Peanut Butter Lasagna, also known as Peanut Butter Delight, is a real treat for all of the peanut butter lovers out there!
This easy no-bake dessert features layers of whipped topping, sweetened cream cheese, and a smooth peanut butter pudding, all on the most amazing Nutter Butter cookie crust.
You may have heard of chocolate lasagna before, but have you tried Peanut Butter Lasagna (aka, peanut butter delight)?
You must make this recipe! It’s the most delicious thing, and perfect for sharing at potlucks, parties, and holidays.
While it’s not an actual lasagna, Peanut Butter Lasagna is a layered dessert made in a casserole pan, so it resembles a lasagna, but is so much more fun!
This sweet dessert lasagna is packed with peanut butter flavor in creamy layers of whipped topping, peanut butter pudding, and cheesecake-style mousse.
Want to try a different lasagna no-bake dessert? Check out my recipe for Mint Chocolate Lasagna too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A Perfect Make-Ahead Recipe – I think that Peanut Butter Lasagna tastes even better after it’s chilled for a few hours or even overnight! Feel free to make this today for tomorrow’s festivities.
- Peanut Butter Cookie Crust – I like making graham cracker-style crusts with Oreos, but for this recipe, only Nutter Butter sandwich cookies will do!
- Versatile Recipe – Peanut Butter Delight is very easy to make, and therefore easy to adjust! You can add chocolate to the mix, or use different cookies. Feel free to experiment, just be sure to come back and let me know what you made!
Ingredients In Peanut Butter Lasagna
Here’s what you need to make this easy no bake peanut butter dessert:
- For the Crust: Crushed peanut butter sandwich cookies and melted butter come together to create the crunchy, irresistible bottom layer of the lasagna. A family-size package of Nutter Butters is the perfect amount, or you can try using a couple of boxes of Do-Si-Do girl scout cookies. Keep 5-8 of the cookies whole – we’ll break them into larger pieces to garnish the top of the dish!
- For the Cream Cheese Layer: Let the cream cheese soften at room temperature, and mix it with powdered sugar and whipped topping.
- To Make the Peanut Butter Layer: Instant vanilla pudding mix plus creamy peanut butter, caramel sauce, extra cookie crumbs, and milk creates a decadent peanut butter filling for this peanut butter delight!
- The Topping: More whipped topping and more peanut butter cookies! In total, you need three 8-ounce tubs of Cool Whip for this recipe.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make a Peanut Butter Lasagna
- Mix the Crust: Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C and prepare a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Then combine the finely ground Nutter Butter cookies (set aside one cup for later) with melted butter. Mix well until the mixture is like wet sand.
- Bake: Pour the crumbs into the baking dish, and press down firmly with the palms of your hands or a flat-bottomed measuring cup. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crust has hardened and is golden brown. Let it cool completely before proceeding.
- Mix the Cream Cheese Layer: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the powdered sugar and cream cheese using an electric hand mixer, or use a stand mixer. Beat until smooth, then fold in 1 tub of whipped topping.
- Spread: Use a spatula to spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the Nutter Butter crust.
- Make the Pudding: In a clean mixing bowl, combine instant vanilla pudding mix and milk. Beat with your mixer until the mixture slightly thickens.
- Add the Peanut Butter: To the pudding, mix in creamy peanut butter, 1 tub of whipped topping, caramel sauce, sea salt, and the 1 cup of cookie crumbs you set aside earlier. Blend until smooth.
- Spread: Add the mixture to the baking dish and spread evenly over the cream cheese layer.
- Add the Topping: Cover the peanut butter layer with the remaining tub of whipped topping, then cover and chill in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or overnight. Before serving, garnish with chopped cookies and drizzle with additional caramel sauce.
Tip!
Be sure to let the crust cool completely before adding the other layers. Speed up the process by placing it in the fridge while you mix up the other ingredients!
Recipe Tips
- Use unsalted butter: Peanut Butter cookies are already a bit salty, so unsalted butter works best for the crust.
- Choose your Pan: I love using a classic glass baking dish to make this recipe, but you can use any 9×13-inch pan that you like. If you want your peanut butter lasagna to be extra thick, you can also make it in a 9 or 10-inch square pan.
- Baking the crust makes it crispy and firm. To make this dessert truly oven-free, you can skip this part, but the bottom layer will be crumbly and the squares won’t be so easy to serve.
- Use Instant Pudding: When buying pudding mix, look for the box that says “instant”. The type of pudding mix that needs to be cooked won’t work properly here.
