Easy No-Bake Chestnut Trifles

Easy No-Bake Chestnut Trifles make a delicious and festive French-inspired dessert. Ready within minutes, they come in individual portion for a wow effect every single time.

If you’re looking for an original dessert for the holidays other than the classic Christmas pies, cakes or cookies, these easy no-bake chestnut trifles will bring a lovely twist to your menu. Prepared with chestnut spread (chestnut puree), they are the cozy dessert you are looking for from early chilly fall days until late winter months. If like me you live in a cold region, it means you have many chances to enjoy them until spring!

Easy no-bake chestnut trifles (no eggs!)

I don’t know how familiar you are with using chestnut spread, but chances are that you don’t use it often if you live in the US – maybe you never tried it before! Being French, chestnut spread is a common winter staple and we love to use it in our desserts (try it with plain Greek yogurt) and other baking creations. Among them, tiramisu with chestnut spread is probably one we see the most often. This easy no-bake dessert

But here, and unlike the tiramisu recipe, I chose not to use eggs in the recipe. No white eggs beaten until soft peaks form, no raw yolks, just no egg at all. The idea is to keep it less rich and easier to digest, especially after a big meal. Instead of eggs, I simply used heavy liquid cream, that I whipped up in a light and fluffy Chantilly.

5 layers of pure happiness

What makes these individual no-bake chestnut trifles so special is the contrast of layers and textures. This way, each bite has the perfect balance between sweet, creamy and crunchy:

1. A layer of crumbled biscuits. Go for Digestive or Graham crackers or if you are an extra sweet tooth, use Speculoos/Lotus biscuits. Alternatively, you can go for sponge biscuits damped into rum, like you would do for tiramisu. All these options work beautifully!
2. A layer of mascarpone filling.
3. A few spoonful’s chestnut spread.
4. Whole chestnuts, crumbled.
5. A light and fluffy layer of chestnut mousse.

How sweet is it?

Let’s be honest here, any dessert involving chestnut spread is already very sweet. Chestnut spread is indeed a mixture of puréed chestnuts, sugar and vanilla, resembling to a fruit jam. I am quite of a sweet tooth myself so I wouldn’t complain about it – except that I have noticed that even if I like anything sweet, it must never overtake the taste of other ingredients. Otherwise, there is no need for baking special. Sugar is just sugar.

You get the idea; I like the right balance of sweetness in my desserts and these chestnut spreads are no exception. And because chestnut spread is already very sweetened, I almost didn’t use any other sugar in the remaining layers so the whole dessert remains pleasant to your palate – but still sweet enough, don’t you worry.

Where can I find chestnut spread?

This is a tricky question, because it really depends on where you live. If you are in France, you will find chestnut spread easily in every grocery store, year-round. In the US and other parts of the world where chestnut spread is not so common however, it might be a little bit more difficult and chestnut spread becomes a seasonal product usually available around Thanksgiving and Christmas, in some gourmet stores mostly (or Whole Foods for instance).

Can we make them in advance?

The answer is yes. You can prepare these easy no-bake chestnut trifles ahead of time, up to two days in advance. Store them in the refrigerator and forget about them. When ready to serve, remove from refrigerator about 5 to 10 minutes before serving to help flavors to re-develop.

You can also freeze them covered with cling film up to 3 months in advance. Remove from freezer several hours in advance and place them in the fridge to defrost completely at low pace before serving.

And voilà! Some delicious and easy no-bake chestnut trifles like French do, easy to whip up and oh so delicious!

More chestnut recipes:

• Pear and Chestnut Tart with Hazelnut Crust
• Chestnut Risotto with Shiitake Mushrooms
• Chestnut Soup with Sage
• Best Chestnut Chocolate Fondant Cake In The World

If you like individual desserts

• Matcha Tiramisu
• Berry Cheesecakes in a Jar
• Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Coconut Whipped Cream
• Easy Pumpkin Crèmes brûlées

Easy No-Bake Chestnut Trifles

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• Author: Delphine Fortin
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
• Category: Desserts
• Cuisine: French

Easy No-Bake Chestnut Trifles make a delicious and festive French-inspired dessert. Ready within minutes, they come in individual portion for a wow effect every single time.

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Ingredients

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For the biscuit layer:

• 5.3 ounces (150g) Digestive or Graham Crackers biscuits*
• 1/4 cup (50g) unsalted butter, melted

For the mascarpone layer:

• 5.3 ounces (150g) mascarpone cheese
• 2/3 cup (15 cl) heavy liquid cream, whipped up in chantilly
• 2 Tablespoons (30g) sugar (optional)

For the chestnut layer:

• 5.3 ounces (150g) whole chestnut, crumbled
• 6 teaspoons chestnut spread/puree

For the chestnut mousse:

• 7 ounces (200g) chestnut spread/puree
• 1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon (10 cl) heavy liquid cream, whipped up in chantilly
• Whole chestnuts, to decorate

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Instructions

1. For the biscuit base: In a food processor, pulse biscuits a few times until entirely crumbled. Add melted butter, stir well, and divide into 6 to 8 jars depending on their size.
2. For the mascarpone filling: Whip up 15 cl heavy liquid cream in Chantilly, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer. Fold into the mascarpone, a few tablespoons at a time, folding in with a rubber spatula. Divide into the jars, using a piping bag for best results.
3. For the chestnut layer: Add a few spoonful’s chestnut spread in each jar, then crumble whole chestnut in a thin layer.
4. For the chestnut mousse: Whip up the heavy liquid cream in a Chantilly, then gently fold in the chestnut spread, in two or three additions. Do not overmix. Transfer into a piping bag, then pipe over each jar, finishing up with a whole chestnut. Keep refrigerated until serving.

Notes

* Alternatively, you can go for Speculoos/Lotus biscuits or use sponge cake biscuits (like for a tiramisu) and damp them in rum!

Christmas, Desserts, No-Bake, Winter

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