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Close up side view of piece of chocolate delight on white plate with the rest of the dessert in the background.
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4.96 from 21 votes

Chocolate Delight

Chocolate Delight is a sweet and creamy, layered dessert treat that is easy to make and perfect to share at family gatherings. Made with a buttery pecan crust, a sweet cream cheese filling, and instant pudding.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Resting Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate delight
Servings: 16
Calories: 320kcal

Equipment

  • 1 hand mixer

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups finely chopped pecans, divided
  • Pinch of salt (unless you use salted butter, then skip this step)
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 16 ounces Whipped Topping (Cool Whip), divided
  • 2 3.9 ounce boxes instant chocolate pudding
  • 3 cups whole milk

Instructions

  • Begin the easy chocolate delight recipe by preheating the oven to 300 degrees F. Grab a 13x9-inch rectangle baking dish.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together the 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup softened butter, 1 ½ cups chopped pecans, and a pinch of salt until combined. A food processor can be used instead. The mixture will be clumpy and will loosely stick together.
  • Pour into the baking dish and evenly press into the bottom in a single layer. Place into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until light golden brown. Carefully remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool completely before continuing. 
  • Using a hand mixer with a large bowl, add the 8 ounces softened cream cheese and 1 cup powdered sugar. Mix until creamy and smooth. Add 8 ounces of whipped topping and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to gently fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture until combined.
  • Create the next layer by adding the cream cheese mixture to the cooled crust layer. Spread evenly to form a second layer. 
  • Using an electric mixer on medium speed and a large bowl, mix together the 2 3.9 ounce boxes of instant chocolate pudding and 3 cups milk for two minutes until combined and soft set. Evenly spread the chocolate pudding mixture on top of the cream cheese layer to create the third layer.  
  • Lastly evenly spread the remaining 8 ounces whipped topping on top of the pudding layer. Sprinkle the top with the remaining chopped pecans. 
  • Place the chocolate delight dessert into the refrigerator allow it to chill and set for 2 to 3 hours before cutting to serve. Enjoy!
  • Serve immediately and store any leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

Notes

  • Use an offset spatula to easily spread the layers evenly. 
  • To cut perfect layers, place the assembled delight in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Remove the dessert from the freezer and hold a sharp knife underneath warm water before using it to cut the slices. Clean the knife off between each cut to ensure that everyone has perfectly neat layers. 
  • Be sure to allow the finished dessert to chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours before serving. If you're in a hurry, place in the freezer for 30 to 45 minutes. 
  • Mix the instant pudding with cold milk. This will help the pudding to form quickly and allow it to soft set for easier spreading. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 168mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 468IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 1mg