This easy Pistachio Pudding Dessert has a soft shortbread crust layered with smooth cream cheese frosting, topped with light and nutty pistachio pudding, and finished with fluffy Cool Whip. The perfect spring time treat.
This has been a family favorite for years and still is today. I love when recipes are passed down and loved by the whole family.
The tang from the cream cheese and the soft texture from the crust pair so well with the pistachio pudding.
INGREDIENTS FOR EASY PISTACHIO PUDDING DESSERT
FOR THE CRUST
It’s a super simple crust with two ingredients. You can add walnuts as well, but I prefer not to.
- All-purpose flour
- Margarine: I’ve tried using butter and it does not work, so stick with margarine for this recipe.
- Walnuts (optional)
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- Cream cheese
- Powdered sugar
FOR THE PISTACHIO PUDDING
- Instant pistachio pudding
- Cold milk
- Cool Whip (thawed)
- Mini chocolate chips or walnuts (optional)
HOW TO MAKE EASY PISTACHIO PUDDING DESSERT
- CRUST: Mix all-purpose flour and margarine in a medium sized mixing bowl. Using a dough blender, combine the ingredients. If you don’t have a dough blender, you can use your hands to mix the dough. Press dough on the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake the crust for 20 minutes at 350° F. Allow the crust to cool.
- CREAM CHEESE FROSTING: In a medium sized mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with a hand mixer. Once a frosting has formed, spread frosting over the cooled crust.
- PISTACHIO PUDDING: In a large mixing bowl, combine pudding mixes and cold milk. Mix until you have no signs of pudding powder. Spread pudding over the cream cheese layer.
- COOL WHIP: Spread thawed cool whip over the pistachio pudding. Top with mini chocolate chips or chopped walnuts. Chill for 2-3 hours. If you top with mini chocolate chips, I recommend topping it right before serving. At times the chocolate chips can bleed onto the Cool Whip and condensation forms on the chips while in the fridge.
FAQs
- Can I make the pudding ahead of time? Yes, that works great.
- Can I substitute butter for margarine? No, butter and margarine are very different and if the crust is made with butter it will crumble and you won’t be able to spread the cream cheese layer on top.
- How long does it last? It will be good for about three days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
OTHER RECIPES YOU MAY LOVE
- The Most Delicious Cream Puffs
- Easy, No-Bake Chocolate Chow Mein Cookie Candies
- Easy Hot Fudge Recipe
Easy Pistachio Pudding Dessert
This easy Pistachio Pudding Dessert has a soft shortbread crust layered with smooth cream cheese frosting, topped with light and nutty pistachio pudding, and finished with fluffy Cool Whip. The perfect spring time treat.
Equipment
- 9 x 13 pan
- Dough blender
- Mixing bowls
- Silicone spatula
- Hand mixer
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 ½ cup (180 g) flour
- ¾ cup (168 g) margarine
- ¾ cup (84 g) walnuts (optional)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 8 ounce (112 g) cream cheese
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
For the Pudding
- 2 3.4 ounce boxes (192 g) instant pistachio pudding
- 3 cups (720 ml) cold milk
Topping
- 1 8 ounce package (225 g) cool whip, thawed
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) mini chocolate chips, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F and spray a 9 x 13 cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Using a dough blender or your hands, In a mixing bowl, mix all-purpose flour, margarine, and walnuts (optional) until well combined.
- Press dough in prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes at 350° F.
- In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with a hand mixer until well combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix pudding and milk until well combined.
- After the crust is done baking and completely cooled, spread cream cheese frosting evenly on the crust.
- Spread pudding evenly on top of cream cheese frosting.
- Top with cool whip and chill for 2-3 hours.
- Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top, right before serving. If the mini chocolate chips are added before it’s chilled the chocolate will bleed onto the cool whip.
- You can sprinkle chopped walnuts on top instead of mini chocolate chips.
- Serve and enjoy!
Let me know if you make this dessert and what you think! Comment below or send me a DM on Instagram. You can find me @sweetbitesbylaurel. I love to see what you’re baking!
