These individual-sized Mint Chocolate Trifles are quick to make and absolutely delicious. They can be prepared ahead of time and make a perfect finish to any festive meal.
Hello and happy Tuesday! I haven’t posted on a Tuesday in a while, but I have news and a tasty recipe to share: Mint Chocolate Trifles.
First, I’ll be posting twice a week up to Christmas because I have lots of festive dessert ideas. Second, after much thought and a difficult decision, I handed in my notice at work last week. In January I’ll be returning to blogging full time.
Leaving my job wasn’t easy. I loved many aspects of it and my colleagues, but the physical strain and pain had become too much. Last Sunday was the final straw: after working Saturday I woke up and simply couldn’t get out of bed. It was frightening and reminded me of a previous health scare earlier this year when doctors suspected spinal cord compression. I realised I couldn’t continue risking my health for a role that required heavy lifting, long periods of standing and repetitive strain.
My family urged me to stop causing myself further harm. I tried adjustments at work, but they didn’t solve the problem. I was coming home exhausted and in pain, spending any free time resting for the next shift. For a while I balanced part-time work with blogging, but it became unsustainable. I’m not someone who usually puts myself first, but my back and overall health must come first. I can’t keep going home in tears because of pain; I need to protect my spine and avoid making my condition worse.
So yes, big changes are on the way — and there’s still more happening, but that’s enough for one week!
Now, about these Mint Chocolate Trifles. They’re no-bake, easy to make ahead, and you can double the recipe without fuss. I used brownie chunks as the cake layer, created a mint-chocolate custard for the middle, and finished with peppermint-scented whipped cream. A small sprig of fresh mint and a dusting of brownie crumbs complete each serving.
The trifles deliver layers of flavour: creamy milk chocolate custard, bright peppermint in the cream, and fudgy brownie pieces. Despite being simple to assemble, they taste indulgent and festive.
Enjoy, and I’ll be back with a brownie recipe on Thursday.
Mini Mint Chocolate Trifles
Annie N
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- For the custard:
- 1 1/2 cups (360g) good quality fresh custard
- 6 oz (170g) milk chocolate chips or a bar broken into small pieces
- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- Pinch of salt
- For the whipped cream:
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) double/heavy cream
- 1/4 cup (50g) caster or white sugar
- 1 tsp peppermint extract
- Green food colouring (optional)
- 2 1/2 cups (250g) chocolate brownies, homemade or store-bought
- Mint leaves to garnish
Instructions
- Place the custard, chocolate, peppermint extract and a pinch of salt into a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Make the whipped cream: combine the cream, sugar, peppermint extract and a couple of drops of green food colouring in a large bowl. Adjust colour by adding more if needed, then whisk the cream to stiff peaks — you should be able to lift the whisk and have the peak hold.
- Crumble the brownies into a bowl, leaving both crumbs and small chunks.
- Assemble four individual trifle dishes, jars or glasses. Start with roughly 1 tablespoon of brownie pieces in the bottom of each vessel.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cooled custard over the brownies, then add 2–3 tablespoons of the whipped cream. Smooth gently to even the layer; full coverage isn’t essential.
- Add another layer of brownies, custard and cream. Repeat layers as needed — I filled my glasses with six layers, but add more if you have extra ingredients and room.
- Finish with a small sprig of mint and a sprinkle of leftover brownie crumbs.
- Store the trifles covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
