Mmmmmmmm... Chocolate Lasagna
This is for YOU, the chocolate lover out there who is looking
for a chocolate-y treat that is actually quite light! Chocolate Lasagna
is a dessert you don’t want to miss!
You will begin with the crust which
consists of crushed Oreos mixed with a little butter. You will want to
use regular Oreos versus the Double Stuff variety and you’ll need all 36
cookies that come in a typical package of Oreos (minus the 1 or 2 or 3
that you are obligated to sample before crushing them…).
After
pressing the cookie/butter mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan,
you’ll get working on the layers! What I love about this recipe is that
the layers are actually quite light. Maybe not in calories, but this
dessert will NOT sit in your stomach like a brick like some desserts!
The
first layer is a white layer which consists of cream cheese that you’ve
whipped until fluffy, sugar, a little milk, and some Cool Whip. Not
whipped cream, Cool Whip! Once that’s spread over the chocolate-y Oreo
crust, you’ll prep the chocolate layer!
The
chocolate layer is simply chocolate pudding. Seriously, how easy is
that? You will need two boxes of chocolate instant pudding. Make sure
it’s instant pudding guys, and not the cook and serve variety. I didn’t
realize that I had bought the cook and serve kind, so I sat there
whisking and whisking…. and whisking the mixture waiting for it to
thicken up and it never did. Then I realized what I had done and had to
make an emergency trip to the grocery store to buy instant pudding!
At
any rate, once the pudding has thickened up a bit, you’ll spread it
over the white layer. Yum yum. At this point, let it rest for about five
minutes before continuing on to the next step.
The
very last layer is simply a little more Cool Whip that you’ll spread
over the top. Because this is Chocolate Lasagna, I figured I’d throw in
just a bit more chocolate to complete the experience of Chocolate
Lasagna, so I sprinkled a bunch of mini chocolate chips on top. It was
the perfect addition!
If you’re familiar with the Chocolate
Lasagna that Olive Garden serves (served? I hear they no longer sell
it), this is nothing like it. Their layers were more cake-like while
this Chocolate Lasagna is just light and fluffy layers of pudding, and
Cool Whip with a little cream cheese mixed in.
We really loved
this Chocolate Lasagna. Each layer complimented the next just perfectly!
And, it makes a big 9 x 13 inch pan so that you will have plenty for
sharing. Oh, and did I mention that it’s a no-bake treat? I love it when
I come across a fantastic treat that requires no oven! Enjoy!
Prep: 20mn
Total: 1hr 20mn
Cook: N/A
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
- Begin
by crushing 36 Oreo cookies. I used my food processor for this, but you
could also place them in a large ziplock bag and crush them with a
rolling pin. When the Oreos have turned into fine crumbs, you are done.
- Transfer
the Oreo crumbs to a large bowl. Stir in 6 tablespoons melted butter
and use a fork to incorporate the butter into the cookie crumbs. When
the butter is distributed, transfer the mixture to a 9 x 13 inch baking
dish. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in the
refrigerator while you work on the additional layers.
- Mix the
cream cheese with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add in 2 Tablespoons
of milk, and sugar, and mix well. Stir in 1 and 1/4 cups Cool Whip.
Spread this mixture over the crust.
- In a bowl, combine chocolate
instant pudding with 3 and 1/4 cups cold milk. Whisk for several
minutes until the pudding starts to thicken. Use a spatula to spread the
mixture over the previous cream cheese layer. Allow the dessert to rest
for about 5 minutes so that the pudding can firm up further.
- Spread
the remaining Cool Whip over the top. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips
evenly over the top. Place in the freezer for 1 hour, or the
refrigerator for 4 hours before serving.
