Red, White and Blueberry Trifle

If you’re looking for a quick to put together, low in calorie AND healthy 4th of July dessert that will withstand the heat and have everyone lining up for seconds…

Here’s to the red, white and blueberry ~ trifle that is!

RED, WHITE AND BLUEBERRY TRIFLE    {PRINT THIS RECIPE}

1 store-bought angel food cake, cut into 2″ squares (using a serrated knife)
2 large boxes of instant sugar-free, fat free vanilla pudding
6 cups 1% milk
1 medium tub of Cool Whip Light
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 tablespoons of lemon zest, plus more for garnish (3 lemons worth)
2 pints of strawberries, washed, stemmed and sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1 pint of blueberries
1 pint of blackberries

-In a large bowl, stir together the stemmed and sliced strawberries and the sugar. Allow the strawberries to macerate in the sugar until a nice syrup forms (at least 1/2 hour).
-Meanwhile, whisk the pudding and milk together and allow it to thicken.
-Fold the lemon zest, almond extract, and cool whip into the pudding.
-In a large clear bowl, place a layer of cubed angel food cake.
-Using a large spoon, evenly spoon half of the strawberries (along with the syrup) over the angel food cake.
-Evenly add half of the blueberries and half of the blackberries over top of the strawberries.
*Note – Make sure to have plenty of berries around the outer edge of the bowl so they’re visible and will make a pretty, layered presentation*
-Top the fruit layer with an even layer of the cool whip pudding mixture. (You’ll be using most of it here but may want to save a little for garnish when you serve, your call)
-Repeat with a layer of cake.
-Layer with the remaining strawberries and syrup.
-Layer the remaining blueberries and blackberries.
-Top the berries with additional lemon zest and refrigerate until ready to serve.
*Tip – If you’re planning on traveling with this dessert (as I did) cut a parchment paper circle (I used the top of the plastic container that the angel food cake came in to trace my circle) and place it on top of the berries before covering the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
This dessert travels like a dream in a cooler with ice 🙂

           Thanks for visiting me in my Kudos Kitchen! Where food and art collide on a regular basis!

Until we eat again!