Chocolate Delight

If you’ve been to a potluck, I’m pretty sure you’ve had chocolate delight. This creamy chocolate dessert is standard fare and it’s not difficult to imagine why. It’s addictively delicious!

You may know Chocolate Delight by another name. When I was talking about this recipe, my mom immediately said, “Oh, you mean Robert Redford dessert.” Some folks even call it Better Than Robert Redford. It’s also known as Piggy Pudding, Chocolate Junk, Husband’s Delight, Chocolate Sin, and less creatively, Four Layer Dessert. The list goes on.

Chocolate delight is an icebox dessert, meaning that it’s stored in the refrigerator and served cold.

About This Chocolate Delight Dessert

• It’s easy. The press-in cookie crust is no-fuss with just three ingredients (chopped pecans, flour, and butter). The other layers are simple, too, with convenient instant pudding and refrigerated whipped topping. It’s a breeze to make!
• You can make this dessert ahead. In fact, chocolate delight is best if you make it ahead. It needs a few hours to chill so the layers firm up and are easy to cut. This chocolate dessert is perfect for potlucks or other get-togethers when you don’t want last-minute prep.
• Everyone loves it! There’s nothing not to like about this creamy chocolate dessert. The crisp bits of the pecan crust mingle with the creamy chocolate filling in every bite. It’s better than ice cream (really, I’m not just saying that!).

Ingredient Notes

• Pecans: You’ll need finely chopped pecans for the cookie crust. You don’t need to toast them first because they’ll get lightly toasted as the crust bakes. Measure the pecans after you chop them. A cup of pecan halves will be less than a cup of finely chopped pecans.
• All-Purpose Flour: Measure the flour by lightly spooning it into the measuring cup.
• Unsalted Butter: Melted butter is the final ingredient of the easy cookie crust. It holds the crust together and gives it a rich flavor.
• Cream Cheese: I usually choose regular cream cheese, not reduced fat. Reduced fat cream cheese tends to be softer and may not firm up enough for the dessert.
• Powdered Sugar: You may know it as confectioner’s sugar. It sweetens the cream cheese layer. Powdered sugar blends easily and won’t have a grainy texture.
• Cool Whip (frozen whipped topping): You’ll need an 8 oz. tub of whipped topping; you’ll be dividing it to use in the cream cheese layer and to top the dessert.
• Instant Chocolate Pudding: Buy two packages of instant pudding. I haven’t tested this recipe with sugar-free pudding but I’m guessing it would work, too. Be sure to buy the instant pudding, not the kind you have to cook.
• Milk: You’ll need 3 cups of milk. The pudding thickens best if the milk is cold.
• Garnishes: I like to garnish my chocolate delight dessert with more chocolate (of course!). Other options are additional chopped pecans or chocolate sprinkles/jimmies.

How To Make Chocolate Delight

There are four layers in this dessert. Each layer is made separately and needs time to cool or chill before adding the next layer.

Make the crust. In a large bowl, combine the flour, pecans, and melted butter until well mixed. It should hold together when you press it with your fingers. Sprinkle the mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan or dish and then press the crust mixture into the pan firmly and evenly.

Bake the crust in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or until it begins to lightly brown.
Allow the crust to cool completely before proceeding with the recipe.

Make the cream cheese layer. In a large bowl (you can use the same bowl), beat the softened cream cheese using an electric mixer until it’s creamy. Beat in the powdered sugar. The mixture should be smooth, light, and creamy.

By hand, gently fold in the thawed whipped topping. (Don’t use the whole container, only 2 cups! Save the rest for the final layer.)

Once the whipped topping is blended with the cream cheese mixture, spoon it onto the crust and spread it in an even layer. Chill for at least 20 minutes to let the mixture firm up.

Make the pudding layer. In a large bowl, combine the chocolate pudding mix with the milk. Whisk the mixture for about two minutes or until the pudding thickens. It will be a little thicker than normal because you’re using less milk than the package directions (3 cups instead of 4 cups for both packages).

Carefully spread the pudding on the cream cheese layer. Chill for another 20 minutes to allow the pudding to set up.

Add the topping. Once the pudding has firmed up, evenly spread the remaining 1 cup of whipped topping over the dessert. Cover the dessert with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate it for 2 to 3 hours before serving.

Add garnishes. Right before serving, sprinkle chocolate shavings over the dessert. Other options are chocolate sprinkles or jimmies, or additional chopped pecans. Of course, you can serve the dessert without any garnishes, if you like.

Tips For Success

• Make an even layer of crust. When combining the ingredients for the crust, it may seem as though there isn’t going to be enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Instead of dumping it all into the pan at once, I evenly sprinkle the crust mixture in the bottom of the pan, breaking up any clumps, and then press the crust into place.
• Cool the crust completely. The crust is baked and needs to be completely cooled before you add the creamy layers. If it’s warm, the layers will become runny and not set up properly. Allow an hour to cool the crust on the counter. If you have extra room in your fridge or freezer, put the crust in there to cool more quickly.
• Chill each layer. Before adding the next layer, you should chill each layer for about 20 minutes in the freezer (a little longer if you chill it in the fridge). This helps the layers set properly and prevents them from mixing together.

FAQs

Recipe Variations

• Use a different nut. Instead of pecans, substitute finely chopped walnuts or almonds if you like.
• Make a nut-free dessert. If you prefer, instead of making a pecan cookie crust, substitute a homemade graham cracker crust. Be sure to use a recipe for a 9 x 13 inch pan which is approximately double the size of a pie pan.
• Try a different flavor. Any kind of instant pudding can be substituted. Try butterscotch, lemon, banana, or even strawberry. You’ll have to come up with a different name for your dessert though! For a less chocolate-y flavor, you could use one box of chocolate pudding and one box of vanilla pudding.

Make Ahead Ideas

• Make the crust ahead. Cover the baked crust once it’s completely cooled. It will keep at room temperature for 24 hours or in the fridge for a few days.
• Thaw the whipped topping overnight. The whipped topping (Cool Whip) has to be thawed out before you combine it with the other ingredients. It’s best to thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Be sure to allow time for your cream cheese to soften at room temperature for an hour or so, too.
• Make the dessert ahead. This dessert recipe is a good make ahead recipe since it needs at least 3 hours of chilling time to completely set up. It can be refrigerated or frozen until ready to serve (see below).
• Make two smaller-sized desserts. If you don’t need a large dessert, divide the recipe between two baking pans and make 2 desserts. Freeze one to use later.

Storage Tips

Refrigerate: Cover the dessert with plastic wrap or foil; refrigerate for up to 4 days. Chocolate delight is best if you serve it within 24 hours. After that, the crust softens and the layers tend to bleed into each other; however, this affects the appearance but not the taste.

Freeze: Cover the dessert using an airtight lid or wrap the entire pan in foil. It can be frozen for up to a month. Chocolate delight can be eaten frozen or thawed in the refrigerator until it softens.