This Gingerbread Cheesecake Trifle is an easy no-bake holiday dessert! It has layers of thick gingerbread cookies, no-bake gingerbread cheesecake, caramel and whipped cream. It’s perfect for holiday parties!
A Christmas Trifle
So just this week I noticed that one of the radio stations that I listen to regularly has changed. It used to be a station that played current music and often I’d hear a song for the first time on that station – sometimes weeks before hearing it on another station. I’m kind of sad to see it go.
However.
It might just have been replaced with an even better station. What is it? ALL 90s. Shut the front door! If you know me well, you know I dig my 90s music. You can regularly find me jammin’ out the to 90s station on the DirecTV music stations – especially while I’m baking. It’s totally the best and only way to bake. 🙂
Yesterday morning, I was rocking out in the car on the way to work. One of the songs that came on reminded me of the movie “Save The Last Dance.” Did you see that one? It’s from way back in 2001 and I was obsessed with it. A friend and I actually watched a couple scenes over and over to learn some of the moves, haha.
Did you know Kerri Washington (Scandal!!!!!) was in that movie? I loved her even back then. 🙂
Oh, how I love the 90s.
And this trifle. I’m a big fan.
If you’re anything like me, you’ve barely even begun your Christmas shopping and are semi freaking out that you only have about 2 weeks left to get it together and get on it. Soon, I’ll be running around like a crazy person (but really, how is that different than normal?) trying to get everything finished.
That’s why we need easy desserts like this one in our dessert arsenal. No baking, just a little mixing and layering, refrigerate and you’re done. You could even make it the night before and let in refrigerate for a bit so that everything softens up and melds together. In fact, I recommend it.
I used my favorite childhood gingerbread cookies in this trifle – the Little Debbie ones – and I would actually recommend using those. They are thick, puffy and soft, making them great for a solid layer in a trifle. If you can’t find those cookies, I’d recommend another cookie that is nice and thick. Another option would be to use gingerbread cake instead of the cookies, but that might require baking which defeats the whole no bake purpose. So yea, find those cookies if you can. Walmart is always where I go for the hard-to-find stuff, but I was able to get these at Publix.
Isn’t great how I look out for you at this time of year? To busy to bake? Crisis averted. Enter this Gingerbread Cheesecake Trifle.
You are welcome.
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Gingerbread Cheesecake Trifle
- Prep Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: 10-12 Servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Gingerbread Cheesecake Trifle is an easy no-bake holiday dessert! It has layers of thick gingerbread cookies, no-bake gingerbread cheesecake, caramel and whipped cream. It’s perfect for holiday parties!
Ingredients
- 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of cloves
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 3 tbsp milk
- 20 oz cool whip, divided
- 14 oz gingerbread cookies (I used about 2 1/2 boxes of these cookies)
- 1 cup caramel sauce, divided
Instructions
Keywords: gingerbread trifle, christmas dessert recipe, christmas dessert, easy christmas dessert, best christmas dessert, christmas trifle, trifle recipe
Enjoy!
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Such yummy flavors together- I didn’t have ginger or molasses on hand but a few drops of ginger essential oil + dark corn syrup worked like a charm! I topped with Trader Joe’s cute frosted ginger bread cookies in a circle– the cutest for my Christmas dinner today. Thank you!! 🙂
All I can find are Little Debbies ICED gingerbread cookies. Will these be as successful, or should I look for the un-iced?
The iced ones should be just fine. I hope you enjoy it!
I made this for a party. I tasted the filling before assembling it and found it very bland. I used fresh ground spices. I ended up quadrupling the spices and it was fabulous. I used crunchy cookies but the soft sound good. The bowl was empty and raved about this desert. I will make it again.
★★★★
I had a bit of a disaster with a gingerbread Bundt cake. Trifle is always the answer. 🙂 Thanks to Google, I found your recipe, and used it to redeem the cake, using it in place of the cookies. Totally delicious! Thank you!
