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Grandma's Chocolate Delight

BakedChocolateDiner-StyleNutsOven
Time :3 hours 15 minutes
Yield :8 servings
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The Scoop

Nostalgia on a Plate: Grandma’s No-Skip Layered Chocolate Delight!
Hosting your first holiday is a high-stakes emotional rollercoaster, but this nostalgic, multi-layered masterpiece is pure insurance against any kitchen disaster. It trades fussy, high-maintenance pastry work for a foolproof stack of buttery pecan crust, velvety sweetened cream cheese, and a double hit of rich instant pudding. It is retro, unpretentious, and aggressively delicious, the kind of dessert that instantly unlocks core memories and has your guests aggressively scraping the corners of the 9x13 pan. Move over, basic pumpkin pie.
Hack it:
Go extra chocolatey: Add mini chocolate chips, chocolate shavings, or crushed chocolate cookies between the layers.
Make it mocha: Stir 1–2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder into the pudding mixture for a coffeehouse-inspired version.
Try a caramel version: Drizzle caramel sauce between the layers or on top instead of chocolate syrup.
Leftovers:
Freeze it: Cut into squares and freeze individual portions for an easy frozen dessert treat.
Make dessert cups: Spoon leftovers into glasses and top with extra whipped cream for a quick remake.
Serve it frozen: Let chilled slices soften slightly for a semifreddo-style dessert experience.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
  • 1 1/2 cups toasted pecans, chopped
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, un-sifted
  • 1 (16-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, such as Cool Whip®, thawed, divided
  • 4 cups whole milk
  • 1 (5.9-ounce) package chocolate instant pudding mix
  • 1 (3.4-ounce) package vanilla instant pudding mix
  • chocolate syrup, to taste, for garnish

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  • In a bowl, add the flour, the pecans, and the melted butter and mix to combine.
  • Press the pecan mixture into the prepared baking dish in a thin layer, evenly patting it into all of the corners.
  • Bake the pecan crust until it is set, about 20 minutes.
  • Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and let the crust cool, about 30 minutes.
  • In a bowl, add the cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until it is creamy, about 2 minutes.
  • Gradually add the powdered sugar to the cream cheese and beat until it is well-blended, about 45 seconds-1 minute.
  • Fold 1 cup of the thawed whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture, then evenly spread it over the cooled crust.
  • In a large bowl, add the milk, the chocolate pudding mix, and the vanilla pudding mix and whisk until it is well-combined.
  • Let the pudding mixture stand until it is slightly set, about 10 minutes.
  • Pour the pudding mixture over the cream cheese layer.
  • Spread the remaining whipped topping over the pudding layer.
  • Cover the baking dish and place in the refrigerator to chill, for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.
  • Serve garnished with the chocolate syrup.
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