‘Tis the season for trifle recipes, no doubt about it. Those steady layers of sponge and jelly, billows of custard and cream, and a rainbow of fruit found in a trifle dessert cannot be beaten. A cheeky nip of booze doesn’t hurt the cause either.
Trifles have been making spirits bright for 400 years. According to The Oxford Companion to Food, the first trifle recipe (well, recipe with trifle in the title) appeared in 1596. However, the trifle recipes we know today were first seen in the mid-18th century. Traditionally, trifles are layered by starting with a base of pound cake, sponge cake or sponge fingers, then fresh fruit or jelly and topped with custard and cream.
In our best dessert trifles, we deviate from convention to bring you trifle recipes made with madeleines, lemon curd and peaches; one that combines two popular desserts — Nik Hill’s banoffee trifle; and even a jam roll trifle cake recipe. Plus, you’ll find trifles that celebrate summer fruits and very Christmasy trifles for festive feasting. But of course, we have an easy trifle recipe or two and more traditional trifles to try also.
Grab the biggest bowl you can – this yuletide favourite is made for celebrating.
Here are our best Christmas trifle recipes for 2024

Spiced plum, cherry and coffee trifle with cardamom crumb

Panettone and mango trifle with lemon verbena and verjuice jelly

Vincotto berry and amaretto cream trifles

Black Forest trifle

Jam roll trifle

Flour and Stone’s trifle with madeleines, lemon curd and peaches

Nik Hill’s banoffee trifle

Lauren Eldridge’s apricot, honey, coffee and macadamia trifle

Summer trifle with coconut cream and berry jelly

Peter Gilmore’s quince, pecan and crème caramel trifle with Gretchen’s honey cream

Banana, brandy and butterscotch trifle

How to make trifle

Amontillado sherry and raspberry trifle

Dark-chocolate cherry trifle

Chocolate trifle with umeshu jelly, plums and crème fraîche

Tipsy raspberry trifle

Moscato and almond trifle with white peaches

Peach, almond and prosecco trifle

Moscato, raspberry and panettone trifles

Adriano Zumbo’s rice pudding trifle with saffron jelly and mango and mint salsa

Guy Grossi’s supa piazentina (Venetian trifle)

Panettone, apricot and mascarpone trifle

Nectarine, muscat and yoghurt trifle

Warm pear and brandy winter trifle

Summer trifle

Dark berry trifle

Corn cake trifle with butterscotch, bananas and toasted meringue

Boozy winey trifle

Victor Liong’s rose tea and red fruit trifle with vanilla cream and osmanthus

Mango and coconut trifle
