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Chocolate delight is an easy, make-ahead layered dessert with a buttery cookie crust, a sweet cream cheese layer, rich chocolate pudding, and a cloud of whipped topping. It’s the classic potluck “delight” everyone goes back for, and only the crust bakes — the rest is just layer and chill.
For more layered dessert favorites, try my Chocolate Lasagna and Strawberry Delight recipes!
Why you’ll love this chocolate delight recipe!
Chocolate delight is not a recipe—it’s an experience. Am I exaggerating? Absolutely not! A chocolate chip cookie base is topped with a layer of sweet, fluffy cream cheese, then a layer of creamy instant pudding prepared pie mix style with cool whip.
Spread whipped topping over the whole shebang and sprinkle with garnishes like chocolate curls and nuts for a knock-your-socks-off dessert that everyone will love.
- Easy & make-ahead — only the crust bakes; it sets overnight.
- Rich, chocolatey layers — cream cheese, chocolate pudding, and whipped topping.
- Crowd-sized — one 9×13 feeds a party.
- Endlessly adaptable — swap the crust or the pudding.
Table of Contents
What Is Chocolate Delight?
Chocolate delight is a classic layered dessert — also called chocolate lush or Robert Redford dessert — made with a crust, a sweet cream cheese layer, a chocolate pudding layer, and whipped topping on top. It’s an old-fashioned potluck favorite that turns up at church suppers and holidays. This version uses a chocolate chip cookie crust for an extra-chewy, chocolatey base. (Love a good layered dessert? Try my Lemon Blueberry Delight and Blueberry Delight too.)
Ingredient Notes
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough – Buy the kind that comes in a tube, then press it into your baking pan.
- Cream cheese – This gives you a layer that’s reminiscent of cream cheese frosting.
- Confectioners’ sugar – For the aforementioned frosting-esque layer.
- Frozen whipped topping – Cool Whip blesses everything it touches.
- Milk – 2% or whole, so the pudding sets firm.
- Instant pudding mix – You’ll need a box of vanilla pudding mix and a box of chocolate; they’re combined for a creamy, silky layer of deliciousness.
Variations
- Crust: Swap in a crushed Oreo crust for a no-bake option.
- Pudding: all chocolate for deep flavor, or chocolate + vanilla for a two-tone layer; cookies-and-cream or butterscotch also work.
- Add-ins: crushed Oreos, toffee bits, or chopped peanut butter cups between layers.
How to Make Chocolate Delight
- Bake the crust. Press the cookie dough into a 9×13 pan; bake at 350°F about 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely.
- Cream cheese layer. Beat the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar, fold in 2 cups whipped topping, and spread over the cooled crust.
- Chocolate pudding layer. Whisk the milk with the pudding mix(es) for 2 minutes, then spread over the cream cheese layer.
- Top it. Spread the remaining whipped topping over everything and garnish. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight, until firm.
Make-Ahead & Storage
- Make ahead: Chocolate delight needs about 8 hours to set, so make it the night before.
- Store covered in the fridge up to 3–4 days.
- Freeze for up to about a month — thaw in the fridge.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Delight
- Let the crust cool completely before adding the cream cheese layer — a warm crust will melt it and everything slides together.
- Beat the cream cheese until totally smooth before folding in anything else. Lumps at this stage don’t disappear later.
- Whisk the pudding and let it set for a few minutes so it’s thick enough to hold its own layer instead of soaking into the crust.
- Chill it long enough to set fully [confirm time] — this is a make-ahead dessert and it slices so much cleaner cold.
- Spread each layer gently to the edges so every square gets all four layers.
Frequently Asked Questions
A classic layered dessert with a crust, a cream cheese layer, a chocolate pudding layer, and whipped topping — only the crust bakes.
It’s also called chocolate lush, Robert Redford dessert, or four-layer chocolate dessert; the no-bake cousin is chocolate lasagna.
It’s a retro Southern potluck dessert that spread through community and church cookbooks — easy, make-ahead, and crowd-sized.
No, the crust does need to be baked in this chocolate delight recipe.
Chocolate delight picked up the nickname “Robert Redford dessert” decades ago because this creamy, layered pudding treat was considered as irresistible as the movie star himself. You’ll also see it called chocolate lush or four-layer chocolate dessert — same nostalgic dessert, different name.
More Chocolate Recipes You’ll Love
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Chocolate Delight
Ingredients
- 1 tube -16-1/2 ounces – refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 12 oz frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
- 3 cups cold 2% milk
- 3.4 oz instant chocolate pudding mix
- 3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding mix
Instructions
- Let cookie dough stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften. Press into an ungreased 13×9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° until golden brown, 14-16 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
- In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Fold in 2 cups whipped topping. Spread evenly over cookie dough crust.
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat pudding mixes and milk for 2 minutes. Spread over cream cheese layer. Top with remaining whipped topping. Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate curls if desired.
- Cover and refrigerate until firm, 8 hours or overnight.
Video
Notes
- Let the crust cool completely before adding the cream cheese layer — a warm crust will melt it and everything slides together.
- Beat the cream cheese until totally smooth before folding in anything else. Lumps at this stage don’t disappear later.
- Whisk the pudding and let it set for a few minutes so it’s thick enough to hold its own layer instead of soaking into the crust.
- Chill it long enough to set fully — this is a make-ahead dessert and it slices so much cleaner cold.
- Spread each layer gently to the edges so every square gets all four layers.
So you use the chocolate and vanilla puddings and mix them together? I’ve seen another recipe for this that just calls for the chocolate pudding.
I love this recipe so much! It’s nostalgic and always turns out amazing!
YUM! My whole family loved this dessert and it was nice and easy to make. Thanks!