Chocolate Delight is the ultimate layered no-stress dessert for chocolate lovers! It starts with a soft baked cookie dough crust, then gets topped with a fluffy cream cheese layer, a smooth chocolate and white chocolate pudding layer, and a final cloud of Cool Whip with mini chocolate chips on top.
Not only is this dessert SO delicious, but we especially love how make-ahead friendly it is. Each layer is simple, but together they feel totally party-worthy, and it slices into perfect squares for potlucks, holidays, birthdays, and any time you need a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. If you love all things cool and chocolate-y, this dessert is the one to try!
If you love this recipe, be sure to try Chocolate Lasagna, Better Than Anything Cake, and Lemon Lasagna.
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- A time saver. This quick-prep treat comes together in a snap and can easily be made ahead of time and frozen for later!
- Make ahead friendly. Tastes even better after chilling.
- Easy layers that set. Pudding thickens quickly and the chilled layers stack and slice neatly.
- Perfect texture contrast. Cookie crust, creamy filling, and fluffy topping make every bite feel special.
Chocolate Delight Ingredients
- Chocolate chip cookie dough refrigerated (16 ounces): Creates a soft, slightly chewy crust for the base. Or use this Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe.
- Cream cheese softened (8 ounces): Forms a rich, creamy layer that balances the sweetness.
- Powdered sugar (1 cup): Sweetens and smooths the cream cheese layer.
- Cool Whip (16 ounces): Adds lightness and creates fluffy layers throughout the dessert. Or use Homemade Whipped Cream (our preference).
- Milk (3 cups): Helps the pudding set to the right consistency. We have found that whole milk makes a creamier pudding, but you can use 2%.
- Instant chocolate pudding (1 three point four ounce box): Adds rich chocolate flavor. It must be instant pudding mix; otherwise, they will not set correctly (trust us on this one!)
- Instant white chocolate pudding (1 three point four ounce box): Adds sweetness and balances the chocolate layer.
- Mini chocolate chips: Adds texture and a chocolatey finish on top. Or add chopped pecans, chopped chocolate candy such as Reese’s, Mini M&M’s, Eggless Cookie Dough bits, chocolate shavings, or a drizzle of Chocolate Syrup.
How to Make Chocolate Delight
PREP. Soften cookie dough on the counter (room temperature dough spreads easier). Preheat oven to 350°F.
COOKIE CRUST. When the dough is soft, gently spread it into a greased 9×13 baking pan. Bake for 14-18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.
CREAM CHEESE LAYER. In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in half of a tub of Cool Whip.
Spread the cream cheese mixture onto the cooled cookie base.
PUDDING LAYER. In a medium bowl, combine instant chocolate and instant white chocolate pudding with the cold milk.
Whisk until smooth. Let it set for about 2 minutes.
Spread the pudding mixture on top of the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until ready to serve (or for at least 30 minutes).
SERVE. Right before serving, spread the remaining whipped topping on top of the chocolate pudding layer and sprinkle the top with mini chocolate chips.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- The cookie layer must be completely cooled, or the heat will melt the other layers.
- Use softened cream cheese for a smooth, lump free layer.
- Chill long enough so layers set and slice cleanly.
- Spread layers gently to keep them even and neat.
- This dessert is best made ahead and stored in the fridge until serving.
- For the layers to set correctly, you must use INSTANT pudding mix.
- To cut neat slices, heat the blade of the knife in a bowl of hot water. Wipe the blade clean and reheat.
Chocolate Delight Dessert
Video
Ingredients
- 16 ounces chocolate chip cookie dough, refrigerated
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 16 ounces Cool Whip
- 3 cups milk
- 1 (3.4-ounce) box Instant chocolate pudding
- 1 (3.4-ounce) box Instant white chocolate pudding
- mini chocolate chips, for topping
Instructions
- Soften cookie dough on the counter (room temperature dough spreads easier).
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- When the dough is soft, gently spread it into a greased 9×13 baking pan. Bake for 14-18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix 8 ounces of cream cheese and 1 cup of powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in half of a 16-ounce tub of Cool Whip.
- Use an offset spatula and spread the cream cheese mixture onto the cooled crust.
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 (3.4-ounce) instant chocolate and 1 (3.4-ounce) instant white chocolate pudding with 3 cups of cold milk.
- Whisk until smooth. Let it set for about 2 minutes. Spread the pudding mixture on top of the cream cheese layer.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve (or for at least 30 minutes).
- Right before serving, spread remaining Cool Whip on top of the chocolate pudding layer and sprinkle the top with mini chocolate chips.
Notes
- The cookie layer must be completely cooled, or the heat will melt the other layers.
- Use softened cream cheese for a smooth, lump free layer.
- Chill long enough so layers set and slice cleanly.
- Spread layers gently to keep them even and neat.
- This dessert is best made ahead and stored in the fridge until serving.
- For the layers to set correctly, you must use INSTANT pudding mix.
- To cut neat slices, heat the blade of the knife in a bowl of hot water. Wipe the blade clean and reheat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or wrap it again with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving
More Like This
Layered Desserts
Chocolate Lasagna
1 hr 30 mins
White Chocolate Lasagna
10 mins
Lemon Lasagna
1 hr 10 mins
Pumpkin Lasagna
1 hr 20 mins
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Brownie Delight
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Oreo Peanut Butter Delight
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Peppermint Chocolate Delight
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Pumpkin Delight
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Collections
Recipe adapted from the Country Cook.
