Have you ever noticed that trifles are so often made with vanilla pudding and vanilla wafers or shortbread or angel food cake? Where’s the chocolate? I’m here today to change that. This Chocolate Berry Trifle involves Oreos and chocolate pudding, which means you can’t possibly go wrong. Unless you don’t like chocolate–then you’re just plum out of luck. It’s quick and easy to whip up, can be made in individual dishes or one large one, and makes a great dessert for the 4th of July due to the red, white, and blue berries and cream.
Ingredient Notes
- Cool Whip – Not a fan of Cool Whip? That’s ok! Whip 16 ounces of heavy cream with 1/2 cup powdered sugar to use in its place.
- Cream Cheese – Full fat or low fat will both work here. Avoid fat free.
- Oreos – We all know and love this name brand, but any sandwich cookie will do here. Feel free to switch things up according to your personal taste!
- Pudding and Berries – Yes, this is a recipe for Chocolate Berry Trifle, but this same method works for other flavor combinations. You could switch out the chocolate pudding for vanilla and/or change the berries for a different flavor profile. Banana pudding, Nutter Butters, and bananas would be a yummy combo, especially if you snuck a spoonful of peanut butter into the topping!
How to Make Chocolate Berry Trifle
- For the chocolate pudding layer, blend together a package of instant chocolate pudding, some water, and a can of sweetened condensed milk. Then whip some cream and fold it all together into a rich mousse.
- Next, whip together some softened cream cheese and 2 containers of thawed Cool Whip (or whipped cream, if you prefer).
- Lastly, chop up some Oreo cookies, wash and slice a pint of strawberries and wash our blue(ish) berries (blueberries or blackberries work great).
- Finally, layer it all up! You can do this however you please. For these pictures, in individual serving dishes, I did a layer of pudding, followed by Oreos, berries, the whipped cream cheese mixture, and topped with more berries and Oreos. If you’re making this is one large trifle dish, simply repeat the layers until you use up all of your ingredients. I do recommend finishing the top off with a layer of the whipped cream cheese mixture and garnishing with berries and cookie pieces.
Serving Suggestions
This a seriously delicious red, white, and blue (plus chocolate) dessert for Memorial Day or the 4th of July, but really, when berries are cheap and awesome, it’s perfect all summer.
Looking for other patriotic desserts? Check out our Independence Day archives for a list of yummy red, white, and blue treats!
FAQs
- Can I make these ahead of time? The best way to prep this Chocolate Berry Trifle ahead of time is to prepare the pudding and whipped cream cheese mixture up to 24 hours in advance and store in airtight containers in the fridge. You can also prep all of your fruit and chop your Oreos. Layer everything together within a couple of hours of serving. You can, of course, put it all together earlier, just remember that the longer it sits, the softer the cookies become.
- What if I don’t have a trifle bowl? Trifle is a beautiful dessert that looks best in a clear bowl. If you don’t have clear dessert dishes, try mason jars or drinking glasses! Don’t own any suitable clear serving dishes? No worries; this trifle is just as delicious when you can’t see the layers.
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Chocolate Berry Trifle
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Serves about 10
Description
Rich chocolate pudding, Oreo cookies, fresh berries, and a whipped cream cheese topping. The perfect easy, no-bake dessert for the 4th of July or Memorial Day thanks to the red and blue berries and white whipped cream cheese topping!
Ingredients
1 4-serving-size (3.9-ounce) package instant chocolate pudding
1 cup cold water
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 8-ounce containers Cool Whip, thawed
8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
2/3 package of Oreo cookies, roughly chopped
1 pint blueberries, blackberries, or a combination of both, washed
1 pint strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced
Instructions
To prepare the chocolate layer, whisk together the pudding, cold water, and sweetened condensed milk. Refrigerate. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Fold into the chocolate pudding mixture until well-combined and then refrigerate until ready to use.
To prepare the cream cheese layer, use an electric mixer to whip the cream cheese until it’s light and fluffy. Add the thawed Cool Whip and whip until light and fluffy and well-combined.
Layer the ingredients in trifle dishes. If using individual dishes, it’s easiest to do a layer of pudding, cookies, strawberries, Cool Whip/cream cheese, and end with berries. If using one large trifle dish, repeat the layers until you run out of ingredients (or space).
Notes
If desired, Cool Whip can be replaced with 16 ounces of heavy cream whipped with 1/2 cup powdered sugar.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No cook
Find it online: https://ourbestbites.com/chocolate-berry-trifle/
Questions & Reviews
Whoa! Halt cool whip haters! Running a website is tough enough– a few sponsers are greatly appreciated! Lay off these ladies! Also, umm, yummy and yes, trifles always remind me of that friends episode–I’m thinking if I make this some nutella might sneak it’s way in there somehow.
