Vegan Christmas

Advice, recipes and gift ideas for a merry vegan Christmas

Trifle

This vegan trifle recipe is a great treat for your Christmas day tea or for any special meal. As a variation, try adding sliced banana or a tin of mixed fruit to the jelly layer.

There are a number of brands of ginger biscuits that are vegan. In the UK, check the Animal Free Shopper published by the Vegan Society. Currently ginger nut biscuits from Asda, Co-op, Sainsbury's, Tesco and other places are listed as being vegan.

Jelly made from agar-agar (which comes from seaweed) is generally vegan. Many other brands use gelatine (which comes from the chewy bits of cows.)

Again, there are many custard powders that are vegan, such as Bird's, Co-op, Sainsbury's, Somerfield. See our guide to vegan custard.

Ingredients

  • 200g (8 oz.) vegan ginger biscuits
  • 1 packet vegan jelly crystals
  • 1 pint (568ml) thick custard made with soya milk
  • 1 carton (250ml) soya cream
  • Concentrated apple juice
  • Toppings, such as hundreds-and-thousands, grated chocolate etc. (check that your cake decorations are vegan and don't include shellac or beeswax)

Method

  1. Break the biscuits into pieces and put in the bottom of a trifle bowl. Make the jelly, pour it over the biscuits and allow to set.
  2. Make the custard and pour over the jelly layer. Again, allow to set.
  3. To make the topping, put a little soya cream in a cup and add half a teaspoon of concentrated apple juice. Whip the cream and you should find that it forms peaks, like real whipped cream. If you find this doesn’t work, try adding a bit of lemon juice and a bit of sugar. When you have whipped all the cream, spread it over the top of the trifle. Add your chosen toppings just before serving.