Chocolate Delight with Pecans and Cream Cheese Layered Dessert Recipe
This Chocolate Delight recipe features a buttery pecan crust layered with a smooth cream cheese mixture, topped with rich instant chocolate pudding and fluffy whipped topping. Perfectly chilled and garnished with toasted pecans, this no-bake dessert is easy to prepare and sure to satisfy chocolate lovers.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Crust:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups finely chopped pecans, divided
- Pinch of salt (omit if using salted butter)
Layers:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 16 ounces Whipped Topping (Cool Whip), divided
- 2 (3.9 ounce) boxes instant chocolate pudding mix
- 3 cups whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Dish: Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Grease or prepare a 13×9-inch rectangular baking dish.
- Make the Crust: In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup softened butter, 1 ½ cups chopped pecans, and a pinch of salt if using unsalted butter. Mix until combined and clumpy; a food processor can help. Press this mixture evenly into the bottom of your baking dish.
- Bake the Crust: Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is lightly golden brown. Remove and allow it to cool completely before adding the next layers.
- Prepare the Cream Cheese Layer: Using a hand mixer, beat 8 ounces of softened cream cheese with 1 cup powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Gently fold in 8 ounces of whipped topping with a spatula until well combined.
- Spread Cream Cheese Layer: Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture over the cooled crust, creating the second layer.
- Mix the Chocolate Pudding: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine 2 boxes of instant chocolate pudding mix with 3 cups of whole milk on medium speed for two minutes until the mixture soft sets.
- Add Pudding Layer: Spread the chocolate pudding evenly over the cream cheese layer to form the third layer.
- Top with Whipped Topping and Pecans: Spread the remaining 8 ounces of whipped topping over the pudding layer. Sprinkle the remaining chopped pecans evenly on top as garnish.
- Chill to Set: Refrigerate the dessert for 2 to 3 hours to allow it to chill and set completely.
- Serve and Store: Cut into squares and serve immediately. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Ensure the crust is completely cooled before spreading the cream cheese layer to prevent melting.
- For best results, use well-chilled whole milk when making the pudding layer.
- You can toast the pecans lightly before mixing into the crust and sprinkling on top for enhanced flavor.
- This dessert is best served cold and tastes even better after chilling overnight.
- Store leftovers covered tightly in the refrigerator to maintain freshness.
Keywords: Chocolate Delight, chocolate dessert, layered dessert, no-bake chocolate pudding dessert, pecan crust, cream cheese dessert