Chocolate Pistachio Pudding Dessert
A no-bake, small-batch dessert with layers of cream cheese, chocolate pudding, and pistachio pudding over a Golden Oreo crust. Ready in 20 minutes of prep, with no oven needed, just chill and slice.
Servings: 9 servings
Calories: 1ninth
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 18 Golden Oreos cookies (about 1 ½ cups crushed cookie crumbs with creme filling)
- ⅓ cup finely chopped pistachios
- 2 tablespoons butter (melted)
Filling layers
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (half of an 8 ounce block)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed and divided or 3 cups whipped sweetened cream
- 1 (3.4 ounce) box instant chocolate pudding
- 3 cups milk, divided (from whole to 1%)
- 1 (3.4 ounce) box instant pistachio pudding
- 1 ½ cups milk from whole to 1%
Toppings
- Remaining Cool Whip from filling layers
- 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios (optional)
Instructions
- Spray a 9x9 inch baking pan or a 2 quart casserole dish with oil spray.
- Crush the cookies in a food processor until they resemble graham cracker crumbs. Note: Leave the filling in the cookies. That is why you only need a small amount of butter to help hold the crust together- and no baking needed to set the crust.
- Combine the crushed cookies, finely chopped pistachios and butter. Tip: You can use the food processor to finely chop the pistachios but use the pulse button so you don’t end up with pistachio butter.
- Press this mixture into the bottom of the pan with your fingertips or the bottom of the measuring cup. Place in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes or until firm enough to spread the cream cheese mixture on top.
- Meanwhile, beat the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium size bowl with a hand mixer until smooth. Fold in, or stir gently, 1 cup of Cool Whip.
- When the crust is ready, bring it out from the freezer. Dollop this mixture over the crust, then spread evenly over the crust all the way to the edges. Pro tip: This dollop and spread method is a test kitchen trick I learned to prevent the top layer from dragging or pulling the layer underneath it.
- Combine the chocolate pudding mix and 1 ½ cups milk in a medium size bowl. Whisk or beat with a hand mixer for 2 minutes or until thickened. Dollop, then spread evenly over the cream cheese layer.
- Combine the pistachio pudding mix and 1 ½ cups milk in a medium size bowl. Whisk or beat with a hand mixer 2 minutes. Dollop, then spread evenly over the chocolate layer.
- Dollop the remaining Cool Whip or 2 cups sweetened whipped cream on the pistachio layer and spread evenly to the edges of the pan.
- Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios, if you like.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Chill at least 2 hours, up to 2 days before serving. The longer it chills, the better it slices.
- Yield: 9 servings
Notes
- Leave the cream filling in the Golden Oreos when you crush them, it helps hold the crust together alongside the butter.
- Pulse the pistachios in the food processor rather than running it continuously, or you'll end up with pistachio butter instead of chopped nuts.
- Use the "dollop and spread" method for each layer instead of pouring it on all at once, this keeps each layer from dragging into the one underneath.
- No pistachio pudding on hand? Substitute instant vanilla pudding, then stir in a tablespoon of chopped pistachios and a drop of green food coloring.
- This dessert is best made a day ahead — the extra chilling time helps the layers set firmly for cleaner slices. Freezing isn't recommended, since the Cool Whip and pudding layers can separate once thawed.
