
Chocolate and caramel popcorn trifle
- Published: 29 Nov 21
- Updated: 10 Oct 24
Trifle can be an epic undertaking, but this crunchy chocolate and caramel popcorn trifle, despite being made from scratch, only takes 30 mins to make.

Have you seen our Oreo cookie chocolate trifle ?
Ingredients
- 150g dark chocolate, chopped
- 150g Rice Krispies or cornflakes (check they’re gluten free if you need them to be)
- Butter for greasing
- 220g caster sugar
- 80g sweet popcorn
- 300ml double cream
For the chocolate custard
- 300ml whole milk
- 100g dark chocolate, grated
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 2 medium free-range egg yolks (see Don’t Waste It)
- 1/2 tbsp cornflour
- 250g mascarpone
Method
- First make the custard: heat the milk in a pan over a medium heat until steaming but not boiling. Take off the heat and add the 100g grated chocolate, stirring to help it melt and blend into the milk.
- In a medium mixing bowl, use a balloon whisk to whisk the sugar and egg yolks, then sprinkle over the cornflour and mix until smooth. Slowly pour in the chocolate milk, whisking to incorporate, then transfer the mixture back to the pan. Cook over a medium heat, stirring all the time, until the custard
thickens. Take off the heat, leave to cool a little, then stir in the mascarpone. Lay a piece of damp baking paper on the surface to stop a skin forming, then chill for 30 minutes. - Melt the 150g chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water), stirring until smooth. Add the Rice Krispies/cornflakes, then fold them through the chocolate to fully coat. Spread the mixture on a baking tray lined with baking paper, then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes until set hard.
- Put half the chocolate custard in a 20cm trifle dish. Add two thirds of the chocolate Krispies/ cornflakes, then spoon the remaining custard on top and smooth the surface. Cover and chill for 2 hours so the custard sets fully (see Make Ahead).
- To make the popcorn praline, line a baking tray with foil and lightly grease. Put the sugar in a heavy-based frying pan over a high heat. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, for 6-7 minutes until a dark caramel forms. Stir in the popcorn, remove from the heat and pour onto the tray. Cool, then break into shards. If you like, whizz half the praline in a processor to make coarse crumbs.
- Just before serving, whip the cream until it holds its shape, then spoon the cream onto the trifle. Top with the popcorn and any crumbs, along with the rest of the chocolate Krispies/cornflakes, and serve.
- Recipe from November 2021 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 780kcals
- Fat
- 48.8g (29.3g saturated)
- Protein
- 7.2g
- Carbohydrates
- 76.9g (58.9g sugars)
- Fibre
- 1.8g
- Salt
- 0.4g
delicious. tips
Easy swaps: Don’t fancy making praline (step 5)? Use a caramel popcorn instead.
Don’t waste it: Whisk the unused egg whites with a pinch of sugar/salt and freeze in a labelled airtight container for up to 3 months.
Make the trifle to the end of step 5 up to 6 hours ahead and chill the base. Top with the whipped cream and popcorn praline before serving. Leftovers will keep, covered and chilled, for 1-2 days, although the crispy chocolate layer will soften.
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