Layered Chocolate Lush with Pecan Crust
Looking for the next potluck crowd pleaser? Never worry about bringing home leftovers again with a chocolate lush with pecan crust that’s truly a pleasure to make and to eat. A lightly crispy crust topped with a blend of puddings and whipped cream. How can you go wrong?
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- This recipe makes a 9×13 pan (filled to the top) so feel free to cut it in half and make an 8×8 if you want fewer servings.
- Try making your whipped cream from scratch to avoid Cool Whip.
- If you feel up to it, make your own puddings. You’d need a chocolate one like this and a vanilla one.
- The crust is made from a shortbread mixture of butter and flour. You could swap half the flour for whole wheat and no one would notice.
- Don’t use low fat cream cheese. The flavor and additives are no good.
- Freeze for up to a month but I’d recommend no longer than a week or two for best flavor. To thaw, you can set it out on the counter for a couple of hours so that it’s still semi-frozen and serve it more like an ice cream dessert or thaw overnight in the fridge for the proper soft layers.
Need more layered desserts?
Layered Chocolate Lush with Pecan Crust
Chocolate lush is a layered, freezer-friendly dose of crowd pleasing goodness.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter melted
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup pecans chopped
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 13 ounces cool whip topping thawed or make homemade whipped cream
- 1, 3 3/4 ounce box vanilla instant pudding
- 1, 3 3/4 ounce box chocolate instant pudding
- 3 cups milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375.
- In a bowl, mix the butter, flour and nuts. Spread into the bottom of a lightly greased 9×13 pan. Bake until lightly golden (about 15 minutes) and allow to cool completely.
- In another large bowl mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1 1/2 cups of the Cool Whip. Spread evenly over the cooled crust.
- Next combined the puddings and milk and beat by hand or with a mixer for 2 minutes. Spread over the cream cheese layer.
- Top with remaining Cool Whip and spread evenly. Sprinkle with pecans and chocolate chips if you choose.
- Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight or you can freeze it and thaw it in the fridge before serving.
Notes
Remember to refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
Nutrition
Calories: 496kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 7gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 442mgPotassium: 212mgFiber: 1gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 733IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 121mgIron: 1mg
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can I use oil instead of butter for the crust? looking to make this dessert dairy free, and don’t want to use margarine
You need a fat that’s solid at room temperature. I don’t use margarine either but you could use coconut oil, ghee, or palm oil. –Rachel
I’m using banana cream and vanilla cook pudding. sounded good to me.
I have been making this dessert since the 80’s and everyone loves it! I stopped making this dessert after learning how bad cool whip is; so I appreciate you educating others and the idea to use homemade cool whip (2 cups heavy whipping cream, 4 Tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract). Family and friends are happy to have this dessert back in rotation after 15-20 years. Good tip on stabilizing whip cream with gelatin, thank you.
I have also added more flour and pecans for the crust, as in your recipe, which makes for a thicker and better crust.
Is it possible to make this dessert ahead of time if using stabilized whipped cream? You mention that you can freeze ahead but not sure if using stabilized whipped cream in the layer
I never usually freeze real whipped cream because it separates when it thaws, but yes you can make it ahead with well stabilized whipped cream and just refrigerate it. –Rachel
do you combine both pudding mixes together?
Yes you’ll see that in step 4 where it says to mix the puddings. –Rachel
Do you have to use instant puddings?
1000% no. I make my own puddings very often and far prefer that to boxed now. Feel free to make your own. –Rachel
This is sweet treat goodness!