Candy Cane Lush Cake
Candy Cane Lush Cake is an easy, delicious way to make the season merry and bright. A graham cracker crust is topped with peppermint cheesecake, rich pudding, Cool Whip, and crushed candy canes for the ultimate holiday treat.
Thanksgiving is almost here, and Christmas will be right behind it. We’re already planning our sweet treats for the season, like Santa meringue cookies, frosted red velvet cookies, and gingerbread brownies.
This delicious, lush cake is loaded with rich, creamy, peppermint-infused cheesecake, a rich pudding layer, and crushed candy canes, making it the perfect no-bake dessert for the season. It’s holly, jolly, and blissfully simple!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: All you need are a few basic ingredients from your kitchen or a local grocery store.
- Super-Easy: This is a no-bake recipe that requires just a little mixing, layering, and chilling.
- So Festive: This dessert is as festive as it is delicious, with red cheesecake and white pudding layers and a vibrant crushed candy cane finish.
- Rich and Creamy: Every bite of this dessert is full of rich, creamy texture and sweet, tangy, minty flavor.
Key Ingredients
We’ve made this list to help you save time on your next trip to the grocery store. You can find the full amounts needed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Graham Crackers: Graham crackers and a little butter create the sweet crust.
- Cream Cheese and Cool Whip: Cream cheese and Cool Whip create a rich, creamy cheesecake layer.
- Peppermint Extract: Peppermint extract gives the cheesecake its bright, minty flavor.
- Vanilla Pudding: Vanilla pudding creates a sweet and creamy layer.
- Candy Canes: Crushed candy canes add more peppermint flavor and a pop of festive color.
Variations
- Cool Whip: You can use homemade stabilized whipped cream instead if you prefer.
- Crust: Use your favorite graham cracker flavor to make the crust. They all work with this dessert’s creamy peppermint flavor.
- More Minty Flavor: Try mixing peppermint baking chips into the cheesecake layer for more color and minty flavor.
- Topping: Use peppermint kisses in place of crushed candy canes for a different look and flavor.
How to Make Candy Cane Lush Cake
This is a quick overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. You can find the full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Mix the crust ingredients and press them firmly into the bottom of a 9×9 baking dish. Refrigerate while making the rest of the dessert.
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Then, mix in powdered sugar and peppermint extract. Add a few drops of red food coloring. Then, fold in the Cool Whip. Spread over the chilled crust.
- Whisk the pudding and milk until thickened. Then, mix in a few drops of red food coloring. Spread the pudding over the cheesecake layer.
- Spread the Cool Whip over the pudding layer, top with crushed candy canes, and chill until serving.
Expert Tips
- Fully soften your cream cheese for full mixing and the best texture.
- Fold the Cool Whip into the cream cheese rather than stirring it to achieve a light, fluffy texture.
- Add a few drops of food coloring at a time when coloring your layers. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out!
- Press your graham cracker mixture firmly into the bottom of your dish to ensure a cohesive crust.
Candy Cane Lush Cake FAQs
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Candy cane lush cake is a peppermint variation of an old-fashioned lush cake, a no-bake dessert made with layers of a sweet cream cheese mixture, pudding, and whipped cream.
Typically, a lush cake is chilled for at least a couple of hours, and many people chill it overnight.
You can freeze a lush cake for up to a month. Just wrap the cake in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil.
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📖Recipe
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe so that you can find it later.
Candy Cane Lush Cake
Equipment
- 9×9 inch baking dish
- mixing bowls
- hand mixer or stand mixer
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Spatula
- Whisk
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake Layer
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- Red food coloring
- 2 cups Cool Whip
Pudding Layer
- 3.4 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 ¾ cups cold milk
- Red food coloring
Topping
- 16 ounces Cool Whip thawed
- Crushed candy canes
Instructions
Make the Crust:
- Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press into a 9×9-inch baking dish. Refrigerate while preparing the layers.
Cheesecake Layer:
- Beat cream cheese until smooth. Mix in powdered sugar and peppermint extract. Tint with red food coloring. Fold in 2 cups Cool Whip until fluffy. Spread evenly over the crust.
Pudding Layer:
- Whisk pudding mix and cold milk for about 2 minutes until thickened. Tint with red food coloring. Spread over the cheesecake layer.
Topping:
- Spread remaining Cool Whip over the pudding layer. Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top.
Chill:
- Refrigerate at least 4 hours or until set. Slice and serve chilled.
Notes
Disclaimer
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
This thing is absolutely the best lush cake of any kind I’ve ever made. We loved it last night, and I can’t wait to serve it for Christmas!