Rachel’s Friends Thanksgiving Trifle Recipe (With Fake Beef)

Friends Thanksgiving trifle is possibly the most iconic holiday food in television history. This Thanksgiving you can make a tasty version of Rachel's dessert that looks like it contains beef… but tastes amazing! Learn how to make this tasty Friendsgiving dessert.

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Rachel's English trifle is the star of the most hilarious Thanksgiving episode in Friends' 10-year history. The classic episode (Season 6, Episode 9, The One Where Ross Got High) revolves around Rachel working hard to create the perfect Thanksgiving dessert.

(You can stream all 10 seasons on Netflix while you make this Friends Thanksgiving trifle!)

In case you need a refresher, Rachel’s dessert is supposed to be a classic English trifle… but two recipe book pages get stuck together…. so the whole gang is forced to eat a combination of trifle and shepherd's pie that tastes like feet.

Rachel's Thanksgiving Trifle

Rachel's flubbed up dessert is made from:

• a layer of ladyfingers
• a layer of jam
• custard (made from scratch)
• raspberries,
• more ladyfingers
• beef sautéed with peas and onions
• a little more custard
• sliced bananas
• and whipped cream.

Hilarious, epic fail!

Pop Culture Friendsgiving

A few days ago I discovered that people have actually made (and eaten) this horrible concoction. SO GROSS! Others have created savory versions of the trifle with cornbread and mashed potatoes.

I applaud both efforts but I REALLY wanted to create a dessert version of the Friends Thanksgiving Triffle that you can actually serve and enjoy at your very own Friendsgiving.

(And since my friends are also Friends lovers I wanted to give them a little “beef sautéed with peas and onions” scare!)

Nutella and Coconut “Meat”

The key to the perfect Friends Thanksgiving trifle is creating a  layer that looks like sauteed beef but actually tastes delicious.

After much trial and error I discovered that a mixture of unsweetened coconut flakes mixed with Nutella (hazelnut spread) tastes great and looks surprisingly like sautéed ground beef.

• To recreate the peas and onion I use small pieces of pears and kiwi.
  • The onions are actually canned, diced pears cut into small pieces (think diced onion size).
  • The kiwi is cut with a thick (smoothie) straw to make circular, pea sized pieces.

How to Make Friends Thanksgiving Trifle

A traditional trifle is made by layering cake, fruit, and custard. It is simple to assemble if you prepare the ingredients/layers ahead of time.

Ingredients

• Trifle Dish or Glass Bowl (7.5 inch diameter or larger)
• Pound cake (1.5 pounds, cubed)
• Raspberry Seedless Fruit Spread or Jelly (1/2 cup, 6 ounces)
• Custard or Vanilla Pudding (2 cups, 16 ounces)
• Fresh Raspberries (24 ounces)
• Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (1 1/2 cups, about 2 ounces)
• Canned, diced pears cut into slices (4 ounces)
• Kiwi, cut into “peas” with a wide straw (about 3 small kiwi fruit)
• Nutella Hazelnut Spread (6 Tbsp, about 4.5 ounces)
• Banana, 1 medium (cut into 1/4 inch slices)
• Whipped cream (2/3 cup heavy cream, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar whipped into stiff peaks)

Recipe Prep

1. Make the custard. You'll need 2 cups.  I used this easy stirred custard recipe. You can also use a vanilla pudding mix  but the homemade custard tastes amazing!
2. Make the meat layer. Stir 6 tablespoons of Nutella into 1.5 cups unsweetened coconut (about 2 ounces).  Slice the canned, diced pears (1/4 cup) into small rectangles. Use the green part of 3 small kiwis to make “peas”: slice the kiwi 1/4 inch thick  then use a thick straw (the same way you use a cookie cutter) to make round shapes. Keep the fruit and coconut separate until you assemble the trifle.
3. Cube pound cake. Slice the cake into 3/4 inch slices, cut each slice into six pieces.
4. Make the jam layer. Mix 9 ounces of fresh raspberries into 1/2 cup (6 ounces) seedless raspberry fruit spread . Crush berries with the back of your spoon.

Assemble the Friends Thanksgiving Trifle

1. Place half of the pound cake in the bottom of a large glass trifle dish. Cover pound cake with jam.
2. Spoon one cup of cooled custard over the jam.
3. Top custard with 9 ounces fresh raspberries.
4. Layer on remaining pound cake.

