Cheat's Trifle with Yoghurt - Easy No-Custard Christmas Dessert

There's no custard and there's no cream in this trifle. It might not be classic 101, but I promise you, it's delicious nonetheless! Greek yoghurt gives a lovely tang, making this nostalgic dessert lighter, easier, and absolutely perfect for your Christmas table.

Recipe Details:

• Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 2-3 hours setting time)
• Cook Time: 0 minutes
• Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
• Serves: 6-8
• Difficulty: Easy
• Special Equipment: Trifle bowl or large glass serving bowl

This cheat's trifle is my favourite nostalgic dessert made easier and lighter for a busy Christmas. Instead of traditional custard and cream, we're using thick Greek yoghurt, which provides a lovely tangy contrast to the sweet jelly and fruit. The beauty of this dessert is that it looks incredibly impressive in a classic trifle bowl with all those beautiful layers on display, but it's actually simple to put together using mostly shop-bought ingredients. A supermarket sponge soaked in a little booze forms the base, topped with jewel-coloured jelly that sets in the fridge. Tinned apricot halves are arranged prettily around the edge and chopped through the middle, then everything is crowned with thick Greek yoghurt (the kind that comes with a little berry compote mixed through is perfect) and fresh strawberries. A dusting of icing sugar finishes it off beautifully. The best thing? You can make this the day before and just dress it up on the day you're serving it. It feeds 6-8 people easily and there are usually leftovers for the next day, which is honestly the best bit about trifle! This is part of my Savvy Suppers Christmas Dinner series - an affordable, delicious, and stress-free Christmas feast.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• No custard or cream: Greek yoghurt makes this lighter and easier while adding a lovely tang
• Make-ahead friendly: Prepare the day before and just add the final decorations before serving
• Simple shop-bought ingredients: Uses supermarket sponge, jelly crystals, and tinned fruit
• Feeds a crowd: Easily serves 6-8 people with leftovers - perfect for Boxing Day
• Nostalgic but light: All the trifle feels with less heaviness and guilt

Ingredients

For the Trifle Base:

• 1 supermarket-made sponge cake (approximately 300-400g)
• 2-3 tablespoons sherry, brandy, or fruit juice (for soaking the sponge)
• 85g jelly crystals (makes 500ml jelly) - any flavour you like
• 500ml boiling water (or as per jelly packet instructions)

For the Fruit Layer:

• 1 x 410g tin apricot halves in juice, drained

For the Topping:

• 1 x 450g tub Greek yoghurt (preferably one with berry compote mixed through)
• 250g fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
• Icing sugar for dusting

Instructions

1. Prepare your trifle bowl: Get out your classic trifle bowl or a large glass serving bowl. Using a glass bowl is ideal as it shows off all those gorgeous layers.

2. Break up the sponge: Break or tear the sponge cake into rough chunks - about 3-4cm pieces. You don't need to be neat; rustic chunks work perfectly. Arrange them in the bottom of your trifle bowl, filling it about one-third full.

3. Add the booze: Drizzle the sherry, brandy, or fruit juice evenly over the sponge pieces. Use a spoon to gently press the liquid into the sponge so it soaks in. Don't make it soggy - just nicely moist and flavourful. If serving to children or preferring alcohol-free, use orange juice or the juice from the tinned apricots.

4. Make the jelly: Following the packet instructions, make up the jelly using the crystals and boiling water. Stir well until all the crystals have dissolved completely. Let it cool for about 5-10 minutes so it's not boiling hot, but don't let it start to set.

5. Pour over the jelly: Carefully pour the liquid jelly over the soaked sponge in the bowl. Pour slowly and evenly to ensure it covers all the sponge pieces. The jelly will seep down and around the sponge, which is exactly what you want.

6. Set in the fridge: Place the bowl carefully in the refrigerator and leave it to set completely. This usually takes 2-3 hours, or you can leave it overnight. The jelly should be completely firm before you continue.

7. Prepare the apricots: Once the jelly has set, drain the tinned apricots well. Take 3-5 apricot halves and cut each one into quarters. These will be arranged decoratively around the edge. Roughly chop the remaining apricots into smaller pieces for the middle.

8. Arrange the apricot decoration: Take the quartered apricot pieces and arrange them around the perimeter of the bowl, standing them up against the glass with the rounded side facing outwards. This creates a beautiful decorative border that you can see through the glass. Press them gently into the jelly so they stay in place.

9. Add the chopped apricots: Scatter the roughly chopped apricots over the centre of the jelly, filling in the middle of the bowl. Spread them out in an even layer.

10. Add the yoghurt layer: Spoon the Greek yoghurt over the apricot layer. If your yoghurt came with berry compote, make sure it's mixed a little. Spread the yoghurt out evenly with the back of a spoon to cover all the fruit. You can make this layer as thick or thin as you like, I usually make it about 2-3cm thick.

