Best Chocolate Trifle {Easy}

Learn how to make the best, no bake, quick and easy chocolate trifle recipe with simple ingredients. Loaded with layers of cake, pudding, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, pretzels.

This is a fun spin on the classic English trifle dessert and perfect for chocoholics and chocolate lovers. It's sweet and salty and comes together in just 15 minutes. It's just as delicious as my Easy English Trifle (Christmas Trifle).

If you are short on time, you don't even have to make all the separate layers from scratch. Just get store-bought cakes, puddings e.t.c. and it will still taste delicious. In fact, I use a lot of cake mixes for desserts. Just check out my Easy Cake Mix Recipes (Desserts) for more ideas.

Key ingredients

• Chocolate pound cake- You can make it homemade or take the short cut with a box mix.
• Whipped cream- I like to use my homemade whipped cream linked below for the best taste and texture.
• Chocolate pudding- Make sure it is rich and smooth for best results.
• Candy bars- You can use any of your favorite combination.
• Pretzels- Adds a bit of crunch and a salty sweet pairing.
• Strawberry jam- This is a great pairing with the chocolatey flavors.
• Nutella syrup- This simple yet delicious concoction serves as the finale to it all.

Variations

• Oreo brownie version- This would truly be the ultimate death by chocolate flavor. Use this Easy Chocolate Oreo Cake Recipe or these Fudgy Oreo Brownies, along with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and lots of chocolate candies and Oreo cookies.
• Christmas version- Use my Gingerbread Recipe or this Easy Ginger Cake along with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and seasonal sprinkles and peppermint candies or crushed candy canes.
• Pumpkin- Use this Easy Pumpkin Cake (With Cake Mix), along with pumpkin pudding, whipped cream, and chopped nuts.
• Berry or strawberry trifle or strawberry shortcake- If you make it red, white and blue, it would be perfect 4th of July celebrations. Use the Best Vanilla Cake with Strawberry Pie Filling and Strawberry Buttercream Frosting and fresh fruits.
• Black forest- This has all the flavors of my Black Forest Cake (With Cake Mix). Use chocolate cake, Cherry Pie Filling and whipped cream.
• Lemon- Use Lemon Pound Cake (With Cake Mix) and layer with Lemon Curd and whipped cream. Decorate with thin lemon slices and white chocolate shreds.
• Tiramisu- Replace cake with coffee soaked ladyfingers and use mascarpone cheese filling, whipped cream. Add a dusting of cocoa powder, espresso powder on top.
• Carrot cake- Use this Moist Carrot Cake and pair it with Cream Cheese Frosting. Pair it with pistachio pudding.
• Cookie dough- Use Vanilla Buttermilk Pound Cake and pair that with cookie dough balls. Any of these would be great: Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bars, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles, Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bars. Add whipped cream, vanilla pudding and lots of mini chocolate chips.
• Peanut butter- Use vanilla cake, along with peanut butter frosting, peanut butter pudding, melted peanut butter, peanut butter chips and lots of Reese's candies.
• Banana- Use this Banana Chocolate Chip Cake and cut it into small cubes. Use banana pudding and butterscotch chips and white chocolate chips for topping.
• Birthday- Use rainbow colored cakes and top off with colored frosting and lots of sprinkles.
• For convenience- You can make individual mini trifles in small glasses or bowls and just give those your guests with small spoons.

How to make easy homemade chocolate trifle recipe from scratch?

1. Prepare each layer- This includes baking the cake, whipping up the whipped cream, making the sauce, and gathering toppings.
2. Assemble- Layer small cake slices, pudding, whipped cream, and pudding.
3. Top it all off- With chocolate, pretzels, and more cake pieces.
4. Drizzle sauce- For the final step and then enjoy.

Tips and techniques

• Everything must be at room temperature- Nothing should be hot or even warm because that will cause all the layers to melt together and become a mess.
• Use firm cake- Such as pound cakes (Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Sour Cream Pound Cake) because they are dense and able to withstand the weight of all the heavy layers.
• Be neat- You need to carefully layer each component and avoid making the sides of your glass bowl dirty because the end result won't be as nice. You want all the layers to be clear and prominent.
• What flavors to use? Since there are many components in this dessert, make sure to use flavors that compliment each other. Don't use chocolate with lemon, for example, because that would be awful.
• Alcohol is optional- I didn't use it but some people drizzle a little brandy or sherry on top of the cake slices so that it absorbs into it.c
• Topping ideas- The possibilities are endless. Some options include: fresh fruits and berries (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, cherry, blueberry), chopped chocolate candies, sprinkles, pretzels, chopped cookies, chocolate chips, Dulce De Leche, fudge sauce, Homemade Caramel Sauce.
• Use small cake slices- I like to cut them into small cubes because they are easier to arrange in the bowl and also easier to eat.
• If it's prepared in one large bowl- You want to spoon and serve it in separate bowls for your guests. Make sure you dig deep, when spooning it, so as to get all the layers.

Recipe FAQs

Storage

• Make ahead- This can be prepared beforehand, but is best served fresh while all the layers and nice. However, it can be made and stored in the fridge 1-2 days before needed.
• Room temperature- Don't leave out for more than 2-3 hours.
• Refrigerate- Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
• Freeze- This is not recommended, because the cream and pudding may separate upon thawing and make a soggy mess.

More Chocolate Desserts

• Best Chocolate Cupcakes
• Chocolate Brownie Cake (With Box Mix or Scratch)
• Chocolate Waffles (Cake Mix Waffles)
• Easy Chocolate Oreo Cake Recipe
• Chocolate Spritz Cookies

Recipe