Hamdi Saidani This Pioneer Woman Chocolate Trifle is the dirt cups you loved as a kid, all grown up and layered in a big glass bowl. Crumbled brownies, silky chocolate pudding, crushed Oreo cookies, and a whipped cream cheese filling stacked so everyone can see what they’re getting into. Boxed brownie mix and instant pudding keep it easy, done in under an hour.
Build the whole thing the night before and let the Oreos soften into the pudding, or assemble it right before serving for more crunch. Both ways work, and honestly the overnight version might be better.
Why You Fold Cream Into the Pudding
That one cup of whipped cream cheese you fold into the chocolate pudding isn’t optional. It lightens the pudding so it’s silky instead of dense, and it’s what separates this trifle from just dumping pudding out of a box.
Use a rubber spatula and go gently. The whole point of folding is keeping the air in the cream so the pudding layer stays fluffy between those heavy brownie chunks.
Can You Use Store-Bought Brownies
Yes, and nobody will know. Grab a tray of unfrosted brownies from the bakery section or use leftover brownies from the freezer. Just cube them up and skip straight to assembling the layers.
Unfrosted chocolate cake works too. The pudding and cream cheese do all the heavy lifting on flavor, so the brownie layer is more about texture and soaking up all that chocolate pudding.
Chocolate Trifle Ingredients
- 1 (20-ounce) box dark chocolate brownie mix (such as Ghirardelli)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 (5-ounce) box instant chocolate pudding
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 (14.3-ounce) package chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos
- Chocolate shavings, for garnish
How To Make Pioneer Woman Chocolate Trifle
- Bake the Brownies: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease a 13×9 inch pan and prepare the brownie mix with the egg, oil, and water according to the box. Spread into the pan and bake 18 to 22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool completely.
- Make the Pudding: Prepare the instant chocolate pudding with the milk according to the package directions. Chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes while you work on everything else.
- Whip the Cream Cheese Filling: Beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually add the heavy cream and vanilla, beating until whipped and well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Prep the Layers: Fold about 1 cup of the whipped cream cheese mixture into the chilled pudding to lighten it. Cut the cooled brownies into 20 pieces. Place the Oreos in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Assemble the Trifle: Layer half the brownie pieces in the bottom of a 4-quart trifle dish. Top with half the pudding, half the crushed Oreos, and half the remaining whipped cream cheese. Repeat once more and finish with chocolate shavings on top.
How To Make Chocolate Shavings
Microwave an unwrapped chocolate bar for 5 to 10 seconds until it’s just barely soft. Run a Y-shaped vegetable peeler along the long edge and you’ll get thin curls that look like they came from a pastry shop.
Let the shavings sit for a couple minutes before you handle them or they’ll melt between your fingers. Scatter them over the top layer right before serving.
What Dish To Use
A clear glass trifle dish is the whole point here. Those layers are the presentation, and hiding them in an opaque bowl defeats the purpose.
If you don’t have a trifle dish, a large glass bowl or even individual clear cups work great. Smaller portions in cups are actually easier to serve at a party than scooping from one big bowl.
How To Store
Cover the trifle tightly and keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. After that, the crushed Oreos start to lose their texture and the brownie pieces get too soft. It’s a make-it-and-eat-it-soon kind of dessert, not one that lasts all week. Don’t freeze it. The whipped cream breaks down and the layers turn into mush.
Nutrition
- Calories: 600 kcal
- Total Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 86 mg
- Sodium: 453 mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 57 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 41 g
- Protein: 7 g
Try More Recipes
Pioneer Woman Chocolate Trifle
Description
This Pioneer Woman Chocolate Trifle is the dirt cups you loved as a kid, all grown up and layered in a big glass bowl. Crumbled brownies, silky chocolate pudding, crushed Oreo cookies, and a whipped cream cheese filling stacked so everyone can see what they’re getting into. Boxed brownie mix and instant pudding keep it easy, done in under an hour.
Build the whole thing the night before and let the Oreos soften into the pudding, or assemble it right before serving for more crunch. Both ways work, and honestly the overnight version might be better.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Bake the Brownies: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease a 13×9 inch pan and prepare the brownie mix with the egg, oil, and water according to the box. Spread into the pan and bake 18 to 22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool completely.
- Make the Pudding: Prepare the instant chocolate pudding with the milk according to the package directions. Chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes while you work on everything else.
- Whip the Cream Cheese Filling: Beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually add the heavy cream and vanilla, beating until whipped and well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Prep the Layers: Fold about 1 cup of the whipped cream cheese mixture into the chilled pudding to lighten it. Cut the cooled brownies into 20 pieces. Place the Oreos in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Assemble the Trifle: Layer half the brownie pieces in the bottom of a 4-quart trifle dish. Top with half the pudding, half the crushed Oreos, and half the remaining whipped cream cheese. Repeat once more and finish with chocolate shavings on top.
