Chocolate Delight Recipe (No-Bake, Make-Ahead)

Name: Chocolate Delight Is the Easy No-Bake Dessert You Need To Make
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 270 min
Ingredients: Nonstick cooking spray; 20 chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos; 1 pinch kosher salt; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature; 2/3 cup (75g) powdered sugar; 1 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 cup cold heavy cream; 2 1/2 cups cold whole milk; 1 (5.9-ounce) box instant chocolate pudding mix; 1 cup cold heavy cream; 1/4 cup (28g) powdered sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; Chocolate shavings, for garnish, optional

Layered dessert squares with chocolate cream and a cookie base topped with chocolate shavings — Simply Recipes / Michaela Kozaric Sebrek

For the uninitiated, a “delight” is a no-bake, layered dessert that consists of a cookie crumb crust, a cream cheese layer, some pudding, and a whipped cream topping. After one bite, it’ll become very clear why “delight” is a perfect name for this dessert.

While delights come in as many flavors as you can imagine, this chocolate rendition is a dream for chocolate lovers and sweet tooths alike. As a chocolate fanatic myself, while developing my own version, I wanted to make sure this dessert was as chocolatey as possible while still capturing the creamy lightness that makes a good delight, well, delightful.

Layered dessert with chocolate whipped cream and cookie crust topped with chocolate shavings — Simply Recipes / Michaela Kozaric Sebrek

How I Layer My Chocolate Delight

Rather than a more classic graham cracker crust, I opt for an Oreo cookie crust here for extra chocolate flavor. An airy cream cheese layer, with its subtle tang and creamy color, is the perfect contrast against a layer of richly-hued, decadent chocolate pudding.

Finished with a billowy layer of whipped cream and lots of chocolate shavings to boot, this no-bake dessert is lush, creamy, and a true crowd-pleaser. Plus, you can make it ahead.

Tips and Tricks for Making This Chocolate Delight

No food processor? No problem: Instead of using a food processor, the crust can be made by crushing the cookies to fine crumbs in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin, then stirring the crumbs together with the melted butter and salt in a medium bowl.
Less milk makes a thicker pudding: This recipe uses a lower amount of milk for the pudding than usual to yield a slightly more set texture that makes for cleaner slicing.
Save a bowl: The cream cheese layer and whipped cream can be made in the same mixer bowl without needing to clean it in between.
Topping from a tub: The whipped cream on top can be substituted with 2 cups of prepared whipped topping, such as Cool Whip.
A cookie garnish: You can swap the chocolate shavings on top for crushed Oreos, if you prefer.

A layered chocolate dessert topped with chocolate curls on a plate a fork beside it — Simply Recipes / Michaela Kozaric Sebrek

Chocolate Delight

Prep Time 30 mins

Chilling Time 4 hrs

Total Time 4 hrs 30 mins

Servings 16 servings

Yield 1 (8x8) dessert

If you can’t find a family-sized 5.9-ounce pudding mix, buy two 3.9-ounce mixes, using all of one box and half of the other. Use the leftover mix to make pudding another day by combining with 1 cup of milk.

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

For the crust

Nonstick cooking spray
20 chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos
1 pinch kosher salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the fillings

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup (75g) powdered sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup cold heavy cream
2 1/2 cups cold whole milk
1 (5.9-ounce) box instant chocolate pudding mix

For the topping

1 cup cold heavy cream
1/4 cup (28g) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate shavings, for garnish, optional

Prepare the pan:

Spray an 8-inch square baking pan or dish with nonstick cooking spray and line it with two perpendicular sheets of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all the sides.
Make the crust:

In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, process the cookies and salt until the cookies are finely ground, about 1 minute. Add the melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are evenly moistened, scraping the bowl down as needed. The mixture should be loose but clump together when squeezed.

Scrape the crust mixture into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Use a flat-bottomed measuring cup to press the crust firmly into the bottom of the pan. Transfer the crust to the refrigerator to firm up while you make the cream cheese layer.

Simply Recipes / Michaela Kozaric Sebrek
Make the cream cheese layer:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer), combine the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. With the mixer running on low speed, stream in the cold heavy cream until all of the ingredients are just combined, about 30 seconds.

Increase the speed to medium and continue to whip until thickened, about 1 minute, stopping and scraping the bowl as needed. Increase the speed to high and whip until smooth and the cream holds a stiff peak, 1 to 2 minutes.

Scrape the cream cheese mixture over the chilled crust and smooth into an even layer. Return the pan to the fridge while you make the pudding.

Simply Recipes / Michaela Kozaric Sebrek

Simply Recipes / Michaela Kozaric Sebrek
Make the pudding layer:

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the milk and pudding mix until the mix is dissolved and the pudding is just thickened. Smooth the pudding into an even layer over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate while you make the whipped cream topping.

Simply Recipes / Michaela Kozaric Sebrek

Simply Recipes / Michaela Kozaric Sebrek
Make the whipped cream topping:

In the now-empty stand mixer bowl, add the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Whip on medium-high speed until the cream just reaches stiff peaks, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Spread the whipped cream into an even layer over the pudding.

Simply Recipes / Michaela Kozaric Sebrek

Simply Recipes / Michaela Kozaric Sebrek
Chill, then serve:

Refrigerate the delight until set and well chilled, at least 4 hours or ideally overnight. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap if refrigerating overnight.

When ready to serve, top the delight with chocolate shavings as desired. Use the overhanging parchment to transfer the delight to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut it into 16 servings.

Leftover delight can be stored in the pan, tightly wrapped with plastic wrap, or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
323	Calories
21g	Fat
30g	Carbs
4g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories	323
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g	27%
Saturated Fat 12g	61%
Cholesterol 52mg	17%
Sodium 320mg	14%
Total Carbohydrate 30g	11%
Dietary Fiber 1g	3%
Total Sugars 22g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg	1%
Calcium 80mg	6%
Iron 1mg	6%
Potassium 147mg	3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.