No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Lush
No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Lush is a lusciously creamy layered dessert with an Oreo cookie crust, no-bake peanut butter cheesecake layer, chocolate pudding layer, and topped off with mini Reese's peanut butter cups and peanut butter drizzle.
Ingredients
Oreo Crust:
- 3 cups Oreo cookie crumbs
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Layer:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 8 ounces Cool Whip thawed
Chocolate Pudding Layer:
- 1 box 5.9 oz chocolate instant pudding mix
- 3 cups half and half
Topping:
- 8 ounces Cool Whip
- Chopped mini Reese's peanut butter cups
- ½ cup warmed peanut butter warm in microwave
Instructions
- Crust: Mix the Oreo crumbs and melted butter in a small mixing bowl until everything is evenly coated and mixed well.
- Press the crumbs firmly into the bottom of a 9x13 cake pan to form an even layer. Place the pan in the freezer for 20 minutes while you prepare the rest.
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake Layer: In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and combined.
- Mix in the peanut butter.
- Mix in the Cool Whip and beat on low speed just until combined.
- Spread the peanut butter mixture into an even layer over the Oreo crust.
- Chocolate Pudding Layer: Pour the chocolate instant pudding mix and the half and half into a mixing bowl. Whisk together for 1-2 minutes until it's well combined, smooth, and thickened.
- Spread the chocolate pudding over the peanut butter layer.
- Topping: Spread the Cool Whip over top for the final layer. Cover the cake pan with plastic wrap or a lid, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight is even better.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle the mini Reese's over top and drizzle the warmed peanut butter. Warm up the peanut butter in the microwave for about 45-60 seconds or until it's a pourable consistency for drizzling.
Equipment
Serving Tip: Wait until just before serving to drizzle on the warmed peanut butter and chopped mini Reese's peanut butter cups.
Fridge Time: You need a minimum of 8 hours of fridge time to accurately chill this recipe. This allows time for the layers to thicken and firm up, which also makes the dessert easier to cut into clean slices. It's the perfect make-ahead recipe because you can refrigerate it overnight. Refrigerate for 12-18 hours before serving for best results.
Full-Fat Dairy Products: For the best thick texture and taste, it's best to use full-fat cream cheese and the half and half milk that is called for in the recipe. The higher fat content allows the layers to thicken really nicely which helps the dessert hold up nicely when being cut and served.
Butter: Unsalted butter or salted butter will both work just fine in the recipe. Salted butter is preferred for a slight sweet-salty contrast.
Serving Size: Cut this dessert into 18 pieces: 3 rows x 6 columns.