Berry Custard Trifles in a Jar

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These Berry Custard Trifles in a Jar are super easy to make and so darn cute! Plus theyโ€™re a great light treat for warmer months. Trifles recipes are perfect for summer!

This post is sponsored by Walkers Shortbread, but all opinions are my own.

If you enjoy trifle desserts as much as I do, you should also try this Easy Triple Berry Trifle!

Close up of a berry custard trifle in a jar.

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    Berry Custard Trifles in a Jar

    I am so excited that summer is finally in full swing! It is officially H-O-T here and Iโ€™m ready for it. After a solid week at the beach with my family and lots of relaxing, weโ€™re now gearing up for Memorial Day in a week. Plus, our 8 year wedding anniversary is tomorrow. So many things to be excited about!

    These trifles are another thing to be excited about and a wonderful way to celebrate a holiday, or even just your average day. I love every single layer in them and theyโ€™re so cute. Everything is better in a jar, am I right?

    Close up of a berry custard trifle in a jar.

    How to Make This Easy Trifle Recipe

    The fun layers in the trifles begin with Walkers Shortbread. Not only is the shortbread wonderfully easy for adding to trifles, it is so darn tasty. The best shortbread! So buttery and sweet. It was hard to make sure they made it into the jar. There may have been some snacking between layering. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Next is the vanilla custard. If youโ€™ve never tried homemade custard before, you really should. Itโ€™s so fresh tasting and it goes wonderfully in these trifles with the buttery shortbread and fresh fruit. Itโ€™s also not nearly as tough to make as it might seem. Itโ€™s all done right on the stove and only takes about 10 minutes.

    Top view of a few berry custard trifles in a jar.

    The main component of the custard is the milk and eggs. The eggs thicken the custard, along with the cornstarch. Youโ€™ll want to cook the sugar, cornstarch and milk a bit, then stream some if it into the egg yolks while whisking it all together before adding the egg mixture back into the rest of the milk mixture. This process ensures that you slowly bring the egg yolks to temperature without cooking them too quickly and getting scrambled eggs.

    Once the custard is made, you can let it cool a bit and then itโ€™s ready to go.

    The remaining layers are the fresh whipped cream and berries. Those alone are delicious together โ€“ with the buttery shortbread and vanilla custard itโ€™s like a little party in a jar โ€“ and in my mouth.

    So that everything has a chance to settle and the shortbread has a little time to soften up after layering, itโ€™s best to let the trifles sit in the fridge for 3-4 hours before serving. If you just canโ€™t handle waiting that long, you might be able to get away with eating them sooner โ€“ and Iโ€™d completely understand. Once you get a little taste of everything, you wonโ€™t want to wait any longer!

    These trifles are sure to be a hit! So fresh, fruity and light. Once I finished one jar, it took all kinds of willpower to not go right on into eating the next. They are so light, you feel like you could eat them all. The hubs was a fan too. Being a fruit and shortbread lover, these were totally up his alley. I hope you love them as much as we did!

    Close up of a berry custard trifle in a jar.

    More Trifle Recipes

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    Close up of a berry custard trifle in a jar.
    Recipe

    Berry Custard Trifles in a Jar

    • Author: Life, Love and Sugar
    • Prep Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
    • Cook Time: 20 minutes
    • Total Time: 4 hours 50 minutes
    • Yield: 4 Trifles
    • Category: Dessert
    • Method: Stove
    • Cuisine: American

    Description

    These Berry Custard Trifles in a Jar have cute layers of homemade custard, fresh whipped cream, juicy berries and buttery shortbread. Theyโ€™re easy to make and a great light treat for warmer months.


    Ingredients

    Vanilla Custard

    • 3 egg yolks
    • 1/2 cup (104g) sugar
    • 2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
    • 1 1/2 cups (360ml) milk
    • 1 1/2 tbsp salted butter
    • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

    Whipped Cream

    • 1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
    • 1/2 cup (58g) powdered sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract

    Additional Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup (120ml) milk
    • 2 packages Walkers Shortbread fingers, 5.3 oz per package
    • 6 oz blueberries
    • 8 oz strawberries, chopped


    Instructions

    To Make the Custard

    1. Put the egg yolks in a medium sized bowl and gently beat them together. Set aside.
    2. Add the sugar, cornstarch and milk to a large saucepan and mix until smooth.
    3. Cook, stirring continuously, over medium-high heat until mixture begins to thicken and bubble.
    4. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
    5.  Temper the egg yolks by adding a little bit of the hot milk mixture to the yolks while whisking briskly. Once incorporated, add the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk mixture.
    6. Place the pan back on the heat and bring to a light boil. Allow to boil for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
    7. Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.
    8. Then pour custard into a bowl and cover with clear plastic wrap pressed against the top so that it doesnโ€™t form a thick film. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

    To Make the Whipped Cream and Assemble the Trifles

    1. Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. 
    2. Fill piping bag fitted with a large round tip with whipped cream and set aside.
    3. Place 4 mini jars (approximately 8-9 oz jars) on the counter and pour the milk into a small bowl. Wash, hull and chop the strawberries. Wash the blueberries and pat dry.
    4. To build the trifles, break a shortbread finger cookie into 4 pieces, dip them into the milk for 2-3 seconds and place the pieces into the bottom of a jar. Repeat until all 4 mini jars have a bottom layer of dipped shortbread.
    5. Top the shortbread in each jar with a layer of custard.
    6. Add a layer of blueberries and strawberries on top of the custard.
    7. Next, pipe a layer of whipped cream.
    8. Repeat another layer of milk-dipped shortbread, followed by custard and berries, and a big swirl of whipped cream.
    9. If desired, garnish with a piece of shortbread, a couple berries and some shortbread crumbs.
    10. Refrigerate trifles for 3-4 hours before serving, so the cookies have a chance to soften up. Serve cold and consume within 3-4 days.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 Trifle
    • Calories: 803
    • Sugar: 60.1 g
    • Sodium: 322.6 mg
    • Fat: 41.9 g
    • Carbohydrates: 89.1 g
    • Protein: 19.3 g
    • Cholesterol: 235.5 mg

    Categories

    Enjoy!

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    10 Comments
    1. Connie

      These look terrific and I canโ€™t wait to try them! May I ask the brand of the cute little jars you used and where you got them? Thank you!

    2. Cecelia Dowdy

      Oh, my, goodness. You have be salivating at my desk so early in the morning! Youโ€™ve paired some of my favorite things in the world! I LOVE Walkerโ€™s Shortbread. I actually buy it by the CASE when itโ€™s on sale and eat it sporadically throughout the year. My hubby loves it too.

      Vanilla custard โ€“ another favorite. I LOVE that! I make mine using a real vanilla bean. So good! I keep vanilla beans on hand for making custards and things.
      Fresh whipped cream โ€“ another favorite. Taste so good when you get the whipping cream and make it fresh. I love that. If I donโ€™t make these for Memorial Day, Iโ€™ll try and make them later this summer. Weโ€™ve been eating a lot of fresh strawberries and blueberries lately. Weโ€™ve been addicted to fruit salad with our dinner. A refreshing change from garden salad.

    Lindsay
    About Lindsay

    Iโ€™m the baker, recipe developer and photographer behind Life, Love and Sugar. I love sharing trusted recipes with helpful tips to give you great results.

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