No Bake Heavenly Oreo Dessert
No Bake Oreo Layer Dessert features an Oreo crust, a cream cheese layer, a chocolate pudding layer, and is topped with Cool Whip and more crushed Oreos.
Six years ago, I was looking for an Oreo-themed dessert to celebrate my pap’s 87th birthday. He always had a serious thing for Oreos; for as long as I can remember, there was a cookie jar on my grandparents’ kitchen counter filled to the brim with Oreo cookies. So naturally, I try to whip up a new and different Oreo dessert for his birthday. In previous years, I’ve made a cookies and cream cake and cookies and cream ice cream cake (I also made black forest cake one year because he loves chocolate-covered cherries, as well!).
It so happened that one year I needed the dessert to be relatively quick and low maintenance, and I found this no-bake layered dessert with an Oreo crumb crust and layers of cream cheese and chocolate pudding to be utterly perfect.
What You Need to Make This Easy Oreo Dessert
The ingredient list for this dessert is super simple, which I love! This is what we use:
- Oreos – I use the Double Stuf Oreos because, really, they are sooooo good!
- Butter – We’ll melt it down and combine it with the Oreos for the crust and topping garnish.
- Cream Cheese – For the no-bake cream cheese layer that totally makes this dessert!
- Powdered Sugar – To add to the cream cheese for necessary sweetness.
- Cool Whip – We use this in two places: (1) In the cream cheese layer, to lighten things up; and (2) as the very top layer of the dessert.
- Chocolate Pudding – A large box of instant chocolate pudding.
- Milk – To mix with the instant pudding.
That’s all that we need, and it’s likely you have maybe half of these in your pantry or refrigerator already!
Build the Layers
This is a traditional “lush”-style dessert, a term that just popped onto my radar a handful of years ago. Have you heard of them? This is how they’re built:
- Cookie or cracker crumb crust – In this case, we’re using an Oreo crust.
- Two filling layers – These can either be both pudding or one pudding and one cream cheese layer; we’re doing the latter here – a cream cheese layer and then a chocolate pudding layer.
- Cool Whip topping – A final whipped topping layer. You can use homemade whipped cream for this layer, but know that it will not hold up as well or as long as Cool Whip (something to consider if you want to save leftovers or it’s going to be served outside on a warm day).
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The dessert was an enormous hit with the whole family, especially my grandfather. Quick and easy no-bake desserts like this are an absolute staple for me during the summer months. Sometimes you just can’t bear to turn on an oven or spend hours making a mess of the kitchen; times like those call for desserts like this!
My pap passed away earlier this year and tomorrow would have been his 93rd birthday; I can’t think of a better way to remember him than by eating a huge piece of this dessert.
More No-Bake Summer Desserts
Keep that oven off and enjoy these cool, refreshing desserts that can be made in advance and stashed in the fridge until you’re ready to serve them.
- No-Bake Banana Split Dessert
- No-Bake Key Lime Cheesecake
- No-Bake Cherry & Walnut Cheesecake
- Peanut Butter Cup Icebox Cake
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Lover’s Icebox Cake
Two years ago: Blueberry Crumb Bars
Three years ago: Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes
Six years ago: Strawberry Pimm’s Cup Cocktail
Seven years ago: S’mores Ice Cream
Watch How to Make It:
No Bake Oreo Layer Dessert
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 15.35 ounce (435.17 g) Double Stuff Oreo Cookies
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
For the Cream Cheese Layer:
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) cream cheese
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 8 ounce (226.8 g) tub Cool Whip
For the Pudding Layer:
- 5.1 ounce (144.58 g) box instant chocolate pudding
- 3 cups (854 ml) milk
For the Topping:
- 8 ounce (226.8 g) tub Cool Whip
Instructions
- Make the Crust: Place the Oreo cookies in a large ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin or mallet. The pieces should be in small crumbs, but still a little chunky, not completely fine crumbs. Set aside ½ cup of the crumbs for the topping, then transfer the remaining crumbs to a 9×13-inch pan and use a fork to mash them up a bit. Pour the melted butter over top and use the fork to combine, making sure that all of the crumbs are moistened. Press into an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate while the cream cheese layer is prepared.
- Make the Cream Cheese Layer: In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the Cool Whip. Spread in an even layer over the crust. Refrigerate while the pudding layer is prepared.
