Julie Clark
Posted: Updated:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
Peanut butter and chocolate lovers will go crazy over this Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle. It has an chocolate cake layered with fluffy cream cheese filling and chopped up Oreos, Butterfinger and Reese’s cups!
How many of you love a “wow” dessert? You know, one of those desserts that is put out at a party or get-together and is gone 15 minutes? Maybe you baked that monster cookie cheesecake or those copycat lofthouse cookies that everyone loved. Don’t you just love seeing people enjoy your baking?
If you’re looking for an easy-peasy “wow” dessert that your friends and family will beg you for, you’ve come to the right place. Introducing the Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle. All you need is a few ingredients, a little time, and all the self-control in the world.
The Inspiration Behind this Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle Recipe
Have you ever had Adam’s Peanut Butter Fudge Ripple Cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory? Oh my goodness, it is my FAVORITE. So rich, delicious, and decadent. We don’t get there as often as I’d like to, so I first created a chocolate peanut butter cheesecake bar, and then wanted something even easier.
I helped my mom put this Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle together while my friend and I were making a Reese’s Cake for a party. We had leftover cake and needed to use it up. This trifle, without a doubt, is easier than a chocolate peanut butter cheesecake any day. And it looks just as pretty!
The Parts of a Trifle
Trifles are generally made of some time of cake, instant pudding mix, whipped cream and another food item such as berries, candy or nuts. Many times they include cream cheese or a homemade custard and can have sauces or syrups.
For this butterfinger trifle, we layered the following: chocolate cake, cream cheese peanut butter filling (almost like a peanut butter mousse), Cool Whip and candies. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and creamy with a little crunch from the candy.
How to Make a Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle
- Make a cake. Make a box chocolate cake mix and added crushed Oreos to the batter. You can also make a homemade chocolate cake. (Or want something a little more decadent? Use homemade brownies!)
- Make the filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the softened cream cheese, butter and peanut butter. Whip these ingredients together until they are well combined, about 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar and beat for an additional 1-2 minutes. Carefully fold in 8 ounces of the Cool Whip.
- Layer the trifle. Cut the cake into small pieces or cubes. Put a layer of cake in the bottom of the trifle dish or a large glass bowl. Spoon ½ of the cream cheese filling on top of the cake. Sprinkle with ⅓ of the peanut butter cups and Butterfinger bars. Put ½ of the reserved Cool Whip on top of the candy. Then repeat the layers!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can this dessert be made in advance?
Yes. You can make this dessert up to 24 hours in advance. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.
Can you make this lower calorie?
Yes! Use a sugar free cake mix, low fat cream cheese, fat free cool whip and sugar free peanut butter cups. That will cut down the sugar quite a bit.
You could also use a gluten free cake mix and gluten free Oreos.
What if your trifle bowl is too small?
If you have leftover parts of the trifle, make individual servings in mason jars to freeze for later when that sweet craving hits!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle
Peanut butter and chocolate lovers will go crazy over this Chocolate Peanut Butter Trifle. It has an chocolate cake layered with fluffy cream cheese filling and chopped up Oreos, Butterfinger and Reese’s cups!
Servings 20
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 box Pillsbury chocolate cake mix 15.25 ounces, plus ingredients shown on the back of the box to prepare the cake
- 1 package Oreo cookies 15.5 ounces, quartered
For the filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 12 ounces whipped topping divided
Candy Pieces:
- 8 fun-size Butterfinger candy bars chopped
- 1 bag miniature Reese’s peanut butter cups 12 ounces, chopped
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the box directions. Once you have the batter made, fold in the chopped Oreo cookies, then bake according to the package directions. It may need a few more minutes of baking due to the cookie addition, but watch it closely.
- Set the cake on a wire rack to cool. Cool the cake completely before putting the trifle together.
Make the filling:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the softened cream cheese, butter and peanut butter. Whip these ingredients together until they are well combined, about 1 minute.
- Add the powdered sugar and beat for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Carefully fold in 8 ounces of the Cool Whip. (You'll use the remaining Cool Whip for layering in the trifle.)
- Cut the cake into small pieces or cubes. Put a layer of cake in the bottom of the trifle dish. Spoon ½ of the cream cheese filling on top of the cake. Sprinkle with ⅓ of the peanut butter cups and Butterfinger bars. Put ½ of the reserved Cool Whip on top of the candy. Repeat the layers: cake, cream cheese filling, candy and Cool Whip. Then top with the remaining ⅓ of the candy pieces.
- Depending on the size of your trifle dish, you may not be able to fit all of the ingredients in. We used all of our filling, but had about ¼ of the cake leftover. As you prepare the trifle, be sure to leave enough room so that you can have two of each layer and it will look so pretty!
- Refrigerate until serving. This can be made a day in advance.
Video
Notes
If your chocolate cake is already made up, feel free to add the Oreos into the trifle along with the chopped candies.
The calories shown are based on the trifle serving 20, with 1 serving being 1/20 of the trifle. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Originally Published on May 12, 2014
Nutrition
Calories: 546kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 457mg | Potassium: 249mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 308IU | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 3mg
Can this be made with brownies? Thx!
I made this for my husband’s birthday today and he loved it! I’m not a huge peanut butter fan but even I had seconds. I followed the recipe exactly and it delivered! He felt very special and the triffle looked beautiful. Talk about effortless decadence.
Can this be made with the yellow cake mix
There is a picture of the trifle in what looks like a mason jar? I’m curious how many mason jars the recipe will make? I like the idea of doing individual ones to give away.
Oh wow, I’ll have a teaspoon of that please! That’s all my guilty sweet tooth will allow! Looks yummy. Pinning despite the guilt of just looking at it!