NO BAKE CHOCOLATE LASAGNA CAKE DESSERT RECIPE

When you’re trying to figure out what to make to impress a crowd, nothing compares to a fabulous and easy to make dessert. One of our favorite types of desserts are the no-bake kinds.

Today’s recipe is no-bake and it’s for a chocolate lasagna cake.

Chocolate lasagna cake is the ultimate crowd-pleasing dessert. It’s a perfect combination of chocolate and tangy cream cheese layered lasagna-style.

It’s simple to prepare with common, easy-to-find ingredients. And, best of all, there’s no baking.

I made this pan of cake for my husband’s birthday. He’s not much of a cake person, so I was looking for an alternative.

This pan was PERFECT and reminds me a lot of mousse. If you’re looking for a simple but still fancy-tasting dessert, I promise you’ll love this recipe.

WHAT MAKES THIS PAN SO GOOD

• Easy to make. Only takes about 20 minutes of hands-on time. No oven needed.
• All common ingredients. Nothing weird to buy, everything is something you’d commonly find in the supermarket.
• Great for a crowd. This pan of dessert is a crowd-pleaser at cookouts, birthdays, summer get-togethers, etc.

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU START

• No Double Stuf Oreos here, friends. That filling will make the crust way too greasy. We want those classic Oreos with the filling, just not Double Stuf.
• I love serving this cake chilled, which is necessary for the recipe, but if you’re in a rush you can pop the pan in the freezer instead.
• This cake does store well (won’t get soggy), so it’s easy to prepare ahead of time. It keeps for several days in the refrigerator. I would recommend letting it chill for at least overnight, though, as the flavors and textures will come together beautifully.
• This pan will make 20 BIG servings, as pictured, or 24 smaller servings in a 9×13 baking dish.

The lasagna-style Oreo crust at the bottom is the perfect firm layer. The cream cheese/Cool Whip combo is so good, then topped off with a THICK layer of chocolate pudding.

And that layer of Cool Whip and mini chocolate chips to finish it off? To die for, friends.

It’s a perfect blend of textures, crunchy, creamy, thick, tangy, rich, smooth, fluffy, etc. It’s pretty much everything I like in a good, cold, easy-to-make dessert.

You’ll need Oreos, not Double Stuf, cream cheese, Cool Whip, instant chocolate pudding, mini chocolate chips, sugar, butter, and that’s it. The hardest part is crushing up those Oreos.

Other than that, just mix up the pudding, assemble, chill, and dig in. So simple.

One tip is softening your cream cheese. This is key – I know it’s super easy to rush through this recipe but lumped cream cheese will make lumps in your white layer – and there’s no fixing it at that point.

Trust me – soften the cream cheese.

How to soften cream cheese: either leave it out on the counter for 30-45 min or remove the foil and microwave on HIGH for 20 seconds. Cream cheese is properly softened when you can press it with your finger and it makes an indent, and is soft throughout.

Also, make sure to spread out the cream cheese layer before mixing up the pudding, as pudding starts to set in about two minutes, and it is easier to spread while still in a liquidy consistency. Letting the pudding sit will result in a pudding that is super hard to spread.

Also, you can make this recipe ahead of time and add the cool whip and choco chips 2 hrs before serving or when serving, otherwise the toppings will be pretty packed together after chilling overnight.

Also, the longer you chill this recipe the firmer it will be. Chilling it for just an hour will result in a dessert that is pretty soft around the edges.

Chilling it for two hours will result in a dessert that’s a little more firm, but overnight is best.

FOR THE OREO CRUST

• one package of Oreo cookies, regular rather than Double Stuf, about 36 cookies
• 6 Tablespoons of butter, melted (see pic below)

*I highly recommend using REAL butter and not margarine – it holds together better for this recipe when chilled.