- Make the Pudding Layer: In a large bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and milk for 2 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes to allow it to set. Use an offset spatula to spread the pudding in an even layer over the cream cheese mixture.
- Spread the remaining 8-ounce tub of Cool Whip on top and sprinkle with the reserved Oreo crumbs. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before serving.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published in June 2013, updated in June 2017 with new photos, and refreshed in June 2019 with more photos, a video and extra recipe notes.
This is an absolute favorite at my house and at work. I’m in a cake of the month club. We bake a cake/dessert once a year on our month and share with the others in the group. They loved this one that I brought last year. It’s my turn again, so guess what I’m bringing? hahah Thank you so much for sharing your loving of cooking and baking with us!
This is the recipe I’ve been looking for since making it in a restaurant I worked at a while ago. It turned out super great, and is a lot like I remembered it from a few years ago.
I did add a few tweaks: Homemade whipped cream in place of store bought, and a little of the whipped cream mixed in with the pudding, and sweetened condensed milk mixed in with the cream cheese in place of powdered sugar and cool whip.
Yumskers
Thanks for sharing, Michelle. <3
i am literally crying out of happiness right now because my mother in law just made a dbl batch of this dessert, and ive spent years trying to figure out what this desert was! when i was little my auntie used to make this for me every christmas and easter, it was always my favorite but i never at that age could understand what all was in it. she always called it 4 layer delight (this was in the 90’s) and as i sit down to write this, a few moments ago i just had my first piece again…thank you, i will make this for my little girl now…shes the same age i was, shes only 5. This is now and always has been my favorite desert over everything else, even tiramisu.
Aww I love this so much!! Thank you for coming back to share a review, and I hope your daughter enjoys it, too! :) xo
what if you dont have oreo cookies can the normal cookies work in this recipe?
Hi Dannie, I’m not sure what you mean by “normal” cookies?
I made this Saturday night to bring to Easter dinner Sunday. It was such a huge hit my family is having me make it tonight too
I have made this too many times to count and it’s always a hit. I think I’m going to make it replacing the Oreos with Nutter Butters. I bet that would be delicious!!!
do you use an entire tub of cool whip in the dessert and then another one on top?
Hi Monica, Yes, that’s correct!
Great for holiday potlucks as well. Easy recipe to follow. If you are crunched for time start by preparing the crust ahead of time, and then adding the filling. Each layer is fast and easy. Tastes great. Someone suggested putting gummy worms on top for a kids dessert.
I decided to try this by just lining my pan with peanut butter cup Oreos instead of crushing them. It worked out great and was much less work this way.
This recipe begged me to mess with it right away. I used regular oreos. 2 packs, 26 altogether. Busted them up, mixed them with melted butter, then I increased my cream cheese by half, added two cups powdered surgar, quarter cup water with 4 tsp instant espresso coffee, and a cup of dark chocolate chips and only two thirds of the cool whip. Made that layer. Then I heated a 12 once bottle (in a bowl) of hot fudge topping and poured it over the cream cheese layer and swirled it a bit on top and allowed this dessert to chill 30 minutes before the chocolate fudge pudding layer, chilled 15 minutes after adding the pudding layer, then I added the cool whip layer. The next evening when I was ready to serve I warmed (in a bowl) half a 12 oz bottle of hot fudge topping to pouring consistency,
I poured it into a twist tie bag and cut the tip of the corner from the bag. I used that to criss cross the top like lattice with the hot fudge and I sprinkled with sliced almonds. My wife made strong coffee, I poured a couple of Grand Marniers, and served that dude. Our dinner guests loved it. Excellent recipe all by itself but it is open to a ton of tweeks.
Hi Brent, Thanks so much for the review, and for sharing your tweaks. Sounds amazing!
OMG! I’m not a huge Oreo fan, but I wanted to whip up something quick for a co-worker’s birthday. I had everything on hand, so what the heck, why not! I can’t stop thinking about this dessert. Everyone loved it! I can’t wait to try the Funfetti version! Thanks!
I make this dessert weekly for our football team dinners! It doesn’t matter how much I make, there’s never any leftovers! The boys love it & continue to request it!
I made this for a family dinner party and it was a MASSIVE hit! We thought we would have a lot leftover but six people demolished the entire thing overnight! A definite new favorite and addition to my regular rotation of dinner party desserts.
