Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle is a layered dessert of brownie pieces, homemade peanut butter pudding, mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and whipped topping. If this sounds like your kind of dessert, be sure to try my Brownie Peanut Butter Dessert.
Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle
A traditional trifle is an English dessert that is layered with some sort of cake, custard, fruit, and whipped cream. This trifle doesn’t have any fruit, but it is definitely a layered dessert that has plenty of creamy peanut butter pudding and whipped cream in there with a brownie as the cakey layer.
Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle Recipe
There are three main layers to this trifle recipe–the peanut butter pudding, homemade brownies, and the toppings in between.
Pudding Ingredients (full recipe below)
- Granulated sugar
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Milk–Whole milk is best, but you could also use 2% milk.
- Butter
- Peanut butter–I used creamy peanut butter, but you could use crunchy if that is what you have on hand.
- Vanilla extract
Brownie Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Dark cocoa
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Butter
- Vanilla extract
Toppings
- Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
- Cool whip
How to Make Peanut Butter Pudding
It’s easy to make this pudding. Get out a saucepan and the ingredients you need to get this made so it can be chilled before enjoying it in this layered dessert.
In the saucepan, over medium heat, combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Slowly add in the milk, whisking until the sugar is dissolved. After the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low, whisking, and cooking for about 2 more minutes.
Finally, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter, peanut butter, and vanilla. Whisk everything together until you have a smooth and creamy mixture. Transfer the pudding into a bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Be sure to push down on the plastic wrap so it touches the top of the pudding. Let it chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.
How to Make Brownies
While the pudding is chilling in the refrigerator, make this batch of brownies. It’s my go-to brownie recipe, so you may be tempted to eat them plain! But, I encourage you to wait until you use them up for this dessert. Use a prepared (spray with non-stick spray or use GOOP) 9×13-inch pan for this recipe. You could also line the pan with parchment paper.
First, preheat the oven to 350°F. Next, in a large bowl, add flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Whisk that together to be added later. Then, in a bowl of a stand mixer or another large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla until it is light and fluffy.
Turn the mixer off (or stop mixing) and add the flour mixture. Mix on low until the ingredients are well combined. Pour the brownies into the baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the brownies. The toothpick should come out with a few crumbs on it, but no wet batter. Once you have the brownies made, be sure to let them cool before cutting them into 1-inch cubes for the layered dessert.
After the brownies have cooled completely you will cut them into small squares, roughly 1×1 inches in size. (Sometimes it can be easier to cut the brownies when they are very chilled.)
Assembling the Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle
Once the pudding has chilled and the brownies are baked and cut into 1-inch cubes, it’s time to put together this decadent dessert! I used a trifle dish, but if you don’t have one of those, use a large glass bowl or large glass vase. The point is to see all those yummy layers in the dessert.
- Cover the bottom of the trifle dish or glass bowl with a layer of cubed brownies.
- Top brownies with one cup of the peanut butter pudding.
- Place a layer of mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (I placed mine upside down, but it’s your choice) on top of the pudding.
- Top with one cup of the cool whip or whipped topping.
- Repeat this layering two more times.
- Finish it all off with any leftover brownie cubes and some chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
- Chill until ready to serve.
Instead of serving out of one big trifle bowl, you could also use mason jars to make individual servings of this dessert. It’s fun to have people assemble their own dessert with all the available layer options laid out, or you can have them individually assembled before you serve them!
This dessert is best served chilled and within 24 hours of making it. The longer it sits the less texture the brownies will retain.
Looking for More Peanut Butter Treats?
Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Ooey-Gooey Bars
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ooey-Gooey Cake
Ingredients
PUDDING
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (735g) milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup (193.5g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
BROWNIES
- 1 1/2 cups (186g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (42g) dark cocoa
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks or 170g) butter, softened or room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
TOPPING
- 1 cup (60-70) mini peanut butter cups
- 24 ounces (3 8-ounce tubs) cool whip
Instructions
PEANUT BUTTER PUDDING
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In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Slowly add in milk, whisking constantly until all of the sugar is dissolved.
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Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
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Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, whisking constantly for 2 more minutes.
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Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter, peanut butter, and vanilla
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Whisk until smooth and creamy.
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Chill for 1 hour.
BROWNIES
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Heat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray or GOOP.
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In a large bowl add flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt. Whisk together ingredients until they are fully incorporated.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using a hand-held mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
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With the mixer off, add in the flour mixture. Turn mixer on low and mix until ingredients are well combined.
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Pour brownies into a prepared baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350°F. Brownies are done when an inserted toothpick is removed with crumbs but no wet batter.
ASSEMBLY
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When brownies are cooled, cut brownies into 1-inch cubes.
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Cover the bottom of a trifle dish with a single layer of brownie pieces.
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Top with a cup of the chilled peanut butter pudding.
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Add a layer of mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (whole). I placed them 'upside down', but it doesn't really matter.
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Top with one cup of the cool whip (whipped topping).
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Repeat this layering two more times and top with extra brownie pieces and chopped mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
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Chill until ready to serve.