Easy Christmas Trifle - A Quick Dessert for the Holiday Buffet

Here's a quick and easy dessert to add to your holiday buffet table. A trifle is a layered dessert that usually incorporates a cake or some kind (pound cake, angle food cake) with custard, fruit, whipped cream, etc. Instead of a cake, here we use Danish butter cookies, which are plentiful in stores during the holiday season.

1 12-16oz tin Danish butter cookies (removed from tin and slightly crushed)
1 - 1 1/2 cups of egg nog (depending on the size tin of cookies you're using)
1 - 3.4oz box instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups cold milk (2% or whole)
1 - 21oz can of cherry pie filling (could also use whole cranberry sauce!)
1 - 8oz container whipped topping
ground cinnamon for dusting

Make the pudding up first. In a large bowl, combine pudding mix and two cups of cold milk. Whisk for two minutes until mix has dissolved and it begins to thicken. Transfer to refrigerator to fully set up.

Remove cookies from tin and place in a large bowl. Break the cookies up a little bit with a large spoon or other utensil. Pour egg nog over broken cookies and allow them to soak up the liquid, 10-15 minutes. If the cookies have not absorbed all the egg nog, use a slotted spoon to remove cookies from bowl and place them on the bottom of your serving dish.

Use any straight-sided clear dish to serve your trifle. In the video I used a 2 quart casserole dish. You could use a clear 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish, or a trifle bowl if you have one. If it's not important for the layers to be visible, then use whatever dish you prefer.

The egg nog-soaked cookies will serve as your bottom base layer. Next, spoon the vanilla pudding (it should be fully set by now) over the top of the cookies and smooth out to an even layer.

Now add the cherry pie filling. Spoon it gently over the pudding evenly distributing it on all sides. Then spread the whipped topping over the cherries making a smooth and even layer. Dust the top of the trifle with ground cinnamon. Cover trifle and put it in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.
#triflepudding #holidayfood #holidaydessert #christmasfood

[lisapop]

Ooh, I bet chocolate shavings would be lovely on top

[jack]

Looks great! My mother had a friend who was an English war bride. She made the best trifle! Nice to see this dessert highlighted!!

[windingroad]

Love this recipe, think I'll try it. Please keep the old fashioned Christmas recipes coming!!❤ And the mixed drinks lol😂

[Susan-puxj]

Hi Kevin and Marianne,
This looks delicious, and using the cookies is a little different. I plan to add this to my Christmas desserts. Hello to Ralph also, and hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season. Thanks for the great video as always.

[ravenmccall]

Yum, if only hubby liked eggnog! Thank you for sharing, I'll give the recipe to my daughter and she can slip me some. Kevin & Marianne, I wish you peace, love and kindness this holiday season and always! Next time...

[meredithlynn]

Good morning Kevin and Marianne. I love a good trifle. It’s so festive. I love putting a jello layer in mine. Raspberry is a good flavor. I think your trifle sounds delicious. What a great idea to use eggnog. Always love your take on a traditional Christmas treat❤😊 Have a blessed day sweet friends!

[trentthomas]

Your interpretation of Triffle is heavenly. Christmas is stinking hot where I am, so Triffle is a standard, cool dessert. Thank you.

[VickiFromMichigan]

Hello Kevin and MaryAnne! Oh my... I'm loving your china cabinet behind you filled with colorful Fiestaware😍! And your trifle bowl is wonderful! Thanks for sharing the recipe, looks delicious! I really appreciate that you offer the full recipe in the caption box!

[snookie]

This looks really good! I'm going to test it on my dinner guests this Sunday. 😉

[ElaineMarieHill]

Be still my heart ! A RED pedestal trifle bowl ! Must find ❤

[andreadragonfly]

Hey Kevin! Great recipe for Christmas! 🎄 My sister Sue asked me to bring a dessert for Christmas Eve, so decided that I will make this in my trifle bowl. Perfect and easy! I also pulled up your make ahead Turkey recipe from 2012. The one where you stuff the turkey cavity with onions, celery and lemon and roast it in a bag. Going to make my turkey a couple days before Thanksgiving next week. Then will just heat up the turkey meat on Thanksgiving in a turkey roaster on my counter on low temperature. That way I can concentrate on cleaning, side dishes and dessert on Thanksgiving morning. Thank you for great suggestions on making it easier for the cook! Have a happy holiday! ❤

[bbymks]

A yummy dessert AND a new sewing tin...doesn't get any bettwr than that!

[adrianstevens]

Oh, Yum! Thanks, Kevin, for this amazing fun dish 😃

[suzanneandersen]

Hi Kevin and MaryAnn! This trifle sounds delish and so easy. I have a large tin of Walker butter cookies and I think they’d be great in this recipe as well. Thank you for the recipe and have a wonderful thanksgiving with your family!

[judyp.]

Hello from Texas Kevin and Maryanne! Thanks for the easy and delicious recipe! Can’t wait to try it!

[Bob-mlmv]

Thank you Kevin for sharing this recipe. Need to try this for the holidays

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and Christmas season

[robertleadbetter]

Hi Kevin and Mary Ann I made this trifle but I couldn't find any tins of the butter cookies so I used a pound cake. Everyone loved it ! They kept asking for more and it was all gone lol Next time I'm going to triple it. Thank you for the wonderful recipe !

[norfolk]

Good morning Kevin hope you and Mary Anne, Ralph have a good Thanksgiving from me and my partner Eric we love watching y'all cooking video also vintage appliances

[MaryS]

Looks like a great dessert! I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving next week.

[annjordan]

Hi Kevin and Maryanne I’ve missed y’all, Iam glad you’re back, ( Ann from Mississippi )