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Chocolate Peppermint Lasagna

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This No-Bake Chocolate Peppermint Lasagna is a rich, chocolaty dessert with layers of peppermint cream cheese filling and topped with cool whip.

Easy Christmas Dessert

The inspiration for this dessert lasagna came from two of my favorite recipes: Apple Pie Lasagna and Pumpkin Pie Lasagna. Both are perfect fall treats, so naturally I needed to make one for the Christmas holiday!

This no-bake chocolate peppermint lasagna is made up of layers of chocolate graham cracker, dark chocolate pudding, peppermint cream cheese filling, and a Cool Whip topping! Not only is it delicious, but it can be thrown together in about 15 minutes and kept in the fridge until ready to serve. This gives the graham crackers time to soften up so they become almost cake-like in texture which complements the pudding and cream cheese layers so well.

Another bonus? This Christmas dessert is no-bake so it won’t take up oven space when you have other holiday cooking happening in the kitchen! It’s sure to be a hit at all of your holiday parties!

white tray holding a slice of no-bake chocolate peppermint lasagna with a jug of milk in the background

Ingredients Needed

  • Instant Pudding Mix and Milk – makes up the pudding layer for the chocolate lasagna. I love Hershey’s Dark Chocolate pudding.
  • Cream Cheese – bring the cream cheese to room temperature first so it’s easier to incorporate with the other ingredients.
  • Powdered Sugar
  • Heavy Whipping Cream
  • Cool Whip – or homemade whipped cream if preferred.
  • Peppermint Extract – a little goes a long way, so start with less and add more to taste!
  • Andes Peppermint Chips
  • Chocolate Graham Crackers
  • Cool Whip and Hot Fudge Sauce – for the topping!

How to Make a Dessert Lasagna

This no-bake Christmas dessert is the perfect make-ahead recipe. Throw it together in no time, then go on with your other holiday responsibilities while it chills in the fridge!

Make the Filling

Prepare the pudding layer by combining pudding mix and milk then refrigerate it until it’s firm.

Make the cream cheese filling: In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until it’s fluffy and free of lumps. Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream and peppermint extrect and mix it up until it’s well combined. Fold in Cool Whip and peppermint chips until everything is well mixed.

Assemble

  • Line a 9×13″ baking dish with a layer of graham crackers.
  • Spread half the cream cheese mixture over top followed by half the pudding mixture.
  • Add another layer of graham crackers
  • Top with cream cheese mixture, then finish it off with the remaining pudding mixture.
  • Finish it off another container of Cool Whip. Garnish with peppermint chips, and hot fudge sauce.
  • Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.
side view of a slice of chocolate peppermint lasagna on a white tray

Don’t Forget These Tips

  • Go easy on the peppermint. When it comes to peppermint extract, a little bit goes a long way. I recommend starting with less and adding more to taste.
  • Use larger pieces of graham cracker. The larger pieces give the lasagna more structure. You will need some smaller pieces to fill in any gaps, but the bigger the better. If you need to cut them, use a serrated knife.
  • Rotate the crackers. In the second layer, turn the graham crackers so they’re not all facing the exact same way. This also helps add structure to the lasagna.
  • If you can’t find chocolate graham crackers, try using Oreos instead! These will have less structure, so you might have a harder time slicing.
  • Play around with toppings. You can’t go wrong with Cool Whip and hot fudge sauce, but you can definitely get creative. Try crushed Oreos, chocolate shavings, marshmallows, caramel, mini M&Ms, you name it. This would also be great topped with my chocolate whipped cream.
a slice of chocolate peppermint lasagna on a white serving platter

Can This Be Made Ahead of Time?

Absolutely! This actually gets better as it sits, so it makes the perfect make-ahead dessert. Simply assemble as directed but skip the toppings. Instead, cover and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to serve, add the garnish and dig in!

How to Store It

A finished dessert lasagna will last in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing it because it will become mushy and watery once thawed.

side view of Christmas dessert lasagna on a white platter
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closeup image of chocolate lasagna

Chocolate Peppermint Lasagna

  • Author: Julianne Dell
  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Chill Time: 2 hours
  • Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
  • Yield: 15 servings

Description

This No-Bake Chocolate Peppermint Lasagna is a rich, chocolaty dessert with layers of peppermint cream cheese filling and topped with cool whip.

Ingredients

For the Filling

  • 1 Box (3.4oz) Hershey’s Dark chocolate instant pudding mix
  • 2 cups cold milk
  • 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup heavy Whipping cream
  • 8 ounces (226g) Cool Whip, thawed
  • 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 1 1/2 cup Andes Peppermint Chips
  • 1 Box (14oz) Chocolate Graham Crackers

For the topping

  • 8 ounces (226g) Cool Whip, thawed
  • Hot fudge sauce for drizzling
  • Additional Andes Peppermint Chips for garnish 

Instructions

Prepare the filling

  1. Prepare the pudding by mixing the pudding mix with milk and whisking until well combined. Refrigerate for 10 minutes until firm.
  2. Prepare the cream cheese layer. Beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until fluffy and free of lumps. Add the powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream and peppermint extract and continue to beat on medium speed until well combined.
  3. Fold in one container of Cool Whip and peppermint chips and beat until all ingredients are well combined.

To Assemble

  1. To prepare the lasagna, line a 9×13 inch pan and with a layer of chocolate graham crackers. Place as many whole sheets of crackers as you can, and fill in the gaps by cutting the crackers as needed.
  2. Next, spread half of the cream cheese mixer over the graham crackers followed by half of the pudding mixture on top. Spread evenly.
  3. Add another layer of chocolate graham crackers in the middle, place them in the opposite direction as the first layer. Top with remaining cream cheese mixture followed by remaining pudding mixture.
  4. To finish it off, top with another container of Cool Whip, Andes Peppermint Chips and drizzle with warm hot fudge sauce. Chill for at least 2 hours, and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Notes

  • This is better the longer it sits, so feel free to prepare this up to 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 
  • Cool Whip can be substituted with homemade whipped cream
Nutrition Information:
1 slice
178
30.9g
86.4g
13.6g
33g
0.7g
3.9g
22.5mg
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Refrigerator
  • Cuisine: American

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