Brownie Trifle with Whiskey Strawberries

Fudgy brownie pieces, Bailey’s spiked cream, and whiskey drenched strawberries come together to make this brownie trifle with whiskey strawberries recipe. These brownie trifles are chocolatey, boozy, utterly moreish, and come together in under an hour – perfect for a spring garden party!

Well, we’ve hit that time of year again where I pull out the dusty bottle of Jameson’s and whip up something whiskey infused for your St. Patrick’s Day festivities.

Last year, I made these Irish Coffee Blondies, and while they’re still some of my favourite blondies to date, I wanted to make something even more simple for you this time around.

Enter these fudgy, yet surprisingly light, Brownie Trifles with Whiskey Strawberries. Since spring is around the corner, I knew I wanted to make a dessert that would perfectly suit an outdoor occasion. I don’t have a back porch and swing. But if I did, I would definitely feel right at home eating one of these trifles, swinging in the breeze, washing it down with a glass of cold lemonade.

These easy peasy brownie trifles are simply perfect. The gooey brownie pieces make the most amazing base and are a fabulous substitute for the usual pound cake.

And can I just say that whiskey-infused strawberries with mint is my new favourite thing? I’m definitely going to play around with a whiskey strawberry mojito style cocktail in the near future because this combo is TOO GOOD not to use again!

Plus: Bailey’s-spiked whipped cream. Whipped cream is essential to any trifle recipe and considering this is a St. Paddy’s Day dessert, this obviously had to happen. I had no choice – the dessert gods have spoken.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• This brownie trifle recipe is quick to prep and easy to pull together. The most laborious task is mixing together the brownie batter, but even that only requires a whisk and a couple bowls!
• You want fudgy, rich brownie bites? You’ve got it! This recipe uses the same base as my Pecan Brownie recipe. SO chocolatey!
• The booze in this recipe isn’t overpowering, but you can tell it’s there. So if you haven’t eaten a ton of alcoholic desserts, but have been meaning to try, this is a great one to kick things off!
• The entire dessert is naturally sweetened using coconut sugar, maple syrup, and a bit of agave nectar. You could even sweeten the cream with maple syrup instead of agave to cut back on the number of ingredients.
• As a brownie-based dessert, you wouldn’t think this trifle would be considered “light”, but in all honesty, that’s exactly what it is. It’s a refreshingly light dessert that can be easily consumed after a heavy meal! (Full disclosure: This has been thoroughly tested. I’ve eaten four of these in the past two weeks!)

How to make chocolate brownie trifle

Although there are a few layers to this brownie trifle, each is very quick and simple to make. Here’s how to do it (full details in recipe card below):

1. Make the naturally sweetened chocolate brownie and allow to cool.
2. Combine the chopped strawberries, Irish whiskey, and mint in a bowl and stir. Allow to soak for 30 minutes to infuse the whiskey into the fruit.
3. Whip the cream with the Bailey’s liqueur and agave nectar. It should form medium-stiff peaks for optimal layering.
4. Chop the brownie into ½-inch cubes.
5. Layer the brownie trifle in individual serving glasses. Depending on the size of your glasses, there will be enough for two large trifles or 4 small ones.
6. Enjoy immediately!

Need a little visual help? Follow along with the video tutorial for this Brownie Trifle recipe:

How to layer a brownie trifle

Everyone wants a pretty trifle. Half the fun of creating them is layering the components for the best aesthetic effect to elicit those coveted “oohs and ahhs”. I promise that layering a brownie trifle so that it looks gorgeous and doesn’t become a mashed up mess isn’t too tricky. Here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Start with the heaviest component for the base. Sort of like building a house, you want a solid foundation on which to place the remaining layers. For this recipe, that’s our fudgy brownies.
2. Next, add a layer of cream. Not only does the ivory cream provide fantastic contrast with the dark brownies, it also makes a great cushion for the strawberries. Some strawberry juice will also drizzle down through the cream, creating the illusion of movement.
3. Add your bright middle layer. In this recipe, that’s the striking red strawberries. They’re hearty enough to hold up to another layer of brownie cubes. Just be sure to stack them gently.
4. Repeat the layers once more, topping with mint, brownie crumbles, and strawberry juice drizzle.

