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No-Bake Lemon Layer Dessert
Crushed cream-filled vanilla sandwich cookies pressed with melted butter form the base layer in a 13x9 freezer-safe dish. Above that sits a whipped cream cheese layer flavored with lemon zest and fresh juice, followed by lemon instant pudding made with whole milk, then a final layer of plain whipped heavy cream. No oven needed at any stage. The dessert sets in the refrigerator and slices into 12 portions. Budget about 5 hours total for chilling time.
Equipment
- Parchment paper
- Hand Mixer
Ingredients
- 1 (19.1-oz.) pkg. cream-filled vanilla sandwich cookies, crushed (about 4 ½ cups)
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 2 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
- 2 tsp. lemon zest plus 3 Tbsp. fresh juice
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, divided
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 (3.4-oz.) pkg. lemon instant pudding mix and pie filling
- 1. Coat a 13- x 9-inch freezer-safe baking dish with cooking spray, and line the dish with parchment paper.
Instructions
- 1Coat a 13- by 9-inch freezer-safe baking dish with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. Mix the crushed vanilla sandwich cookies and melted butter in a large bowl until well combined. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the dish. Pressing firmly ensures the crust won't crumble when sliced. Freeze for about 10 minutes until firm.
- 2Beat the softened cream cheese, lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and 1 1/4 cups of powdered sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer on high speed. Continue beating for about 3 minutes until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
- 3Whip the heavy cream and the remaining 1/4 cup of powdered sugar in a separate large bowl. Beat on high speed for about 2 minutes until stiff peaks form. Chilling your bowl and beaters beforehand helps the cream whip much faster.
- 4Gently fold 1 cup of the whipped cream into the fluffy cream cheese mixture. Spread this layer evenly over the chilled cookie crust and return the dish to the freezer for about 10 minutes to set.
- 5Whisk the whole milk and lemon instant pudding mix together in a large bowl for 2 to 4 minutes until smooth and thick. Pour the pudding over the cream cheese layer and chill for about 15 minutes until the pudding sets slightly.
- 6Spread the remaining whipped cream gently over the pudding layer. Cover the dish and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours until completely firm.
Notes
- Garnish: Top the chilled dessert with fresh lemon slices or a sprinkle of crushed cookies just before serving.
- Storage: Keep leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Assemble the entire dessert up to 24 hours in advance to let the layers fully set and the flavors meld.
Recipe Details
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