FOR THE CREAM CHEESE LAYER

8 oz cream cheese, full-fat brick style, NOT the spreadable tubs because it will not hold together as well and will be too loose

• 1/4 c sugar
• 2 Tbsp cold milk
• half of a 12 oz tub of thawed Cool Whip* Don’t leave Cool Whip out on the counter to thaw, but I prefer to leave it in the fridge overnight and let it thaw there. It’s worth planning ahead for it.

Softened brick-style cream cheese will hold together better than the tub-style cream cheese. If you use the spreadable tub-style cream cheese, your lasagna will be a bit on the loose side.

The granulated sugar offsets some of the acidic bite from the cream cheese, it’s a very small amount that balances everything out well without being too sweet. The milk helps to loosen the cream cheese up a tad, making it easier to work with.

Cold milk will help to keep it firm. Use just half of a 12 oz tub of thawed Cool Whip.

Save the rest for the top of the lasagna. Don’t rush it on the counter, but I like to remove it from the freezer to the fridge the night before, letting it thaw in the refrigerator.

FOR THE CHOCOLATE PUDDING LAYER

• two 3.9 oz packages of INSTANT chocolate pudding, cook-and-serve pudding won’t set up the same way in this recipe
• 3-1/4 c cold milk, which will help it thicken more quickly

FOR THE TOP LAYER

• the other half of the 12 oz tub of Cool Whip
• 1 c mini chocolate chips, so they’re evenly dispersed

HOW TO MAKE IT

STEP 1: MAKE THE OREO CRUST

Add the Oreos to a large, gallon-size zip-top bag. Press out as much of the air as you can , leaving just enough room so you can crush the cookies.

Seal the bag, laying it on its side so the Oreos form a layer. Use a rolling pin to crush the Oreos as finely as you can.

The finer you crush them, the fewer chunks of crust there will be. Trust me, it’s much nicer when it’s consistent and crumbly throughout.

You’ll lose some of the Oreo crumbs when you mix them with the butter, so you may or may not use them all. If you want to make sure you use them all, use one or two packages.

Transfer the crushed Oreos to a large bowl and stir in the melted butter. Mix well, making sure that all of the Oreo crumbs are evenly moistened with the butter.

Pinch some of it together and see if it holds. If it’s still a little too crumbly, add 1/2 a tablespoon of the butter at a time until it comes together.

Press into the prepared pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the cream cheese layer.

Place the mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or glass or anything with a flat surface to press the crust down tightly and flatten.

You want this layer nice and firm or else it will be very crumbly when you try to cut and serve. Chill in refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes while you prepare the next layer.

STEP 2: MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE LAYER

In a large bowl, add the cream cheese. Beat until smooth and lump-free.

Add the sugar and 3 Tbs of milk and beat well to combine. Add 1/2 the Cool Whip and use a rubber spatula to stir/fold until combined.

Mixture should be thick and fluffy, yet still smooth and easy to spread. If the mixture seems a bit stiff, add an additional 0.5 Tbs of milk.

Remove the Oreos from the fridge. Using an offset spatula or regular spatula, spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the Oreo crust.

Go slowly and be gentle, you don’t want to scrape up all those delicious Oreo crumbs. Set aside in the refrigerator again while you prepare the pudding.

STEP 3: MAKE THE CHOCOLATE PUDDING LAYER

In a separate, large bowl, add 2 boxes of pudding and 3 1/4 cups of cold milk. Mix/whisk together for about 2 minutes.

The pudding will thicken rather quickly, so have the Oreos/cream cheese ready. Once the pudding has thickened, pour over cream cheese layer IMMEDIATELY, because if you wait too long, it will be difficult to pour and spread.

Use a spatula to spread evenly over cream cheese layer to the edges. Give it one last smoothing on top before popping back into the refrigerator.

Don’t worry if some of the layers start to mix together along the edges, it will look perfect once it’s chilled.

STEP 4: CHILL UNTIL SET

Now it’s time to let everything set. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or even better yet, overnight.