- For very clean layers, chill each layer after you spread it. This adds a bit of extra time to the recipe and isn’t completely necessary, but it can help keep the layers from blending together.
Storing Tips
Store this peanut butter lasagna covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the dessert for up to 2 months. Just allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
More Peanut Butter Recipes to Try
- Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites
- No Bake Peanut Butter Pie
- Peanut Butter Bread
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- For your favorite pet, make Peanut Butter Banana Dog Treats!
Recipe FAQs
A food processor will be the quickest and easiest way to crush up the Nutter Butters for this recipe and give you the fine crumbs that you want. If you don’t have a food processor, add the cookies to a ziplock bag and crush them with a mallet or a rolling pin.
Yes, you can substitute sugar-free pudding for regular chocolate pudding if you’d like. Be certain to buy instant pudding mix though, and not cook-and-serve.
To keep things clean, run a large knife under hot water before each slice. This will help it melt through the layers rather than dragging them, giving you clean pieces. This tip works for any no-bake cheesecake-style recipe.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
All No Bake Desserts →
No matter if you call this easy dessert Peanut Butter Lasagna or Peanut Butter Delight, you can be sure that it will be a hit wherever you serve it! Be sure to Pin this recipe for later too.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Peanut Butter Lasagna
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Nutter Butter Cookies (a family-sized package)5-8 whole cookies set aside, the remaining finely ground
- 1 stick (½ cup) (113 grams) unsalted butter melted, 113g
- 8 ounces (225 grams) cream cheese softened at room temperature, 225g
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 8-ounce tubs frozen whipped topping thawed at room temperature, divided
- 1 3.4-ounce package Jello Vanilla Instant Pudding mix
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) cold milk
- 1 cup (250 grams) creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup (120 ml) caramel sauce plus additional for garnish
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C and prepare a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all finely ground Nutter Butter cookies (minus 1 cup) with the melted butter. Mix well using a fork until the mixture feels and looks like wet sand.
- Pour the crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish, packing firmly and flat using the palms of your hands. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crust has hardened and is golden brown. When done, remove it from the oven and allow it to come to room temperature before proceeding.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the powdered sugar and cream cheese using an electric hand or stand mixture. Beat until smooth. Fold in 1 tub of whipped topping and mix until smooth.
- Add cream cheese mixture to the Nutter Butter crust and spread evenly and flat using a rubber spatula.
- In a clean large mixing bowl, combine vanilla pudding mix and milk. Beat until the pudding package has completely dissolved and the mixture slightly thickens.
- Add in 1 tub of whipped topping, peanut butter, the remaining finely ground Nutter Butter crumbs, caramel sauce, and sea salt. Blend until all ingredients are smooth.
- Add mixture to the dish and spread evenly across. Top with the remaining tub of whipped topping before covering the dish and placing it inside the refrigerator to chill overnight.
- When ready to serve, garnish the dish with the remaining Nutter Butter cookies, broken into larger crumbs as well as a caramel sauce drizzle.
Notes:
- Use unsalted butter: Peanut Butter cookies are already a bit salty, so unsalted butter works best for the crust.
- Use a food processor to get super fine cookie crumbs.
- Choose your Pan: I love using a classic glass baking dish to make this recipe, but you can use any 9×13-inch pan that you like. If you want your peanut butter lasagna to be extra thick, you can also make it in a 9 or 10-inch square pan.
- Baking the crust makes it crispy and firm. To make this dessert truly oven-free, you can skip this part, but the bottom layer will be crumbly and the squares won’t be so easy to serve.
- Be sure to let the crust cool completely before adding the other layers. Speed up the process by placing it in the fridge while you mix up the other ingredients.
- Use Instant Pudding: When buying pudding mix, look for the box that says “instant”. The type of pudding mix that needs to be cooked won’t work properly here.
- For very clean layers, chill each layer after you spread it. This adds a bit of extra time to the recipe and isn’t completely necessary, but it can help keep the layers from blending together.
- To Store: Store this peanut butter lasagna covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the dessert for up to 2 months. Just allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Abeer says
I loved your tip on chilling after spreading each layer. That worked so well and I finally achieved those perfect clean beautiful layers.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I’m so glad it turned out well for you, Abeer! Thank you for the kind review.
Val says
I LOVE peanut butter! This was a perfect recipe for me!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
I’m so happy to hear that, Val! Glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Sharina says
Added some sprinkles on top of this peanut butter lasagna and it turned out so fine! Must-try!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
That sounds wonderful, Sharina! Thank you for the great review!
Mary OHara says
What kind of sprinkles, my dear ?