Individual pumpkin gingerbread trifles are a delicious, lightened-up treat that’s perfect for the holiday season. Layers of spiced cake mix, whipped topping, and a pudding layer made with almond milk provide all of the best flavors of the season in one bite! Make them in individual glasses for a lovely presentation.
My mom started making this creamy gingerbread pumpkin trifle recipe from Dashing Dish years ago for our big Thanksgiving meal. The recipe was an instant hit, and this trifle has been a part of our Thanksgiving tradition ever since.
Relative to other traditional Thanksgiving desserts (like pecan and pumpkin pie), this dessert is on the lighter side. Over the years, mom has tweaked the recipe and I’ve tweaked it further. My version is below!
The Layers
There are three distinct layers to this trifle. The cake layer is made by mixing boxed spice cake mix with canned pumpkin and water (no eggs, no oil!) and baking it for 25-30 minutes. Then once it’s cooled, you can either crumble the cake as I do, or you can cut it up into small squares. It just depends on the look you’d prefer in the trifle dish.
The second layer is a box of no-sugar instant vanilla pudding mixed with almond milk, more canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and baking splenda or stevia to sweeten. Then whipped topping is folded in to make the mixture fluffy.
And the third layer is just Cool Whip (or TruWhip if you prefer).
Serving
This dish is lovely when layered in a glass trifle dish or large glass bowl. If you’re serving a crowd, that method is probably easier. But I opted to make individual trifles, served up in drinking glasses. A double old fashioned or wine glass would work as well.
As with most trifles, you’ll achieve the best result if you make these a day (or even two) ahead. The flavors will meld and the cake will become moist and delicious. Plus, you can prep dessert ahead and forget about it!
Looking for more great holiday recipes? Check these out!
- Craisin Nut Bark
- Easy Blondies
- Lemon Rosemary Shortbread Cookies
- Nutella Spritz Sandwich Cookies
- Mint Thumbprint Cookies
- Peppermint Marshmallows
- Three Holiday Mocktails
- DIY Sugar Scrubs
Individual Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifles
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
Individual pumpkin gingerbread trifles are a delicious, lightened-up treat that’s perfect for the holiday season. Layers of spiced cake mix, whipped topping, and a pudding layer made with almond milk provide all of the best flavors of the season in one bite! Make them in individual glasses for a lovely presentation.
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25 oz) box of spice cake mix
- 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
- 1 cup water
- 1 (1 oz) box no sugar added instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
- 1 tbsp baking splenda
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 24 oz light Cool Whip topping (or TruWhip)
- 1 cup gingersnaps, crushed (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together the boxed cake mix, 1 cup (8 0z) of the pumpkin puree, and 1 cup of water. Stir until no lumps remain, and transfer to the baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
- Once cool, crumble the cake or cut into small squares for layering. Set aside.
- While the cake is baking, make the pudding layer. In a large bowl, whisk the pudding mix and the almond milk for 2 minutes. It should begin to thicken. Let rest for 2 minutes to thicken some more. Next, fold in 8 oz cool whip, the remaining pumpkin puree, the splenda, and pumpkin pie spice.
- To assemble, first layer half of the cake, then half of the pudding mixture, then half of the remaining whipped topping. Then layer the three again and top with the crushed gingersnaps or a dash of pumpkin pie spice.
Notes
Sweetener: Prefer to use Stevia, Monkfruit, or another sweetener instead of baking Splenda? Go for it! Just add a small amount of sweetener to the pudding mixture a bit a a time until you reach the desired level of sweetness.
Whipped Topping: Cool Whip (any variety), TruWhip, or homemade Whipped Cream will all work for this recipe. Other whipped topping alternatives may work, but we have not personally tested them.
- Category: Dessert
