Layers of fudgy chocolate brownies, cheesecake pudding and cool peppermint combine in this festive candy cane inspired trifle dessert. Chocolate peppermint trifle is the easy yet stunning dessert to make this holiday season!

A close up photo of a chocolate peppermint trifle. more

Chocolate Peppermint Trifle

You all know how much I love trifles by now. There are several reasons why I think trifle is such a great dessert, first and foremost because they look amazing. While our favorite is still this English Trifle, we love all sorts of layered desserts around here.

One of my all-time favorite flavor combinations is chocolate and peppermint. Rich fudgy chocolate cooled with peppermint makes my taste buds so happy. My favorite Christmas cookies are chocolate cookies stuffed with candy cane kisses and this chocolate peppermint trifle does not disappoint!

A photo of a chocolate peppermint trifle.

When people see this chocolate peppermint trifle, I guarantee there will be oohs and ahhs throughout the room. It’s a beautiful table centerpiece and definite showstopper! The other reason I love making trifles is because they are so easy. Simply layer your ingredients and you have a magnificent dessert that’s almost effortless.

Speaking of easy, except for the brownies, this particular trifle is almost no-bake as well. Your grocery’s bakery may sell ready-made brownies, or you can use a box mix or whip up a batch from scratch. You’ll need two 8×8 pans or one pan of 13×9 brownies.

The filling is equally easy using boxed pudding and whipped topping (or homemade whipped cream). Pudding is my secret ingredient in the kitchen! One of my favorite Christmas cookies are pistachio pudding cookies which have a festive green color and soft interior thanks to the pudding. I used cheesecake flavored pudding for this trifle, but vanilla or white chocolate would work just as well.

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An overhead photo of a chocolate peppermint trifle.

Ingredients you will need:

Prepared brownies – two 8×8 pans or one 13×9 batch
2 boxes (3.4 oz each) instant cheesecake pudding mix
3 cups cold milk
8 oz frozen whipped topping, thawed
10-12 oz white chocolate peppermint candy, crushed

Kitchen tools you may need:

Trifle dessert dish
Silicone spatula
Mixing bowl
Chef knife

A photo of a chocolate peppermint trifle.

For the peppermint, I used Andes peppermint crunch mints, but Hershey’s also makes a white chocolate bar with crushed candy cane bits. The amount per package varies by brand, but approximately 10-12 ounces is needed. I would not recommend using actual candy canes for this recipe or the flavor will be too overwhelming.

Tasters of this dessert say the coolness of the mint keeps this trifle from becoming too rich. They found it refreshing after a full dinner. They also particularly loved the peppermint candy I used since it’s soft and melts in your mouth.

If you love candy cane desserts, you’ll love this homemade peppermint ice cream and this fudgy brownie trifle!