For myself, making sweet treats this time of year is a little difficult since I don’t care much for many of the traditional holiday desserts. I cook and bake what I love, and you’ll never find me making fruit cake or dense desserts loaded with nuts.
Stemming from my firm belief that Cool Whip should be it’s own food group {lets take a vote on that}, I like to keep things creamy and light all year long.
Which is why I’m head over heels in love with this Festive Layered Dessert Squares recipe, it’s inspired by Kraft Canada’s Chocolate-Peppermint Striped Delight.
Changes that I made to this recipe is using the new cream cheese in the delicious family, the Philadelphia Chocolate Brick, instead of Philadelphia Cream Cheese. It’s the same creamy cheese, yet in chocolate – and really jazzes up a recipe. Much better than using cream cheese and then adding cocoa to infuse some chocolate.
I also changed the pudding flavour to vanilla since I already has the chocolate layer thanks to the Philadelphia Chocolate Brick. This does give you a yellowish pudding layer, so you could use food colouring and change that if you wanted a different colour.
Instead of traditional peppermint candy canes, I used cherry flavoured candy canes in this recipe. It still gives that festive flair in looks, but the cherry-chocolate combination is to die for!
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups Honey Maid Graham Crumbs
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1/2 cup sugar divided
- 1 pkg. Philadelphia Chocolate Brick 250 g, softened
- 3 cups plus 2 Tbsp. cold milk divided
- 1/2 cup finely crushed cherry candy canes divided
- 3.5 cups thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping divided
- 2 pkg. Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding 4-serving size each
Instructions
-
Mix crumbs, butter and 2 Tbsp. sugar; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch dish. Refrigerate until ready to use.
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Beat cream cheese, remaining sugar and 2 Tbsp. milk in medium bowl until blended. Stir in half the crushed candy. Add 1-1/4 cups Cool Whip; mix well. Spread over crust.
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Beat pudding mixes and remaining milk with whisk 2 min.; pour over cream cheese layer. Let stand 5 min. or until thickened. Cover with remaining Cool Whip.
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Refrigerate 4 hours. Top with remaining crushed candy just before serving.
Recipe Notes
** Kraft Kitchen Tips **
HOW TO EASILY CUT INTO SQUARES
Place dessert in freezer about 1 hour before cutting into squares to serve.
HOW TO SOFTEN CREAM CHEESE
Place completely unwrapped package of cream cheese on microwaveable plate. Microwave on HIGH 15 sec. or until slightly softened.
SUBSTITUTE
Prepare using non-hydrogenated margarine, Philadelphia Light Brick Cream Cheese, skim milk, JELL-O Fat Free Pudding and Cool Whip Light Whipped Topping.
Jennifer says
Those look so good. I missed it for Thanksgiving, but I’m so making these for Christmas dinner.
Melissa P says
Now THAT’S a nom nom! Thanks for sharing this great dessert.
Tonya says
That looks absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe, I’ll have to give this a try 🙂
dawn rader says
these look delicious! I love to bake. especially for the hoildays!
Treen Goodwin says
wow looks delish , i will be trying this over the holidays thanks for sharing the recipe 🙂
Dawn Lopez says
Ooh this looks so fun and yummy! I love that it’s even easy to make.. right up my ally! Thanks for sharing another awesome recipe!
Anne Taylor says
This looks and sounds delish! I love dishes that are fairly easy to prepare and more fun to eat!
Cathy @ Our Mini Family says
This looks darling! My family would definitely enjoy these if I brought them to our Christmas party!
~Cathy~
OurMiniFamily.com
kathy downey says
Those look so delicious
Shauna says
Okay, those sound amazing. I love desserts like this. Thanks for sharing.
Chelley @ AisForAdelaide says
These look so yummy! I also think Cool Whip is its own food category! YUM!
Anne says
Looks tasty! I like the idea of using Cherry candy canes, it is a nice way to change the taste up a little bit.
Elizabeth Vlug says
Always looking for new and not too complicated recipes to make during the holidays. This is a keeper. Thanks for sharing. And for your tips.
Elena says
oh wow, these look delicious. I was looking for some desserts to serve and might just try this one.
Paula says
Oh my goodness. I had no idea looking just how many flavors were combined here. It sounds amazing.
