Vampire Red Velvet Trifle Recipe

This delicious red velvet trifle is all dressed up for Halloween. Get ready for irresistible layers of red velvet cake, chocolate pudding, whipped topping, and crushed cookies for a bloody good dessert!

You know we love our trifle recipes around here, so we had to include a creepy Halloween version. It’s so easy to assemble these beautiful layered desserts for any event. Trifles are crazy easy, people love them, and you can tweak them to fit any theme all year.

Red Velvet Halloween Trifle Recipe

As you plan your Halloween parties this year, keep this quick and easy dessert in mind. This red velvet trifle is easy and versatile. Either bake a cake or use a store bought cake. You can even just use chunks of cupcakes for the cake layer.

Feel free to use your choice of Halloween toppings if you don’t want to mess with the bones. There are so many options to make this red velvet trifle deliciously grotesque for Halloween!

Don’t miss this adorable bat frosting board or skull icing board for another show-stopping dessert option.

Vampire Red Velvet Trifle Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this Halloween trifle recipe. The measurements are in the recipe card below.

• Box of red velvet cake mix and ingredients to make the cake as directed (usually water, eggs, and vegetable oil.)
• Chocolate instant pudding – I have also used Snack Packs in a pinch.
• Milk
• Whipped topping – Thawed.
• Chocolate-covered graham crackers – Any kind of chocolate cookie will work.
• Corn syrup
• Red food coloring gel
• Black food coloring gel
• Plastic bones – Optional, and I suggest using candy bones instead.

How to Make a Red Velvet Halloween Trifle

Step One: Bake the Cake – The First Layer

Bake the cake according to the directions on the package.

Make one 8″ round cake and 12 cupcakes. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

The round cake typically requires about 2 minutes longer than the cupcakes in the oven.

Save the cupcakes for later and slice the round cake in half to make 2 rounds.

Place one round into the bottom of your trifle dish. It depends on the size of your trifle bowl, but mine fits exactly one 8″ cake round.

Step Two: Make the Pudding and Continue to Layer

Mix together the pudding and milk and whisk well until combined.

Refrigerate it for five minutes or until set. Spread half of the pudding on top of the cake in the bowl.

Add half of the whipped topping on top of the pudding.

Crush 10 cookies and sprinkle them on top of the whipped topping.

Repeat the layers, ending with crushed cookies.

Step Three: Decorate for Halloween

To make the bloody bones for decoration, mix together corn syrup and a dollop of red food coloring. Add a dab of black food coloring to make the red color deeper for more realistic blood.

Dredge one end of the bone into the corn syrup mixture and push it into the top of the trifle. This allows for some “blood” to seep out from where the bone protrudes from the trifle.

Repeat with the desired number of bones. Drizzle the top of the trifle with the remaining blood, pouring it onto the bones.

Cover and refrigerate the trifle until ready to serve. Remove the plastic bones before serving.

Skip the Halloween decor to serve this red velvet trifle any time of the year. The layers of cake, pudding, Cool Whip, and crushed cookies are delicious year round.

Vampire Trifle Recipe Notes and FAQ

Make red velvet trifle cups.

Another cute idea is to make several small trifle cups. Create layers in the same order in smaller cups for individual servings. Use bone sprinkles to avoid messing with plastic props.

Make candy bones.

Putting plastic in our food is not ideal. Instead of using plastic bones that you have to take out as seen here, make some white chocolate candy bones. Another option is to buy sprinkles in the shape of bones.

The food coloring doesn’t stick to the bones very well.

The fake blood tends to slide off of the plastic bones rather quickly. Since this step is purely for decoration, sprinkle the coloring on top of the trifle right before serving.

Why did we make cupcakes?

We discovered that using one 8″ cake round instead of two tastes better. It creates the best cake/pudding/whipped topping ratio. To avoid wasting batter, make cupcakes with the rest!

More Halloween Recipes

• Halloween pasta salad
• Moldy banana muffins
• Creepy clown cupcakes
• Goblin goo Halloween punch
• Easy pudding brains

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Let me know if you try this vampire red velvet trifle!