I couldn’t believe how easy it was to put together and it’s one of the few desserts that actually taste BETTER over time (not that it would last that long!). Definitely recommend making it a few days in advance for the best result!
The only thing keeping it from being a complete 5 star dessert is that it is quite a soft set pudding and so the layers all kind of mix together once it is served so I wish it was slightly firmer but overall a must try!
This is very very goooooooooooood i like this dessert thankyou for sharing
My mom made this when I was a kid but hers was a butter crust with nuts. One time she accidentally chilled our lasagna and baked this dessert and guess what….it STILL tasted amazing!
Does it need to be refrigerated. What’s left over
Hi Patrick, Yes, leftovers should be refrigerated.
Delicious! I made this for a family cookout and everyone-kids & adults loved it. The only change I made was using homemade whipped cream in place of the cool whip. Perfect dessert for a summer day!
Hi Kaitlin, So glad you loved it! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review!
Can you use regular sugar instead of powdered sugar??
Hi Jennifer, I would not, as it may not completely dissolve the way powdered sugar will.
I have all of the ingredients and certainly intend to make it TOMORROW!
Made this for my son’s birthday! Everyone LOVED it!!! I’ll definitely be making this over & over again! Also, just in case anyone wants to know, I used whipping cream (that I beat with a bit of powdered sugar) instead of Cool Whip just because of personal preference.
I made this dessert yesterday~ although the flavor was wonderful, it was quite soft, almost soupy. I refrigerated it over 6 hours before serving and it was like spooning soft, sloppy ice cream. Like I said, it tasted great. It just wasn’t firm or “cutable.”
Hi Linda, I’m so sorry to hear, but I’ve made this dozens of times and I’ve never had that happen. Just wanted to verify two things – #1 You didn’t beat the Cool Whip, right? It should be folded into the cream cheese mixture with a rubber spatula; beating it will cause it to become runny. And #2 – be sure that you use instant pudding, not the cook and serve, or it won’t set up correctly. Whisk it for the full 2 minutes, then let it sit for 5 minutes before spreading on the dish. I hope that helps a bit!
I made your garlic-herb and Parmesan roasted potatoes along with the no-bake Oreo dessert last night for guests. Both were very easy to make and a huge hit! I loved these recipes and will be making them again for summer parties. Thanks!!!
I made this last night for our staff BBQ today. The entire thing was eaten! I don’t know about calling it a “lush” desert..some people were calling it “sex in a pan”.
Easy to make though. I have to admit I have NEVER made pudding before, nor have I ever used cool whip! It turned out great and was a big hit! Thanks Michelle for this recipe.
I’m so happy to hear this was a big hit! Thanks for sharing your feedback! :)
I have a Pistachio Lush Cake recipe that my Grandmother gave me that is fairly similar to this. My kids DO NOT like Grandma’s recipe…but I think they would LOVE this!! This is going on my short list, to be made very soon! Thank you very much for sharing!
Charlie @ http://www.ArmMyKitchen.com
I made this with a shortbread crust, pistachio pudding that has cool whip and almond flavoring, everything else is the same…
Ooooohhhh this looks delicious! I love lush desserts, too! I’ve only ever had chocolate, lemon, and pistachio, but I need to try this one!
My grandmother has made a variation of this for years! Her version is to just use vanilla or chocolate ice cream where you have the cream cheese mixture, and jar of chocolate fudge (and/or caramel) where you have the pudding. Everything else is the same. It’s super easy and delicious.
That sounds AMAZING!
The first time I had this dessert was at a restaurant many years ago and I was in love with it. They substituted the pudding layer with chocolate mousse and used real whipped cream. I have always made it with mousse.
This is my favorite variation of lush desserts, but oddly enough, I also like the lemon version with a nutty crust! My aunt also used to make a version that had a nut crust, a cream cheese layer along with a layer of bananas, then vanilla pudding and cool whip. If you would like that recipe I can send it!
That sounds delicious! Please feel free to email it to me! (michelle@browneyedbaker.com)
Hi Michelle,
I just love your recipes, they are awesome and wanna try out this one. Big Oreo fan. We don’t have Cool Whip in my country so can I use normal cream that I whipped? Or, we have like whipped cream in a spray bottle. Or any other substitute for the Cool Whip?
Hi Maureen, Yes, definitely use your own whipped cream (not in a spray bottle)! It is a perfect substitute!