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This no-bake Turtle Dessert recipe is quick and easy to make in 20 minutes and is filled with my favorite caramel, chocolate, and nut flavors, but prepared like a layered turtle lasagna instead of a candy cluster.

An Oreo cookie crust is piled high with a sweet and tart cream cheese filling, chopped peanuts and candy pieces, vanilla pudding, cool whip, and plenty of chocolate and caramel syrup.

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No Bake Turtle Dessert

Turtle Lasagna recipes are decadently delicious, similar to both no-bake turtle dream bars and no bake turtle cheesecake bars, but sliced into squares that aren’t meant for hand holding.

Rather this easy dessert recipe is prepared like a 5 layer pudding dessert, and loaded with lots of chopped turtles candies and a handful of simple kitchen staple ingredients.

We start with a homemade chocolate sandwich cookie crust that’s packed with layers of creamy cheesecake filling, turtle candy and peanut pieces, drizzles of chocolate and caramel, a pudding mixture, and whipped cream.

This no bake dessert is a family favorite sweet, salty and tangy treat that will tantalize your taste buds with its many flavors and textures.

Why We Love This Easy Turtle Lasagna Recipe

  • Quick and easy to make.
  • Uses simple kitchen staple ingredients.
  • Prepared with my secret ingredient, pudding, which keeps the whipped cream firm and fluffy.
  • Filled with all the flavors of the classic chocolate-covered turtles candy.
  • Perfect for potlucks, holiday parties, or an after dinner dessert.

More Easy No-Bake Recipes

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Ingredients

  • Salted sweet cream butter
  • Chocolate sandwich cookies with cream center filling: I used Oreo cookies for this recipe, but feel free to use your favorite brand.
  • Cream cheese
  • Pure vanilla extract
  • Powdered sugar
  • Whipped topping
  • Whole milk
  • Instant vanilla pudding mix
  • Caramel flavoring
  • Dry roasted peanuts
  • Turtle candies
  • Chocolate sauce (optional garnish)
  • Caramel sundae syrup (optional garnish)

Substitutions and Additions

  • Create Your Crust: You can substitute crushed chocolate graham crackers for the crushed chocolate sandwich cookies. Make sure to add 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar if you do make the substitution.
  • Variation 1: You can substitute chopped pecans or cashews for chopped peanuts if you prefer.
  • Pick Your Pudding: You can substitute instant caramel-flavored pudding mix for the vanilla mix if you can find it, but omit the caramel flavoring if you make the swap. Or use chocolate pudding to make a chocolate turtle dessert.
Turtle Dessert with nuts and syrup
  • Pastry brush
  • 9×9-inch baking dish
  • Mixing bowl
  • Stand mixer or handheld mixer
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How to Make Turtle Lasagna Dessert

  1. Create The Crust: Combine the crushed cookies and melted butter and press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the baking dish. Chill in the refrigerator.
  2. Create The Cream Cheese Layer: Beat the cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and whipped topping and continue mixing until smooth. Spread the cream cheese layer on top of the cookie crust, and return to the refrigerator.
  3. Prepare The Pudding Mixture: Sprinkle the pudding powder and caramel flavoring over the milk and mix until it begins to thicken. Add the whipped topping and continue mixing until thick.
  4. Assemble: Sprinkle peanuts and turtle candies over the cream cheese layer and drizzle the chocolate syrup and caramel syrup on top. Spread the pudding mixture over the candy layer. Cover and chill for 2 hours.
  5. Serve: Spread whipped topping over the pudding layer, sprinkle with peanuts and candy, and add drizzles of chocolate syrup and caramel syrup on top. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
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Tip From Our Recipe Developer

  • You can whisk the pudding mixture by hand, but the handheld mixer saves so much time!
  • Make sure to chill your turtle dessert for at least two hours before serving to give the flavors time to come together.

Storage

  • To Store: Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 
showing the inside of turtle dessert

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to crush Oreo cookies?

I like to pulse my Oreos in the food processor until they are fine crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, you can easily place your cookies in a large Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

Can I make turtle Lasagna in advance?

You can absolutely make your dessert a day in advance, wrap it in plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator. When you are ready to serve, garnish it when the whipped topping, peanuts, candy, and sauces.

Can I make my dessert in a different pan?

