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This is easy, creamy Lush at its absolute finest. A buttery shortbread crust layered with creamy topping, thick chocolate pudding, and some cool whip (it doesn’t get better!).
Chocolate Lush Recipe
This is one of my favorite desserts from my childhood! It has a very simple buttery shortbread crust that bakes in 15 minutes. Then it is layered with a creamy cheesecake topping (divine), a thick pudding, and some cool whip. It is served cold and is somehow decadent and refreshing! I typically use chocolate pudding, but you can use any flavor of pudding you’d fancy. I recommend starting with pistachio, lemon, or coconut.
Ingredients
*You can find instructions and exact quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Crust:
- Salted butter – I use salted butter, but you can sub in unsalted butter if you’d prefer. If you make the swap, I recommend adding an extra pinch of salt to the crust.
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
Cream cheese layer:
- Cream cheese, softened
- Powdered sugar
- Whipped cream/frozen whipped topping, divided – You can use Cool Whip or make your own whipped cream.
Pudding layer:
- Instant chocolate pudding mixes (3.4 oz) – You can use any flavor of instant pudding you’d like.
- Milk – Use any type of milk you’d like.
How to make Chocolate Lush
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a stand mixer, combine the butter, flour, and sugar.
- Pack into the bottom of a greased 9×13 pan and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Allow the crust to cool completely.
- In a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in 8 oz of whipped topping until smooth. Spread onto the cooled crust.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk the pudding mixes with the milk until thick. Spread over the cream cheese layer.
- Top with remaining whipped topping and refrigerate until ready to serve.
How should I store Lush?
Once assembled, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Karli’s Kitchen Faves
Here are a few of my favorite kitchen tools that I used to make this recipe!
- Kitchenaid Mixer – I really love this thing. It’s not necessary for making good cookies, but I love the size of the bowl and the power. A Hand Mixer is also an excellent option for when you don’t want to mix things by hand.
- Spatula – I love these silicone spatulas for scraping down the sides of the mixer.
- Bowl – I love how giant these are! They’re perfect for mixing up the rice krispies.
- 9×13 pan – This is one of my fave pans! It stands the test of time, bakes evenly and washes well.
- Whisk – This is my very favorite silicone whisk. I love that it doesn’t scratch my bowls and it is slightly more flexible for cleaning.
Chocolate desserts you’ll love
Chocolate Lush
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup (222g) salted butter
- 2 cups (304g) all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp sugar
Cream cheese layer:
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup (107g) powdered sugar
- 16 oz whipped cream/frozen whipped topping, divided
Pudding layer:
- 2 (3.4 oz boxes) instant chocolate pudding mixes
- 2 ½ cups (590ml) milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a stand mixer, combine the butter, flour, and sugar.1 cup (222g) salted butter, 2 cups (304g) all-purpose flour, 2 Tbsp sugar
- Pack into the bottom of a greased 9×13 pan and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Allow the crust to cool completely.
- In a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in 8 oz of whipped topping until smooth. Spread onto the cooled crust.8 oz cream cheese, 1 cup (107g) powdered sugar, 16 oz whipped cream/frozen whipped topping, divided
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk the pudding mixes with the milk until thick. Spread over the cream cheese layer.2 (3.4 oz boxes) instant chocolate pudding mixes, 2 ½ cups (590ml) milk
- Top with remaining whipped topping and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Oh my goodness. I’ve had something real
Close to this recipe. Called it Sex In A Pan.
It’s to die for! Thank you for posting this. Haven’t had it in years!
Can you cut the recipe in half for a 8×8 pan?
Yes, that should work!
We put chopped pecans or walnuts in the crust layer. And, you’re right it disappears quickly at potlucks or family dinners. I haven’t tried it yet, but am considering trying peanuts or peanut butter in the crust with chocolate pudding filling.