Chocolate Peppermint Lasagna: The No-Bake Holiday Dessert Everyone Will Love

Chocolate Peppermint Lasagna, Easy No Bake Christmas Dessert

Chocolate Peppermint Lasagna is the no bake Christmas dessert I make every December without fail. It comes together in about 20 minutes, then it waits in the fridge until you are ready to serve. No oven, no stress, and no hot kitchen while the rest of your holiday baking is going on.

The name sounds fancy, but the idea is simple. You build four easy layers in one 9 x 13 inch dish, and every single one of them earns its place.

• A chocolatey Oreo cookie crust pressed into the bottom of the dish
• A fluffy candy cane peppermint cheesecake layer
• A silky chocolate pudding layer
• A whipped topping finish with crushed candy canes scattered on top

Crushed candy canes do double duty here. They add peppermint flavor to the cheesecake layer, and they give the top a festive look that makes people think you spent all afternoon in the kitchen. You did not. You spent 20 minutes.

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This is the dessert I bring to holiday dinners, potlucks, get togethers, and parties, and it always disappears first. It is rich, chocolatey, and cold, which is exactly what you want after a heavy holiday meal.

If you are feeding a crowd, this is a great choice. The dish is big, the flavors are familiar, and you can make the whole thing a full day ahead. It travels well too, so it works for a potluck or a party across town.

Make it the day before and pull it from the fridge when the guests arrive. That is the whole trick.

Easy No Bake Layered Christmas Dessert

This dessert lasagna grew out of an old Candy Cane Pie recipe I loved. I wanted those same cool, minty flavors in a bigger dish that feeds a crowd, so the layers grew into a lasagna.

No bake dessert lasagnas are one of my favorite things to make in December. You can put one together in less than half an hour, and there is nothing to stir on the stove or watch in the oven.

That matters during the holidays. When the oven is booked solid with cookies, cakes, and dinner rolls, a Christmas dessert that needs zero baking keeps the schedule sane. You will have your oven free for everything else.

You also get a dessert that tastes even better after a night in the fridge. The Oreo crust softens just a little, the peppermint cheesecake firms up, and the layers slice cleanly.

One more bonus. Because you are not baking, there is no risk of a dry cake or a cracked cheesecake. You layer, chill, and serve.

No Bake Chocolate Peppermint Lasagna

Before this one, Hot Chocolate Lasagna was my favorite layered dessert. It is still wonderful, but candy canes changed everything. The peppermint twist makes it feel like Christmas on a plate.

Every layer matters. The Oreo cookie crust gives you a chocolate base with a little crunch. The chocolate pudding layer is smooth and deep. The whipped topping is light enough to balance all that richness. And the fluffy peppermint cheesecake layer in the middle ties it together with that cool mint flavor.

Then come the crunchy candy cane pieces on top. They add texture, color, and one last hit of peppermint.

Best of all, you can make it ahead of time. I assemble mine the day before, keep it in the fridge, and take it out just in time to serve holiday guests. Less work on the day itself, more time with the people at your table.

It is also very forgiving. If your layers are not perfectly even, nobody at the party will ever notice.

How To Make Chocolate Peppermint Lasagna

Here is the whole dessert, step by step. Nothing needs heat, and nothing here is fussy.

Start with the crust. In a food processor, grind 36 whole Oreo cookies with their filling. Add 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter and whisk with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch dish, then place it in the fridge or the freezer.

Crush the candy canes. Unwrap them, place them in a zip lock bag, and crush them with a rolling pin into coarse pieces. Coarse is what you want here. Fine dust disappears into the layers.

Make the peppermint cheesecake layer. Beat 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter, 12 ounces of room temperature brick style cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon peppermint extract until smooth. Mix in 1 1/2 cups stabilized whipped topping.

Scrape down the bottom of the bowl with a spatula so everything is truly smooth, then mix in 1/2 cup of the crushed candy canes. The candy canes tint the mixture a light pink.

Add a few drops of red or pink food coloring if you want a deeper color.

Layer it up. Spread the peppermint cheesecake mixture over the chilled crust and put the dish back in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the chocolate pudding. Whisk two 3.9 ounce packages of instant chocolate pudding with 2 3/4 cups whole milk until it starts to thicken. Spread it over the peppermint cheesecake layer, then refrigerate until the pudding has set.

Finish and chill. Spread the whipped topping over the pudding layer. Then chill the whole dish for at least 5 hours, and overnight if you have the time. Sprinkle the remaining crushed candy canes on top just before serving, because they can melt if they sit on the whipped cream too long. Store leftovers in the fridge.

