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Chocolate lasagna is my Oreo-crust update on the chocolate delight that showed up at every church supper when I was growing up. A thick crust of crushed Oreos holds a sweet cream cheese layer, chocolate pudding whisked with a little heavy cream, and whipped topping finished with cookie crumbs and chocolate chips. It’s a no-bake dessert layered in a 9-by-13-inch dish, and it cuts into 16 squares, enough for a crowd. Make it the day before, and it’s ready to serve when your people walk in the door.
This used to be one of my favorite desserts as a kid. We called it chocolate delight, and it was always on the dessert table at church suppers, along with blueberry delight, which I also loved. We’ve updated it a bit, swapping Oreo cookies for the crust and adding chocolate chips.
Funny story: My husband does not cook. He makes baked potatoes and cocktails, and that’s it. But one day the grandkids were over, and I had made this chocolate lasagna, which they all absolutely love. Well, Pop pulled it from the fridge and served it, and somehow they got it in their heads that HE MADE IT. So now they come over and ask Pop to make HIS chocolate lasagna, which they say is better than Lulu’s! 🙄
Regardless of who gets the credit, this no-bake, quick and easy chocolate lasagna is the kind of dessert you pull straight from the fridge with a fork when no one is looking. Not that I would ever do that, but somebody might. 👀
Testing results for chocolate lasagna
- I tested this recipe with whole milk, and it worked perfectly. I don’t recommend low-fat milk because the pudding won’t set properly.
- I also added a little heavy cream to the pudding mix, which gave it a richer texture, closer to homemade pudding.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
Name brands make better layers
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
Chocolate Oreos: We’ve tried generic cream-filled chocolate cookies and prefer the real deal. Crush the whole cookie, keeping the cream filling inside. A food processor is fastest, but a large zip-top bag works fine if you don’t have one.
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Cream cheese: I only use Philadelphia brand cream cheese. Store brands don’t always have the same consistency or produce the same results. And for heaven’s sake, do not try to use low-fat cream cheese.
Chocolate pudding: Use two 3.9-ounce boxes of instant chocolate pudding mix, not the cook-and-serve kind.
Frozen whipped topping: You could probably use generic, but I still prefer branded Cool Whip. Can you even call yourself Southern if you don’t have Cool Whip containers for leftovers? You can use homemade whipped cream with vanilla instead, though the taste and texture may differ slightly.
Pin this now to save it for laterChill each chocolate lasagna layer in the freezer
The crust and the cream cheese layer each take a short trip to the freezer while you mix the next layer. A few minutes there firms what’s already in the dish, so the next layer spreads over the top instead of blending into it. An offset spatula makes this easier.
The pudding layer is instant chocolate pudding whisked with whole milk and half a cup of heavy cream. It takes a minute or two of whisking and thickens as it chills.
Once the whipped topping, crushed cookies, and chocolate chips are on, the dish needs at least three hours in the refrigerator before you serve it.
Lasagna for supper, then dessert
Chocolate lasagna makes a fun dessert after a pan of the real thing, like my lasagna with an Asiago cheese sauce. For a party dessert table, set it out next to a tray of no-bake Oreo balls with cream cheese.
Carry it to your next potluck or family reunion in the dish you made it in. Chocolate delight was a church supper standby when I was a kid, and you don’t need a special occasion to start the tradition at your own table.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below!
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Chocolate Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 family-size package Oreos 1 pound 3 ounces, about 40 to 42 cookies
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 8 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 12-ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided (Cool Whip or generic)
- 2 3.9-ounce boxes instant chocolate pudding mix
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a food processor or a large ziplock bag add 1 family-size package Oreos. Crush the cookies until a coarse crumb. Transfer the cookie crumb to a large bowl, reserving 1 cup for the topping.
- Add 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted to the cookie crumb and mix until combined.
- Transfer the cookies and butter mixture to the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Press until compact. Place the baking dish in the freezer.
- In a large bowl add 8 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix with a hand mixer on medium speed for 1 minute or until combined.
- With a spoon fold in 1 cup of frozen whipped topping. Remove the baking dish from the freezer.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the cookie crust. Place the baking dish back in the freezer.
- In a large bowl add the 2 3.9-ounce boxes instant chocolate pudding mix, 2 ½ cups whole milk, and ½ cup heavy whipping cream. Mix with a whisk or spoon for 1 to 2 minutes, or until fully combined.
- Remove the baking dish from the freezer. Spread the chocolate pudding over the cream cheese filling.
- Spread the remaining whipped topping over the pudding layer.
- Sprinkle the leftover cookie crumbles and ½ cup chocolate chips on top.
- Chill for at least 3 hours before serving, and store in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Questions and tips
Storage
Store chocolate lasagna covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Yes, you can freeze chocolate lasagna. Wrap the dish in plastic wrap, then in foil, and freeze for up to three months. Thaw before serving.
You can use different flavors of Oreos (like peanut butter or golden), but don’t use the double-stuffed ones, as the extra cream filling will throw off the texture of the crust.
as in an Italian family this went over big, I am the new God Gather of baking .LOL,
I was wondering if I could put small random streaks of red raspberry or strawberry jam over the layers to appear as the “gravy” tomato sauce
I think that would be fine! It might blend a little too much, I’m not sure, but it won’t impact the overall dish.