Tips for making this recipe perfectly

• You can make the brownie up to 2 days in advance of when you want to serve it. I would wait until serving day to make the whiskey strawberries and Bailey’s whipped cream.
• Don’t over whip your cream. I use a manual hand whisk to do mine so that I can feel how soft/stiff the peaks are. For this brownie trifle, I like a medium-hard peak: soft to eat, yet robust enough to hold up to layering.
• Serving this trifle to youngsters? It tastes beautiful without booze as well! For the cream, I would add an extra tablespoon of agave nectar in place of the Bailey’s.
• Not a strawberry fan? This brownie trifle would work brilliantly with blackberries, watermelon, or peaches!
• Double this recipe to create a full size trifle fit for a spring garden party!

Looking for more quick naturally sweetened desserts?

15-minute Apple Crisp
Grapefruit and Thyme Mascarpone Tart
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Parfait
Frozen Margarita Tart
Honey and Lemon Shortbread Bars
The Best Natural Peanut Butter Cookies

If you make this recipe, let me know by snapping a picture and tagging me on Instagram @naturallysweet_kitchen. I love seeing your creations and sharing them in my Stories. Or let me know you love this Brownie Trifle with Whiskey Strawberries by leaving a comment and rating below!

5 from 1 vote

Print

Brownie Trifle with Whiskey Strawberries

This brownie trifle with whiskey strawberries recipe features fudgy brownie pieces, Bailey’s spiked cream, and whiskey drenched strawberries.

Category Dessert

Cuisine American, British

Keyword brownie trifle, brownie trifle with strawberries, chocolate brownie trifle, strawberry and brownie trifle

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Author Amanda | Naturally Sweet Kitchen

Ingredients

Brownie

• 30 g unbleached plain flour
• 20 g raw cacao powder
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• 45 g unsalted butter
• 30 g chopped dark chocolate
• 55 g coconut sugar
• 45 ml pure maple syrup
• 1 large egg room temperature
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Whiskey Strawberries

• 125 g diced strawberries
• 1 ½ tbsp Irish whiskey
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint

Bailey’s Whipped Cream

• 300 ml double cream
• 2 tbsp agave nectar
• 3 tbsp Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur

Method

Brownie

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF) and grease and line a 20 x 10 cm (8 x 4 in) loaf tin with non-stick baking paper. Be sure to leave a couple inches of overhang for easy removal.
2. Whisk together the flour, cacao powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Melt the butter and dark chocolate together over a medium-low heat in a double boiler (or in 15 second increments in the microwave). Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in the coconut sugar until emulsified.
4. Add the maple syrup, egg, and vanilla extract and whisk well to combine. Add the dry ingredients and whisk together.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth it to the edges. Bake the brownies for 16-18 minutes, or until they just start to pull away from the edges. They still might be a bit gooey inside and that’s okay.

6. Allow the brownies to cool completely in the tin while you make the rest of the components.

Whiskey Strawberries

1. Tip the strawberries, whiskey, and mint into a bowl and stir together. Allow the strawberries to sit and infuse for at least 30 minutes.

Bailey’s Whipped Cream

1. To a large bowl, combine the cream, agave, and Bailey’s liqueur. Whip the cream to medium peaks using a whisk or electric beaters. Set aside until ready to assemble.

Assembly

1. Chop the cooled brownies into ½-inch cubes.
2. Layer the trifles in individual serving glasses starting with the brownies. Add a layer of whipped cream. Add a layer of strawberries. Drop in a second layer of brownie cubes. Top with another layer of whipped cream.
3. To finish, sprinkle over some extra brownie crumbles, fresh mint, and a drizzle of the strawberry sauce at the bottom of the bowl.
4. Serve immediately.

Recipe Video

Notes

These trifles are best served the day they are made. If necessary, they will keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.