This recipe was originally published August 2015.
Can you use chips ahoy cookies and crush them and add butter and let it get firm instead of cookie dough?
Yes, you can do that, it will just give you more of a no bake crust instead of a soft cookie base!
If you use cookie dough should you spray the pan if you are using a tin foil pan or use parchment paper?
Parchment paper works the best in keeping the cookies base from sticking at all. If you don’t have that, then grease it well cooking spray.
So excited to make this for Memorial Day — can this be made a day ahead of time? Don’t want it to get soggy.
Hopefully, you went ahead and made this ahead of time; the cookie base should hold up just fine when made the day before.
I can’t wait to make this. Yummy
My new favorite dessert. I didn’t change a thing. Delicious !!!!!
I love this recipe and cannot wait for my mother and myself to make it this weekend. However, I have my fiance who would love to also enjoy this delicious confection but she doesn’t like cream cheese. Would I be able to substitute cream cheese for something else?
I have only used cream cheese in this recipe, but you could try sour cream or mascarpone. Not totally sure how it would taste/turn out. You’ll have to let us know how it does if you make the switch.
Cannot find white chocolate pudding. Should I use 2 pkgs of chocolate pudding mix?
You definitely could or vanilla 🙂
So easy and ridiculously good. Each of our kids makes a dessert for Thanksgiving. This has been our, now 12 yr old, son’s favorite to make the last 4 years.
It’s delicious and not too rich. We love it.
I love this!! How wonderful that your son is in the kitchen baking. So awesome. I’m glad you all love the recipe!
Oh my goodness, this was such a fantastic dessert! My faave!!
It’s one of my faves too! Glad you liked it!
This looks so delicious and tasty! Can’t wait to give this a try!
This was a huge hit in our home! Thanks for the tip about freezing it. I made two at once so we can have another one later. Great time saver!
I love saving time too! Glad you were able to make two at once. Cookies are always good to have on hand. 🙂
Very yummy and so easy to make
My husband requested this for his birthday and we all loved it!! We will be making this more often! Super easy!
These look awesome. Can’t wait to try them.
I hope you will 🙂 They are so good!
We have a Lot of favorite desserts. This is at the top. It has everything that we love!
This is an incredibly delicious dessert. Perfect for Arizona summers.
This is one of my favorite desserts!! Love the cookie bottom & chocolate layer!!
I love all the delicious layers!! They go so well together! I wonder how’d it taste with other pudding flavors?
This is Heavenly and super simple to make! Everyone enjoys this dessert too!
Made your Layered Pumpkin Dessert, Was the BEST thing ever. Everyone raved about it. Will be my Thanksgiving go to dessert from now on, no more pumpkin pies. I am going to try doing Banana pudding & sliced bananas next. (oh, I did add 1/2 c sugar to the crust recipee.
Awe, thank you so much!! Glad it was a hit!
Can you use the nestle cookie recipe? I am not a fan of refrigerator cookie dough. I would put in fridge after mixing
Of course 🙂 Enjoy!! You’ll love it!
Oh my, this for sure will delight my day if not week ;-).. So beautiful.
This looks so yummy!
I can’t wait to try this Cookie Delight. It looks similar to my Chocolate Torte: http://www.blogwithmom.com/2011/11/moms-chocolate-cream-torte-recipe/
Yummy!! Your recipe looks great. Thanks for stopping by. 😉
This is my favorite recipe, I make it all the time! One good friend actually got this recipe published in the taste of homes cookbook awhile ago. Here’s the link to view the original recipe
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chocolate-chip-cookie-delight
So fun that she got published!! It really is a great recipe. 🙂
I am the same way…I love having everyone home. Granted that is just my husband and I currently…but in two months that all changes! I bet I will be singing the same tune once we have all our kids and they are grown up!
And this dessert has everything I love about dessert..chocolate, ease and lots of layers!
Lots of layers and chocolate are ALWAYS a good idea!! 😀
This is so my kind of dessert!! I love layers of pudding too! Hope your sweet loves had a great day!
Thanks, Jaren!! You too!
You are such a wonderful mom for preferring having your kids home with you instead of in school. I have to say that we are all getting along better now that my oldest started school last week. We all love being together, but a little absence does make the heart grow fonder, especially for brothers apparently! I should celebrate the start of the new school year with this gorgeous dessert. Looks amazing!
It’s so true – my kids have been getting along nicer too. 😉 Thanks for stopping by and have a great day. 😉
Love this layered dessert! I don’t think I’d be able to share it 😉
Back to school is such a bittersweet moment. At least the kids will always have stories to tell you when they return home!
It really is delicious. Would love to know what you think if you give it a try. 😉
The school season is so bittersweet! 🙂 And, I love this recipe! So creative and easy!
Thank you, Michelle!! And yes, the school season is bittersweet! 😉
Ooo! This looks absolutely delightful! Loving each layer of sweetness!
Thanks, Anna! 😀
Oh my word! I am dying over this dessert! I could eat my weight in this 😉
You and me both – LOL!! 😉
I dropped my youngest off at college this past Tuesday 🙁 My hubby and I cried halfway home (she’s 5 1/2 hours away). The house is quiet, but we moved into in June so I’m enjoying decorating. Thanks for the recipe!!
So sorry, Crystal!! I’m sure that was so hard. Can’t imagine having one of the kids 5 1/2 hours away. Hopefully they will come back to visit often. Have fun decorating the new house, though – that’s always fun! 😀