Vegan Gingerbread Christmas Trifle
Forget Christmas pudding! If you’re looking for a Christmas dessert to wow your guests with, then look no further than this spectacular vegan trifle recipe. A guaranteed crowd-pleasing recipe the whole family will love, this vegan trifle is so tasty you might find that Santa pops backs down the chimney just to have a taste!
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With layer upon layer of delicious festive flavours, this vegan trifle recipe is pure indulgence for the holiday season.
While the main course is often seen as the star of the show, this vegan Christmas dessert is so tasty it’s certain to steal the limelight!
Although it’s tempting to eat that extra potato, this fabulously festive sweet vegan Christmas recipe is one you’ll want to make sure you have room for.
You’ll need to make the dessert a day or two before serving to ensure your layers have enough time to cool and set, but we promise it’s worth the wait!
Firstly, you’ll start with a layer of moist cake flavoured with gingerbread and cinnamon. Next, you’ll make the vegan gingerbread men that will form the layers and the decoration in the vegan trifle.
Now it’s time to vegan the vegan custard to add a creamy element to this festive vegan dessert which needs time to cool in the fridge. The plant-based trifle also features swirls of coconut cream, but you’ll prepare this on the day to make sure it’s fresh.
On the day you want to enjoy the dessert, break the cake into chunks and press your first layer into the dish. If you’re using a glass dish, you can then arrange your vegan Christmas cookies around the edge.
Now it’s time to build up your layers, alternating between layers of custard, whipped coconut cream, fruit and cake.
To finish off your vegan trifle, top it with cute vegan Christmas cookies and more fresh berries to balance out the sweetness of the pudding. Scrumptious!
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Prep Time: 45 mins
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 mins
Calories: 512
Servings: 15
Rating:
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Calories: 512
Servings: 15
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
(Servings: 15)
- For the cake:
- 23.333333333333 23.333333333333 g plain (all-purpose) flour
- 20 20 g brown or coconut sugar
- 0.13333333333333 0.13333333333333 tsp baking powder
- 0.13333333333333 0.13333333333333 tsp ground cinnamon
- 0.13333333333333 0.13333333333333 tsp ground ginger
- 0.066666666666667 0.066666666666667 tsp nutmeg
- 24 24 ml plant-based milk
- 12 12 ml sunflower oil
- 0.1 0.1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- For the gingerbread men cookies:
- 16.666666666667 16.666666666667 g plain (all-purpose) flour, plus more for dusting
- 4 4 g vegan butter
- 6.6666666666667 6.6666666666667 g brown or coconut sugar
- 4 4 ml maple syrup
- 0.2 0.2 Tbsp water
- 0.066666666666667 0.066666666666667 Tbsp ground chia or flax seeds
- 0.13333333333333 0.13333333333333 tsp cinnamon, to taste
- 0.13333333333333 0.13333333333333 tsp ginger, to taste
- 0.066666666666667 0.066666666666667 tsp nutmeg
- 0.033333333333333 0.033333333333333 tsp bicarbonate of (baking) soda
- For the frosting:
- 4 4 g icing sugar
- 0.066666666666667 0.066666666666667 Tbsp plant-based milk
- For the custard:
- 0.066666666666667 0.066666666666667 litre soy milk
- 3.3333333333333 3.3333333333333 g coconut sugar
- 5.3333333333333 5.3333333333333 g cornflour (cornstarch)
- For the cream:
- 0.2 0.2 x 400g tins of coconut cream, refrigerated overnight
- 0.13333333333333 0.13333333333333 tsp vanilla extract
- To decorate:
- 0.13333333333333 0.13333333333333 punnets of strawberries or raspberries, blueberries or seasonal fruit, chopped
Method
- For the cake, make it 1-2 days before serving: preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas Mark 3. Line a 20cm (8in) cake tin.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl until there are no lumps. Add the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Pour into the tin and bake for 40-50 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then remove and cool on a wire rack.
- For the cookies (also make in advance): add the ingredients to a large mixing bowl or food processor. Mix until a smooth dough forms. Add a little water if it’s too dry. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- When ready to roll out, preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 8mm thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Place the cookies on a lined baking tray with a little space between each. Repeat until you have no more dough. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The edges of the cookies should be slightly golden brown. Let the cookies cool completely.
- For the frosting, mix the icing sugar and milk in a bowl. Add more sugar or milk to get the consistency needed. Use a fine-tip piping bag to decorate some of the cookies as desired. Let the icing set and set aside.
- For the custard (make in advance): add the ingredients to a heavy-based saucepan. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes, then reduce to a simmer while constantly stirring. Simmer until it thickens to a pourable consistency (it thickens when it cools). If there are lumps, blend using a stand or handheld blender. Set aside in the fridge.
- For the coconut cream (on the day of assembly): remove the tins from the fridge and scoop out the thick part at the top. You need about 800ml thick coconut cream. Put the cream in a large bowl or stand mixer. Add the vanilla, then use the mixer’s balloon attachment or electric beaters to whip the cream until soft peaks form. Set aside in the fridge.
- To assemble the trifle: use a serrated knife to slice the cake in half. If the dish is smaller or larger than the cake, break up the cake into chunks. Set aside.
- If the custard has solidified, use a blender on it until it is soft again.
- Scatter half the cake in the bottom of the trifle dish and press down to form an even layer. Arrange the cookies in the dish to lean on the glass sides. Layer the trifle with half the custard, half the whipped cream and half the fruit. Repeat layering. Top with the decorated cookies. Serve immediately.
Need some more inspiration for your vegan Christmas dinner?
Here are 54 of the best vegan Christmas recipes of all time.
