Heaven In A Bowl

Front-facing view of layered peanut butter trifle topped with whipped cream and mini Reese’s, with milk and peanut butter in the background.

This rich heaven in a bowl trifle has layers of fudgy brownies, creamy peanut butter pudding, whipped topping, and mini Reese’s cups for the ultimate dessert.

Prep Time15

Chill Time3

Total Time3 15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Heaven In A Bowl Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 611kcal

Ingredients

18.3 ounces box fudge brownie mix, baked and cooled according to package directions in a 9x13 pan and cut into 1 inch pieces (Duncan Hines brand used)
6.8 ounces instant vanilla pudding (two 3.4-ounce boxes)
3 cups whole milk, cold
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter, Peter Pan brand used
16 ounces whipped topping, thawed and divided (1 ½ cups folded into the filling and the remaining used to create the trifle layers) (Cool Whip brand used) (approximately 6 ½ cups)
36 Mini Reese’s cups, unwrapped and cut into halves (divided into 3 - ⅓ amount portions for layering and garnish)

Instructions

Prepare and bake the fudge brownie mix according to package directions, for your brand of mix, in a 9x13 baking pan. Cool the brownies completely before cutting them into 1 inch pieces. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the instant vanilla pudding, whole milk and vanilla extract for 2 minutes or until the pudding has thickened.
Whisk in the creamy peanut butter until the mixture is smooth and thick.
Fold 1 ½ cups of the thawed whipped topping into the peanut butter pudding mixture until no white streaks remain.
To the bottom of a 3 quart trifle dish, add half the fudge brownie pieces in a single layer followed by ⅓ of the halved mini Reese’s peanut butter cups sprinkled over the brownie pieces.
Next, spread half of the peanut butter pudding filling over the brownies and Reese’s cups in a smooth, even layer.
Top with half (approximately 2 ½ cups) of the remaining whipped topping spread to an even layer.
Repeat steps 5 - 7 with the fudge brownie pieces, another ⅓ of the halved mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, peanut butter pudding filling and remaining whipped topping.
Garnish the top of the heaven in a bowl trifle with the remaining ⅓ halved mini Reese’s peanut butter cups piled into the center of the whipped topping.
Refrigerate the heaven in a bowl for 3-4 hours or until completely chilled and the peanut butter pudding layer has firmed up enough to easily scoop out individual servings.

Notes

You can bake, and cool, the boxed fudge brownies up to 24 hours in advance. Be sure to tightly wrap the cooled baking pan with plastic wrap and store at room temperature until ready to cut the brownies into one inch pieces and assemble the trifle. You can line your baking pan with a piece of parchment paper to easily lift and remove the cooled brownies from the pan. This will make it easier to cut the brownies into the smaller 1 inch sized pieces.
I do not recommend using low-fat milk, or dairy alternatives, to mix with the instant vanilla pudding as they do not yield the desired results for the final consistency needed for the pudding for this recipe.
A traditional creamy peanut butter such as Peter Pan, JIF, Skippy or Reese’s brand is best for use in this recipe. Homemade, or natural, peanut butters contain too much excess oil and will alter the texture of the filling for this heaven in a bowl trifle.

Nutrition