Easy Summer Berry Trifle
This Easy Summer Berry Trifle is a simple dessert perfect for all your warm weather needs! Layers of berries, fluffy pound cake, and pillowy pudding come together for a sweet, refreshing treat that’s quick and easy to make.
What Is a Berry Trifle?
Now a popular American treat, a trifle is actually an English dessert that originated in the 18th Century. Traditionally, the dish consisted of 3-4 layers of fruit, sponge cake (usually soaked in alcohol), and custard. Additionally, in many versions, there was a layer of jelly between the fruit and cake. However, no matter how the dessert was made, it was always served in a large, round bowl.
Meanwhile, the American version of the berry trifle, like we’re making today, is a little simpler. Existing in a wide variety of flavors, they are made with layers of pieces of cake, fruit, and pudding. In some instances, they’re topped off with whipped topping and a sprinkle of nuts.
No matter how you make your berry trifle, they’re always delicious and super quick to make! Especially if you go with the American version and skip soaking the cake.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Berry Trifle Recipe
There are soooo many reasons to love this berry trifle recipe, but we’ll just name a few!
- It looks beautiful on your table.
- One batch makes enough to feed a crowd.
- You can whip it up in a matter of minutes. Seriously!
- It’s the perfect combination of cool, creamy, and fluffy textures with sweet flavors.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Sweet and simple is the name of the game when it comes to this berry trifle, and the ingredient list is the same! Here’s what you need:
- Pudding Mix – Use vanilla instant pudding mix. Do not make it or swap it out for homemade pudding!
- Milk – We recommend using whole milk for the creamiest texture and sweetest, richest, most delicious taste. However, any milk you have on hand can be used.
- Whipped Topping – This is key to creating the fluffiest, most delicious filling.
- Pound Cake – If you’re feeling adventurous, you can definitely make your own pound cake. Personally, we save time and just get one from the store.
- Berries – Strawberries and blueberries combine to create the festive fruit layer.
- Sugar – Regular granulated sugar helps enhance the natural sweetness of the fruit.
- Lemon Juice – This helps soften the berries, preventing them from becoming soggy or browning.
How to Make a Summer Berry Trifle
This summer berry trifle recipe is the perfect dessert to whip up when you need something quick!
- Prepare the Berries. Add the strawberries to one bowl and the blueberries to another. Sprinkle one tablespoon of sugar over each followed by a squeeze of lemon juice. Gently stir to combine and toss the fruit, and let the berries sit until they begin to release their natural juices.
- Make the Pudding Layer. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the pudding mix and milk until smooth. Let the mixture stand until it thickens. Then, add the whipped topping, and beat again until it is well incorporated.
- Assemble the Summer Berry Trifle. Working in thirds for every layer, begin to assemble the dessert. Start by placing the pound cake in the bottom of a trifle bowl followed by the berries. Then, spoon the pudding mixture evenly on top, and repeat.
- Chill and Serve. Transfer the dessert to the fridge to chill for at least 2-3 hours or ideally overnight.
Variations
Mix and match different ingredients and flavor combinations to make this summer berry trifle recipe your own! For instance, some of our favorite variations include:
- Use Different Fruit. A wide variety of fruit works great in trifle recipes. For instance, kiwi, pineapple, blackberries, peaches, and mangoes all taste amazing!
- Swap Out the Pound Cake. We love the sturdy texture that pound cake provides. However, if you want a super light and fluffy dessert, angel food cake makes for a great substitution.
- Include a Topping. Get a little fancy and top off your berry trifle with a little extra garnish like chopped nuts, coconut flakes, mint sprigs, or chocolate shavings.
Summer Berry Trifle Common Questions
Yes! In fact, we recommend it as the flavors really sink in and taste even better the next day.
No worries! Use any large, deep bowl such as a salad or punch bowl instead. Or, divide the trifle into individual jars for a super cute, single-serving dessert.
While we recommend making your berry trifle a day in advance, you don’t want to leave it in the fridge long. Otherwise, it will become soggy. For the best results, we recommend consuming your trifle within 3 days.
More Tasty Summer Treats
Looking for more ways to satisfy your sweet tooth this summer? We’ve got you covered with all the best desserts!
- Slow Cooker Summer Berry Cobbler
- Chocolate Brownie Pizza Tart
- Easy Fruit Salad
- Easy Peach Strawberry Cobbler
Summer Berry Trifle
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fresh strawberries (sliced)
- 16 ounces fresh blueberries
- 2 Tablespoons sugar (divided)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice (divided)
- 1 5.9 ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3 cups whole milk (or milk of choice, cold)
- 12 ounces whipped topping (thawed)
- 2 loaves pound cake (cut into 1-inch squares)
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the strawberries, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Repeat the process in a second bowl with the blueberries. Set the fruit aside for 30 minutes or until the berries begin to release their natural juices.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat the pudding mix and milk until smooth. Let stand for 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Add the whipped topping, and beat again until smooth.
- Assemble the berry trifle starting by placing ⅓ of the pound cake in the bottom of a large trifle bowl.
- Layer ⅓ of the strawberries and ⅓ of the blueberries on top followed by ⅓ of the pudding mixture.
- Repeat until all of the ingredients have been used, ending with a layer of pudding.
- Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or ideally overnight.
- Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Made this for our 4th of July gathering. It was a HUGE hit!!!! I couldn’t find pound cake so I did sub in Angel food cake & it worked perfect. I also set aside some of the whipped cream & did that on the stop to give it a little more “red,white & blue” look. It has a great lite taste – not too heavy or overwhelming with just the right amount of sweetness to it. Will be making this again for sure.
Ohh love the substitution of angel food cake! So glad it was a hit! xo, Alia & Radwa