One of the best things about the Christmas season is the holiday recipes.
And while a prime rib or turkey might be the main course at Christmas dinner, let’s be honest; it’s the desserts that steal the show!
At parties and family functions, a nice spread of holiday-themed desserts is a glorious sight.
My Kahlua Trifle is a super easy, delicious recipe that is sure to get attention and rave reviews. It’s chocolatey and creamy with hints of Kalhua and a bit of strawberry.
But, since my girls were only a little excited about a trifle, I made Muddy Buddy treats so they could have a delicious dessert all to themselves.
So, let’s get into these two tasty holiday treats!
Key Takeaways
- The Christmas season is a great time to showcase delicious holiday recipes, especially desserts.
- Two standout desserts from this season’s recipes are the Kahlua Trifle and the Christmas-themed Chex Muddy Buddies.
- The Kahlua Chocolate Trifle is a simple, gluten-free dessert that combines chocolate cake and pudding with a hint of Kahlua coffee liqueur and strawberries.
- The Chex Muddy Buddies are fun, kid-friendly treats that kids can help make by shaking the ingredients in a bag. Sprinkles add a festive touch.
- Engaging children in the preparation of these desserts makes the experience enjoyable and memorable for them.
Kahlua Trifle Recipe: Tasty Holiday Treat #1
So, what is a trifle? Basically, it consists of only a few ingredients layered in an attractively decorated deep glass dish. This was my first time making one, and it was very easy.
I took my girls with me to pick up the ingredients; they were so excited to make some fun desserts. We were also picking up items to make a dessert that the kids were going to help me with (more on this below).
I made this dessert gluten-free by using a Betty Crocker gluten-free cake mix, but this can easily be made with a regular Betty Crocker chocolate cake mix as well.
You can see all the ingredients that I used in my Kahlua Chocolate Trifle in the picture above; it’s very simple!
I really enjoyed the vanilla pudding, but next time, I’m going to double up on the chocolate and try this with an instant chocolate pudding mix; it could make this even more decadent after a nice holiday meal.
The girls said I could also add mini chocolates, like mini Hershey or Heath candy bars- though my youngest suggested M&Ms because they would add colors.
And here is the finished product:
Ingredients
- Cake
- 1 box Betty Crocker Chocolate Gluten-Free cake mix
- 1 stick butter for non-Gluten-free cake mix, use 3/4 cup of oil
- 2 cups sour cream
- 4 beaten eggs
- 3/4 cup Kahlua
- 1 bag of chocolate chips
- Pudding
- 2 boxes Instant Jello French Vanilla flavored pudding mix
- 4 cups cold milk
- 1 tsp Kahlua
- Follow the instructions on the box and then add the Kalhua and mix in.
- 2 packages Cool Whip/whipped topping
- 1 pint of strawberries sliced thinly
Instructions
- Cake: Mix the ingredients and pour into a greased baking dish.
- Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350° (use a knife or toothpick and cook the cake until it comes out clean). Let it cool for at least an hour.
- Cut the cake into cubes and line some onto the bottom of the trifle dish.
- Add pudding, spreading evenly.
- Add whipped topping, spreading evenly.
- Layer the sliced strawberries around the edge of the glass, and then spread the remaining strawberries evenly over the whipped topping.
- Add another layer of the cake cubes.
- Add another layer of the pudding.
- Add the final layer of whipped topping.
- Garnish the top with grated chocolate chips and a sliced strawberry.
Muddy Buddy Recipe: Tasty Holiday Treat #2
While the kids would probably also enjoy the trifle (with the exception of the 1 tsp of Kalhua in the pudding; all the alcohol will cook off while baking), it certainly has a more grown-up vibe to it.
My kiddos were much more excited about buying ingredients to make Christmas-themed Chex Muddy Buddies.
They were almost tempted to skip making it when they saw the instant pudding mix I was grabbing, LOL, but I convinced them we’d have more fun making the Muddy Buddies than instant pudding!
If you’ve made Chex Muddy Buddies before, you would know two things about them: they are delicious, and shaking them in a bag is the most fun part of the recipe. Kids love to help with that.
The recipe is basically taken from the back of the Chex box, but I added some sprinkles to give it a Christmas flair.
Funny story – the sprinkles were the last item I needed at Price Chopper, and I did not know where they were.- but of course, the girls knew! My kids love sprinkles.
The girls LOVED helping me shake the Muddy Buddies in the plastic bags! They enjoyed feeling like they were part of making their own treats, which made them that much more fun to eat!
Ingredients
- 9 cups Rice Chex (Corn, Chocolate, or a mix) about one 14 oz box
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/8 cup green sugar sprinkles
- 1/8 cup red sugar sprinkles
Instructions
- In a large bowl, measure cereal and set aside.
- In 1 qt microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter uncovered on High for 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until the mixture is smooth.
- Stir vanilla into the chocolate mixture.
- Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.
- Pour into a 2-gallon resealable plastic food-storage bag and add powdered sugar.
- Seal the bag; shake well until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Final Thoughts
Making holiday treats with my girls was a delightful and memorable experience. Watching their eyes light up as they mixed, shook, and sprinkled the ingredients was truly magical.
The Kahlua and Cream Trifle brought an elegant touch to our Christmas festivities, while the Chex Muddy Buddies provided a fun, hands-on activity for my children and a delightful treat for all.
Sharing these special moments in the kitchen with my kids reminds me of the true spirit of the holiday season—love, laughter, and making sweet memories that we’ll cherish for years to come.
Also, check out my apple salsa recipe if you still crave something sweet and want a fun appetizer or crunchy dessert this holiday season.
Have you grabbed my Chaos to Control Starter Guide yet? I might be biased, but I think it’s pretty amazing!
Plan a Week of Dinners in Minutes — Without Overspending or Overthinking It.
Join over 50,000 other savvy moms who’ve simplified dinner time!
✅ Done-for-you templates & shopping lists
✅ Budget-friendly and picky-eater approved