My favorite trifle is actually a deconstructed version of your chocolate mousse crunch cake. Layer cake, mousse, and heath bits and top it off with some whipped cream. Super chocolatey and decedent. 🙂
YUM, YUM, YUMMY!!!! 🙂
Thanks for another fun recipe! Just in time for Memorial Day! I even love making mini-trifles in clear plastic punch cups – they actually turn out cute! We are a try-our-best-to-eat-whole-foods kind of family, that happens to also be a “thank you Jesus for Cool-Whip from a plastic bucket” family. 🙂 Keep ’em coming friend!
i love trifle
This looks delicious and very simple! A crowd-pleaser for sure.
I’m from the south & Cool Whip is a staple here. This looks delicious.
Love the recipe and also love the huge variety of recipes you guys are always posting. No matter if I end up making it or not, I enjoy every new blog entry you post, and rarely read one where I don’t smile to myself and laugh out loud about something you’ve written. I’m tired of all the complaining some people have chosen to do lately as far as a recipe using this or that ingredient. Seriously, people? If you’ve got the whole try to balance life and cook/bake for your family, too, figured out so perfectly, then why are you even reading this blog??? I love OBB! Reading the new posts is a highlight to my day. 🙂 Keep up the great work, ladies! It’s appreciated!
By the way, my new favorite Cool Whip is the container with a brownie picture on it. I believe it’s “thick and rich”. WOW! It’s made with cream and is very tasty!
If you don’t have individual trifle dishes, I’ve used before clear plastic cups. You know, the wide short ones. They work great for something like this, especially if you’re bringing them to a party and don’t want to mess with dishes to take home.
I am in charge of dessert for a Memorial Day BBQ…I’m so making this! Looks great! Thanks!
the trifle is so pretty! great idea for 4th of july with the red white and blue and like the cocoa twist!
Yum! Can’t wait to try this one and I have the perfect little trifle bowls too.
If you make this in the individual bowls, how many bowls will it yeild?(I know size of the bowl will matter, but approx? )
Probably 10-12-ish
If only it wasn’t made with Cool Whip… I am trying to phase out anything that can be considered ‘plastic’ food. I totally agree w/ Amy’s sentiments in post #12. Bring on real food, please!
Just substitute real whipped cream for Cool Whip. Easy peasy. You just take 1 cup Heavy/whipping Cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 Tablespoon confectioners/powdered sugar. Whip cream in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks are about to form. Then add in vanilla and confectioners sugar (make sure the peaks are already formed). Be careful not to whip too much or it can turn to butter type mush. Warning real cream doesn’t last like the cool whip and needs to be used up or goes all runny and icky.
Trifle literally means “a bother”. In otherwords they are a bother (worth it though) to make but oh so tasty! I make trifles of all sorts all the time, the commonality being berries and angel food cake, the pudding flavors change depending on what I want and occasionally I make a “tropical” style one, adding in tropical fruits such as pineapple, mango, papya, etc …
Brilliant! Can’t wait to make this!
The only trifle I make is called “Death by Chocolate” and involves devil’s food cake, Kahlua, chocolate mousse, Heath Bars, and Cool Whip. Not a single shortcake/banana/vanilla bland bit in it. Of course, the Kahlua could probably be substituted with a nice strong espresso too. It’s always the first dessert gone at a carry-in. :o)
I love the idea of using berries, tho. Will have to try this. And I love, love, LOVE your individual trifle bowls. Totally needing some of those now!
I’m going to have to stop reading your blog. I used to come here for trusted recipes, but now everything you post is “sponsored by.” Sure, you need to make money to support you family and make this endeavor worth the time you spend away from your kids. BUT, I feel like the recipes you are throwing at us are only intended to make money…so much for tried and trusted. I wouldn’t mind if the sponsored recipes were few and far between, but lately, it seems like every post is being forced on us.
And Cool whip, really? That stuff is nasty anyway and I refuse to cook with it. I like recipes with REAL ingredients that I can feel good about feeding my family. Pudding + Cool Whip…yuck!
Or you could say to yourself, “hmm. I’m not really a fan of cool whip, but the concept looks good. I think I’ll do it with real whipped cream instead.” and then keep your mouth shut.
I just want to echo Ellie’s comment. We have to remember how much time it takes for these girls to come up with recipes, perfect them, photograph them and get posts up 3x a week. Reply to comments, questions, pay for the blog and so on and so forth. It IS a full time job. So while you want everything for free, realize they have to get some income to keep this blog up and running and worth their time too. And I don’t care who sponsors what as long it is their opinion and they are honest. I may not like cool whip, but you better believe I will be using this idea – so cute!
Also, I just want to say that I am glad I am not the only one who believes calories don’t count when things are broken – like cookies – or when I cut the brownie in half, then eat both halfs. Totally doesn’t count 😉
So then stop reading, and keep the sour grapes to yourself. In the last few days, they’ve posted a recipe for a refreshing carribean chicken salad, homemade soft pretzels, and a delicious steak-and-brie sandwich, none of which were sponsored in any way. They all contained real ingredients that are fine to feed a growing family. These ladies are doing their best to produce recipes that appeal to a wide audience while supporting their own growing families, not just appeal to YOU.
