Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifles is a delicious Fall dessert to wow your family and friends.
These Mini Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifles are so good! My cute mom has been raving about this recipe, so it was fun to try it out. You could make one big trifle, or 4 small trifles like you see here. Either way, this easy dessert will be a hit! It tastes like Fall. Trifles are a great fix to a cake that tastes awesome but maybe doesn’t look pretty. Just break it up into chunks and make a trifle! If you love all things pumpkin to celebrate Fall, this recipe is for you.
Whenever I hear the word “trifle”, I have to laugh, because it reminds me of the episode of Friends where Rachel makes an English trifle…but the pages stick together and she ends up adding ingredients for Shepherds Pie at the same time. So there’s a layer of ground beef and peas. HaHa! It’s so funny. Please tell me you’ve seen this Friends episode! It’s the best!
Joey: “What’s not to like? Custard? Good. Jam? Good. Meat? Goooooood.”
Ingredients For Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle:
- 1 14oz. package gingerbread cake mix
- 1 small box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
- 1 30oz. can pumpkin pie filling
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/16 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/16 tsp allspice
- 1/16 tsp. cloves
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 8-ounce container frozen whipped topping (or real whipped cream)
- 1/4 cup gingersnaps, optional garnish
How To Make Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle:
- Bake the gingerbread cake according to the package directions; cool completely.
- Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool a bit. Stir in the pumpkin pie filling, brown sugar, and spices into the pudding.
- Assemble: Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread cake into the bottom of the small trifle bowls. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping.
- Repeat with the remaining gingerbread cake, pudding, and whipped topping.
- Sprinkle the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired …or more cake.
Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can easily be doubled and layered in a punch bowl.
Aren’t these little glass trifle bowls cute?! Here’s a set of 4 mini glass trifles on Amazon. The mini ones are fun for single servings or serving two together at a dinner party.
What Is A Trifle?
Traditionally a trifle is a layered dessert of a sponge cake, fruit and either a custard, jelly or cream. In our recipe we are using a layer of gingerbread, pumpkin pudding and whipped topping.
Trifle Variations:
This pumpkin gingerbread trifle is so delicious as is and we love this recipe, but you can really customize it to make it your own. If you are not a fan of gingerbread then you can use a spice cake mix, graham crackers, brownie mix for more of a chocolate pumpkin flavor. You can also add some pecans as well if you like and a caramel drizzle. We are all about the versatility with dessert recipes like this… and making it work for your family’s taste.
Can I Make This Ahead Of Time?
You can prepare this trifle ahead of time, this recipe needs to sit in your fridge overnight.
If you want to make the different layers a few days ahead of time you can do so and just store them separately to assemble the night before. You can wrap the gingerbread tightly in plastic wrap and store on your counter at room temperature for about 3 days or in your freezer for about 3 months. As for the pudding mixture you can make ahead as well and store in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
What is the difference between canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie filling, and pumpkin puree?
Most of the pumpkin recipes we share on NoBiggie use pumpkin puree, but this recipe uses pumpkin pie filling.
Here’s the difference: canned pumpkin puree is just straight cooked pureed pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling is the cooked pureed pumpkin with added pumpkin pie spices like cinnamon, clove, allspice and ginger, and it is sweetened.
Storage:
If you are lucky enough to have some of this delicious pumpkin gingerbread trifle leftover then you are going to want to store it covered in your fridge up to 3-5 days. You can freeze it as well in a freezer safe container for about 3 months.

Mini Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifles
Layers of gingerbread cake, pumpkin pudding mix and whipped cream come together for the ultimate dessert for Fall.
Ingredients
- 1 14oz. package gingerbread mix
- 1 3.4oz box vanilla pudding mix (cook-and-serve kind)
- 1 30oz. can pumpkin pie filling
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/16 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/16 teaspoon allspice
- 1/16 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 8oz. container frozen whipped topping or real whipped cream
- 1/4 cup gingersnap cookies optional garnish
Instructions
-
Bake the gingerbread cake according to the package directions; cool completely.
-
Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool a bit. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, brown sugar, and spices into the pudding.
-
Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread cake into the bottom of the small trifle bowls. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread cake, then add a layer of whipped topping.
-
Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping.
-
Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnap cookies, if desired.
-
Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can easily be doubled and layered in a punch bowl.
Making This Recipe? Tag us on Instagram: @NoBiggie using the hashtag #NoBiggieRecipes, so we can see what you are making in the kitchen!
Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram for more NoBiggie content.
MORE great pumpkin RECIPES:

I love making trifles. They are so, so easy and there are endless combinations that you can do! I don’t think I’ve ever met a trifle I didn’t love. I’ve made one very similar to this in the past and it is so perfect for cool weather holidays!
Ha! I don’t think I’ve ever met a trifle I didn’t like either. 🙂
I’m going to be quoting you. 🙂
Yummy! I wish I could find great finds at the thrift store. The stores around here stink.
Y-U-M. I need to make some of this with all the pumpkin we’ve got laying around. Also: I make trifle every Christmas and I think of the same episode every time I make it!
“This tastes like feet.”
I LOVE that episode of friends. Thanks for the recipe, looks delish!
Yum! A perfect fall dessert! I love individual desserts, and this one is so pretty!
looks wonderful!
I just had a gingerbread trifle at an event the other night and I was joking about the friends episode, my friend had NEVER seen it. I was laughing so hard, still that one cracks me up.
Love the mini size 🙂
Fabulous dessert!
Those look awesome! Pumpkin treats are my favorite, yummers!
Kami… I LOVE you!! You make me smile everyday!!
kisses
ohgoodgolly I’ve never trifled but this recipe is so easy, I think I will! 🙂
I found you through TCB. Your photography is gorgeous…I’m off to explore more of your site!
i wouldn’t mind these on my hips! Come check out a Jack the Ripper tablescape!
looks delish…and so easy…thank you so much ! have a great weekend…xo
Lucy
Wow those look amazing! I’m a pumpkin freak, I love everything pumpkin. And I just so happen to be headed to the thrift store today so maybe I’ll score on some cute little trifle cups! Please come link this to my VIP party this weekend http://designergarden.blogspot.com/2011/10/vip-party-34.html and have a Happy Halloween!
fabulous and not at all intimidating!
visiting via TTJ and so glad to find your post! would love to have you stop by for my shabby chic giveaway!
http://hellolovelyinc.blogspot.com/2011/10/rachel-ashwell-on-creating-authentic.html
best to you.
michele
I made these delicious desserts for Thanksgiving and they were a HUGE hit. I mistakenly doubled the recipe but got to make gingerbread truffles out of them! We’ve still got some pumpkin vanilla pudding left over though….no worries. I’d love it if you checked them out on my blog! Thanks again for the recipe.
Yummy! I love fall because of everything pumpkin. I bet the gingerbread gives a unique taste.