TIP: You can pop into freezer to shorten the chilling time. Leave for 45 minutes to 1 hour, but don’t leave too long and let the pudding freeze.

Test for doneness by giving the pan a jiggle – it shouldn’t wiggle too much and should feel pretty set. You can also stick a toothpick in the center – it should come out pretty clean with no gooey chocolate.

STEP 5: ADD THE TOP LAYER

Spread the remaining Cool Whip over the top of the set pudding. Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips over the top for a little “bite” since the chocolate pudding and Cool Whip will be super soft.

HELPFUL TIPS

GETTING CLEAN SLICES

You can cut and serve the Chocolate Lasagna right out of the dish. To get nice, even, clean slices, I recommend washing and drying your sharpest knife.

Heat the blade in hot water before each slice. Be sure to wipe the water off the blade.

A cold, dry knife will drag through the lasagna leaving messy, sloppy pieces. Heating the knife is especially important with that first cut.

PRESSING THE CRUST FIRMLY

Using your fingers to press down the crust will result in a crust that is not pressed down firmly enough and will fall apart when sliced. Use the bottom of a glass or a measuring cup and press down firmly.

You will be thankful you did when slicing. A firm Oreo base will hold up well in every slice.

GETTING THE CREAM CHEESE SMOOTH

By far, the biggest issue people have with this recipe is a lumpy cream cheese mixture. Make sure that your cream cheese is nice and soft to avoid any cold spots in the cream cheese which leads to a lumpy mixture.

If your cream cheese refuses to soften up, place your mixing bowl on top of, not in, a pot of hot but not boiling water for a minute. Remove, scrape down sides of bowl, and try mixing again.

Another trick is to set your bowl of cream cheese into a warm oven for 30 seconds. Remove, scrape down sides of bowl, and try mixing again.

You’ll be able to whip up a smooth and creamy mixture.

ROOM TEMPERATURE DISHES

If it is warm where you are, taking the dish out of the refrigerator right before serving may cause the top to get watery. If the dish sits out for very long in warmer weather, it will develop a layer of water on top.

I recommend taking the dish out of the refrigerator 10-15 minutes before serving to avoid this. It will not completely melt the Cool Whip but will prevent the layer of water on top.

MAKING IT IN INDIVIDUAL CUPS

For parties, it is always fun to serve desserts in individual cups or mason jars. Simply add a layer of the Oreo crust, cream cheese mixture, and pudding mixture to individual cups or jars.

All measurements remain the same.

VARIATIONS

WHITE CHOCOLATE VERSION: Use white chocolate instant pudding and top with white chocolate chips. You could also use Golden Oreos instead of regular Oreos in the crust.

MINT CHOCOLATE: For a grasshopper pie situation, layered in a 9×13, use mint Oreos for the crust (or regular Oreos plus a couple drops of peppermint extract), chocolate instant pudding, and top with mini chocolate chips and crushed up Andes mints.

PEANUT BUTTER LAYER: Add 1/2 cup of peanut butter to the cream cheese and sugar (mix until combined, then fold in Cool Whip like normal). It tastes great combined with the chocolate pudding, sort of contrasts nicely.

Top with peanut butter chips (and/or chocolate chips).

HELPFUL KITCHEN TOOLS

These are the tools that I recommend for making this recipe. If you do not own them all, no worries.

These are simply tools that can make cooking easier.

• 9×13 Pyrex Baking Dish with Lid: This eliminates the fuss of covering with plastic wrap when refrigerating.
• Use a hand mixer: I prefer to use a hand mixer so I have more control. You can easily fit a stand mixer beater attachment over a medium-sized bowl though.
• Offset spatula: This dessert calls for some soft fillings that need to be spread over the crumbly Oreo crust, and an offset spatula is a must-have tool to make that process easier.

STORAGE, MAKE-AHEAD, AND LEFTOVERS

STORING LEFTOVERS: Covered tightly, this dessert will keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. Keep in mind, the Oreo crust does soften up a bit and is more like a cookie after a few days, not crumbly.

