Chocolate lush dessert recipe with a graham cracker crust is a creamy, rich, and decadent dessert.
Lush desserts are the perfect treat to bring to a party or potluck, to share around the holidays, or just to eat at home.
A Delicious Layered Dessert

We love comfort food around here, and layered desserts are one of our favorites.
I think this might qualify for some of the best comfort food out there.
I am eating a piece as I’m writing this post, and trust me, I’m feeling lots of comfort.
The recipe is a popular dessert and can be made in a variety of flavors. It’s perfect for special occasions, backyard barbecues, or dessert after dinner.
I made this chocolate lush dessert yesterday and gave a piece to my husband after dinner. He thought it might actually be one of the best desserts he’s tasted.
That’s a big statement, and I’m kinda feeling the same way.
Plus, it’s an easy dessert to make. And I love easy recipes.
The original recipe for Chocolate layer dessert with homemade whipped cream actually called for a flour and butter crust.
That seemed kind of boring to me, so I thought a graham cracker crust would do the trick and taste better.
After all, you can’t go wrong with butter and crushed graham crackers.

What Ingredients Are Needed To Make The Chocolate Lush Dessert with Graham Cracker Crust?
- Butter (melted)
- Graham crackers (crushed)
- Cream cheese (softened)
- Whipped topping (thawed)
- Powdered sugar
- Instant chocolate pudding
- Milk
- Heavy whipping cream
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Hershey candy bar (chopped)
- Pecans (chopped)
Full printable recipe with measurements and instructions at the bottom of the post

Step-by-Step Instructions
Bottom Layer – Graham Cracker Crust

Start by crushing a sleeve of Graham crackers in a Ziplock bag into fine crumbs.
I got my graham crackers at Aldi’s, and the sleeve comes with nine crackers. But, if you only have a sleeve of eight, that will still be plenty.

Melt the butter in the microwave.
I go on and melt the butter in the casserole dish so I won’t dirty up another dish. Just make sure yours is microwave safe.
Add the graham crackers to the melted butter and mix the two ingredients.
Press the butter-covered graham crackers into the bottom of the casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes, or until the graham crackers begin to turn golden.
Cream Cheese Layer

In a separate large bowl, add the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Mix until the two are blended and creamy.

Next, add the whipped topping to the cream cheese mixture and blend well. Spread it over the cooled graham crackers.
For this step, I used Cool Whip. I bought it frozen and let it thaw before adding it to the mixing bowl.
This is lookin’ so good.
Chocolate Pudding Layer

In another large mixing bowl, add the instant chocolate pudding and milk. Stir with a whisk until the pudding is thick.
You can switch out pudding flavors in this recipe. If you don’t want the chocolate version, you can try butterscotch, vanilla, or whatever favorite flavor you choose.

Spread the chocolate pudding on top of the cream cheese layer.
Whipped Cream Top Layer

Next, add the whipping cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar to a medium-sized bowl and whip until peaks begin to form.
If you’ve never whipped cream before, it can take a couple of minutes to stiffen. I thought I had a bad batch, but it started to stiffen after a couple of minutes.

Spread the homemade whipped cream on top of the chocolate layer.

Chop up a Hershey’s bar and sprinkle it on top of the dessert.
Optional Toppings
- Heath bar
- Snickers
- Twix
- Chocolate syrup
- Sprinkles
- Oreo cookies

Sprinkle the pecans on top, and you’re done!
Place the chocolate lush dessert in the refrigerator for a couple of hours so it will be easier to cut and serve (not like that would stop me from spooning some out first – yum)!
How To Store Chocolate Lush
Store the chocolate lush dessert in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap.
The dessert needs to be refrigerated and cannot be kept at room temperature.

More Delicious Desserts
- No bake chocolate cream pie recipe is a great dish for serving at parties. With a few easy steps, you have a rich and creamy dessert. No bake desserts are great for summertime when you don’t want to heat up the oven.
- Lemon cream pie is another favorite dessert that is easy to make and turns out sweet and creamy.
- Butterscotch lush dessert is a sweet treat filled with creamy layers.
- Icebox cake is perfect for summer or winter and is an easy recipe to make. The recipe features layers of graham crackers, pudding, whipped topping, and fruit.
- No bake peanut butter lasagna from The Best Blog Recipes is filled with layers of cookies, pudding, and whipped topping.

Chocolate Lush Dessert Recipe
Get the recipe for this chocolate lovers dream below.
It’s the perfect combination with rich layers of chocolate and whipped cream. And if you are a chocolate fan, I promise you will love it.

Chocolate Layer Dessert with Homemade Whipped Cream
Chocolate layer dessert with homemade whipped cream, a graham cracker crust, chocolate pudding, and cream cheese is a delicious recipe. The easy recipe is the perfect dish for a party, the holidays, or for dessert at home.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1/2 cup butter (melted)
- 1 sleeve graham crackers (crushed)
Cream Cheese Layer
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 8 ounces container whipped topping (thawed)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Chocolate Pudding Layer
- 5.9 ounce package instant pudding
- 2-1/2 cups cold milk
Whipped Cream Layer
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Toppings
- 1.55 ounce Hershey's candy bar (chopped)
- 1/3 cup pecans (chopped)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
Graham Cracker Layer
- Melt the butter in the 8" x 8" casserole dish in the microwave. Add the crushed graham crackers to the butter. Mix and press into the bottom of the dish.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes and allow it to cool.
Cream Cheese Layer
- Mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar with a mixer. Add the whipped topping (Cool Whip) and blend in.
- Spread on top of the cooled graham crackers.
Chocolate Pudding Layer
- Add the instant pudding mix and milk to a medium-sized bowl and mix well until pudding is thick.
- Spread over cream cheese mixture.
Whipped Cream Layer
- Add the heavy whipping cream to a medium-sized bowl. Next, add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until peaks form.
- Spread over chocolate layer.
Toppings
- Chop up Hershey bar and pecans.
- Sprinkle over dessert.
- Refrigerate for at least two hours to firm up.
Notes
If you melt the butter in the casserole dish, make sure it's microwave safe.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 pieceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 409Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 219mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 5g
Nutrition is approximate.
Dena palys
Tuesday 31st of January 2023
Hi, I don’t like instant pudding, can you use regular pudding in this recipe?
Julie Pollitt
Tuesday 31st of January 2023
Hi Dena,
You can, but you would have to make it ahead of time to let it set up. I hope you enjoy it!
Linda
Thursday 10th of November 2022
I guess you can make this the night before? :)
Julie Pollitt
Thursday 10th of November 2022
You can. It will keep well in the fridge. I would have hard time not eating it! ;)
Vendy
Monday 24th of October 2022
This did not fit in an 8x8 pan. I followed the amounts in the recipe. Even though I had to move it to a 9x13 and it looks a bit rough, I am sure it'll taste great!
Julie Pollitt
Tuesday 25th of October 2022
Hi Vendy, it's tight in my pan and overflowing. But, adding it to the 9x13 works too. And you're right, it tastes great no matter how it comes out! I am a bit addicted to this recipe and have a hard time stopping at one piece!
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