Festive Christmas Lasagna Dessert
on Dec 16, 2021, Updated Feb 09, 2024
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This Christmas lasagna dessert is a classic Christmas treat made with colorful layers of red velvet cake, white cheesecake, green pudding, and topped with another white layer of whipped cream.
This layered dessert lasagna is perfect for your next Christmas party this holiday season.
This no-bake dessert recipe is so much more than your usual vanilla-flavored cake. It’s filled with creamy layers that are easily adjustable to fit your tastes and preferences.
Serve chilled this Christmas season at gatherings, after a special Christmas eve dinner, or on Christmas day. It would look great paired with our Santa Gnome cookies!
What is Christmas Lasagna?
This fun holiday dessert starts with a bright red layer of red velvet cake. The next layer is tinted green pudding and the third is a peppermint cheesecake layer.
Finally, comes the creamy layer of whipped cream and sprinkles. It’s layered like a classic lasagna, but for dessert!
Ingredients:
Here are the ingredients to make this Christmas cheesecake dessert.
You can easily find them at your local grocery store.
You will need:
- Red velvet cake box mix
- Butter
- Egg
- Cream cheese
- Confectioners sugar
- Candy canes
- Milk
- Cool Whip
- Vanilla instant pudding mix
- Green gel food coloring
How to make it
Here’s a brief overview of how to make this holiday delight. See the recipe card below for the specific recipe instructions.
First, preheat the oven and grease a large baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, butter, and egg.
Pour the cake mixture into the pan and bake for 15 minutes.
While the cake layer is cooling, blend cream cheese and sugar together in a large mixing bowl, and then stir in the milk.
Fold in one container of Cool Whip and the crushed candy canes and spread it evenly over the cooled cake layer and place the baking dish in the refrigerator.
In a medium bowl, whisk the milk and the instant pudding mixture together. Add a few drops of green food coloring.
Pour the pudding over the cream cheese layer and place the pan back into the refrigerator to set for at least four hours.
When you’re ready to serve, top with the rest of your Cool Whip and top with sprinkles or crushed candy canes.
Slice and enjoy.
Variations:
Here are a few tips for success and variations you can use to make this easy recipe for Christmas lasagna.
Cake layer:
For the first layer of red velvet cake, you can add red food coloring to make it even more vibrant.
Instead of using cake mix, try using a red velvet shortbread cookie crust, golden oreo crust, or chocolate oreo cookie crust.
Cream cheese layer:
Add crushed peppermint candy canes or peppermint extract to this layer to get a stronger peppermint flavor.
Pudding layer:
Make this into a white chocolate pudding layer by adding melted white chocolate chips. It can still be a green layer by adding green food coloring to the white chocolate pudding.
Whipped cream layer:
Add cocoa powder to the last layer of Cool Whip on top of the lasagna for a chocolatey finish.
Make your own whipped topping
Instead of using Cool Whip, you can make your own whipped topping from scratch with heavy cream.
Combine two cups of heavy whipping cream with powdered sugar and whisk or blend until stiff peaks form.
Carefully spread the topping over the chilled pudding layer of this cake.
If you don’t have Cool Whip at home, making your own is the best option!
Do the layers need to be chilled?
Yes! For best results, chill each layer before adding another. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Be sure to get a head start on making this chilled holiday cake in order to allow it to rest for the appropriate amount of time before adding each layer.
This is important otherwise the layers will blend together and you won’t get that distinct, beautiful color separate in each slice.
Make this lasagna into a trifle dessert
If you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to make this layered treat for a Christmas gathering or Christmas dinner you can make it into a trifle instead.
There’s no need to wait for each layer to cool for this method.
Tear the baked cake into chunks and put them in a large glass trifle bowl. Pour the pudding and cream cheese mixture over the top of the cake. Top with whipped cream and sprinkles or crushed candy canes.
This method is still pretty, but it’s a bit more rustic-looking.
How to store Christmas lasagna dessert:
Refrigerator: Keep the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can serve it cold right out of the fridge.
Freezer: This cake does beautifully as a frozen dessert. Place it in the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes unwrapped to harden the Cool Whip. Then, wrap it in plastic wrap and put it back in the freezer until you’re ready to eat it.
It can also be served frozen without thawing.
FAQs:
Can I leave out the peppermint?
If you’re not a fan of peppermint flavor, you can certainly leave it out of the layers and toppings.
What other toppings can I use?
Some other tasty and pretty options to top this cake with are mini marshmallows, white chocolate curls, crumbled Oreo cookies, Christmas M&Ms, crushed candy canes, or rainbow or red and green sprinkles.
How much food coloring should I add?
Start by adding 5-6 drops of green or red gel food coloring. Stir in the color and if you want to add more, do it one drop at a time until you’re satisfied with the color.
Related Recipes You’ll Love…
Want more Christmas recipes? Try these!
- Chocolate Covered Ritz Cracker Pops
- Buddy The Elf Cookie Cups
- Christmas Tree Brownies Recipe
- How To Make Chocolate Bowl Treats
- No Bake Christmas Brownie Truffles
Print the Recipe
Christmas Lasagna Dessert
Ingredients
- 1 box Red Velvet Cake mix
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 16 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- 1/4 cup crushed candy canes
- 2 3/4 cups milk, divided
- 16 oz Cool Whip
- 2 boxes Vanilla Instant Pudding
- Green gel food coloring, to desired color
- Christmas themed sprinkles and crushed candy canes for topping, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 13×9 pan.
- In a large bowl, mix cake mix, butter and egg.
- Press dough into the bottom of the pan in an even layer.
- Bake in oven for 15 minutes.
- While the red velvet layer is cooling, beat cream cheese and sugar together and add 1/4 cup milk.
- Fold in one container of Cool Whip and the crushed candy canes.
- Spread evenly over the cooled cake layer and place in refrigerator.
- In a large bowl, whisk milk and the pudding mixes together and add green gel color until happy with the shade.
- Pour the pudding over the cream cheese layer and place back into the refrigerator to set for at least 4 hours.
- When ready to serve, top with the 2nd container of Cool Whip and top with sprinkles. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