I used a 9×9-inch pan for my dessert because I like to serve it in square slices. However, you can use a 9-inch deep pie plate if you prefer to make a turtle pie.

turtle dessert sliced cake on the plate

More Easy Dessert Recipes

4.85 from 19 votes
turtle dessert featured image

Turtle Lasagna Dessert

Author — Jennifer Fishkind
Serves — 12
This no bake Turtle Dessert is so easy to make, filled with the all flavors of the classic candy and served as squares. An Oreo cookie crust is layered with a cream cheese mixture, vanilla pudding, whipped topping, drizzles of chocolate and caramel, and pieces of candy and peanuts.
PrintRatePin
Prep Time 20 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Video

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter softened
  • 36 crushed chocolate sandwich cookies with cream center filling (I used Oreo cookies)
  • 6 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter melted and cooled
  • 16 ounces (2 8-ounce packages) cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • 16 ounces (2 8-ounce) whipped topping thawed
  • 2 cups cold whole milk
  • 6.8 ounces (2 3.4-ounce) instant vanilla pudding mix 3.4-ounce
  • 1½ teaspoons caramel flavoring
  • 1 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts divided
  • 2½ cups chopped turtle candies divided
  • Chocolate syrup optional garnish
  • Caramel sundae syrup optional garnish

Instructions
 

  • Use either a pastry brush or your hands to butter a 9×9-inch baking dish with the 2 tablespoons of butter. Set it aside.
  • Add the crushed cookies and the melted butter to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Press the buttered cookie mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the baking dish. Chill the cookie crust in the refrigerator while you prepare the cream cheese layer.
  • Using either a stand mixer or a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the cream cheese and vanilla for 1-1½ minutes until smooth.
  • Add the powdered sugar and 1 cup of whipped topping. Continue mixing for another 1-1½ minutes until smooth.
  • Evenly spread the cream cheese layer on top of the cookie crust, and return the baking dish to the refrigerator.
  • Add the cold milk to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Sprinkle the pudding mixes and caramel flavoring over the cold milk. Use a handheld mixer on medium-low speed and mix just until the mixture begins to thicken (this usually only takes about 1 minute).
  • Add 1 cup of the whipped topping and continue mixing until the pudding mixture thickens.
  • Evenly sprinkle ½ cup of the chopped peanuts and 1 cup of the chopped turtle candies over the cream cheese layer.
  • Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of the chocolate syrup and caramel syrup over the candy layer.
  • Spread the pudding mixture over the candy layer. Cover and chill for 2 hours.
  • Just before serving, spread the remaining whipped topping over the pudding layer.
  • Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of chopped peanuts and the remaining 1½ cups of the chopped turtle candies over the whipped topping.
  • Drizzle the chocolate syrup and caramel syrup over the candies.

Jenn’s Notes

Storage:
  • To Store: Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Tips:
  • You can whisk the pudding mixture by hand, but the handheld mixer saves so much time!
  • Make sure to chill your turtle dessert for at least two hours before serving to give the flavors time to come together.

Nutrition Info

Calories: 871kcal | Carbohydrates: 97g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 562mg | Potassium: 423mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 79g | Vitamin A: 896IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 209mg | Iron: 5mg
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4.85 from 19 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. ingredient list shows cream cheese lined out, but the direction say to beat cream cheese . . . which item is correct?

    Reply

  3. 4 stars
    Only reason for 4 instead of 5 is because ingredients overflowed my 9x9x2 pan. I could not fit the last layer on top (Cool Whip). Also, could use clarification of “caramel flavoring” – like Torani syrup? I packed the cookie layer as tight as a drum on the bottom, still overflowed. However, DELICIOUS, and VERY EASY. Great job.

    Reply

    1. That is not from my site and do not do it!! You shouldn’t have to download anything or subscribe to anything to get my recipes. This is some type of virus trying to get on to your computer.

      Reply

  5. 4 stars
    Your recipe is great, loved it. However, your math is quite poor. I’m not sure how using a 9X9 pan and cutting into 3X3 squares gets you 12 servings?

    Reply

  6. If you decide to use homemade whipped cream instead of Cool Whip, have some extra instant pudding mix cause instant pudding is a very effective whipped cream stabilizer since it has modified cornstarch; add 1 tablespoon of instant pudding mix to the heavy whipping cream before whipping. Mascarpone cheese can also work as an alternative to regular cream cheese cause mascarpone is a type of cream cheese and it’s full fat.

    Reply