Summer Berry Trifle
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This berry trifle is perfect for a summer party — it’s refreshing, gorgeous, and make-ahead.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
Berry trifles make wonderful (and patriotic) summer party desserts. Not only are they gorgeous, they feed a crowd and are made in advance. The only drawback is that, with all their layers, they can be time-consuming to make from scratch. I save time by using store-bought Savoiardi biscuits (a.k.a. crisp ladyfingers), cream cheese, and raspberry jam. The result is a dazzling, delicious berry trifle that can be made in 30 minutes. Use a deep, clear glass bowl or a footed glass trifle dish so the pretty layers can be seen. And don’t worry if the layers look slightly uneven or if the layers mix a bit — that’s the beauty of a trifle. You can also make the trifle in small glasses as individual parfaits.
“Oh my! This is so easy, beautiful and absolutely delicious!! Made for a party and everyone raved.”
What You’ll Need For Summer Berry Trifle
Step-By-Step Instructions
To begin, warm the raspberry jam in the microwave.
Toss it with the berries and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the trifle.
Beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form, then set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and Confectioners’ sugar.
Beat until smooth and creamy, then beat in the vanilla.
Add a third of the whipped cream.
Beat until smooth and then add the remaining cream.
Fold with a rubber spatula until evenly combined.
To assemble, begin by layering the lady fingers in the bottom of the dish. Top with a third of the berry mixture, followed by a third of the cream. Continue alternating the lady fingers, berries, and cream.
End with the cream cheese mixture on top; for the last layer of cream, leave a 1-inch border around the edge showing the fruit beneath. Sprinkle some berries and a fresh mint on top.
Let the trifle chill for at least 8 hours, then top with some fresh berries and a spring of fresh mint, if desired.
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Video Tutorial
Summer Berry Trifle
This berry trifle is perfect for a summer party — it’s refreshing, gorgeous, and make-ahead.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (8 oz) seedless raspberry jam
- 1 quart (1½ pounds) strawberries, hulled and cut into ¼-inch slices
- 1 pint (12 oz) raspberries
- 1 pint (12 oz) blueberries
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 16 ounces cream cheese (preferably Philadelphia brand), at room temperature
- 1¾ cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (7 oz) package crisp lady fingers (also called savoiardi biscuits)
- Fresh mint spring, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Set aside a few berries for topping the trifle.
- Heat the raspberry jam in a large bowl in the microwave for about 1 minute, or until hot and liquidy. Add the fresh berries and toss to coat. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the recipe, stirring occasionally.
- In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla, then beat in a third of the whipped cream. Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the rest of the whipped cream until well combined.
- Cover the bottom of a 9-inch (14-cup capacity) trifle dish or glass bowl with a layer of lady fingers (break into pieces as necessary). Follow with ⅓ of the berry-jam mixture (including ⅓ of the juices), then ⅓ of the cream. Alternate, ending with the cream cheese mixture on top; for the last layer of cream, leave a 1-inch border around the edge showing the fruit beneath. Garnish with the reserved whole berries and a fresh mint spring if using. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight, before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 554
- Fat: 31g
- Saturated fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 65g
- Sugar: 41g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 7g
- Sodium: 197mg
- Cholesterol: 143mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I have made this trifle many times and it is always a hit. Jen is my go-to gal for any special, and even not-so-special, occasion! However, this year my family has been on a keto diet regimen and I’ve had to scrounge up a few menu items that contain no sugar and very few carbs that even the non-keto among us can enjoy. I’m pretty confident that I can make the raspberry parfait utilizing Swerve granulated sugar substitute and no one will be the wiser. What do you think, Jenn? Any suggestions on your recipes that will stand up to a little keto-tweaking?
Absolutely love the beauty and simplicity of your recipes. I am not a fan of overly complicated recipes and I’ve never been disappointed when making any of your dishes. You rock!
