This vegan berry trifle is perfect for parties and special occasions! Made with layers of vanilla cake, creamy vegan custard, coconut whipped topping, and fresh berries, it’s every bit as pretty as it is delicious — and it’s made completely without eggs or dairy!
I’ve wanted to make a classic vegan trifle for a long time — I think since the 90’s, when I learned that traditional British trifles were made with beef.
Kidding!
Only Rachel puts beef in a trifle. Trifles come in lots of variations, but they’re all at least meat-free. Still, they’re far from vegan, with lots of butter, eggs, and dairy. With that in mind, I came up with a scrumptious trifle recipe without any of those things. It’s every bit as delicious as a proper English trifle, and WAAAAY better than Rachel’s.
Jump to:
Now, before you dive into the recipe, a heads up: this can be a bit of a project. But it doesn’t have to be!
A lot of conventional trifle recipes call for store-bought components like cake, custard, and whipped cream. I’ve included recipes for each of those components from scratch, but you can absolutely swap in premade versions to save time.
You’ll also find plenty of substitution suggestions below, so you can customize the recipe to your tastes and energy level. If you go all in, your homemade vegan trifle will be absolutely magnificent. But even if you cut a few corners, it’ll still be magnificent!
Equipment You’ll Need
- Loaf pans. You’ll need two pans, both 8 x 4 inches. If you don’t have that size, you could use 9 x 5 pans. A single 8 x 8 pan or even a bundt pan would also work, although you’ll need to increase the bake time for these options. If using a single 8 x 8 or bundt pan, start checking for doneness around the 45-minute mark.
- Electric mixer. You can use a hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Trifle bowl. This is a big glass bowl, often with a stem, designed to display all of those beautiful trifle layers. However, pretty much any deep bowl will work if you’re not too concerned with appearances.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below you’ll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Non-dairy milk. You can use pretty much any non-dairy milk you’d normally drink. I created a helpful guide to dairy-free milks that you can refer to if you need guidance!
- Ground flaxseed. You’ll be mixing this with some of your milk to create a flax egg, which is our vegan egg substitute for the cake.
- Flour. All-purpose wheat flour is recommended for the cake, although I suspect other varieties like gluten-free all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour would work.
- Baking powder.
- Salt.
- Vegetable oil. You can use any neutral oil that you normally use for baking, such as corn, canola, or melted coconut oil.
- Vanilla extract.
- Almond extract. This is optional, but it adds a really nice flavor to the cake!
- Sugar. Conventional sugar is often processed using animal products, so we’re using organic sugar (it’s processed differently!) to keep the recipe vegan.
- Cornstarch. This is the thickener for your vegan custard, so it’s a crucial ingredient.
- Coconut milk. Use full-fat coconut milk from a can to give your custard the richest, creamiest texture.
- Vegan butter. This is normally sold in the refrigerated case at the grocery store, right near the regular butter.
- Turmeric. This is optional. Just use it if you’d like to add some yellow color to your custard. Food coloring also works!
- Coconut cream. You can find this in cans at most stores, near the coconut milk. Don’t confuse it with cream of coconut or creamed coconut — these are different products.
- Powdered sugar. Just like with the regular sugar, this needs to be organic.
- Aquafaba. This is the liquid found in a can of chickpeas. If you don’t have an immediate use for the chickpeas in the can, freeze them!
- Cream of tartar.
- Berries. We’re using strawberries and blueberries, although you can absolutely swap them out with blackberries, raspberries, cherries, or your favorite berries.
How It’s Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Tip: Because each component of this recipe requires cooling or chilling time, I recommend making them at least a day before you plan on serving your trifle. Assemble it on the day of or before serving.
Make the Cake
Prepare. Get started by preheating your oven, then greasing and lining a couple of loaf pans with parchment paper. Leave some paper hanging over the edges — you’ll use it later to lift the cakes from the pans.
Prepare the flax egg. Whisk your ground flaxseeds together with some non-dairy milk, then let the mixture sit while you proceed with the next step of the recipe. It needs time to gel!
Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk your flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Set this aside for a moment.
Combine the liquid ingredients. Stir some additional non-dairy milk together with oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
Beat the flax egg and sugar. Now head back to the bowl with the flax mixture. Add your sugar and beat the mixture with an electric mixer for about a minute.
