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M&M's® Carrot Cake Trifle - Making a beautiful trifle for Easter couldn't be easier than with boxed cake mix and a bag of M&M's®.
Easter is coming. It's as simple as that. It doesn't matter if there is still several feet of snow on the ground. It doesn't matter if it's 20 degrees. It doesn't matter what the heck that groundhog said last month. I never believe that little guy anyway. It's coming. Plain and simple.
Since it's appearing to be sneaking up on me quickly, I finally decided to start my Easter menu planning. We host here at my home. I do all the cooking for the meal. I do it all, not because the others aren't willing to pitch in, they are, but because I'm obnoxious about what I serve and how I serve it. Thankfully they all put up with me and my narcissistic cooking ways.
Now that I've eluded to the fact that I go all "Fancy Nancy" with the meal, I'll let you in on a secret when it comes to dessert...... I Cheat. Yep. I'm a cheater. My desserts are almost always half homemade. I usually only contribute one or two desserts to the table and my in-laws bring the rest but none of mine are labors of love. But they are delicious. I usually will poll the family and ask them what they want me to make and I find a way to take a shortcut.
This year I was told Carrot Cake. Carrot Cake, I can work with that. I love Carrot Cake.
Once I got the Carrot Cake on the brain, me and little Miss Nora head out to Walmart to grab some Carrot Cake boxed mix (ssshh, don't tell the family). As we were looking for the right aisle we detoured down the Seasonal/Candy aisle per little Miss Thing's prompting and as we were grabbing her bribe for behaving in the store favorite treat of Milk Chocolate M&M's® we spied a new variety, M&M's® Carrot Cake! Perfect! I grabbed a few bags and had a new plan.
I decided that instead of working really hard to frost a beautiful carrot cake for dessert, I would bake a cake out of boxed mix, rip it up and make a trifle out of it and use the yummy M&M's® Carrot Cake as a layer in the whole beautiful thing!
There is one warning I must give you about making this dessert: Get more bags of M&M's® Carrot Cake than you think you need because snacking on them will happen along the way and there's not always a kid around to blame it on. Or so I've heard, wink - wink.
So that's my holiday dessert shortcut, what shortcuts do you take for the holidays?
Printable Recipe Card
M&M's® Carrot Cake Trifle
Ingredients
- 1 box Carrot Cake Mix + ingredients needed to prepare cake
- 16 oz refrigerated whipped topping
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- 3 C prepared vanilla pudding
- 9.90 oz M&M's® Carrot Cake
- Optional: orange and green icing for decoration
Instructions
- Prepare cake as per box instructions and allow to cool.
- Beat cream cheese until smooth in a large bowl. Add in the whipped topping and continue to beat on medium speed until well incorporated, about 2 minutes.
- Cut cake into bite sized chunks.
- In a large glass bowl place a layer of cake. Top the cake with a layer of pudding, then whipped topping mixture. Sprinkle M&M's® over the whipped topping. Continue layers in the same order until bowl is full, ending with a whipped topping layer.
- Add M&M's® to top for decoration.
- Optional: Using orange and green icing, pipe a carrot on to top of trifle.
Sharon says
Now this is my kind of super festive dessert! I love the colors and the easy laid back approach using the M&M's® Carrot Cake for the color! #client
foodyschmoody says
Thank you, Sharon. I try to keep things easy while still delicious!
Agy says
You're tempting me. I would eat the whole bowl in one sitting!!
foodyschmoody says
It is tempting, but luckily the recipes makes quite a bit, so you can share! 🙂
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says
What a fun idea for Easter! I bet the kids will absolutely love that!
Kathy says
My family is going to LOVE this!! It will be
my Easter surprise
foodyschmoody says
Glad I could be part of a surprise!
Debi @ Life Currents says
My mom used to make something like this at Easter. But, shhh... don't tell her that yours is prettier than hers! This is a great recipe!
foodyschmoody says
ha ha ha Debi, the secret is safe w/ me. thank you so much!
Camila Rojas says
Oh wow! That looks delicious. I'm pretty sure my girl and I could have that whole trifle by ourselves!!! Yumm m&m's rock!
XOXO
foodyschmoody says
Thanksk Camila!
lizzy says
This looks so decadent and perfect for a party
peter @feedyoursoultoo says
I really like a trifle. the carrot on top is such a nice touch.
foodyschmoody says
Thanks Peter. What's a carrot cake w/out a carrot on top, right?! I had to do it!
Nicole Burkholder says
What a delicious treat for Easter! I haven't tried those M&M's yet, but I think I need to grab a bag!
foodyschmoody says
Thanks Nicole!
Diane says
Besides looking so beautiful, I bet it tastes amazing. I love this thanks for the recipe.
foodyschmoody says
Thank you Diane.
Joy @ Joy Love Food says
This is so pretty and sounds delicious, such a great idea to make a trifle! I need to get some of those carrot cake M & Ms too, yum.
foodyschmoody says
Thank you Joy. If you like the flavor of carrot cake you'll like the M&M's®
Shauna Smart says
Never heard of carrot cake trifle. Sounds and looks delicious!!
foodyschmoody says
I had never heard of it before either, but I thought it was time it was a thing, lol! Thanks Shauna.
Melanie says
This looks so festive for Easter and spring!
The Food Hunter says
I love how festive this is!
Jenny B @ Honey and Birch says
I love that you used a box mix and fancied it up! Fantastic idea - carrot cakes take forever to make!
Sarah @ The Chef Next Door says
This is a gorgeous trifle! I'd love to make it for Easter!
Sandra Shaffer says
What a perfect spring trifle! That carrot on top is the cutest! Pinned, SU and yummed this delicious dessert!
foodyschmoody says
Thanks Sandra. I couldn't resist the carrot!
Britney says
This is such a super cute idea! I love carrot cake so this would be awesome at our house!
jamie sanders says
I bet that is so good! Carrot cake is one of my faves...
Jillian (Food, Folks and Fun) says
Such a cute Trifle, perfect for Spring!
Michelle @ The Complete Savorist says
Very clever usage of the M&M's. I have some family members that would arm wrestle over this.
foodyschmoody says
Thanks Michelle!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
So festive for spring and Easter! Thanks for making it a little easier 🙂 Love the seasonal M&Ms!
Cathy Mini says
This trifle is festive and looks so delicious!
lizzy says
love this idea!! i never thought of doing a trifle with carrot cake - this excites me!!
SHANNAH COE says
Yum! I love carrot cake for Easter and this sounds divine.