Paleo Gingerbread Trifle Recipe: Festive Grain-Free Dessert

I had a rough time photographing this trifle — my gingerbread cake collapsed while I was staging it, leaving me with only half the cake to work with, and the pudding kept smearing on the glass. I wiped the bowl and glass countless times and, in hindsight, should have piped the pudding in. Still, it turned out delicious. The bright notes of ginger and lime combined with fresh raspberries make a delightful contrast to the warm, spiced cake. My little one took a bite, spun around in delight, and promptly claimed my serving — a sure sign this is a crowd-pleaser.

A few notes before you begin: I used homemade coconut milk for the pudding. It is thinner than canned coconut milk and closer in consistency to cow’s milk; if you use canned coconut milk, you may want to thin it to a similar consistency. I used gelatin to set the pudding so it achieves a firm, spoonable texture.

Paleo Gingerbread Trifle

Prep Time: 5 hours

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 5 hours 20 minutes

Servings: 8

Author: Kelly Bejelly

Ingredients

Gingerbread Cake

4
large eggs
1/2
cup
coconut flour, sifted
1
cup
applesauce
1/2
teaspoon
pure vanilla extract
1/2
teaspoon
baking soda
1/2
teaspoon
ground cinnamon
1/2
teaspoon
ground ginger
1/4
teaspoon
ground cloves
1/4
teaspoon
allspice
1/4
cup
B grade maple syrup
1/4
cup
molasses

Vanilla Lime Pudding

4
cups
coconut milk
1
teaspoon
pure vanilla extract
4
Tablespoon
B grade maple syrup
2
Tablespoons
lime juice
2
Tablespoons
gelatin

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut flour, baking soda, spices, maple syrup, molasses, and applesauce until a smooth batter forms.
Grease an 8″ round cake pan, pour in the batter, and bake for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before assembling the trifle.
For the pudding: warm the coconut milk, maple syrup, and lime juice in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from the heat, stir in the gelatin until fully dissolved, then pour the mixture into a bowl, cover, and chill in the refrigerator overnight or until set. If using canned coconut milk and it is thicker than desired, thin it to a milk-like consistency before combining with the other ingredients.
When the pudding is set, use a hand mixer to beat it 1–2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
Assemble the trifle: layer pieces of gingerbread cake, a portion of the vanilla-lime pudding, and fresh raspberries in a trifle dish or individual glasses. Repeat the layers until you run out of ingredients, finishing with pudding and raspberries on top.
Serve chilled and enjoy.