This impressive-looking but easy-to-build treat combines a cookie crust , cream cheese filling, lemon pudding, and whipped cream. The best part about this layered dessert is that no oven is required—it’s a true icebox dessert.
The oreo cookie crust is sweet, buttery, and slices like a dream when chilled. The cream cheese layer is not overly sweet and is pleasantly lemony. The box pudding mix is a vibrant yellow color and has a sweet lemon flavor for the right balance of sweet and tart.
To make this dessert even easier, use a food processor to blitz the sandwich cookies into fine crumbs for the crust. And for nice and even layers, don’t rush the freezing process; each layer needs time to chill and set before placing the next component on top.
But What Is a Lush?
A lush is an old-school no-bake layered dessert that usually contains some sort of press-in crumb crust, a pudding filling, and whipped cream topping. Some lush recipes use graham crackers or cookies as the base of the crust, and others make a quick shortbread-like press-in crust.
The pudding layer, keeping with the easy theme, is typically made from instant box mixes, and the whipped cream topping can be homemade or store-bought ready-made.
Lush is only one of the many names this dessert goes by; chocolate versions are often called
Chocolate Delight
, for example. Whatever you call it, this dessert is as delicious as it is easy.
Ingredients
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1 (19.1-oz.) pkg. cream-filled vanilla sandwich cookies , crushed (about 4 1/2 cups)
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1/2 cup butter , melted
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2 (8-oz.) pkg cream cheese , softened
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2 tsp . lemon zest plus 3 Tbsp. fresh juice
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1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
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3 cups heavy whipping cream
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3 cups whole milk
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2 (3.4-oz.) pkg. l emon instant pudding mix and pie filling
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Lemon slices , for garnish
Directions
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Coat a 13- x 9-inch freezer-safe baking dish with cooking spray, and line the dish with parchment paper.
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Stir crushed cookies and melted butter in a large bowl until combined. Press firmly into bottom of prepared baking dish in an even layer. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
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Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, lemon zest and juice, and 1 1/4 cups of the powdered sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Place heavy whipping cream and remaining 1/4 cup powdered sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer on high until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold 1 cup of the whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Spread mixture over crust; freeze until set, about 10 minutes.
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Whisk milk and pudding mix in a large bowl until smooth and thickened, 2 to 4 minutes. Spread pudding over cream cheese mixture in crust. Chill until pudding sets slightly, about 15 minutes.
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Gently spread remaining whipped cream over pudding. Chill, covered, until firm, at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Garnish with lemon slices. Store, covered, in refrigerator up to 4 days.