★★★★★
That’s wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Not a huge caramel fan- do you know of anything that I could substitute that would be good with this trifle? Thanks!
If you enjoy chocolate with gingerbread, you could try chocolate sauce. Otherwise, I’m not really sure what other sauces like that are readily available.
Hi, I’m planning on baking gingerbread cookies for this trifle. Would you recommend crunchier cookies or softer?
This looks delicious!
The cookies I used were sort of in the middle. Not super crunchy, but not super soft.
Thanks!
Hi! Do you use the Little Debbie Gingerbread cookies that are Gingerbread Men with icing? That’s all I can find but your picture does not show the iced kind :). Thanks!
I used the Pepperidge Farms gingerbread men.
Ohh! For the whole trifle or just for the topper? Your post says Little Debbie but I just want to grab the right ones ????. Thanks!!
I’m sorry, I didn’t correctly see which recipe you were looking at. I thought it was the Gingerbread Cheesecake, which uses Pepperidge Farms. It’s been a while since I’ve made this, but it looks like they are also Pepperidge Farms. I will update the post to reflect that. Sorry!
Thanks Lindsay ????
Hi, please can you let me know what sugar you use, is it regular caster sugar or icing sugar ?
I use regular granulated sugar. Caster sugar should be fine.
HI, I haven’t been able to find those gingerbread cookies you used. Do you recommend a different kind or would it be good with gingerbread cake instead of the cookies as a layer? I am going to try and make this for Christmas this year. Thanks so much!
You can definitely use other gingerbread cookies. The little debbie gingerbread cookies are a little softer, but would still be good. And cake would likely be fine too.
How many servings is this?
Looks great! Think I will make this for Christmas 🙂
Depends on how much people eat, I guess. 🙂 I’d think it’d easily have about 10-12 servings.
I made this for a holiday party I was invited to. As I was tasting all components of the trifle while putting it together!, the taste was off putting. But…I do not that Trifles need to set. With that being known, I was prepared to serve it anyway. And…..OMG!!! INCREDIBLE!!!!
Everyone asked Tor the recipe. I could not believe how amazing it tasted.
Lindsay, you are my go to! Everything I have tried so far on your site has just been amazing!
Awesome! Thanks so much Grace! I’m so glad you enjoy the recipes! 🙂
If I make this today, will it still be good in 4 days?
Hmmm, I think so.
Made a version of this last night using my home made gingerbread and double cream instead of the cool whip which we don’t have here in the UK. I made them into mini desserts using large shot glasses. Very very well received by anyone who had one. Very simple and tasty.
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them! Thanks Joanne!
This trifle is just too stinkin cute!!! I love all that yummy caramel in there. Pinned!! 🙂
The all 90s stations are the BEST!! And this trifle. OMG.
Girl I am totally like you. I haven’t done any shopping at all! But you should forgive yourself because you are putting out amazing holiday recipes like this one! Wow!
OMG this looks amazing.. I’m not normally a trifle fan, but this clearly isn’t your regular trifle! I think I’m going to have to make this this year 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Hayley! I think the cheesecake in it and lack of pudding takes it up a notch. 😉
Have to say , you have just the BEST recipes, making the cranberry sparkle cake for my sister’s birthday tried several of your cookie recipes and always have to have recipes around keep it up girl !!
Thank you so much Julie! I’m so glad you enjoy everything – that makes my day! 🙂 Enjoy the cranberry cake – it’s awesome!
Quick and easy desserts like this are perfect for last minute holiday parties! Love it!
Oh this looks amazing and so easy!! Good luck with the shopping!!
This trifle looks and sounds amazing.
I haven’t had those Little Debbie gingerbread cookies in forever! But man, did I love them. And I also loved Save the Last Dance. That was some quality cinema!
This trifle looks amazing. I’m so in!
That sounds amazing! I love gingerbread, this trifle looks like a great way to use it 🙂