- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 (16-ounce) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
- 2 (3.9-ounce) packages chocolate instant pudding
- 3 cups cold milk
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
Steps to Make It
- Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and the melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 x 2-inch pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely before assembling the layers.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Stir in half of the whipped topping until well blended.
- Spread the mixture over the cooled crust.
- In another bowl, beat the pudding with the cold milk as directed on the package (but using only 3 cups of milk).
- Spread the pudding over the cream cheese layer.
- Top the dessert with the remaining whipped topping and spread to cover completely.
- If desired, sprinkle with chopped pecans or walnuts.
- Chill thoroughly before serving, about 2 hours.
Cook’s Tip
Like Tiramisu made with dried ladyfingers, the graham crackers will absorb moisture from the pudding and soften. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before serving, and use within 4 days to prevent the cake from becoming too soggy.
Most loaf pans have angled sides and are wider at the top than the bottom. It may be necessary to trim the first and second layer of crackers to fit the pan. As you build up your cake, a gap will form between the full and half crackers across the width of the pan. You can let the gaps fill with pudding or trim the crackers to fit the pan. Trimming your crackers to fit adds a few more calories per serving.
Instant pudding sets up very fast. If you trim your crackers to fit the width of your pan, do so before building up the cake will make assembly easier. Crackers were not trimmed to width for the cakes pictured.
RECIPE NOTES
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Calories: 248, Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 222mg, Potassium: 97mg, Carbohydrates: 25g, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g, Protein: 3g, Vitamin A: 30%, Vitamin C: 0.1%, Calcium: 60%, Iron: 1.3%
The recipe was inspired by one I saw on Crepes of Wrath. This is a smaller version (I used an 8 inch square pan) made without any coffee. Yes, that’s an option! You can flavor the pudding and/or the cream with instant espresso powder, but I don’t sleep enough as it is, so I left it out.
Thank you for staying with this post “pudding desserts with graham crackers” until the end.