So glad you like the recipes, Terry! I wish I could help but I’ve never worked with sugar substitutes so I can’t say how it would impact recipes. (If it helps at all, I have read plenty of comments from readers who have said they’ve replaced some or all of the sugar in a recipe with a substitute like Stevia and have had good results.) Hope that helps at least a bit!
This is a great summer dessert! However, the intro to the recipe tripped me up … “can be made ahead of time” Actually, it MUST be made ahead of time as it must chill for 8 hours!!
Yes, I should have read the complete recipe, but based on the intro – I left making it until the morning for a luncheon that day-Yikes! I cranked the fridge up to its highest setting & placed it in a bowl of ice. It set up a bit…it was tasty but soupy. I served madeleines on the side. (I used madeleines from Sams instead of lady fingers)
I made it again and chilled it overnight and it turned out great!
Hi Julie, Good point! I just updated the recipe to reflect that. 🙂
Wow this turned out amazing. I was a little skeptical at first because because I wanted to make a healthy version with sugar reduced jam, and skyr/quark instead of cream cheese. It started looking watery but then I put in the freezer and it set nicely and tastes as if i used cream cheese.
Fairly simple, low maintenance, and pretty resilient (it’s not the end of the world if you miss a step or two, or modify things).
Hi Jenn, I made this delicious trifle on the weekend and it was a big hit!!! (As all your recipes are!) I did add some fresh sliced peaches on top of the berry/jam layer too. Tasted great and looked so pretty! My family finished it for breakfast the next morning!!! Thanks so much again!!
What a colorful and tasty dessert… I made this of a 4th of July dinner party last night and it was a big hit. Very colorful, not too sweet, looks like you fussed but didn’t really… how good is that? And FYI, this easily makes a ½ size… put it in a smaller bowl and voila… mini trifle! It appeared to be a good idea to chill it a long time… I did the 8 hour time for this one and I think it made it easier to spoon out into individual bowls in one piece. Another fabulous recipe from Jenn. Thanks!
Hi Jenn, I’m looking forward to making this trifle tomorrow! Thank you for posting it! Would it be okay to add some sliced fresh peaches to the berries? Should I combine with the berries & jam or just add slices to the layers? Thanks Jenn!!!
Sure, adding peaches would be fine and you can go either way (combining them with the berries or adding them to the layers). Please LMK how it turns out!
This was so good! We didn’t have lady fingers so we just made a quick genoise cake layer and cut that up. The raspberry jam adds an extra delicious unexpected flavor.
This was a hit! I will definitely be making it again, by popular demand. My only question is: are there any specific tips for making the layers come out neatly, as in the picture? Mine looked messier (though still delicious).
Glad you liked it! The one tip I can think of is to make sure you go all the way to the edges with the lady fingers (breaking them into pieces as necessary) so they cover each layer. Also, I’m a total perfectionist, so take that into account when you look the picture! 🙂
Taste was great and it was easy to make. Having grown up with trifles in England, I felt this recipe is too sweet (and I used only half the powdered sugar called for). I suspect the combination of cream cheese instead of custard and excess raspberry jam caused that. Next time, a different recipe.
Hi Jenn! We love your recipes, I’ve tried many of them & now look like a rockstar in the kitchen! My question is, how big is your trifle dish? I’m not sure if I will need to double the recipe. My trifle dish is pretty big and I want several layers.
Thank you,
Tracey
Hi Tracey, so glad you like the recipes! My trifle dish is 9 inches in diameter and it looks like I have 3 layers in my trifle, so you can gauge from that whether or not you’ll need to increase the recipe. Hope that helps!
Jenn ..Help !!!
Making this for my niece for her 16th birthday (her request) I need to make it Sat night and her dinner is Sunday night . I dont want it to be soupy or to be hard either . Can I make it a whole day in advance ? Help :)))
Yes, Judy, it’ll be fine. Hope your niece enjoys!
Jen’s recipes are keepers. This turned out beautiful and luscious!!