Ultimate Peanut Butter Lasagna

One slice of this peanut butter lasagna is never enough! This chocolate and peanut butter lover’s dream is light, creamy and simply delicious. It is an easy no bake dessert that everyone can make!

An Easy No-Bake Dessert Lasagna

This is a fun no-bake dessert I like to whip up for potlucks, cookouts, and summer birthday parties! It’s like a mix between my chocolate lasagna and Oreo peanut butter pie.

This dessert starts with a bottom Oreo crust which is then layered with a creamy, fluffy peanut butter layer, followed by a rich chocolate pudding layer, and finally a whipped topping. Then just for kicks, I like to add even more decadence with a topping of peanut butter cups and hot fudge! 

Why We Love This Recipe

1. It’s easy! The individual layers probably look way harder than they are! They are super simple on their own and come together so easily.
2. Make ahead. When it comes to entertaining, having a dessert prepped and ready to go the day of can make a world of difference! 
3. No bake. Serve chilled, so never need to wait to warm up. Eat it straight out of the fridge!
4. Delicious! The nutty flavor in this recipe is quite delicate and not overwhelming. The sweetness of the chocolate and cool whip balance it out and it’s just a big slice of heaven.

What’s in Each Layer?

This dessert lasagna is made with 4 delicious layers. Check them out below.

The Oreo Crust

 A base made with Oreo cookies, keeping the cream intact as it acts as a binder. You’ll also need unsalted butter, melted to help bring the cookie crumbs together.

Peanut Butter Layer

The first layer is made with softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter, and cool whip. Bring the cream cheese to room temperature ahead of time so that it creams easily. Here are some tips on how to soften cream cheese if you need them. The powdered sugar adds sweetness without any granules and also helps as a stabilizer.  Use commercial smooth nut butter as the natural kind will separate and won’t hold as well. 

The Chocolate Layer

The second layer consists of just 2 ingredients. Dry chocolate instant pudding and cold milk. In the end, you’ll have a delicious pudding, so feel free to make extra!

The Topping!

It’s a layer of cool whip. Remember to thaw it ahead of time! If you’re interested in learning how to make cool whip for this and other desserts, I highly recommend trying it!

For optional added yumminess, top your dessert lasagna with some Mini Reese’s cups, Peanut butter chips, mini chocolate chips, melted peanut butter drizzle, or chocolate syrup.

How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Lasagna

1. Make the crust. Pulse the whole Oreos into a fine crumb and mix with melted butter. You can do this in a bowl, or a Ziploc bag for easy cleanup. Press mixture into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Chill in the fridge for 5 minutes while you prepare the remaining layers.
2. Make the peanut butter layer. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the cream cheese until it’s fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar and mix to combine. Stir in the peanut butter and any added powdered sugar you think you need to thicken it up. Fold in the cool whip then spread that luscious layer lightly over the crust. Continue to chill for 10 minutes. 
3. Chocolate pudding. Whisk together the pudding and cold milk until thick. Spread it overtop the other layers and chill again for another 10 minutes until the pudding has set. 
4. Top it! Spread remaining cool whip on top and sprinkle with any of your favorite topping ideas. Allow it to sit and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving. If you’re going to be drizzling it with chocolate sauce you can do this before or after chilling. 

I know it’s tempting to dig in but believe me it’ll be worth the wait! Find the full printable recipe below.

Expert Tips

• Crushing the cookies. I find using a food processor or blender the easiest way to get fine crumbs. If neither is an option, you can add them to a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
• The pudding. Use an instant pudding mix, not the cook and serve kind. It takes too long and requires you to heat up the stove.
• Whole milk. You can use whatever milk you have, but the higher fat content in whole milk will add richness to the pudding.

Best Way to Serve This Dessert

Normally, I like to slice this dessert into squares so that each of the layers is on display. However, I’m not opposed to plopping the dish down in the middle of the table and handing out spoons for everyone to dig in!

It depends on the situation. A casual after-dinner dessert with the fam, I say have at it. Potlucks, barbecues, holidays, and special occasions, I say stick with slicing individual servings!

Make Ahead & Storage

I don’t recommend making this dessert any more than 48 hours ahead of time. I actually prefer to stick to just 24 hours that way the butter doesn’t start making the cookie crust soggy.

You can also make each layer ahead of time but keep them separate in the fridge and then assemble it just before serving.  

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