Vegan Trifle Cups with Berries
If you’ve never made a vegan trifle before, prepare to get your mind blown at how simple it is to make from scratch. All you need is a vanilla cake base, coconut whipped cream, vegan custard, and berries or fruit of choice! So simple to make, and it gets better with age as the flavours mature.
Trifles are something that most people enjoy. It’s the perfect dessert to share on special occasions.
I’ve already planned to share with you a few different flavour combinations over the coming months.
Leading up to the holidays, you’ll be able to choose from multiple combinations that everyone will love!
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When my husband Michael and I first started dating, I’d go over to his place and make the unhealthiest trifle from store-bought ingredients. Custard in a carton, some fruit (normally just banana or berries), pre-made sponge or cookies, thickened cream, flake bars, and anything else that seemed appealing at the time.
This was our naughty dessert when we stayed in watching movies all night. I think the sugar in that trifle would do the job of keeping us up all night!
As you’d suspect, we both always felt sick afterward, but for some reason, we still managed to justify it the next time. Ahh…the days of not caring in our early 20s.
How times have changed! Not only are we vegan now, but I would never buy processed ingredients like that now.
This recipe is much healthier and more satisfying than anything store-bought. I love it when others enjoy the food that I make. This is one of my favourites to pull out as a treat when we have guests over.
Kitchen tools needed to make this vegan trifle
The items that you’ll need to execute this dessert are:
- Scales
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Large bowl
- Small bowl
- Fine mesh strainer (for sifting dry ingredients)
- Mixing spoon
- Whisk
- Baking dish
- Unbleached parchment paper
- Hand-held or electric whisk
- Medium saucepan
- Small knife
- Peeler (for shaving chocolate)
Tips for making these easy vegan trifle cups with berries
Each recipe that is featured in this trifle has a great set of tips and tricks. For those, please check out the vanilla cake, whipped coconut cream, and vegan custard posts for more.
However, here are a few tips to help you with the trifle itself.
- I’ve used raspberry jam in the trifle; you can use whatever jam you like. I think apricot and even orange marmalade would work well.Â
- If berries aren’t in season where you live, you can use other fruits like cherries, apricots, peaches, mangoes, bananas, or even frozen or canned fruits.Â
- These cups can be made the day before you want to serve them. The flavours will mature over time.Â
- If you don’t have glasses like mine, you can make one big trifle and serve it individually at the table.Â
- Want to make this more traditional? Add some of your favourite liquor for the vanilla cake to soak up. Fruit-based ones like cherry or raspberry liqueur, and light or dark sherry are the best ones to use. I personally find that it doesn’t need the extra something as it’s moist and flavourful without it.Â
Other vegan dessert recipes you’ll love:
- Vegan Black Forest Trifle
- Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding with Cashew Cream
- Easy Vegan Tiramisu (Gluten-Free)
- Vegan Vanilla Cake with Coconut Cream and Berries
- 3-Ingredient Chestnut Puree With Whipped Coconut Cream
- Vegan Banana Custard Cake
If you try this recipe, let me know! We’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below. If you want to go that extra mile, tag us on Instagram or share your photo of the recipe on Pinterest.Â
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Vegan Trifle Cups with Berries
- Prep Time: 4 hours
- Assembly Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 5 Serves
Description
These berry-filled vegan trifle cups are the perfect refreshing dessert for any occasion. Light and fluffy, you won’t feel naughty eating a cup of this goodness!
Ingredients
Cake layer:
- Make half of the vanilla cake (just the sponge)
Cream layer:
- Whipped coconut cream (add an additional ½ cup / 120g coconut cream and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup)
Custard layer:
Extras:
- 5 tablespoons raspberry jam
- Berries, for layering (I made some with blackberries and raspberries and others with blueberries and strawberries.)
- Vegan dark chocolate (optional)
Instructions
- Vanilla cake: Use only half the recipe as you will need half the amount of sponge that the cake makes.
- Instead of a cake tin, you’ll be baking it in any flatter baking tray that is approximately 24cm x 24cm / 9.45 inches x 9.45 inches. Line it with parchment paper before baking for around 20-30 minutes. It’s done when a skewer comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.
- Coconut whipped cream: Make the cream. Once made, set aside in the fridge for 2 hours to set.
- Custard: Make the custard. You can adjust the cornstarch depending on how thick you’d like the custard. This is totally personal preference.Â
- Once all the ingredients for your trifle are cool and set, you’re ready to start assembling.
- Before you get started, cut the sponge into smaller squares so it’s easier to place inside the ramekins or glasses that you’re using. (My glasses hold 420ml / 14.2 ounces.)
- Assembly: Distribute all ingredients equally between the 5 glasses starting with the cake. Place a couple of pieces of cake on the bottom of the glass and press it down to have no holes/empty pockets. Followed by a tablespoon of jam spread over the cake evenly.
- Next is the custard, followed by the first layer of berries. From there, you add the whipped cream and another layer of berries.
- Finish it off with shaved dark chocolate and set it in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. This dish is best served cold. I like to leave mine for a minimum of two hours to let the flavours infuse a little more.
Notes
Want a hint of passionfruit? Fold my passionfruit curd into the coconut cream, or add it as a new layer for extra deliciousness!Â
- Diet: Vegan
Hi! I want to make this for Thanksgiving and was wondering the measurements for about 8 people? thanks so much! it looks great!
Hi Valerie, I would just double the recipe. So make the whole vanilla cake recipe, double the cream and custard recipes, and up the jam to 10 tablespoons, you’ll probably need 4 punnets of berries (depending on the size) and as much chocolate as you like for topping. The quantities will also vary depending on the serving sizes, but doubling it will be your best bet. I hope that helps!
Hi! I’m definitely making this. Do you this I will need 2 of the vegan vanilla cakes for a whole trifle?
Hi Heather, it honestly depends on how big your trifle is and how you plan to layer it. If you’re doing double the layers, I think that one cake should suffice. Just cut it in half or chop it into pieces and separate it into two equal parts for the two layers. Hope that makes sense!
this sounds perfect! I’m gonna make it for Christmas. thanks for sharing!
You’re very welcome! I hope you love it 🙂