This super-easy Chocolate Raspberry Trifle recipe is made in under 20 minutes. It features beautiful layers made from tart raspberries, creamy chocolate pudding, layers of cake, and sweet whipped cream.

It’s a delicious chocolate dessert that’s perfect for the whole family!

Ingredients needed for this Chocolate Raspberry trifle

This recipe needs just a few simple ingredients:

• Fresh raspberries. These need to be cleaned and dried before layering them with the rest of the ingredients
• Pudding mixture. To make the Chocolate pudding layer creamier, you can substitute the milk called for in the box for heavy whipping cream. Make sure to use instant pudding mix.
• Vanilla extract. Pure, good-quality vanilla extract goes a long way!
• Heavy whipping cream. To substitute the milk in the chocolate pudding and to make the whipped cream layer
• Sugar. To sweeten the whipped cream layer
• Chocolate cake. You can make your own cake from a Cake mix or use store-bought chocolate pound cake like I did for the cake layers
• Chocolate shavings. These are optional, to top the dessert

Take a look at the recipe card at the bottom of this post to see the complete recipe

How to make this layered dessert

Start by making the chocolate pudding. Follow the package directions, substituting the milk with heavy cream, and add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. Transfer the pudding to a medium bowl and refrigerate while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

⚠️ Important: Use INSTANT pudding mix
This recipe uses instant pudding, not cook-and-serve. Cook-and-serve pudding must be cooked on the stovetop and will not set correctly if used here.
Also, make sure your milk or cream is very cold and measure the liquid exactly as written.

Cut the chocolate cake into cake cubes and set aside.

Over a large bowl with the whisk attachment of an electric mixer, whip at high speed the heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Set aside

Start layering your dessert in a trifle bowl or trifle dish. I did not follow a layering order in mine, since I wanted raspberries in the middle and as a topping, but feel free to use any order you want, using 2 layers of each of the ingredients separately.

In the end, you should have 2 layers of the pudding chocolate mixture, 2 layers of chocolate cake, 2 layers of whipped cream, and 2 layers of fresh raspberries.

Use chocolate shavings on top of the trifle to decorate.

Expert tips for the perfect Raspberry Chocolate trifle

• You can also make this in mason jars, for individual portions
• Make sure you do not over-whip your heavy cream, or it can curdle. If it does curdle, just add cold heavy cream -little by little- with your mixer running at low speed until the whipped cream regains its fluffy texture
• If you washed your raspberries right before using them, make sure to tap them dry before layering them with the rest of the ingredients

Substitutions

• Use white cake or angel food cake instead of the chocolate cake
• You can substitute the chocolate pudding with vanilla pudding
• Use raspberry jam instead of fresh raspberries
• If you’re a brownie lover, substitute the chocolate cake with brownie. You can make your own brownies or buy store-bought brownies
• If you’re looking for some extra time, substitute the homemade whipped cream with Cool Whip

FAQS

Should trifle be served at room temperature?

This trifle should be served cold and stored in the refrigerator at all times.

Should a trifle be made the night before?

You can definitely make your trifle the night before.

I made this one ahead of time, placed a few toothpicks on top to prevent the plastic wrap from touching the whipped cream, and then covered it.

What if my whipped cream becomes grainy?

Stop whipping immediately — if it’s already grainy, add a splash of cold heavy cream and whisk slowly to smooth it out.

Why didn’t my pudding set properly?

This is usually caused by using cook-and-serve pudding instead of instant pudding, changing the liquid amount, or using milk or cream that isn’t cold. Instant pudding is designed to set without cooking and needs cold liquid and accurate measurements to thicken correctly.

My pudding looks thin or runny — will it thicken later?

Yes, in most cases. Instant pudding continues to thicken as it rests. Let it sit in the refrigerator for 5–10 minutes before using. If it’s still very loose after chilling, the liquid ratio may have been off.

Why did my pudding turn grainy or separate?

This can happen if the pudding is over-mixed or if a hand mixer is used for too long. Instant pudding only needs to be whisked until thickened — stop as soon as it sets.

Can I use non-dairy milk?

Most instant pudding mixes are designed to work with dairy milk. Non-dairy milks (like almond or oat) may result in a looser texture unless the pudding mix specifically states it’s plant-based.

How do I store my Chocolate Raspberry Trifle?

This trifle should be stored covered in the refrigerator. It will last for up to 3 days.

Here’s a video of this Chocolate Raspberry Trifle Recipe so you can see up-close this dessert.

Take a look at the links below for more no-bake, easy desserts:

If you make this recipe, please be sure to give it a star rating and leave a comment below!