Craving For More Christmas Dessert? Check this Awesome Christmas Cake!

If you want one more showstopper on the holiday table, try a Christmas Cranberry Pound Cake. It is tender, full of tart cranberries, and finished with a sweet glaze that makes it look like it came from a bakery.

A few more festive desserts worth a look:

• Candy Cane Pie
• Christmas Lasagna
• Peppermint Crunch Sugar Cookies
• Strawberry Shortcake Smoothie

Ingredients

Oreo Crust

• 36 Oreo cookies
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Peppermint Cheesecake Layer

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 12 ounces brick style cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 1/2 cups stabilized whipped topping, such as Cool Whip
• 1/2 cup crushed candy canes

Chocolate Pudding Layer

• 2 packages instant chocolate pudding, 3.9 ounces each
• 2 3/4 cups whole milk

Topping

• 2 1/2 cups whipped topping
• 1/4 cup crushed candy canes

Instructions

1. Make the crust. In a food processor, grind whole Oreo cookies with the filling. Add the melted butter and whisk with a fork until evenly moistened. Press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch dish and place in the fridge or freezer.
2. Crush the candy canes. Unwrap them, place them in a zip lock bag, and crush with a rolling pin into coarse pieces.
3. Beat the cheesecake layer. Beat the softened butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract until smooth.
4. Add the whipped topping. Mix in the whipped topping, then scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula so the mixture is completely smooth.
5. Fold in the candy canes. Mix in the candy cane pieces last. They give the mixture a light pink color. Add a few drops of red or pink food coloring if you want a deeper color.
6. Chill the layer. Spread the mixture over the chilled crust and freeze for 10 to 15 minutes.
7. Add the pudding. Whisk two 3.9 ounce packages of instant chocolate pudding with 2 3/4 cups milk until it starts to thicken, then spread it over the peppermint cheesecake layer.
8. Set the pudding. Refrigerate until the pudding has set.
9. Add the topping. Spread the whipped topping over the pudding layer.
10. Chill. Chill at least 5 hours before serving, preferably overnight.
11. Finish. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top just before serving, because they can melt if they sit on the whipped cream too long.
12. Store. Keep the dessert in the fridge.

One small note on the topping layer. The recipe card lists 2 1/2 cups whipped topping, while the written method mentions 3 cups. Either amount covers the pudding layer nicely, so use what you have on hand.

Recipe details

The recipe card lists a prep time of 20 minutes and a total time of 6 hours, which includes all of the chilling.

Most of that 6 hours is hands off time in the fridge, so the active work stays close to 20 minutes.

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Chocolate Peppermint Lasagna, Easy No Bake Christmas Dessert Chocolate Peppermint Lasagna is the no bake Christmas dessert I make every December without fail. It comes together in about 20 minutes, then it waits in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

• Total Time: 360 min

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Oreo Crust
36 Oreo cookies
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Peppermint Cheesecake Layer
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
12 oz. brisk style cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups stabilized whipped topping (like Cool Whip)
1/2 cup crushed candy canes

Chocolate Pudding Layer
2 instant chocolate pudding, 3.9 oz. packages
2 3/4 cups whole milk

Topping
2 1/2 cups whipped topping
1/4 cup crushed candy canes

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Instructions

1-In a food processor, ground whole Oreo: In a food processor, ground whole Oreo cookies with the filling, add melted butter, whisk with the fork until evenly moistened and press into the bottom of 9 x 13 inches dish. Place in the fridge or freezer.
2-Unwrap candy canes, place them in a: Unwrap candy canes, place them in a zip-lock bag and crush them with a rolling pin onto coarse pieces.
3-Beat softened butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar: Beat softened butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla and peppermint extract until smooth. Mix in whipped topping. Scrape down the bottom of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is smooth. Finally mix in candy cane pieces. The mixture will get light pink colour from candy canes. If you want more intense colour add a few drops of red or pink food colour.
4-Spread the mixture over chilled crust and: Spread the mixture over chilled crust and place back in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.
5-Whisk two packages of 3: Whisk two packages of 3.9 oz. instant chocolate pudding with 2 ¾ cups milk until it starts to thicken, then spread over the peppermint cheesecake layer. Place in the fridge until the pudding has set, then spread 3 cups of whipped topping over the pudding layer. Chill at least 5 hours before serving, or preferably overnight. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top just before serving, because they might melt if stays too long onto whipped cream.
6-Store in the fridge: Store in the fridge.

Last Step:

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• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 0 min
• Method: no-bake