Lush Dessert

This layered dessert is so easy, too easy for how incredible and decadent it is. Buttery shortbread crust, topped with a no-bake cheesecake layer and a chocolate pudding layer, ending with a thick, fluffy layer of whipped topping. Every time I make this decadent dessert, it disappears! 

Why I love this recipe for Lush Dessert

Lush and I go way back. The mother of a friend of mine, whom I have lost touch with over the years, used to make this dessert. I loved it so much! The first time I had it was at her house. I asked for another piece twice. I know, oink. Unfortunately, I lost the recipe and was too lazy to track my old friend down, so I had to recreate it from memory, which wasn’t too hard. Except for several pans of Lush dessert later, my jeans were a teensy bit tight. For this labor of love, it was worth it! I used my grandma’s almond snowball cookie recipe for the crust. I remembered thinking the crust tasted like my Grandma’s Almond Snowball Cookies. And from there, I built the different layers. This dessert is perfect for a potluck or a special dinner. You can make this dessert a day ahead. If you are entertaining, it’s always a bonus to be able to prepare ahead of time! I am salivating more than a St. Bernard right now. Let’s get to making this dessert!

Gather these ingredients

How to make Lush Dessert

Pulse almonds in a food processor to grind them. Combine ground almonds with flour, 1 cup butter, powdered sugar, and salt. The crust will be crumbly but should stick together when pinched. Pour into an ungreased 9×13″ cake pan and press evenly into the bottom of the pan.

Place the crust layer in a preheated 350-degree oven. Bake for 15 minutes, remove, and let cool.

Combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract. With a whisk, gradually add heavy cream to the cream cheese mixture, whipping until fluffy. When the crust is cool, spread the cream cheese filling in an even layer over the crust layer.

Mix the instant chocolate pudding mix with cold milk and whip until thick. Spread the pudding layer evenly on top of the cream cheese layer.

Next layer: add 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream to a mixing bowl and whip with the whisk attachment. Gradually add sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Spread this last layer over the chocolate pudding layer. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours before serving. You can make lush dessert up to 24 hours in advance.

Lush is still one of my all-time favorite desserts after all these years! It’s extremely easy to make, and of course, it’s a favorite of chocolate lovers and non-chocolate lovers. (See alternative flavors below.) If it’s your first time making a layered dessert, you will dirty a few extra dishes, but it is worth it. Warning: You will be asked to bring this to all the summer picnics and family gatherings for the rest of your life! 

Tips & Variations

• Allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature before mixing with the other ingredients. If you don’t have the time, you can start with cold cream cheese; it will have to be beaten a bit longer.
• When you add butter to the crust ingredients, it should be soft. It is OK if you need to melt butter in the microwave, but only until it’s soft, not until it’s fully liquid.
• Pudding layer: Cook’ n serve pudding mix can also be used if that is what you have on hand. I have made my own chocolate pudding recipe from scratch, which I use for my chocolate pie. You can find that recipe here.
• Variety of flavors: The best part of this creamy dessert is that if you are not a chocolate lover, you can easily adapt it to your taste by switching out the pudding layer. Use lemon pudding to make Lemon Lush Dessert, or pistachio pudding or butterscotch pudding. The sky is the limit with this easy recipe.
• For those with nut allergies, Leave out the ground almonds and add an additional 1/2 cup of flour to the buttery crust layer.
• Garnish: I like to sprinkle the top of my chocolate lush dessert with sliced almonds or mini chocolate chips. If it’s a birthday dessert, you could even sprinkle the top with multicolored sprinkles.
• Airtight container: If you have a baking dish with a cover, this is perfect. Of course, you can use plastic wrap, but it will stick to the whipped topping layer. A covered dish works much better.

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do. Please SHARE it on your socials, PIN it, and rate it in the recipe card below. I appreciate you being here. I hope to make connecting with those you love around the table easier and more enjoyable one recipe a time! XO, Sheila