Liz Mays says
What a delicious dessert twist! I think I’ll definitely give this one a try over the holiday break!
ann b says
oh my goodness, this looks so good! I’m going to have to try and make it soon.
Candace Corey says
this looks so good. My mouth is watering!
AImee Smith says
I did not know that they made chocolate cream cheese! Talk about a game changer! These looks really yummy.
Lori JB says
This looks so good. I like that it seems to be light, not a traditional heavy dessert. My girls will love to help make this too!
April says
This looks amazing and so pretty. I cannot wait to try.
Susan Hanley says
What a great idea for our next pot luck get together. I’m bringing dessert.
Kirsten G. says
That looks really good. I’ll have to keep this recipe in mind because I’m always on the lookout for easy holiday desserts.
Lisa Bristol says
I love recipes like this. I am excited to try this one. I am sure it will be a hit.
Lynda Cook says
This looks really good, easy enough to make and gives me an excuse to try the chocolate cream cheese, I still have not tried that one yet, thanks for sharing!!
Lynn Duchesne says
So, making this for Christmas thanks!
caryn s says
This looks like heaven on palate Tammi!
caryn s says
This looks like heaven on plate Tammi!
Cheryl says
These look yummy I must try thanks!! 🙂
Stephanie LaPlante says
They look and sound absolutely delicious!
Chandra Christine O'Connor says
it looks droolishous.
kristen visser says
oh wow!!! i am totally drooling!!
Carole Dube says
I will try this for my Christmas desert. Looks delicious. I also does not like fruit cake. If I’m going to have a desert and all the calories. I want something that’s really good.
Doris Calvert says
omg, DROOL..this looks so appealing and after we make it I will have to send it home with someone because I would eat way more than I should. Thanks for posting.
Nancy @ Whispered Inspirations says
This looks so festive! I bet it tastes as delicious as it looks! Bookmarking!
Florence C says
Looks good. Something new for me to try over Christmas.
Athena says
This looks sooo good!
GARRY S says
THEY LOOK DELICIOUS
loucheryl says
I would love one of these right now!
Judy Cowan says
This looks and sounds yummy! Definitely would make a great dessert for the holidays, thanks for the recipe!
Soozle says
Yum! These sound delicious – and pretty easy to make 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Tiffany (A Moms Take) says
Those do look pretty festive, and delicious. I’ll have to try these.
Gene D says
I am hungry already. The Christmas treats are a love/hate thing for me.
Teresa Claire says
These look so delicious and easy to make..and very festive with the crushed candy canes on top.
Erika Belanger says
This looks so yummy, and fairly easy to bake! I love lemon recipes and I bet my gramma would love this one!!
heidi c. says
I love that these have crushed candy canes in them!
Kristine Ewald says
These look YUMMMM
nicolthepickle says
The Cherry Chocolate combination sounds really good. I like to make food with candy canes but I have never tried with cherry ones.
Deana Johnson says
These look Amazing!
Erika Belanger says
I love desserts with lemon!! Looks so yummy!!
Donnas says
This looks so delicious, I have some chocolate cream cheese at home, I was gonna make cheesecake but I’ll definitely try these squares too.
angela m says
Yum this looks delicious. Sounds easy to make too. thanks
Laurie P says
They look so yummy! Something to make and bring to Grandma’s this weekend 🙂
Susan T. says
This is so pretty and so easy too! Like you I don’t like heavy cakes, definitely NO fruitcake! This looks nice and light.
Carole from Carole's Chatter says
Oooh, Tammi, I do hope you’ll swing by to Food on Friday to add this to Christmas Favourites! Cheers from Carole from Carole’s Chatter
Tasha says
I am so making these Festive Layered Dessert Squares! YUMMY!!!!
Carole Dube says
I made this on Saturday and it was delicious. My daughter took the recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Joanne says
What do I use if I can find chocolate cream cheese?
Nena Sinclair says
Now this is my kind of dessert! And I agree, Cool Whip should be it’s own food group!! 🙂
SueSueper says
This looks like something I would make. I like the changes you made.
Susan Patterson says
This looks so delicious! Thank you so much for this fantastic holiday recipe!
Londia says
I made this dessert for Christmas and it was delicious. Thank you for sharing.