Chocolate Peanut Butter Lasagna is a no-bake dessert that somehow manages to be both light and fluffy and also decadent! Packed with flavor, you’ll watch this disappear in no time!
Love the chocolate peanut butter combo? Our readers are obsessed with these thick and fudgy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars! Or try baking up a batch of Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies.
Why This Recipe Works
You may remember this Chocolate Chip Cookie Lasagna recipe from awhile back, a no-bake dessert with layers of chocolate chip cookies, creamy cheesecake, fudge pudding, and whipped cream. Today’s recipe is a variation of that sweet treat, made for peanut butter lovers.
Here’s what makes this chocolate peanut butter lasagna a favorite:
- If you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing treat, look no further! Slap a lid on this dessert lasagna and take it to a potluck or family party. It’s loved by kids AND adults!
- The combination of chocolate and peanut butter is always a win. If you love peanut butter cups, today’s recipe is for YOU!
- It’s a no-bake dessert, so you can leave your oven turned off! This is especially great during the hot summer months when you don’t want to heat up your kitchen.
- With layers of ingredients, this dessert looks impressive and elaborate. But in reality, it’s super easy and quick to put together!
Important Ingredient Notes
- Nutter Butter Cookies or Oreos – Choose your adventure! You can go all-in on the peanut butter with Nutter Butters, or use Oreos for some rich chocolate flavor.
- Unsalted butter – Using unsalted butter gives you more control over the flavor.
- Cream cheese – Use the kind that comes in a block, not a plastic tub.
- Creamy peanut butter – I think a smooth filling is best for this chocolate peanut butter lasagna, so I use creamy instead of chunky peanut butter.
- Cool Whip – Using Cool Whip instead of whipped cream means this no-bake dessert will last a bit longer in the fridge. Not a fan? Use our homemade stabilized whipped cream instead!
- Instant chocolate pudding – Any brand will work, as long as it’s instant.
- Cold milk – I use skim milk.
- Mini chocolate chips – Regular size chocolate chips are just fine too!
- Peanut butter chips – Feel free to switch things up with Reese’s Pieces instead.
- Mini Peanut Butter Cups – Or you can swap in larger peanut butter cups that are chopped.
How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Lasagna
Make the Crust: Crush the cookies in a food processor to get a fine crumb, then add melted butter. Press the cookies into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
Put Together the Peanut Butter Layer:
- Beat the softened cream cheese with peanut butter and powdered sugar for several minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Once fluffy, fold in Cool Whip.
- Spread over cookie layer using an offset spatula. Set aside.
Make the Chocolate Layer:
- Whisk together chocolate pudding with milk until smooth.
- Once your pudding mix is fully whisked, pour it over the peanut butter layer.
Finish:
- Top the pudding with Cool Whip. Add the peanut butter chips, mini chocolate chips, and mini peanut butter cups.
- Refrigerate for about 3 hours until set (or overnight). Slice and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! I think banana pudding would be fantastic, or even butterscotch. Feel free to experiment with different flavors.
This easy no-bake dessert will last up to 3 days in the refrigerator if stored in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in the pan.
Yes, you can freeze this recipe for up to 2 months. Wrap it tightly in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil. (Or, if you’re freezing leftovers, store them in an airtight container.) Let the chocolate peanut butter lasagna thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
More No Bake Desserts
Everyone loves easy, no bake desserts. Here are some of my favorite chocolate peanut butter NO bake treats!
- Looking for an easy, no bake treat idea? How about whipping up some Chocolate Peanut Butter Grahams?
- Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats topped with melted Reese’s PB morsels and mini Reese’s PB cups. A delicious twist on a childhood favorite!
- Easy recipe for No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies! The peanut butter with chocolate and oats gives these cookies so much flavor!
- This No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe is the perfect holiday dessert. Easy gingersnap crust with a creamy pumpkin cheesecake filling chock full of chocolate chips!
More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Pistachio Cake
- Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- Cream Puff Cake
- Funfetti No Bake Cheesecake
- How to Make Rice Krispie Treats
- Heaven on Earth Cake
- Lemon Lush
- Apple Delight
- Chocolate Macarons
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Lasagna
Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST
- 24 Nutter Butter Cookies or Oreos
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter melted
FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER LAYER
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 8 oz Cool Whip thawed
FOR THE CHOCOLATE LAYER
- 2 boxes Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix small box size
- 2 ½ cups cold milk I used skim milk
FOR THE TOPPING
- 8 oz Cool Whip thawed
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 cup peanut butter chips
- 8 oz Mini Peanut Butter Cups
Instructions
- For the crust layer, pulse cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs. Or use a ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin!
- Add melted butter to the cookie crumbs and pour into the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish.
- Using the palm of your hand or the bottom of a cup, firmly press the crumbs into the bottom of the dish. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese, peanut butter, and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Fold Cool Whip in cream cheese mixture until blended.
- Pour over crust. Using an offset spatula, spread the mixture evenly over the crust layer.
- In a large bowl add two packages of INSTANT chocolate pudding mix. Make sure you purchase the instant variety or this won’t set up properly.
- Whisk in milk. You’ll use less milk than the box says because you want this layer extra thick and fudgy.
- Once the pudding mix is well blended, spread the pudding over cheesecake layer.
- Add remaining Cool Whip to the top of the peanut butter lasagna. Sprinkle with more mini chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and mini peanut butter cups. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
- Slice and serve. Store in refrigerator for up to 5 days. ENJOY.
Notes
- Soften the cream cheese so it’s easy to incorporate into the peanut butter layer. If it’s still cold, the mixture will have little lumps of white cream cheese in it.
- Use a food processor to crush the cookies quickly and uniformly. A rolling pin and plastic bag also work if you don’t want to haul out the food processor.
- I like to refrigerate this dessert for at least 3 hours before serving so all of the layers have time to set properly. You can also make it a day in advance and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
- Use INSTANT pudding mix, not the cook and serve variety. And don’t follow the directions on the package—you need to use less milk to get a thicker consistency.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
Instead of making mine a “no bake”, I went ahead and baked my crust for 3 1/2 min. @ 350 degrees. The crust get a little crisper and is not soggy at all after a day or two. Make sure you beat the SOFT cream cheese and peanut butter till fluffy before adding the powdered sugar or it will have lumps of cream cheese in it. My dad loves this and asks frequently if I will bring it to family gatherings. He is a dark chocolate lover and I use Special Dark instant pudding.
Milk chocolate or semi sweet chocolate chips??
I want to make this, but it looks like such a large amount for my husband and I. Can this be frozen and still come out delicious?
Yes, this can be frozen up to 3 months. It can also be 1/2’d into an 8″ square pan. Let it defrost overnight in your fridge before serving.
What is the shortest amount of time to leave this in the fridge before before serving? Or can I freeze it before serving?
Yes, this can be frozen up to 3 months. It can also be 1/2’d into an 8″ square pan. Let it defrost overnight in your fridge before serving.
I’m a little confused about the cool whip. You call for 1 8 oz tub but I can’t seem to find the division of it. I am assuming half and half but I would hat to ruin this yummy looking dessert!! Aloha from Waimanalo Hawai’i!!
The recipe actually calls for TWO 8 oz tubs. They aren’t divided 🙂
I am IN LOVE with this dessert. It’s so easy and the flavors are perfect!
This is one of my favorite desserts with chocolate and peanut butter! So good!!
I loved this! Such an amazing dessert!!
Oooh, this looks so yummy!