I’d say this dessert tastes the best after sitting in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days, as the flavors meld together nicely.

To freeze: Slice into squares, place in freezer-safe container in a single layer. Should be good for up to 2 months.

Let squares sit on counter for 10-15 minutes for quicker thawing. They also taste great still frozen, kinda like a cookie ice cream bar.

NOTE: It’s best to freeze already-sliced squares of dessert. Freezing this dessert in a whole pan and then thawing has not yielded great results.

If you add the Cool Whip before freezing, it may become icy and grainy. It’s better to freeze without Cool Whip and add after thawing.

MAKING IT AHEAD: I would recommend making this no-bake dessert the night before serving, that way all of the flavors have time to meld together. It’s delicious.

You can refrigerate it for 2 hours before serving, although it’s better if you leave it in the fridge overnight. Make-ahead tip: If you’re entertaining or want to have a stress-free process, make the first 3 layers, which are crust, cream cheese and pudding, the night before and leave them in the fridge, covered.

On the day you want to serve it, add the Cool Whip and chocolate chips and enjoy.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CAN I USE HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM INSTEAD OF COOL WHIP?

Technically you can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Homemade whipped cream deflates and weeps within hours in the refrigerator, especially when layered on top of pudding.

If you’d like to make it anyway, you can stabilize the whipped cream by adding 1 TBS powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin (dissolved into a couple of teaspoons of cold water) to your whipped cream recipe.

Homemade whipped cream is fine to use in the cream cheese layer, as the cream cheese will act as a stabilizer. The change in structure will be most apparent in the whipped cream that you use for the topping.

MY CREAM CHEESE LAYER HAS LUMPS – WHAT WENT WRONG?

The cream cheese probably wasn’t fully softened. If there are any cool spots left in the block, those will be the parts that refuse to incorporate into a smooth, creamy mixture.

Either leave the cream cheese out for longer (45 minutes, at least) or pop it alone in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. Also, make sure you’ve beaten the cream cheese really well and gotten it nice and smooth before adding in the rest of the ingredients.

CAN I USE COOK-AND-SERVE PUDDING INSTEAD OF INSTANT?

Cook-and-serve pudding won’t set up quite right and will have a different texture. It’s formulated to be cooked in order to activate the ingredients that cause it to thicken and won’t work well in recipes (such as lasagna cakes) that are meant to be made without heat.

Definitely stick with instant.

HOW FAR IN ADVANCE CAN I MAKE THIS?

This dessert is best if made the day ahead. The further ahead of time that you make it (over 24 hours) the softer it gets and the lines between the layers will not be as defined.

It would still be good, it’s just that you would not be able to appreciate each individual texture as much. In general I would say anywhere from a day ahead of time to an hour ahead of time.

The chocolate chips and Cool Whip do best if they’re added an hour ahead of time as they soften with time.

The longer you keep the lasagna in the fridge, the denser and more compact the texture will become, so eat it up!

CAN I MAKE THIS IN A DIFFERENT SIZE PAN?

This recipe is written for a 9×13 pan, but can be altered to make it in a 8×8 or a 9×9 pan. Just cut the recipe in half, using one box of pudding, 1/2 the cream cheese mixture, etc.

Keep in mind that with a smaller pan the layers will be a bit thicker. The pudding layer especially might take another 30 to 45 minutes to set.

IS THERE A WAY TO MAKE THIS WITHOUT COOL WHIP?

I have seen stabilized whipped cream suggested as an alternative. You could also use a non-dairy whipped topping.

Another option is a whipped coconut cream. To make this chill a can of full fat coconut milk in the fridge for 24 hours.

The next day there should be a solid white cream in the top of the can. Scoop this cream out leaving the liquid behind, whip until light and fluffy, then use as directed.

This does give a bit of a coconut taste especially with the chocolate pudding, but does set up nicely, even better than Cool Whip, if you chill this layer in the freezer.