It's especially good for Christmas because you can assemble the entire dessert the day before and leave it to chill overnight. In fact, I prefer it on the second day, once the ladyfingers have softened slightly and the raspberry, vanilla, and Amaretto flavors have had time to settle into the layers.
If you're planning your Christmas menu, you'll find this alongside my favorite puddings, cheesecakes, cakes, and cookies in this collection of vegan Christmas desserts.
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Why this recipe works
Made for preparing ahead. The assembled trifle is actually better after an overnight chill, making it ideal when you don't want to make dessert on Christmas Day.
Perfect for feeding a crowd. One large trifle serves around 12 people and can simply be brought to the table for everyone to scoop and serve.
Plenty of contrasting layers. Soft sponge, syrupy berries, creamy custard, and fluffy whipped cream keep each spoonful interesting rather than overly rich.
Classic trifle without eggs or dairy. Homemade eggless ladyfingers, dairy-free custard, and coconut whipping cream replace the traditional egg- and dairy-heavy components.
Key ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this recipe. Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Vegan ladyfingers: I use my homemade vegan ladyfingers, they have enough structure to absorb some of the raspberry syrup without immediately turning to mush. You can bake them up to two days before assembling the trifle.
Raspberries + Amaretto: Macerating the berries with sugar, vanilla, and Amaretto creates both the fruit layer and a flavorful syrup for soaking the ladyfingers. Don't use all of the syrup during assembly - too much can make the bottom layers soggy.
Vegan custard: I use Nature's Charm coconut custard for convenience, or you can use my homemade vegan custard.
Dairy-free white chocolate: Melting white chocolate into the custard makes it richer and helps it set into a more substantial layer once chilled. You can leave it out if you prefer a lighter, more traditional custard.
Coconut whipping cream: Use a product specifically designed for whipping rather than regular coconut milk. I use Nature's Charm because it whips into a light, stable cream that holds its shape between the layers.
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🥣 How To Make Trifle Vegan
Here's a visual overview of this recipe. Please refer to the detailed card at the end of this page for full written instructions.
The most useful thing I've learned when assembling this trifle is to control the amount of raspberry syrup. You want enough to soak into the ladyfingers and flavor them, but not so much that liquid starts pooling at the bottom of the bowl. Spoon the berries over first, add some of their syrup, and keep the rest for serving.
Make sure the white chocolate custard has cooled before layering it with the whipped cream. It doesn't need to be refrigerator-cold, but it shouldn't still feel warm, or it can soften the cream and make the layers less defined.
I build the ladyfingers in a double layer, particularly around the edges of the bowl, then add the berries, custard, and cream. Using a piping bag for the whipped cream gives me much better control than spooning it in and helps keep those distinctive trifle layers visible through the glass.
Don't press the layers down as you assemble them. Let the custard and cream settle naturally into the gaps instead - this keeps the finished trifle lighter and stops the ladyfingers from becoming overly compressed.
Once assembled, cover and chill it overnight if possible. The ladyfingers soften while still keeping enough structure to scoop, and the raspberry, vanilla, Amaretto, and white chocolate flavors come together much better after resting.
Christina's recipe tips
Use a clear glass bowl. Half the appeal of a trifle is seeing those layers. I use an approximately 20cm / 8-inch footed trifle bowl.
Save some raspberry syrup. Keep any excess separately in the fridge and spoon it over individual servings rather than adding too much during assembly.
Give the custard time to cool. Warm custard and whipped cream don't make good neighbors - let it cool before you start building the trifle.
Pipe the cream if you want neat layers. You don't need elaborate piping; it simply gives you more control around the edges of the glass.
Keep the final garnish until serving.
Fresh raspberries and powdered sugar look much better when added just before the trifle goes onto the table.
Make Ahead & Storage
This is one of the best parts of the recipe - most of the work can be done before Christmas Day.
You can bake the ladyfingers up to 2 days ahead and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.
For the trifle itself, I recommend assembling it the day before serving. Add all of the main layers, cover the bowl, and refrigerate overnight.
Leave off the final fresh raspberries and powdered sugar until shortly before serving so the top still looks fresh.
Store leftover trifle covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I don't recommend freezing it because the custard, berries, and whipped cream don't retain the same texture once thawed.
More Vegan Christmas Desserts
📖 Recipe
Vegan Trifle
Equipment
- 20cm footed trifle bowl or similar glass bowl
Ingredients
- 1 batch vegan ladyfingers *note 1
- 600 g fresh raspberries plus 100g for garnish (optional)
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 100 ml Amaretto *note 2
- 1 vanilla pod sliced in half
- 800 g vegan coconut custard I use 2x cans of Nature's Charm *note 3
- 200 g vegan white chocolate
- 800 ml coconut whipping cream I use 2x cans of Nature's Charm
- 50 g powdered sugar plus extra for garnish
Instructions
- Macerate the berries: To a large bowl, add the raspberries, granulated sugar, amaretto, and half of the vanilla pod (both the scraped-out seeds and pod). Stir, cover, and let it sit for 20 minutes. Some of the berries will break down which is fine, the liquid will be syrupy when they are ready.
- Custard: Add the coconut custard and the second half of the vanilla pod to a large saucepan and gently warm it whilst stirring constantly. Once simmering, remove it from the heat and whisk in the white chocolate until melted through and smooth (see note 3).
- Whipped cream: Add the coconut whipping cream to a large bowl or stand mixer and whip until light and airy. Whisk in the powdered sugar until combined. Transfer it to a large piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Assemble: Add half of the ladyfingers in a double layer to the base of the trifle bowl. Spoon half of the macerated raspberries along with some of the syrup on top of the ladyfingers.
- Pour half of the custard on top, then pipe half of the coconut cream on top.
- Repeat the layers: With another double layer of ladyfingers, the remaining raspberries and some of their syrup (reserve some syrup for serving) followed by the rest of the custard and another piped layer of cream.
- Chill: Cover the trifle with a plate or some plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight)
- Garnish: Top with some fresh raspberries and a dusting of powdered sugar.
- Storage: Store it covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing it.
Notes
- Vegan Ladyfingers: These can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container. You can swap them out for store-bought vegan cookies or vegan cupcakes cut into pieces.
- Amaretto: Swap for vegan sherry, brandy, kombucha, or your favorite fruit juice.
- Custard: Swap for 1.5 batches of homemade vegan custard.
- If the chocolate hasn't fully melted - return it to the heat for a couple of minutes if needed. Let it cool for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the vanilla pod.
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