Add the liquid ingredients. Turn the mixer down to low speed, then drizzle in the milk and oil mixture with the mixer running.
Add the dry ingredients. Beat in about a third of the dry ingredients at a time, until everything is mixed and you have a smooth batter.
Pour and bake. Divide the batter between your two loaf pans, then pop them into the oven. Let the cakes cool completely on a wire rack when they come out.
Make the Custard
This is adapted from my vegan custard recipe, so if you’ve made that before you probably already know what to do!
Cook the custard. Start by combining chilled non-dairy milk and cornstarch in a saucepan, then add sugar and coconut milk. Heat the mixture to a simmer. By now it should be nice and thick!
Add flavorings. Whisk in some vegan butter, making sure it melts, and vanilla extract. You can also add turmeric or yellow food coloring, if you’d like.
Cool and chill. Let the custard cool at room temperature for a bit, giving it a whisk here and there. Then move it to the fridge to chill.
Tip: Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly over (contacting) the custard before putting it in the fridge. This will prevent a skin from forming.
Make the Whipped Topping
Open the coconut cream. Crack open the can. You should see thick white solids on top. Scoop them into a bowl. Get rid of the remaining liquid (or save it for a smoothie!).
Beat the coconut cream. Add powdered sugar to the bowl, then beat it together with the coconut cream until the mixture is fluffy.
Whip the aquafaba. Use the whisk attachment on your electric mixer to beat the aquafaba and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
Combine everything. Use a rubber spatula to very gently fold the aquafaba into the coconut cream mixture, being careful not to deflate the aquafaba.
Chill. Cover the bowl and stick it into the fridge. Let your whipped topping chill for a bit.
Assemble
Cut the cake. Dice both loaves up into approximately ½ to 1 inch cubes. They don’t need to be perfectly sized or perfect cubes, so don’t fuss too much here.
Layer. Grab your trifle bowl and layer your ingredients as follows, starting from the bottom: cake, custard, berries, whipped topping. Then repeat!
Serve. You can serve your vegan trifle right away, or do as I prefer — cover it up and chill it until the following day. This gives the ingredients time to settle and meld a bit.
Leftovers & Storage
Store leftover vegan trifle in the trifle bowl, covered tightly in plastic. If that’s not doable, you can transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for three to four days. I actually like it best on the day after it was assembled!
Variations
There are seriously endless ways to switch this recipe up!
- The cake. Replace it with vegan store-bought cake, or pretty much any homemade vegan cake. Try my vegan chocolate cake, vegan spice cake, or vegan lemon cake. You can also use cookies! My vegan ladyfingers would work great.
- The custard. Swap this out with just about any store-bought or homemade vegan pudding, such as my vegan chocolate pudding or vegan butterscotch pudding.
- The whipped topping. I don’t recommend using canned vegan whipped topping here, unless you’re just using it on top. It’s not sturdy enough to hold up under all those layers. Cool-whip style vegan toppings, sold in tubs, are available at places like Whole Foods and should work.
- The fruit. The sky is the limit here. Try mangoes, peaches, pineapple, kiwi … whatever you like! Just watch out for fruits like banana and apples — brush the pieces with some lemon juice to prevent browning.
- Additions. Try adding in some jam, vegan Nutella, chopped nuts, chocolate shavings, vegan ganache, or shredded coconut. Or get creative and come up with some delicious add-ins of your own!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yep! The cake is the only gluten containing ingredient, so either swap it out with a vegan and gluten-free cake (or cookies!), or try making it with all-purpose gluten-free flour — I have not tested this, but I think it will work!
Aside from cutting back on the ingredients, you’ll need a smaller trifle bowl, or another suitable container. Any bowl will do if you’re not concerned with displaying the trifle’s layers. You could also make the dessert into individual parfaits — just make sure to cut the cake and fruit into small pieces!
Fresh berries work best, but frozen will do in a pinch. Make sure to thaw and drain them before using them. They will still release more juice than fresh, so your trifle may be a bit soggy and won’t keep as long.
