Holiday Pistachio Panettone Trifle – Easy No-Bake Dessert

Rich, creamy, and decadently festive, this Holiday Pistachio Panettone Trifle is a show-stopping no-bake dessert perfect for Christmas and winter celebrations. With layers of mascarpone, salted pistachios, and orange-infused panettone, it’s the kind of treat that looks impressive but takes surprisingly little effort.

This post was originally published in December 2020, last updated in October 2025.

Hello, folks – I hope you all are doing well!

Can you believe we’re already diving into the holiday season? That means cozy lights, sparkling desserts, and plenty of excuses to indulge. And if you’re looking for a festive yet fuss-free treat to impress your guests, this Holiday Pistachio Panettone Trifle is here to make your life deliciously easy. It’s creamy, nutty, slightly boozy, and utterly celebratory – everything a good Christmas dessert should be.

Why You’ll Love This Easy No-bake Holiday Pistachio Panettone Trifle

• It’s completely no-bake and takes only minutes to assemble — perfect for last-minute entertaining.
• Combines classic Italian panettone with a silky mascarpone cream for a touch of luxury.
• Offers a beautifully festive look, thanks to pistachios and vibrant orange accents.
• Can be made ahead, giving you more time to relax and enjoy the holidays.
• Wonderfully versatile – easy to adjust with different flavours, fruits, or liqueurs.

Flavour and Texture Profile

This trifle is everything you want for a holiday dessert – indulgent yet luscious, nutty yet citrusy. The tender panettone soaks up the Irish cream and orange marmalade, creating a pudding-like texture. The mascarpone layer adds luscious creaminess, while the salted pistachios bring crunch and a touch of salt that makes the whole dessert pop. And those dried orange slices or zest add the perfect festive aroma and sparkle.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Holiday Pistachio Panettone Trifle

• Mascarpone – the creamy, rich base that gives the trifle its smooth, luxurious texture.
• Powdered sugar – adds just a touch of sweetness and helps create a light, velvety mascarpone layer.
• Panettone – soft, buttery Italian bread filled with dried fruit or chocolate; it soaks up the liqueur beautifully and forms the heart of this dessert.
• Salted pistachios – bring a lovely crunch, nutty flavour, and a pop of festive green colour.
• Dried orange slices or zest – add a fragrant citrus note that brightens the richness and ties the flavours together.
• Orange marmalade – provides gentle sweetness, tang, and extra moisture for layering the panettone.
• Irish cream or other liqueur – infuses the dessert with warmth and a subtle boozy depth; try coffee- or orange-flavoured versions for variety.

Variations

Although this Holiday Pistachio Panettone Trifle is already delicious, you can always customize it to your liking:

• Swap the Irish cream for Amaretto, Grand Marnier, or coffee liqueur.
• Add fruit such as pomegranate arils, berries, or dried apricots.
• Make it kid-friendly by replacing the liqueur with orange juice or coffee syrup.
• For extra crunch, add crushed biscotti or candied nuts.
• Garnish with white chocolate curls, edible gold dust, or sugared cranberries for a dazzling Christmas look.

More Easy Holiday Desserts

If you liked this Holiday Pistachio Panettone Trifle, be sure to check more fun festive dessert ideas:

• Gingerbread Cranberry Panettone Trifle – Easy Christmas Dessert
• Irish Cream Chocolate Dessert – Easy Holiday Treat
• Quick Candied Chestnuts

I’d love for you to try this Holiday Pistachio Panettone Trifle – Easy No-Bake Dessert. If you give the recipe 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!

Print

Pistachio Panettone Trifle

Recipe by Ben | Havocinthekitchen

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Christmas, Chilled and No-Bake Desserts, Festive Christmas Desserts, Boozy Desserts and TreatsCuisine: Author’s RecipesDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

15

minutes

Chilling Time

1

hour

This no-bake Pistachio Panettone Trifle with mascarpone and orange is a luscious, elegant yet easy-to make dessert that will please your eyes and palate. And it’s boozy, too!

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Ingredients

• about 400 gr. mascarpone, room temperature

• 1-2 tbsp. powdered sugar

• about 250-300 gr. panettone of your choice (I used with dried fruit and chocolate), roughly cut or torn

• 2/3 to 1 cup salted pistachios

• 3-5 rings of dried (dehydrated) oranges or 1 tbsp. orange zest

• about 1/3 cup of orange marmalade

• about 1/3 cup of more of Irish cream (Coffee-flavoured or orange-flavoured liquors would be nice, too.)

Directions

• Process the pistachios in a blender into the powder. Separately, grind the dried oranges, if using. Reserve about 3-4 tbsp. of ground pistachios, for garnishing. Fold in the orange powder (zest) into the marmalade.
• Toast the panettone, on a dry pan, until lightly golden. Cool.
• In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the mascarpone 1 minute. Stir in the powdered sugar and continue beating for a minute or so until well-incorporated.
• Roughly divide the mascarpone cream into two parts where one part is large (~ 2/3). Fold in the pistachios, except for the reserved ones) into the large portion.
• To assemble the trifle, you can use a large trifle bowl or individual glasses. Arrange the panettone layer and drizzle with the Irish cream. Layer the pistachio cream and some marmalade. Alternate the layer as long as the glass height allows / ingredients are used up. The last layer should be plain mascarpone. Sprinkle with the reserved pistachios and if decried, extra orange powder (zest).
• Chill for at least 1 hour or preferably longer. Enjoy!