The best of a chocolate cream pie in an easy, crowd-pleasing layered trifle. This semi-homemade creation was inspired by the weekly Sunday dinner, holiday & family birthday gatherings that I host at my house. Let’s just say, in this Italian family, we (over-)eat with each other frequently. As the years go on, the family has been expanded greatly… the kids have outnumbered the adults for quite some time! Now imagine how time-consuming it is to make the kid’s favorite chocolate cream pie in large quantities. Then, add in the apple pie that grandpa loves and requests on the regular. You’re probably wondering “Why not just buy some store-made pies” ….they would know. Trust me, they would know; no matter how much I conceal the store boxes and foil tin pans in the garbage bins outside.
The big dessert change happened at Christmas, about 4 years ago…
I should preface with the fact that most of our family birthdays are in the month of September – it’s actually the adults, not children, whose festivities consume this month. September is filled with family gatherings to make sure each member gets their special day with pie and cake….and meatballs! Well after September, in the blink of an eye, come the holidays! To summarize, we have birthdays, Autumn (when pies are a necessary food group), followed by Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Back to the story; So four years ago I made an observation at Thanksgiving that the kids (now some being teenage boys) tend to devour the slice of chocolate cream pie much like my dog…without breathing. I got to thinking “all of these pie plates and handmade crusts…there must be a better way to feed an army”. Then it came to me… a trifle! It was then that I decided to create a giant layered bowl of all the pie-filling ingredients in a trifle dish and scoop it out lunch lady style. The first order of business was to go on Amazon and pick out the largest trifle style dish I could find. Honestly, you can even use a large glass bowl or similar. Here’s a link to the trifle dishes:
The next plan was to recreate the crust…transform the regular homemade flour/butter baked crust into something scoopable with the pudding and whipped cream. OREOS! That’s right, crushed Oreos, pulverized with a tiny bit of melted butter, and par-toasted in the oven for just a few minutes to give it that perfect cookie pie crust consistency.
It was the easiest “pie” I ever made…and everyone had their fill! From then on, hosting has become a breeze….at least with the dessert part. Did I mention that the apple pies became sheet pan slab pies? I’ll post more on that next fall…
The assembly is just like a lasagna…what a fitting dessert for my family-it was meant to be!
As an optional garnish, I use mini chocolate chips, crushed Oreos, or chocolate bar shavings (using a mini zesting grater) to give it that “I worked tirelessly on this all day” appearance.
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Chocolate Cream Trifle
- Category: Dessert
Description
The best of a chocolate cream pie with layers of cookie crumble crust in an easy, crowd-pleasing trifle dish.
Ingredients
- 4 – 3.12oz pkg Chocolate pudding mix
- + 6.5 cups of milk (2% or whole works best)
- 2 pints Heavy whipping cream
- 1 TSP vanilla extract
- 2 TBS sugar
- 1 Family size package of regular or double stuffed Oreos (I’ve used both)
- 2 TBS butter, melted.
Optional: Mini chocolate chips or chocolate bar shavings for garnish
Trifle Bowl: 3-4 Quarts
Instructions
(IF using instant pudding- prepare according to the box instructions for pie filling, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours – overnight. )
- Prepare pudding following the pie instructions – this uses less milk and makes it thicker.
- Once cooked, set it aside to cool, then cover with clear plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours – overnight.
- Using a food processor, pulse the Oreo cookies until they are crushed into small crumbles. OR place Oreos in a Ziploc bag and crush them using a rolling pin or frying pan.
- In a small saucepan over med-high heat or microwave, melt the butter.
- Drizzle the melted butter over the crumbled cookies and mix/pulse until well incorporated.
- Pour the Oreo crumble mix onto a baking sheet and pop in a preheated 350 F oven for 3 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Place in an airtight bag or container until ready to assemble. (can be made the day before)
- The whipped cream: this should be made just prior to assembling and serving.
- With a hand or stand mixer on high, beat the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and sugar until it thickens. This should take about 5 minutes on high. *see notes*
Assembly:
Start with a thin layer of cookie crumble, top with a generous portion of pudding followed by a whipped cream layer that is about half the width of the pudding. (having a clear glass trifle makes this part easier to assemble).
Continue until you reach the top.
No matter what layer you’re on, add a final dollop of whipped cream heaping over the top of the glass dish.
As an optional garnish, I use mini chocolate chips or a piece of chocolate bar shavings (using a mini zesting grater) to give it that bakery look.
This is best served immediately or covered with clear plastic wrap and chilled for a few hours before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Clear, unflavored gelatin (link to product) can be blended in with the heavy whipping cream to stabilize it longer. This will help the cream to hold its layered structure if this needs to be made more than a few hours in advance. I have had it work overnight perfectly using this method, but I can’t guarantee the same results every time.
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