11. Decorate with strawberries: Arrange the sliced strawberries over the top of the yoghurt layer. You can be creative here - arrange them in circles, scatter them randomly, or create a pattern. Make it look abundant and gorgeous.

12. Final dusting: Just before serving, dust the entire top generously with icing sugar through a fine sieve. This gives it that professional, festive finish.

13. Serve: Bring your beautiful trifle to the table and serve it up with a large spoon, making sure everyone gets all the layers. Enjoy the oohs and ahhs!

Chef's Tips

For the best presentation: Use a clear glass trifle bowl or glass serving bowl so everyone can see all those beautiful layers through the side.

Don't skip the booze soak: Even if just using fruit juice, soaking the sponge is essential. It adds flavour and moisture and helps the sponge meld with the jelly.

Let jelly cool slightly: If you pour boiling hot jelly over the sponge, it can make it fall apart. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes first, but not so long that it starts to set.

Berry yoghurt is brilliant: The kind of Greek yoghurt that comes with a separate berry compote to stir through is perfect for this. The berry swirls look beautiful and add extra flavour.

Make it the day before: This is actually better made ahead! Make the base layers (sponge, jelly, apricots, yoghurt) the day before and just add the strawberries and icing sugar before serving.

Leftover heaven: Trifle is often better the next day when everything has had time to meld together. Leftovers keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.

Substitutions & Variations

Different jelly flavours: Use strawberry, raspberry, orange, or even lime jelly. Each creates a different flavour profile.

Different fruits: Swap apricots for tinned peaches, pears, or mixed fruit cocktail. Fresh berries also work beautifully.

Chocolate version: Use chocolate Swiss roll instead of plain sponge and chocolate yoghurt or chocolate custard instead of plain yoghurt.

Sherry-free: Use orange juice, apple juice, or the juice from the tinned fruit instead of alcohol.

Traditional custard: If you prefer traditional trifle, use shop-bought custard instead of yoghurt. This makes it richer and sweeter.

Cream topping: For a more indulgent version, use whipped cream instead of yoghurt, or layer both (yoghurt first, then cream).

Fresh fruit only: Use fresh strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries throughout instead of tinned apricots.

Individual trifles: Make these in individual glasses for a dinner party - everyone gets their own perfect portion.

Storage & Reheating

Make-ahead timeline: Make the sponge, jelly, and apricot layers the day before. Cover and refrigerate. Add the yoghurt layer and fruit decoration on the morning of serving, or up to 4 hours before.

Storage: Cover the trifle bowl with cling film and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It actually improves after a day or two as the flavours meld together.

Best served cold: Serve trifle straight from the fridge - it should be nice and cold. Remove it 5 minutes before serving to take the extreme chill off if preferred.

Leftovers: The best bit about trifle is leftovers! They keep well for 2-3 days in the fridge, covered. The sponge continues to absorb the flavours and it becomes even more delicious.

Not suitable for freezing: Trifle doesn't freeze well as the jelly and yoghurt separate when thawed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I make this without alcohol? A: Absolutely! Use fruit juice (orange juice is lovely) or even just the juice from the tinned apricots. The dessert is just as delicious alcohol-free.

Q: Why use yoghurt instead of custard? A: Greek yoghurt is lighter, quicker (no making custard), and provides a lovely tangy contrast to the sweet jelly and fruit. It also means this isn't as heavy after a big Christmas meal.

Q: Can I use fresh fruit instead of tinned? A: Yes! Fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or sliced peaches all work beautifully. Tinned fruit is just more budget-friendly and convenient.

Q: My jelly isn't setting. What's wrong? A: Make sure you followed the packet instructions correctly and that your fridge is cold enough. Jelly typically takes 2-3 hours to set fully. If it's been longer than that and still isn't set, it may be too warm.

Q: Can I use homemade sponge? A: Of course! Homemade sponge is wonderful. You'll need about 300-400g of sponge cake. A plain Victoria sponge works perfectly.

Q: The yoghurt I have doesn't have berry compote. What should I do? A: Plain Greek yoghurt works perfectly fine! You could swirl through a tablespoon of jam, or just use it plain. The strawberries on top provide the berry flavour anyway.

You Might Also Like

Ultimate Roast Potatoes - Start your Savvy Suppers Christmas Dinner with these incredible crispy roasties.

Peas with Caramelised Onions and Lemon Garlic Breadcrumbs - A delicious savoury side dish from the same Christmas menu as this sweet trifle.

Courgette, Feta & Chilli Salad - Complete your Savvy Suppers Christmas feast with this fresh, zingy salad alongside this nostalgic dessert.

Enjoy!

Del x

An easy celebratory dessert that will easily feed 6-8 of you and probably have leftovers for tomorrow, which let's be honest is the best bit about trifle! The nice thing about using yoghurt is you get a little tang - it has everything that a trifle does and feels like a fancy dessert. Part of my Savvy Suppers Christmas Dinner series.