If you’re asking me, the chocolate peanut butter cup is just about the most perfect candy ever created. There’s something about that peanut butter-chocolate combination that no other confection can quite match. When you take that ever-wonderful combination, combine it with some creaminess, and layer it into an easy no-bake trifle… well, you’ve got a guaranteed recipe for sweet success, my friends.

To keep things simple, we use pre-made brownies in our Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle. If you go that route, it means you won’t even have to turn on your oven, but you still get a whole lot of chocolate to contrast all the peanut butter flavor. The other components – save for the actual peanut butter cups – go towards the creation of the heavenly fluffy and creamy peanut butter layer.

That layer is just a simple mixture of vanilla instant pudding with some peanut butter and whipped topping folded in. The whipped topping adds airiness and keeps the peanut butter flavor from feeling too heavy, while the peanut butter cups and chunks of brownie add rich and chewy bites throughout.

See, this easy trifle is all about contrast and balance. You have peanut butter versus chocolate. Creamy versus chewy. Rich flavors versus subtle. You could say it’s a dessert study in yin and yang, if that were a thing. The point is this: it’s the ideal cool and creamy dessert for any occasion when you need something simple but sure to please. No one can get enough of that peanut butter-chocolate combo.