Is this Butterfinger Trifle a dessert? Technically, yes. Is it made of the decadent combination of brownies, pudding, cool whip and Butterfinger bars? Sure.

But if you eat it correctly, you’ll find that this rich, decadent crowd-pleaser is practically a health food.*

*I am not a nutritionist, but I am a self-proclaimed master at food justification.

Here’s how it works. For your main meal, you eat something angelically healthy. Maybe an organic salad. Then you come in for dessert with your creamy Butterfinger trifle, and the healthiness of dinner cancels out the delicious dessert, and it shall be as if you’ve eaten nothing at all! It’s food magic!

Feeling skeptical? It’s okay. I have other options. Simply eat this trifle standing up. We all know calories don’t count when you’re standing. For extra points, make a plate for someone else, then sample their plate. It’s not as if you’ve eaten a serving, at that point. You were just tasting someone else’s. Calories don’t count if they’re not eaten from your own plate.

See? Master food justifier.

If you invite me to a potluck, I’m probably bringing this trifle, by the way. Because it looks really, really pretty, like you tried hard, even though it’s easy. And people dig it. It’s best served cold, so it’s perfect for summer cookouts!

Ingredients:

• Box of any brownie mix, 13×9 pan size
• Oil and eggs or whatever else that box of brownie mix calls for
• 2 boxes of instant chocolate pudding mix, plus however much milk you need to make the pudding. (See your pudding box for directions. Usually 2 cups of milk per box.)
• 2 tubs of cool whip, or one big tub.
• 3 Butterfinger bars. One is for you, as a prize for making this dish.

Step One: prepare the ingredients

Thaw the cool whip in the fridge or on the counter.

Follow the instructions to make the brownies. Whether or not you choose to follow THESE directions is up to you:

I’m just sayin’: I won’t tell on you if you sneak a taste. Life is too short. #LivingOnTheEdge

Follow the instructions to make both boxes of pudding mix.

Crunch up your butterfinger bars into tiny, tasty morsels of deliciousness. I like to use the flat end of the meat tenderizer while the butterfinger is still in the package. This will be an excellent opportunity to release any pent-up aggression you might have, especially if you opted not to eat the raw brownie batter.

Step 2: Layer the ingredients.

I use a trifle dish I got at walmart for about $7 a while back. Other bloggers might tell you that it doesn’t matter what dish you use to make this, that you can just use whatever you have on hand. But I love you too much to lie to you. Listen, friend: it tastes better if you can see the layers. I didn’t invent the rules.

Split your brownie pan into thirds, and use one third to layer around the bottom of your trifle dish. It looks prettier if you press it into the sides first…

…then fill in the center of the layer.

Then use 1/3 of your chocolate pudding and layer it on top of the brownies, making sure you fill in the outside of the dish for maximum fanciness.

Repeat with 1/3 of the cool whip.

And 1/3 of the Butterfinger crumbs.

Mm-hmm.

Something is happening here that you’ll not soon regret.

Now repeat two more times: brownies, pudding, cool whip, butterfinger. Until you get this craziness:

It’s best if you make it at least a few hours in advance and refrigerate it so the flavors can all mush together and the magic can happen. And I don’t use the word “magic” lightly.

Well, often I do. But not this time.

Of course the only downside to a dessert like this is that you can’t sneak a taste or everyone will know. So if you want to hold back a little bit from each layer and make your own personal trifle for sampling purposes?

Well, then I applaud you. For making the sacrifices necessary to ensure your desserts are of the highest quality before serving them to others. You’re a good friend.

If we ever go to a potluck or cookout together, pretend you don’t know how easy this is, because it’s probably what I’m bringing, and it’s better if you think it was complicated and I slaved for hours. You guys: this junk is RIDICULOUS. Mushy, creamy, but with little crunches of Butterfinger. You need some. The end.

What’s your go-to potluck dish? Any other good tips to reduce calories when eating dessert?

P.S.: Don’t forget to check out my grandmother’s chocolate pie recipe and these healthier (for real) pumpkin chocolate chip muffins!