Cranberry Greek Yogurt Trifle with Shortbread and Pistachios

This cranberry greek yogurt trifle with shortbread and pistachios features layers of luscious cranberry sauce, creamy vanilla–honey greek yogurt, buttery shortbread cookies, and crunchy pistachios for a fresh, festive, and beautifully balanced holiday dessert.

Hey, folks – I hope your week is going well!

Today, I’m sharing a cheerful and vibrant treat that looks wonderfully indulgent but still feels a little lighter thanks to greek yogurt. It’s layered, colourful, and full of texture, making it an easy showstopper for the holiday season. So, let’s dive into this cranberry greek yogurt trifle.

Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Greek Yogurt Trifle

• Bright and festive: Cranberries, pistachios, citrus, and creamy yogurt create beautiful holiday layers.
• Lighter yet still decadent: Thanks to greek yogurt, this trifle feels indulgent but also offers a lighter profile with a bit of protein.
• Effortless elegance: This dessert looks elaborate but comes together in minutes, especially since the cookies and cranberry sauce can be made ahead.
• Flexible flavours: You can adjust tartness, sweetness, and textures easily based on your preferred cranberry sauce and shortbread.
• Great for entertaining: Serve individually or in one large dish; it holds well in the fridge and tastes even better after resting.

This trifle is surprisingly forgiving. Many components can be prepared earlier in the week, and the rest comes together in minutes. You can use any homemade cranberry sauce you like – whether it’s my Honey Orange Cranberry Sauce with Rosemary, the Maple Orange version, or even the Cointreau Cranberry Sauce. And shortbread is equally flexible; I used my Festive Pistachio Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies with White Chocolate Drizzle, but the Clementine Brandy Shortbread Cookies or Orange Cardamom Shortbread Cookies would also be lovely.

Flavour and Texture Profile

This trifle offers a balanced interplay of creamy, crunchy, tart, and sweet. The greek yogurt base brings a refreshing richness without being heavy, while the cranberry sauce provides vibrant tanginess and deep berry notes. Shortbread crumbs add buttery texture, and pistachios contribute crunch and subtle nuttiness. A touch of orange zest and fresh cranberries brightens everything, and rosemary adds a gentle holiday aroma.

Ingredients You’ll Need for This Recipe

For this cranberry greek yogurt trifle, you’ll layer a few simple components that complement each other beautifully.

• Greek yogurt: Thick and creamy; it forms the base of the luscious yogurt layer.
• Honey: To lightly sweeten and round out the tartness of the cranberries
• Vanilla bean seeds or vanilla extract: Adds fragrance and warmth to the yogurt mixture.
• Cranberry sauce: Any homemade version works – choose from honey – orange with rosemary, maple–orange, or Cointreau cranberry sauce. See all links above.
• Shortbread cookies: Crumbled for texture; pistachio–cranberry shortbread, clementine brandy shortbread, or orange cardamom shortbread are all excellent. See all links above.
• Pistachios: Salted or lightly toasted for crunch and flavour contrast.
• Orange zest: Adds brightness and complements the cranberry layer.
• Fresh cranberries: For garnish and an extra festive touch.
• Rosemary sprigs: A fragrant, elegant finish.

Possible Additions and Variations

• Add a splash of orange liqueur to the cranberry layer for grown-up depth.
• Use mascarpone mixed with yogurt for a richer, thicker cream.
• Add crushed amaretti or gingerbread cookies for a different holiday twist.
• Incorporate pomegranate arils for extra sparkle and freshness.
• Sweeten the yogurt more heavily if using an especially tart cranberry sauce.

How to Make This Cranberry Greek Yogurt Trifle

To prepare this cranberry greek yogurt trifle, simply whisk the greek yogurt with honey and vanilla until smooth, then layer it in glasses or a trifle bowl with cranberry sauce, crumbled shortbread cookies, and pistachios. Repeat the layers until the glasses are full, finishing with cranberry sauce, pistachios, orange zest, fresh cranberries, and a rosemary sprig. Chill briefly before serving or enjoy immediately, but it will be even better the next morning!

More Festive Trifle Recipes

Are you looking for more holiday trifle ideas, like this cranberry greek yogurt trifle? Be sure to check more recipes below:

• Christmas Gingerbread Tiramisu – Festive Holiday Dessert
• Festive Pistachio Panettone Trifle – Easy No-Bake Dessert
• Festive Cranberry Trifle – An Easy Holiday Dessert
• Irish Cream Chocolate Dessert – Easy Holiday Treat
• Festive Chocolate Cranberry Orange Trifle – The Ultimate Christmas Dessert

I’d love for you to try this festive cranberry greek yogurt trifle with shortbread and pistachios. If you give the holiday dessert a go, please share your results in the comments, message me on Instagram, or post your photos with the hashtag #havocinthekitchen. I look forward to seeing your creations and hearing your thoughts!

Cheers!

Cranberry Greek Yogurt Trifle with Shortbread and Pistachios

Recipe by Ben | Havocinthekitchen

a festive Cranberry Greek Yogurt Trifle with shortbread cookies, pistachios, and vanilla–honey yogurt – a lighter holiday trifle dessert.

Course: Chilled and No-Bake Desserts, Christmas, Festive Christmas DessertsCuisine: American-inspired, European-inspiredDifficulty: Easy

5.0 from 3 votes

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Servings

5-6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• 1 lb. (450 g) Greek yogurt, thick – discard any whey

• 2-3 tbsp. (40-60 g) honey

• 1-2 tbsp. (6-12 g) orange zest

• 1/2 medium vanilla bean, seeds scraped (about 1/4 tsp. seeds)

• about 1 cup (240 g) homemade cranberry sauce – I used Honey Orange Cranberry Sauce with Rosemary

• about 200 g shortbread cookies, roughly crumbled – I used Festive Pistachio Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies with White Chocolate Drizzle

• 1/3 cup (50 g) salted roasted pistachios, roughly chopped

• extra orange zest, fresh cranberries, rosemary for garnish (optional)

• Equipment

• 5-6 individual bowls or one large enough for about 1.4 L

Directions

• In a small bowl combine and whisk the Greek yogurt (remove any whey, as it will thin up the layer) with honey, vanilla seeds, and orange zest.
• Alternate the layers of the yogurt, cranberry sauce, chopped pistachios, and cookies in 5-6 individual bowls or one larger bowl. Finish with the crumbled cookies and garnish if desired, with extra orange zest, cranberries, and rosemary.
• You can serve the trifle right away, but I recommend chilling for at least 30-60 minutes. In fact, it will be only better the next morning, as the yogurt thickens and together with softened cookies, the texture will remind pudding. Enjoy!

Notes

• Cooking and prep time do not include the time for making shortbread and cranberry sauce. Although this dessert is better with homemade cookies and cranberry sauce, you can absolutely use store-bought components.