recipe: Cherry-Spice Cake Trifle While we love the homemade custard and spice cake in this recipe, you can save time by opting for a vanilla custard mix and boxed spice cake mix instead. 03 of 15 Cranberry Dreamsicle Trifle Iain Bagwell Recipe: Cranberry Dreamsicle Trifle This one is shockingly easy: You can make it in just 30 minutes and up to four days before your guests arrive. 04 of 15 Mexican Hot Chocolate Trifle Photo: Hector Sanchez Recipe: Mexican Hot Chocolate Trifle Our traditional chocolate trifle just got an upgrade. Just like a cup of hot cocoa, we're layering in marshmallow topping. Complete this dessert by sprinkling delicate chocolate curls on top. 05 of 15 Ambrosia Trifle Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Giulietta Pinna; Food Styling: Ali Ramee Recipe: Ambrosia Trifle We'd be remiss not to include ambrosia, a classic Southern holiday dish. And the best part—it looks very impressive but is a cinch to come together. 06 of 15 Red Velvet-Raspberry Tiramisù Trifle Iain Bagwell Recipe: Red Velvet-Raspberry Tiramisu Trifle Easily dress up this red velvet dessert by creating snowflakes with royal icing. Simply draw the desired shapes on wax paper with icing and let them dry. 07 of 15 Tipsy Parson Joy Howard Recipe: Tipsy Parson Skip the hassle of assembling the picture-perfect dessert (and serving it) by treating your guests to their own mini trifles. This Southern dish still uses all the traditional components of a large trifle, just individually portioned. 08 of 15 Old-Fashioned Trifle Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Old-Fashioned Trifle We're talking the boozy kind of old-fashioned here. We turned a classic cocktail into a fun dessert that is made for the holidays. 09 of 15 Banana Pudding Trifle Recipe: Banana Pudding Trifle You can never grow wrong with banana pudding, so we brought two classic Southern desserts together to create one easy, crowd-pleasing recipe. 10 of 15 Butterscotch-Spice Trifle Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Butterscotch-Spice Trifle This flavor-packed trifle brings together the rich flavors of butterscotch, winter spices, and vanilla for a show-stopping dessert that is as delicious as it is pretty. 11 of 15 Strawberry-Orange Trifle Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey Recipe: Strawberry-Orange Trifle Fresh strawberries and oranges give this trifle a light and refreshing flavor. 12 of 15 Brownie Trifle William Dickey; Styling: Cari South Recipe: Brownie Trifle You're just five ingredients away from enjoying this beloved Southern dessert. 13 of 15 Strawberry-Sugar Biscuit Trifle Southern Living Recipe: Strawberry-Sugar Biscuit Trifle This red and white dessert will add a festive touch to any holiday celebration. Garish with fresh mint leaves for a celebratory Christmassy treat. 14 of 15 Turtle Trifle John O'Hagan; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey Recipe: Turtle Trifle Inspired by classic turtle candy, this dessert includes pecan pie, caramel, and chocolate fudge. 15 of 15 Nutter Butter®-Banana Pudding Trifle Jennifer Davick Recipe: Nutter Butter-Banana Pudding Trifle We just took the standard banana pudding trifle to a whole new level by incorporating these nostalgic peanut butter sandwich cookies. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit