A Piña Colada Trifle is a fun way to transform the coconut and pineapple flavors of the classic cocktail into a cool and creamy layered dessert. And because there’s no booze, it can be enjoyed by both kids and adults alike!

Pina Colada Trifle topped with cool whip dollops and cherries.

Pina Colada Cake Trifle recipe

Our easy Pina Colada Trifle recipe uses the same rum, coconut, and pineapple flavors as the beach-side boozy beverage, but this virgin version is prepared in layers like a trifle dessert lasagna.

With stacks of cake cubes, crushed pineapple, shredded coconut, maraschino cherries, and pudding, this delicious pina colada dessert is a tasty twist on the tropical drink, served as a scoop instead of a sip!

Pina Colada Trifle Ingredients

Sweetened shredded coconut: Sweetened coconut provides a chewy texture and added sweetness, balancing out the tanginess of the pineapple and the richness of the other trifle components.
Maraschino cherries: If the stemmed maraschino cherries are hard to find, you can use ones without the stems. You will need a total of 9 whole cherries to garnish the Cool Whip dollops and about ½ cup of chopped maraschino cherries.
Instant vanilla pudding: Make sure you are using instant pudding, not the cook-and-serve kind. Coconut cream pie pudding mix, white chocolate, or cheesecake pudding can be used in place of the vanilla pudding.
Milk: This recipe works best with whole milk or 2% milk. Milk alternatives do not work well as they affect how the pudding sets up.
Rum extract: This is a kid-friendly cake! The rum extract used in the pudding mixture does not contain alcohol and is meant only for flavor.
Coconut extract: The rum and coconut extracts combine with the vanilla pudding to create a light taste of Pina Colada Cocktail. If you want a stronger flavor, you can increase the amount of extract to 1 teaspoon each. Be careful not to add too much of these extracts as they are very concentrated.
Frozen whipped topping: You can also use Cool Whip or make your own homemade whipped cream from scratch.
Angel food cake: Any store-bought or homemade angel food cake will work for this recipe. You can also create your cake cubes from pound cake, yellow cake, or vanilla cake.
Crushed pineapple: Using crushed pineapple adds a burst of sweet, tangy flavor that is iconic to the cocktail. Make sure the pineapple juice has been drained from the can.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

pina colada trifle with angel food cake, pudding and crushed pineapple.

How to Make Pina Colada Trifle

Toast Coconut For The Top: Heat and lightly toast the coconut just until some becomes a light golden color.
Chop The Cherries: Drain the juices and pat the cherries dry. Set aside 9 stemmed cherries and remove the stems from the remainder. Roughly chop the cherries and set aside.
Make The Pudding Mixture: Whisk together the pudding, milk, rum extract, and coconut extract until the pudding starts to thicken. Fold in the cool whip and set aside.
Assemble: Place a layer cake cubes into the bottom of a large trifle bowl. Top the cake with pineapple, sprinkle on non-toasted shredded coconut, cover with chopped cherries, and spread pudding on top.
Load More Layers: Repeat layering with remaining angel food cake, pineapple, shredded coconut, cherries, and pudding mixture. Sprinkle the top of the trifle with the toasted coconut.
Decorate The Dessert: Pipe a dollop of cool whip into the center of the toasted coconut, followed by 8 dollops around the outer edge. Top each dollop with a stemmed cherry.
Set and Serve: Refrigerate for 2 hours, up to overnight, or until the pudding layer has set. Serve and enjoy!

Place a layer cake cubes into the bottom of a large trifle bowl. Add the pineapple. Sprinkle on non-toasted shredded coconut and cover with chopped cherries. Spread the pudding mixture. Repeat the layer and top of the trifle with the toasted coconut. Pipe a dollop of cool whip and op each dollop with a stemmed cherry.

How To Toast Shredded Coconut

To a small dry skillet, over medium heat, add ⅓ cup sweetened shredded coconut. Heat, and lightly toast, the coconut for 2-3 minutes or just until some of the coconut is starting to get a lightly golden color.

Be sure to stir around often as you do not want the coconut to burn. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Serving Suggestions

A pina colada trifle is the perfect solution when you’re tired of sipping a spiked cocktail. It’s a stunning summer staple when served poolside or as a centerpiece at parties and potlucks.

I love creating recipes based on their cocktail counterparts. Why not throw a pina colada party and prepare some pina colada popsicles, pina colada pudding shots, and pina colada cupcakes to serve alongside this trifle treat?

Tasty Toppings: You can top your trifle with crushed ginger snap cookies, chopped nuts, toffee bits, or caramel sauce.

Make Them Mini: I don’t blame you if you don’t want to share your trifle treat! For individual pina colada trifles, swap the large trifle bowl for mason jars and make them mini-size (like my S’mores Trifle).

Tips & Variations

When cutting your angel food cake, I suggest using a sharp serrated bread knife as it cuts through the delicate texture of the angel food cake with ease and without tearing up the cake too much when cutting. Be sure the cake cubes are uniform in size and tightly fitted to form a sturdy base for your trifle.
You can find a premade angel food cake in the bakery section of your local grocery stores (typically between 13oz. – 15 ounces). Alternatively, you can bake a cake from a boxed cake mix or from scratch if you have a recipe you love. You will need to allow extra time to make the cake and let it cool.
For convenience, I used all store-bought ingredients from a package or can. However, you can make your own homemade layered parts if you prefer.
When adding each layer to your trifle bowl, be careful around the outer edges to keep the cake, fruit, pudding, and whipped cream layers nice and neat. This will ensure that you have a beautiful layered presentation when you are looking at the outside of the bowl.
My trifle bowl held 3.25 quarts or 104 ounces. Depending on the size of your trifle bowl, you may end up with extra cake cubes.
The flavor and texture of toasted coconut works beautifully as a topping for this trifle. You do not have to toast any of the coconut, or, alternatively, you can lightly toast all (1 cup) of it! Then just divide it into ⅓ portions when adding to the layers of the Pina colada trifle.

Proper Storage

Pina Colada Trifle served in a dessert glass topped with cool whip and a cherry.

To Store: This trifle can be refrigerated and lightly covered with plastic wrap for up to 3 days. Be mindful that the longer the trifle sets, the softer the angel food cake will become due to the moisture from the fruit and pudding in the layers.
To Freeze: This is not a dessert suited for freezing. It is best to make and serve the same day.
To Make Ahead: You can make this ahead of time and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Pina Colada Trifle served on a white plate.

Other Easy Trifle Recipes

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Pina Colada Trifle

Author — Jennifer Fishkind

Serves —

Pina Colada Trifle tastes just as delicious as the beach-side beverage but it's served dessert-style instead. With layers of pineapple, coconut, cake, and pudding, it's the perfect size for feeding a large crowd.

Print Rate PinSave

Prep Time 15

Chill Time 2

Total Time 2 15

Ingredients

▢ 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut divided (⅓ cup lightly toasted, ⅔ cup for trifle layers)
▢ 10 ounces jar maraschino cherries juices drained and patted dry, divided (9 cherries left whole with stems attached for garnish, then remaining cherries roughly chopped after the stems have been removed)
▢ 5.1 ounces box instant vanilla pudding
▢ 2½ cups whole milk
▢ ½ teaspoon rum extract
▢ ½ teaspoon coconut extract
▢ 8 ounces container cool whip whipped topping thawed, divided (4 ounces for pudding mixture and 4 ounces to pipe into decorative dollops on top for garnish)
▢ 13-15 ounces prepared angel food cake cut into 1 – 1 ½ inch cubes
▢ 20 ounces can crushed pineapple juices drained

