Chocolate Dessert Lasagna (Lush)

Chocolate dessert lasagna (sometimes called chocolate lush) is a no bake chocolate dessert that is completely irresistible! Layers of chocolate pudding, cream cheese, whipped cream, and chocolate chips sit on a chocolate cookie crust. I think chocolate lasagna may be the best chocolate dessert recipe to make when you need an easy chocolate fix! This post includes a Weight Watchers Freestyle recipe option, too!

It’s time for the February recipe collaboration group post! Last month, we shared our favorite slider sandwich recipes with you. With Valentine’s Day a couple of weeks away, this month’s theme is our favorite chocolate dessert recipes! Be sure to check out the list of delicious chocolate desserts at the end of this post.

What is Dessert Lasagna?

The first time I heard the term lasagna dessert recipe, I had a hard time visualizing a sweet lasagna. Lasagna is meant to be a warm, savory, comfort food dinner, not dessert! A couple of weeks later, I overheard a conversation between two ladies at the grocery store. One of them called it chocolate lasagna and the other called it chocolate lush. Wait. What?! A lush is someone who drinks too much alcohol, not a dessert! Oh, and I’ve also seen them called icebox cakes. I guess there are a lot of names for this simple, delicious layered dessert.

Regardless of what name you want to call them, no bake layered desserts are so easy to make!

What’s in a layered dessert lasagna?

A dessert lasagna starts with a crust layer, which is usually made with crushed cookies or graham crackers. I’ve seen them made with shortbread, too.

The other “required” components for a dessert lasagna recipe are layers of pudding or cheesecake filling and at least one layer of of whipped cream. Anything else you want to add to your no bake sweet lasagna is up to your imagination.

This chocolate dessert lasagna recipe I’m sharing today is very basic and uncomplicated, but so full of chocolate flavor that I think it’s perfect just as it is.

Making Weight Watchers Friendly Chocolate Lasagna

Do you need or want a lighter version of this delicious chocolate dessert recipe?  I lightened up the recipe and calculated the Weight Watchers Freestyle points for it. Now, let me tell you at 17 points per serving, this indulgent chocolate dessert is something you would enjoy on a special occasion. Of course, you can ALSO cut smaller slices to lower the Smart Points. 😉

Lighter Chocolate Lasagna Recipe Ingredient Swaps:

• Fat free cream cheese instead of full fat cream cheese
• Erythritol instead of granulated sugar
• Fat free Cool Whip
• unsweetened almond milk instead of regular milk
• I didn’t find good substitutes for the butter or the mini chocolate chips.

Warning: this dessert is very rich. Don’t let the creamy pudding and fluffy whipped cream fool you into thinking otherwise. Small portions are required. Pace yourself. 🙂

Chocolate Dessert Lasagna {Chocolate Lush}

This no bake dessert has layers of rich chocolate pudding, whipped cream and chocolate chips, all sitting on a chocolate cookie base. This dessert is for you, chocolate lovers!

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 15 slices

Calories 420 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 36 chocolate sandwich cookies *
• 6 Tablespoons butter melted
• 8 ounces cream cheese softened
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons milk **
• 12 ounces Cool Whip or whipped cream
• 2 packages (3.9 oz each) INSTANT chocolate pudding mix ***
• 3 ¼ cups milk ** 
• 1 ½ cups mini chocolate chips

Instructions

 

• Use a food processor to grind sandwich cookies into fine crumbs, or place the cookies in a zip top plastic bag and crush them using a rolling pin.
• Transfer cookie crumbs into a large mixing bowl. Add melted butter and use a fork to combine, making sure to coat the crumbs completely. Press the cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of a freezer safe 9 x 13-inch pan. Refrigerate pan while you prepare the rest of the dessert.
• Place softened cream cheese into a large mixing bowl ( I reused the bowl I mixed the cookie crumbs in.) Use an electric hand mixer on high speed to mix the cream cheese until it’s light and fluffy. Add the sugar and 2 Tablespoons of milk and mix on medium speed until well combined. Use a wooden spoon or mixing spatula to incorporate 1 1/4 cups of Cool Whip into the cream cheese mixture. Spread mixture evenly over the cookie crust.
• To a clean mixing bowl, add both packages of dry instant chocolate pudding mix and 3 1/4 cups cold milk. Whisk for a few minutes, until the pudding starts to thicken.
• Remove pan from refrigerator and use a rubber spatula to spread pudding evenly over the top cream cheese layer. Let the dessert rest for 5 minutes to further thicken the pudding. After 5 minutes, spread the remaining Cool Whip over the top of the pudding layer, then sprinkle mini chocolate chips evenly over the top of the Cool Whip.
• Refrigerate the dessert for 4 hours or freeze for 1 hour before serving.

Notes

• *If you want to make this a gluten-free dessert, be sure to use gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies
• **You can use any type of milk you normally drink. I used almond milk. Just be sure the milk is cold.
• ***Be sure to use instant pudding mix and NOT the cook and serve variety.
• Original recipe found on Center Cut Cook.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 420kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 4gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 505mgPotassium: 137mgFiber: 2gSugar: 39gVitamin A: 425IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 137mgIron: 3mg

Tried this recipe? Mention @itsyummi or tag #itsyummirecipe!