You might think Cool Whip and Jello Pudding are nasty but they’ve been around since the 1960s and plenty of folks might like to use them once in a while so why don’t you get off your sassy horse or at least take it somewhere else.
Then stop reading! If you see the title of the post, and you’re not interested, or it’s not up to your “trusted” standards…..don’t keep reading! I had a conversation with my friend the other day about this exact thing. My love for OBB runs deep. She loves the website, just not as much as I do. So, she told me if she isn’t interested in the post for the day, she just moves on. If it’s a recipe that draws her in, she clicks and reads. Easy as pie. I’m just trying to figure out why so many individuals have made it their business to be unkind on these comment boards lately and try to pass it off as being helpful. And I’m with everyone else. If ya don’t like an ingredient, figure something else out.
Keep it coming, Kate and Sara. (I just admire due-any-minute-Kate for posting anything at this point of her pregnancy! Best wishes, Kate!)
“Every post is being forced on us…” Really? I can’t believe you said that. Who is forcing you? I don’t make every recipe I see here, some look wonderful and fit my lifestyle, others look good but I don’t try them. No one is forcing me to love or try every recipe. No one is forcing you either. If you can’t make necessary substitutions or adjustments to a recipe you see here, then it is your fault, not these talented ladies. Thanks Kate and Sara for all you time in efforts and sharing your delicious ideas with all of us.
Amy, have a great day. It sounds like you need a hug.
I don’t want to be nasty but if you don’t have anything nice to say, please don’t say it. Amy, I think that you might want to think about what you posted. I almost cry whenever I see a post like that.
We make it with brownies, chocolate pudding, cool whip, and berries. TO DIE FOR.
I want to try this one too!
One of our family’s favorite trifles is a prepared chocolate cake mix, crumbled, layered with chocolate pudding, cool whip and heath toffee pieces. Wonderful!
Hi, I love the thought of chocolate in trifles! I have a trifle I made this week and am posting this Friday with pound cake, lemon curd and gingersnap crumbs, it was delicious! My husband is English and grew up with the more traditional English trifle which has a layer of fruit and jello on the bottom with ladyfingers too. Not quite as appetizing as I’d like, especially after the first few bites, it just looks messy. We’ll have to give your chocolate creation a try.
The thing I love about my English mother is the fact that the only trifle we ever had in our house growing up consisted of chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, Cool Whip and Skor bits. I never had a fruit laden, vanilla pudding trifle until I was in my early 20s! Bless her for loving me enough to only make the really good stuff! This one looks good too, maybe we’ll have to switch things up one of these days and surprise the family with a trifle that has fruit in it! Haha
when i think of trifle (i have eaten several different kinds and loved them) I can’t help think of the episode of ‘Friends’ when Rachel tries to make a trifle and mixes up a trifle recipe and shepherd’s pie recipe. One of my favorite TV kitchen blunders of all time.
Oh, my gosh, TOTALLY! “Beans? Good. Meat? Good. Jam? Good.”
It’s funny how putting it in the small trifle bowl makes the berries look enormous. which makes them look delicious. Also, I’m not usually a huge fan of instant chocolate pudding but I can get on board with anything that has sweetened condensed milk and whipped cream in it! We are having company for dinner on Sunday and I’m pretty sure I’ll have to make this for dessert. Does it work to make this the day before or would I be better off to make the pudding (mousse?) and the cream ahead of time but assemble the trifle the day of?
You could definitely make it the day before–in fact, you’d probably be better off that way (rather than trying to assemble it later) because the pudding/cool whip mixtures will still be workable.
This sounds so yummy! Love the chocolate and berries combo.
This looks yummy and since the oreos are crushed and there is fruit, this is super healthy right?! I have only ever made one trifle, and it was amazing! Chocolate and peanut butter…can’t go wrong! Here is the link if anyone wants to try it.
http://www.cucinafamiglia.com/2011/12/peanut-butter-brownie-trifle.html
My friends and I do a “death by chocolate trifle” that includes oreos, broken chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, and heath bar bits with the cool whip. People fight over it! 🙂 This looks great with the berries.
People still make trifle with vanilla pudding (I’m thinking ‘dream topping’ or ‘angel delight’ from the UK)?? No wonder they think it’s old fashioned and icky. Trifles are ever popular over here but nowadays are made with fresh custard and whipped cream, plus fresh fruit- usually with strawberries at this time of year.
This looks perfect for this weekend and I have a plethora (yes, a true plethora)of chocolate pudding we need to use up. I have never made any trifle because although I think it looks pretty in the bowl once you take a scoop it is visually disturbing to me (weird, I know!) So now I will have to go hunt down these little trifle bowls since they are adorable! Keep up the great work ladies, you’re amazing!