Instructions

To a small dry skillet, over medium heat, add ⅓ cup sweetened shredded coconut. Heat, and lightly toast, the coconut for 2-3 minutes or just until some of the coconut is starting to get a lightly golden color. Be sure to stir around often as you do not want the coconut to burn. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool while preparing the remainder of the recipe.
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Pour off all the juices from the jar of maraschino cherries and place the cherries onto a paper towel lined plate. Gently pat the cherries dry with a second piece of paper towel. Set aside 9 of the prettiest stemmed maraschino cherries to a separate plate. You will use these as the garnish for the trifle.
10 ounces jar maraschino cherries
Remove the stems from the remaining cherries and roughly chop them. You will use these to add to the layers of the pina colada trifle. Set aside.
To a large mixing bowl add the instant vanilla pudding, whole milk, rum extract and coconut extract. Whisk by hand for 3 – 4 minutes or until the pudding starts to thicken.
5.1 ounces box instant vanilla pudding, 2½ cups whole milk, ½ teaspoon rum extract, ½ teaspoon coconut extract
Fold 4 ounces of the thawed cool whip whipped topping into the pudding mixture until fully combined and no white streaks remain from the cool whip. Set aside.
8 ounces container cool whip whipped topping
Layer half of the cubed angel food cake into the bottom of a large (approximately 3 quart capacity) trifle bowl.
13-15 ounces prepared angel food cake
Top half (approximately ½ cup) of the drained crushed pineapple evenly over the first layer of angel food cake in the trifle bowl. Top that with ⅓ of the sweetened shredded coconut, that has not been toasted, evenly over the pineapple layer. Followed by half the chopped maraschino cherries sprinkled evenly over the coconut. Be sure to get some of the cherry pieces along the edge of the bowl so that they show up in the layers when looking at the trifle from the outside of the bowl.
20 ounces can crushed pineapple
Top these layers with half of the pudding mixture. Using a rubber spatula, or offset spatula, spread the pudding into an even layer.
Repeat steps 6 – 8 with the remaining angel food cake, crushed pineapple, sweetened shredded coconut (that was not toasted), chopped maraschino cherries and pudding mixture.
To the top of the second pudding layer, sprinkle with the toasted coconut.
Add the remaining 4 ounces of cool whip whipped topping to a large piping bag, or plastic zip top bag with a corner snipped off, fitted with a large piping tip. Pipe a single dollop of cool whip into the center of the toasted coconut, followed by 8 dollops around the outer edge of the trifle dish.
Top each of the cool whip dollops with a single stemmed maraschino cherry.
Refrigerate the pina colada trifle for 2 hours, up to overnight, or until the pudding layer has firmed up.

Jenn’s Notes

Storage:

To Store: This Pina Colada trifle can be refrigerated and lightly covered with plastic wrap for up to 3 days. Be mindful that the longer the trifle sets, the softer the angel food cake will become due to the moisture from the fruit and pudding in the layers.
To Freeze: This is not a dessert suited for freezing. It is best to make and serve the same day.
To Make Ahead: You can make this ahead of time and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Tips:

When cutting your angel food cake, I suggest using a sharp serrated bread knife as it cuts through the delicate texture of the angel food cake with ease and without tearing up the cake too much when cutting. Be sure the cake cubes are uniform in size and tightly fitted to form a sturdy base for your trifle.
You can find a premade angel food cake in the bakery section of your local grocery stores (typically between 13oz. – 15 ounces). Alternatively, you can bake a cake from a boxed cake mix or from scratch if you have a recipe you love. You will need to allow extra time to make the cake and let it cool.
For convenience, I used all store-bought ingredients from a package or a can. Feel free to make your own homemade layered parts if you prefer.
When adding each layer to your trifle bowl, be careful around the outer edges to keep the cake, fruit, pudding, and whipped cream layers nice and neat. This will ensure that you have a beautiful layered presentation when you are looking at the outside of the bowl.
My trifle bowl was 3.25 quarts or 104 ounces. You may end up with extra cake cubes, depending on the size of your trifle bowl.
The flavor and texture of toasted coconut works beautifully as a topping for this trifle. You do not have to toast any of the coconut, or, alternatively, you can lightly toast all (1 cup) of it! Then just divide it into ⅓ portions when adding to the layers of the Pina colada trifle.