Food and Recipes Desserts Chocolate Heaven In A Bowl Is Simply Divine 5.0 (2) 2 Reviews Heaven in a bowl is an easy but decadent trifle that will impress all of your guests. The flavors resemble the best peanut butter pie, but it's all assembled in an easy-to-transport trifle form. Pieces of brownie are piled between a peanut butter-pudding "custard," chunks of peanut butter cups, and sweetened whipped cream. The result is a perfect salty-sweet mixture that will disappear by the spoonful. The chewy texture of the brownie and the crunch of the chocolate peanut butter cups helps hold structure while enveloped in the sweet nutty whipped cream cheese filling. You won't need to let this dessert sit long. It's nearly perfect the moment it's finished. By Marianne Williams Marianne Williams Marianne Williams is a recipe tester and developer who has been working in the Dotdash Meredith test kitchens since 2016. Her recipes are featured in Food & Wine, Southern Living, Real Simple, Rachael Ray, Health, Cooking Light, and in various other publications and digital platforms. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on August 8, 2024 Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen Recipe tested by Southern Living Test Kitchen The Southern Living Test Kitchen has been publishing recipes since 1970, four years after the first issue of Southern Living Magazine appeared on newsstands. The Southern Living Test Kitchen team includes a team of professionals with deep expertise in recipe development, from pastry chefs and grilling experts to nutritionists and dietitians. Together, the team tests and retests, produces, styles, and photographs thousands of recipes each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen facility located in Birmingham, Alabama. Learn more about the Southern Living Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 30 mins Servings: 12 Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Marianne Williams, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Ingredients 3 cups cold heavy cream 1 1/2 Tbsp. powdered sugar 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided 1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature 1 cup creamy peanut butter 3 cups whole milk 1 (5.1-oz.) pkg. vanilla instant pudding and pie filling mix (such as Jell-O) 2 (18-oz.) pkg. premium double chocolate brownie mix (such as Ghirardelli), prepared according to package instructions in 8-in. square pans 3 (7.6-oz.) pkg. mini unwrapped peanut butter cups, roughly chopped (such as Reese’s), divided Directions Gather ingredients: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Marianne Williams, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Make whipped cream: Beat heavy cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and continue to beat until stiff peaks form, about 20 more seconds. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use. Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Marianne Williams, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Make pudding mixture: Combine cream cheese and peanut butter in another large bowl, beat with an electric mixer on high speed until combined and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add milk, pudding mix, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and beat on low speed until starting to thicken. Increase speed to medium and continue to beat until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, about 1 minute. Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Marianne Williams, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Combine pudding mixture and whipped cream: Remove and set aside 2 cups of the whipped cream mixture in a small bowl and set aside. Add remaining whipped cream mixture to pudding mixture and fold until combined and fluffy. Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Marianne Williams, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Assemble trifle layers: Tear brownies into 3/4-inch pieces to measure about 6 cups (reserve any remaining brownies for another use); set aside 1/2 cup brownie pieces for topping. Arrange about 1 1/3 cups brownie pieces in bottom of a 4-quart trifle dish. Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Marianne Williams, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Top with 1 scant cup peanut butter cups. Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Marianne Williams, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Top with 2 heaping cups pudding mixture. Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Marianne Williams, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Repeat layers once; spread 1 cup of the reserved whipped cream over pudding layer. Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Marianne Williams, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Finish trifle: Repeat layers of brownies, peanut butter cups, and pudding mixture twice. Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Marianne Williams, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Top with remaining 1 cup whipped cream. Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Marianne Williams, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Crumble reserved 1/2 cup brownie pieces over whipped cream and sprinkle with any remaining peanut butter cups. Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Marianne Williams, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 12 hours. Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Marianne Williams, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle Rate It Print