5. Sprinkle pound cake with coconut “meat” and top with pear “onions” and kiwi “peas.” Make sure there are lots of peas and onions near the edges of the glass dish so they are easy to see.
6. Spoon remaining custard over “meat” layer, staying one 1/2-1 inch away from the edge. Top custard with banana slices.
7. Place trifle in refrigerator to chill while you whip the cream. Spoon whipped cream over bananas and smooth gently.
8. Top with 6 ounces fresh raspberries. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight.

4.84 from 6 votes

Print

Rachel’s Friends Thanksgiving Trifle Recipe (With Fake Beef)

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

Rachel's English trifle is the star of the most hilarious Thanksgiving episode in Friends' 10-year history. Delight your friends with this recreation that used a fake “meat” layer made from Nutella and coconut. It’s delicious and laugh-out-loud funny! 

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: English

Servings: 15 people

Calories: 245 kcal

Author: Bren

Ingredients

• 1 Trifle Dish or Glass Bowl (7.5 inch diameter or larger)
• 1.5 lbs pound cake (cubed)
• 0.5 cup Raspberry Seedless Fruit Spread or Jelly (6 ounces)
• 2 cups Custard or Vanilla Pudding (16 ounces)
• 24 ounces Fresh Raspberries (washed and air dried)
• 1.5 cups Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (about 2 ounces)
• 4 ounces canned diced pears (cut into "onion" slices)
• 3 small kiwi (cut into "pea" shapes)
• 6 tbsp Nutella Hazelnut Spread (4.5 ounces)
• 1 medium Banana (cut into 1/4 inch slices)
• 2 cups Whipped cream (2/3 cup heavy cream, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar whipped into stiff peaks)

Instructions

Recipe Prep

1. Make and cool 2 cups of custard. I used this easy stirred custard recipe. You can also use a vanilla pudding mix made with whole milk.

2. Make the meat layer. Stir 6 tablespoons of Nutella into 1.5 cups unsweetened coconut (about 2 ounces). Make sure it is well combined. Slice canned, diced pears (1/4 cup) into small rectangles. Use the green part of 3 small kiwis to make "peas." Slice the kiwi 1/4 inch thick then use a thick straw (the same way you use a cookie cutter) to make round shapes. (Keep fruit and coconut separate until you assemble the trifle.)

3. Cube pound cake. Slice the cake into 3/4 inch slices, cut each slice into six pieces.
4. Make the jam layer. Mix 9 ounces of fresh raspberries into 1/2 cup (6 ounces) seedless raspberry fruit spread . Crush berries with the back of your spoon.

Assemble the Trifle

1. Place half of the pound cake in the bottom of a large glass trifle dish. Cover pound cake with jam.
2. Spoon one cup of cooled custard over the jam.
3. Top custard with 9 ounces fresh raspberries.

4. Gently place remaining pound cake over raspberries. 

5. Sprinkle pound cake with coconut "meat" and top with pear "onions" and kiwi "peas." Make sure there are lots of peas and onions near the edges of the glass dish so they are easy to see.
6. Spoon remaining custard over "meat" layer, staying one 1/2-1 inch away from the edge. Top custard with banana slices.
7. Place trifle in refrigerator to chill while you whip the cream. Spoon whipped cream over bananas and smooth gently.

8. Top with 6 ounces fresh raspberries. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight.

Nutrition Facts

Rachel’s Friends Thanksgiving Trifle Recipe (With Fake Beef)

Amount Per Serving (1 piece)

Calories 245

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Entertain Your Friends

I hope you try this tasty (and hilariously deceptive) dessert this Thanksgiving. Everyone will enjoy a laugh in the middle of the stressful holiday season AND the delicious trifle.

Want more Thanksgiving laughs? Check out my free printable Friends' Thanksgiving illustrations (featuring Rachel's Trifle, Chandler's Funyun Feast, and All the Potatoes).

And my free printable Thanksgiving Joke Tellers for kids!

I hope you enjoy this fun Friends Thanksgiving Trifle recipe.  Sign up for my free newsletter below and never miss another creative idea!

Disclosure: Netflix provided me with a streaming device and service in return for writing about their service. The opinions in this post are my own. #StreamTeam