The recipe starts with a homemade Oreo crust made with cookie crumbs and butter. Fluffy whipped cream cheese, chocolate pudding, and Cool Whip are layered one by one for an easy-to-make dessert with eye-catching layers. Finish it off with mini chocolate chips, or make it extra special with colorful sprinkles, additional cookie crumbs, or chopped candy bars! For more no bake desserts, try my Oreo pie, no bake cheesecake, or eclair cake.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Oreo Cookies – a whole package of Oreo cookies is crushed to make a chocolatey and crisp Oreo cookie crust that serves as the first layer of the chocolate lasagna. Use a food processor to quickly crush the Oreos, or place them in a large zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to smash them into fine crumbs. Cream Cheese – softened cream cheese is beaten to become light and fluffy and then folded with Cool Whip to make the cream cheese layer that tops the Oreo layer. Whole Milk – use the milk in both the cream cheese layer and the chocolate pudding layer. Whole milk offers the best flavor and creamiest texture from a higher milk-fat content, but you can also use 2% milk if preferred. Avoid skim milk. Cool Whip – this light and airy whipped topping adds lots of sweetness and a fluffy texture to the cream cheese layer. Thaw this ingredient ahead of time in the refrigerator. Instant Pudding – chocolate pudding is layered between the cream cheese and Cool Whip layers. You’ll need two boxes of instant pudding for this creamy and chocolaty layer.
How to Make Chocolate Lasagna
- Place the Oreos in a large ziplock bag, seal, and crush using a rolling pin into fine crumbs. Alternatively, place the Oreos in a food processor, and pulse until the Oreos are finely ground, about 30 to 45 seconds. Place the crushed Oreos in a medium bowl, and stir in melted butter until the mixture holds together when squeezed.
- Press the Oreo mixture firmly into an even layer in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Use the bottom of a glass to help press the crust into a smooth layer. Freeze until firm, or 30 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of milk on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Fold in one of the containers of Cool Whip until just combined.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture into an even layer over the crust. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until it feels firmer to the touch.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the instant pudding mix and the remaining 3 cups of milk until smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes. Spread in an even layer over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until set.
- Spread the remaining container of Cool Whip in an even layer over the chocolate pudding layer.
- Garnish with mini chocolate chips, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours or overnight.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
Regular Oreos work best. The chocolate cookie crust is best when made with regular, not double-stuffed Oreos. The extra cookie filling will make the crust too soft and fall apart when sliced, so save those for snacking. Press the crust evenly using a glass. For a smooth crust that sticks together, I like to use the bottom of a drinking glass to help press the crust into the pan. Chill the pan between adding layers. Chilling the pan between adding the next layer will help the previous layer to firm up and avoid smearing the bottom layer as the next one is added. This creates the cleanest lines so you can admire each layer when the chocolate lasagna is served. Be sure to freeze the Oreo crust for at least 30 minutes (or up to 1 week, covered) to make a firm base for the other layers. Plan time to chill the layered dessert before serving. This recipe is best if it is refrigerated for at least 4 hours after it is layered together. To make this no bake dessert ahead, you can assemble and refrigerate it overnight or up to 24 hours before serving. Whipped cream variation. If you don’t have Cool Whip or prefer using whipped cream, you can use heavy cream to make homemade whipped cream instead. Use my whipped cream recipe for fluffy cream with just the right amount of sweetness. Add additional cookies or candy to the top. Instead of chocolate chips, you can top the final layer with crushed cookies, chocolate curls, butterscotch chips, chopped candy bars, or colorful sprinkles.
If you’ve tried this chocolate lasagna recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
