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!
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.
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.
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.
Chocolate Peppermint Lasagna
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Chill Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 15 servings
- Category: Cake
- Method: Refrigerator
- Cuisine: American
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
- Prepare the pudding by mixing the pudding mix with milk and whisking until well combined. Refrigerate for 10 minutes until firm.
- 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.
- Fold in one container of Cool Whip and peppermint chips and beat until all ingredients are well combined.
To Assemble
- 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.
- Next, spread half of the cream cheese mixer over the graham crackers followed by half of the pudding mixture on top. Spread evenly.
- 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.
- 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
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 178
- Sugar: 30.9g
- Sodium: 86.4g
- Fat: 13.6g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Fiber: 0.7g
- Protein: 3.9g
- Cholesterol: 22.5mg
This looks really good. I think I’ll try it as a trifle
It’s extremely hard to find the chocolate graham crackers so I improvised with Nabisco Famous Chicolate Wafers. I used 2.5 boxes for the recipe because I doubled them up to make them thicker like graham crackers! Turned out delish!
Does it matter if you use a glass, metal or ceramic baking dish? Does it set any different ?
I was wondering if this chocolate lasagna can be made the day before serving .
Thanks, Lynn
Absolutely Lynn! And it will keep for up to 3 days!
Are the graham crackers chocolate or chocolate covered? also where can you find the andes peppermnt chips, and also the chocolate graham crachers if they are not the chocolate covered.
Hi Doris. I found Chocolate flavored graham crackers at my local grocery store. I did not use the chocolate covered graham crackers. The Peppermint chips are usually found with the chocolate chips, but sometimes this can be a seasonal item that is only carried from the end of November through Christmas. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions!
Are these chocolate covered graham crackers or chocolate graham crackers? If the latter, where do you find them, also where do you find the Andes peppermint chips?
I’m making this for Xmas eve! Quick question – what size containers of cool whip are you using?
Hi Danielle- I am using 2 8oz containers. I will add that information into the recipe! Please come back and let me know how it turns out!
Hi Danielle- 8oz containers! I just updated the recipe to eliminate any confusion. thank you!