More Fruity Vegan Desserts
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Vegan Berry Trifle
Equipment
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2 (8 x 4 inch) loaf pans
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Electric mixer
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1 (3 quart) trifle bowl
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk, divided
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 1 ½ cups organic granulated sugar
For the Custard
- 1 cup unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy milk, chilled
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- ⅔ cup organic granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch turmeric, or a few drops of yellow food color (optional)
For the Whipped Topping
- 2 (13.5 ounce/400 ml) cans coconut cream, chilled overnight in the fridge
- ½ cup organic powdered sugar
- ½ cup aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
For Assembly
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled, and halved (or quartered if large)
- 2 cups fresh blueberries, cleaned
Instructions
Make the Cake
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Preheat the oven to 350°F.
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Grease the insides of two (8 x 4 inch) loaf pans, then line each pan with a sheet of parchment paper, arranging each sheet of paper so that the bottom of the pan is covered, and the paper hangs over the sides of the pan a bit. You’ll use this excess paper later on to remove the loaves from the pans.
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Whisk ¼ cup of the non-dairy milk together with the flaxseeds in a large mixing bowl. Set this aside while you mix the dry ingredients. It will need to sit for at least 5 minutes for the flaxseeds to gel.
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Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a separate large mixing bowl.
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In a small container such as a liquid measuring cup, stir together the remaining ¾ cup of milk with the oil, vanilla extract, and almond extract, if using.
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Add the sugar to the bowl containing the flax mixture. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the sugar into the flax mixture for about one minute, until the ingredients are fully blended and just starting to become creamy.
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Turn the speed of the mixer down to low, and while running the mixer, slowly drizzle in the milk mixture.
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Begin adding the flour mixture to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Add about a third of the mixture at a time, beating in each addition completely before adding more.
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Divide the batter between the two prepared loaf pans.
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Bake the loaves until a toothpick inserted into the center of each one comes out clean, 33 to 35 minutes.
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Place the loaves on a cooling rack when they’re done. Let them cool completely.
Make the Custard
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Whisk the chilled non-dairy milk and cornstarch together in a small saucepan, until the cornstarch is fully dissolved, then whisk in the coconut milk and sugar.
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Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a simmer while whisking constantly.
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Remove the pot from heat as soon as the custard starts to simmer. It should have thickened quite a bit by this point.
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Whisk in the butter, vanilla, and turmeric or food coloring, if using. Keep whisking until the butter is completely melted and the ingredients are fully combined.
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Let the custard cool down a bit, giving it an occasional whisk to prevent a skin from forming. Once it is just warm to the touch, cover it with plastic wrap, placing the plastic directly in contact with the top layer of custard.
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Place the custard into the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours.
Make the Whipped Topping
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Open the cans of coconut cream, then scoop the solid portions only into a large mixing bowl. Discard the liquid, or save it for another use.
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Add the powdered sugar to the bowl with the coconut cream, then use an electric mixer on high speed to beat the coconut cream and powdered sugar together until fluffy, about 1 minute.
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Place the aquafaba and cream of tartar into a separate mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the mixture at high speed until soft peaks form, about 4 minutes (Note 1).
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Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the aquafaba mixture into the coconut cream mixture, being careful to avoid deflating the aquafaba.
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Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or carefully transfer the mixture to an airtight container. Chill the mixture for at least 4 hours.
Assemble the Trifle
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Remove the cakes from the loaf pans by pulling upward on the excess parchment paper. Place the cakes onto cutting boards, then cut them into ½ to 1-inch cubes.
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Take the custard and whipped topping out of the fridge. Whisk or stir the custard to loosen it up a bit.
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Arrange half of the cake cubes into the bottom of a 3-quart trifle bowl. Spread half of the custard over the cake cubes. Top the custard layer with all of the strawberries, then cover the strawberries with half of the whipped topping. Optionally, reserve a few berries for garnish.
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Repeat the layering arrangement, using the blueberries in place of the strawberries. Garnish the trifle with any berries you reserved.
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Serve the trifle immediately, or, if you have time, cover and chill it for a few hours, or up to three days. Serve.
Notes
- Beaters can also be used, but it will take 10 minutes or longer for the mixture to reach soft peaks.
- Because the components of this recipe require hours of cooling/chilling, I recommend making the cake, custard, and whipped topping a day or two before serving, then assembling the dish on the following day.
Nutrition
Calories: 678kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 232mg | Potassium: 325mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 58IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 4mg