Summer Berry Trifle
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This no-bake berry trifle is quick to make, make-ahead friendly, and always one of the first desserts to disappear at a party.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
Berry trifles make perfect summer party desserts—they’re beautiful, feed a crowd, and can be made ahead. The only downside is that all those layers can be time-consuming to make from scratch. I take a few shortcuts: store-bought Savoiardi (crisp ladyfingers), cream cheese whipped into the filling for richness, and raspberry jam to bring the fruit together. The result is a stunning, crowd-pleasing trifle that comes together in just 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 To make A Summer Berry Trifle
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Warm the jam and toss with berries. In a large bowl, heat the raspberry jam in the microwave until it’s hot and liquidy—about 1 minute. Add the sliced strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries, then gently toss to coat. Let the mixture sit while you prep the cream; the berries will soften slightly and get nice and glossy.
Step 2: Whip the cream. In a large mixing bowl, whip the cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-whip—you want it fluffy and smooth. Set it aside for now.
Step 3: Make the cream cheese filling. In another large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the confectioners’ sugar until it’s completely smooth. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Beat in about a third of the whipped cream to lighten the mixture. Switch to a spatula and gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream until fully combined and fluffy.
Step 4: Assemble the trifle. Begin with a layer of ladyfingers in the bottom of a large glass trifle dish or bowl (break them as needed to fit). Spoon on about a third of the berry mixture—juice and all—then spread a third of the cream on top. Don’t worry about being perfect; rustic looks beautiful here.
Continue layering, ending with the cream cheese mixture on top. For the last layer, try to leave a 1-inch border around the edge so the colorful berries peek through underneath. Sprinkle some berries and a fresh mint on top. Let the trifle chill for at least 8 hours or overnight, then top with some fresh berries and mint, if you like. Enjoy!
Video Tutorial
More Summer Desserts You May Like
Summer Berry Trifle
Juicy berries, pillowy cream, and crisp ladyfingers—this trifle looks like a showstopper but couldn’t be easier to throw together.
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 just made this, and it looks phenomenal! I changed it slightly to suit my tastes. I omitted the fresh raspberries and increased the strawberries. Everything else was as written. I could barely get it into the fridge away from my family. I had some leftover ladyfingers and cream, much to their delight. It was too easy not to make again!
I have made this trifle before to rave reviews, but instead of cream cheese, I use mascarpone cheese. I also use this as the filling for my tiramisu. The mascarpone is slightly sweeter and “buttery.” Also, it does not need to come to room temperature before using. It is slighly soft as is. I get my mascarpone from Trader Joe’s at a cheaper price than at the grocery stores. My life has not been the same without it! It’s even good on cinnamon raisin toast.
I made this and brought it to a summer party. It was amazing and the entire bowl was eaten! I am an awful cook and followed this recipe exactly and it came out perfect! I am going to try another one of your recipes to see if I can actually cook! LOL
Thank you, I will make this again!
🙂
So glad it turned out nicely!
Absolutely Spectacular! I used seedless strawberry jam because that’s all I could find in the store. Also I did not use raspberries because they tasted very tart. Everyone raved and said please bring this again!
By the way, I used an almost an entire Sara Lee Butter Pound Cake (about 9 oz. of it – about 3 oz. per each of the 3 layers), instead of the Savoiardi lady fingers. Could that be the reason why it was so sweet? (my own personal taste – nobody else mentioned this).
I couldn’t find the lady fingers, so I don’t know how sweet they are, compared with the pound cake.
I actually don’t think that pound cake is that much sweeter than the lady fingers, so it may just be that your palate prefers things a bit less sweet. 🙂
Hi Jenn,
I made your summer berry trifle for July 4th this week. Very patriotic with the red, white and blue colors. No surprise it was a show stopper and a huge hit, flavor wise!
The next time I make it, I will decrease the amount of sugar to 1 1/4 cups, about 25% less, which would still be sweet enough, with the raspberry jam providing plenty of fruity sweetness.
I know you prefer heavy whipping cream to blend with the powdered sugar and cream cheese, but for a shortcut I would like to try subbing Cool Whip for the whipping cream. I know that Cool Whip is already sweetened, so I was wondering how much less powdered sugar you think I would need to use.
Thanks again for a great summer recipe. Enjoyed by the whole crowd!
Glad you enjoyed this, Christi! If you want to use Cool Whip, I’d suggest cutting the confectioners’ sugar back by a quarter cup. Hope that helps!
Has anyone use almond extract?
This recipe was so amazingly simple and absolutely fantastic in both taste and presentation. It looked as great as it tasted. My brother-in-law, who is not a dessert eater, ate his whole serving and made multiple compliments. This dessert was a home run for the whole group.
I didn’t change anything. Follow it to a “T” and you’ll impress everyone, I guarantee it!
I made this yesterday and didn’t have time to let it sit for eight hours so I used an angel food cake as a substitute. It turned out amazing!😁
Hi Jenn,
If I replace the lady fingers with pound cake, how much pound cake would you recommend?
Thanks,
Dawn
One more question-
Would you cut the cake into cubes or slices.
Thanks, Dawn
Either will totally work, but I guess I’d go with slices. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Dawn, assuming you buy a 16 oz. pound cake (I think that’s generally how they’re sold), I’d use about 1/2 of it.