This Four Layer Dessert is one of our family favorites with its buttery nutty crust, tangy sweetened cream cheese, and rich chocolate pudding!
Four Layer Dessert is one of my family’s favorites. My mom makes it a lot and my dad, sister and I, along with our husbands, kids just devour it whenever she makes it.Our family likes the chocolate version of Four Layer Dessert, but you can substitute the pudding layer for just about anything, including lemon pudding or curd, cherry pie filling, blueberry pie filling, or whatever flavor you really like. I hope you enjoy this simple recipe as much as we do!
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Four Layer Dessert
Ingredients
- 1st Layer:
- 1 stick butter softened
- 1 ¼ cups flour
- ½ cup pecans finely chopped
- 2nd Layer:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 3rd Layer:
- 1 pkg instant chocolate pudding
- 1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 ½ cups milk
- 4th Layer:
- 1 container Cool Whip
- ½ cup pecans finely chopped
Instructions
- Blend together 1st layer ingredients and press into an ungreased 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Cream together 2nd mixture and spread onto cooled crust.
- Mix together 3rd layer ingredients and spread on next.
- Top with Cool Whip and sprinkle with chopped pecans.
- Variations:
- Coconut Layer dessert: use 2 instant coconut cream pudding mixes as filling layer. Top with whipped cream and ½ cup flaked coconut, toasted.
- Cherry Layer dessert: use 2 cans cherry pie filling as a layer. Top as usual.
I’m Jennifer Locklin, author and owner of Jennifer Cooks. I am a trained chef and passionate about good food, cooking for family and friends, and creating recipes that form lasting memories from one generation to the next.
Why do you add vanilla pudding and not use two chocolate puddings? I’ve made this before but couldn’t find my recipe and yours is what I remember except the two different types of puddings.
I make it that way because that’s always how my momma makes it. You can certainly use two chocolate pudding mixes if that’s how you like it.