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I make this turtle lasagna dessert when I want everything I love about turtle candy in a cool no bake dessert I can slice and serve. It layers a buttery Oreo crust with tangy cream cheese, caramel vanilla pudding, whipped topping, chopped turtle candies, salty peanuts, and ribbons of chocolate and caramel in every square.

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This is my go to for summer cookouts and holiday tables because I can build it the night before and pull it straight from the fridge. I use instant pudding in the creamy layers on purpose. It keeps them firm so the dessert holds its shape on the plate instead of sliding into a soft heap.

Here is what sets mine apart. Most turtle desserts stop at pecans. I keep the chopped turtle candies for that pecan, caramel, and chocolate bite, then add salty dry roasted peanuts over the top. That hit of salt against all the sweet caramel is the reason people go back for a second square.

If you love layered no bake sweets like this, it sits right alongside the rest of my no bake dessert lasagna recipes. For a baked take on the same flavors, my turtle cheesecake is worth pinning too.

photo of Jen

Family Favorite

The Dessert My Family Requests at Every Get-Together

This is the one my kids grew up asking for whenever the whole family got together, and now I am the one fielding the recipe requests. I make a pan any time people are coming over, and there is never a square left by the end of the night.

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What Makes This Turtle Dessert a Lasagna

There is no pasta here. Turtle lasagna is a no bake layered dessert, part of the same family as turtle lush and turtle dream bars. It earns the lasagna name from the way the layers stack in the pan, the same way my other dessert lasagnas do. If you have searched turtle desserts and kept landing on cheesecakes or candy clusters, this is the sliceable, layered version you were picturing.

Here’s Where Most Go Wrong

The layers are easy. Clean squares are where people get frustrated.

If you cut into this too soon, the pudding and whipped layers slide and you get a pretty mess on the plate instead of a defined slice. The fix is patience. Chill it for the full two hours at minimum, and if you are serving it at a party, give it longer.

For the sharpest edges, I chill the whole pan, then pop it in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes right before slicing. Wipe the knife clean between cuts. That is the difference between a square that stands up and one that leans.

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What You’ll Need

Chocolate sandwich cookies: I use Oreos, crushed whole with the filling. The cream in the cookie helps bind the crust with the melted butter, so skip double stuffed and stick with regular.

Instant vanilla pudding and caramel flavoring: This is my shortcut to a caramel layer without hunting down caramel pudding. Vanilla pudding plus a little caramel flavoring gives you the taste and stays reliably thick. Use instant, not cook and serve.

Cream cheese: Use full fat and make sure it is softened to room temperature. Cold cream cheese never fully smooths out and you end up with lumps in the layer.

Whipped topping: It goes in both the pudding layer and on top. Folding some into the pudding is what keeps that layer light instead of dense.

Turtle candies: Chopped, these carry the pecan, caramel, and chocolate flavor through the whole dessert. Some go in the middle, the rest on top.

Dry roasted peanuts: These are my salty counterweight to all the sweet. The turtle candies bring the pecans, and the peanuts bring the crunch and salt that keep it from tasting one note.

Turtle Dessert with nuts and syrup

How to Make Turtle Lasagna Dessert

Step 1: Make the Oreo Crust Stir the crushed Oreos with the melted butter until the crumbs hold together, then press into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a buttered 9×9 dish. Chill it while you make the next layer.

Step 2: Beat the Cream Cheese Layer Beat the softened cream cheese and vanilla until smooth, then add the powdered sugar and a cup of the whipped topping and beat again until creamy. Spread it over the chilled crust and return the dish to the fridge.

Step 3: Mix the Caramel Pudding Layer Sprinkle the pudding mixes and caramel flavoring over the cold milk and mix just until it starts to thicken, about a minute. Fold in a cup of whipped topping and keep mixing until it is thick.

Step 4: Add the Candy Layer Sprinkle half the peanuts and about a cup of the chopped turtle candies over the cream cheese layer, then drizzle with chocolate and caramel syrup.

Step 5: Spread the Pudding and Chill Spread the caramel pudding evenly over the candy layer. Cover and chill for at least two hours so everything sets.

Step 6: Finish and Serve Just before serving, spread the remaining whipped topping over the top. Sprinkle on the rest of the peanuts and turtle candies and finish with more chocolate and caramel drizzle. Slice into squares and serve.

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Easy Ways to Switch It Up

  • Swap the nuts: Chopped pecans or cashews work in place of the peanuts if you want to stay closer to classic turtle flavor.
  • Change the pudding: If you can find instant caramel pudding, use it in place of the vanilla and skip the caramel flavoring. Chocolate pudding turns it into a chocolate turtle version.
  • Graham crust: Crushed chocolate graham crackers stand in for the Oreos. Add two tablespoons of granulated sugar if you make that swap.

Make-Ahead and Storage

This is a make it ahead dessert by design. I build it the night before so the layers have time to set and the flavors settle in. Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

A Few Things Worth Knowing

Bring the cream cheese to room temperature. This is the single easiest way to avoid lumps in the cream cheese layer.

Let the cream cheese layer chill before the pudding goes on. A few minutes in the fridge keeps the layers distinct instead of bleeding into each other.

Hold the top layer until serving. Add the final whipped topping, peanuts, and candies right before you serve so the peanuts and turtle pieces stay crunchy.

showing the inside of turtle dessert

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze turtle lasagna?

Yes. It freezes well for up to a month, wrapped tightly. Thaw it in the refrigerator before serving, and add the top layer of candies and peanuts after thawing so they stay crisp.

What is the best way to crush the Oreos?

A food processor gives you the finest, most even crumbs for a crust that holds together. No processor is fine too. Seal the cookies in a zip top bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

Can I make it in a different pan?

A 9×9 dish gives you tall, defined layers. You can use a 9×13 for thinner squares and a larger yield. Spread each layer a little thinner and expect a shorter slice.

turtle dessert sliced cake on the plate

More No-Bake Dessert Recipes

Video

4.85 from 20 votes
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Turtle Lasagna Dessert

Author — Jennifer Fishkind
Serves — 12
Turtle lasagna dessert layers an Oreo crust with cream cheese, caramel pudding, whipped topping, and chopped turtle candies. An easy no bake dessert with all the turtle candy flavors.
PrintRatePin
Prep Time 20 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

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:
Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to a month, wrapped tightly, and thaw in the fridge before serving.
Tips:
  • Make sure your cream cheese is fully softened to room temperature so the layer blends smooth.
  • Let the cream cheese layer chill before you add the pudding so the layers stay distinct.
  • Add the top whipped topping and candies right before serving so the peanuts and turtle pieces stay crunchy.
  • For the cleanest squares, chill the whole pan, freeze it 20 to 30 minutes before cutting, and wipe your knife between cuts.

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 20 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