Peanut Butter Layered Delight (Printable)

Creamy peanut butter and chocolate pudding layers atop a cookie crust. A chilled no-bake treat.

# What You Need:

→ Crust

01 - 7 oz chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos), finely crushed
02 - 2.6 oz unsalted butter, melted

→ Peanut Butter Layer

03 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
04 - 4.2 oz creamy peanut butter
05 - 3.5 oz powdered sugar
06 - 1 cup whipped topping (such as Cool Whip), thawed

→ Chocolate Pudding Layer

07 - 1 package (3.5 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
08 - 1.5 cups cold milk

→ Topping

09 - 1 cup whipped topping, thawed
10 - 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, melted (for drizzling)
11 - Chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips, as desired

# How-To Steps:

01 - Combine the crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and melted butter in a medium bowl, stirring until the crumbs are evenly coated. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9x9 inch baking dish to form an even crust. Place in the refrigerator to set while preparing the next layer.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, creamy peanut butter, and powdered sugar together using an electric hand mixer until completely smooth and creamy. Gently fold in 1 cup of thawed whipped topping until uniformly combined. Spread this mixture evenly over the chilled crust.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the instant chocolate pudding mix and cold milk for approximately 2 minutes until the mixture thickens. Spread the pudding evenly over the peanut butter layer, smoothing the surface with a spatula.
04 - Spread the remaining 1 cup of whipped topping over the pudding layer in an even layer. Drizzle with melted peanut butter and sprinkle with chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips if desired.
05 - Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until the layers are fully set and firm.
06 - Using a sharp knife, cut into squares. Serve chilled for the best texture and flavor.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • No oven required, which means your kitchen stays cool and you get to feel clever about making something impressive with almost zero effort.
  • The contrast between the salty peanut butter middle and the cold chocolate pudding top will make people think you spent all day on this.
02 -
  • Three hours is the absolute minimum chilling time, but overnight is even better because the flavors meld and the texture becomes perfectly sliceable.
  • Run your knife under hot water and wipe it dry between each cut for clean, bakery style squares that show off every layer.
03 -
  • Use gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies and verify your pudding mix label to make this entirely gluten free without changing anything else about the recipe.
  • Homemade whipped cream works beautifully in place of whipped topping and gives the whole dessert a richer, less sweet finish.

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