Festive Layered Dessert Squares, holiday themed dessert squares with cream cheese, cool whip, pudding and crushed candy canes. Great Christmas dessert!

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Festive Layered Dessert Squares

Also try these Star Shaped Jam Cookies, they are so good!

For myself, making sweet treats this time of year is a little difficult since I don’t care much for many of the traditional holiday desserts. I cook and bake what I love, and you’ll never find me making fruit cake or dense desserts loaded with nuts.

Stemming from my firm belief that Cool Whip should be it’s own food group {lets take a vote on that}, I like to keep things creamy and light all year long.

Which is why I’m head over heels in love with this Festive Layered Dessert Squares recipe, it’s inspired by Kraft Canada’s Chocolate-Peppermint Striped Delight.

Changes that I made to this recipe is using the new cream cheese in the delicious family, the Philadelphia Chocolate Brick, instead of Philadelphia Cream Cheese. It’s the same creamy cheese, yet in chocolate – and really jazzes up a recipe. Much better than using cream cheese and then adding cocoa to infuse some chocolate.

I also changed the pudding flavour to vanilla since I already has the chocolate layer thanks to the Philadelphia Chocolate Brick. This does give you a yellowish pudding layer, so you could use food colouring and change that if you wanted a different colour.

Instead of traditional peppermint candy canes, I used cherry flavoured candy canes in this recipe. It still gives that festive flair in looks, but the cherry-chocolate combination is to die for!

Enjoy!

layered dessert squares with crushed candy cane topping

Festive Layered Dessert Squares

Festive Layered Dessert Squares, holiday themed dessert squares with cream cheese, cool whip, pudding and crushed candy canes. Great Christmas dessert!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 35

Servings:

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Author: Tammi

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups Honey Maid Graham Crumbs
1/4 cup butter (melted)
1/2 cup sugar (divided)
1 pkg Philadelphia Chocolate Brick (250 g, softened)
3 cups + 2 TBSP cold milk (divided)
1/2 cup finely crushed cherry candy canes (divided)
3.5 cups thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping (divided)
2 pkg Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding (4-serving size each)

Instructions

Mix crumbs, butter and 2 Tbsp. sugar; press onto bottom of 13×9-inch dish. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Beat cream cheese, remaining sugar and 2 Tbsp. milk in medium bowl until blended. Stir in half the crushed candy. Add 1-1/4 cups Cool Whip; mix well. Spread over crust.
Beat pudding mixes and remaining milk with whisk 2 min.; pour over cream cheese layer. Let stand 5 min. or until thickened. Cover with remaining Cool Whip.
Refrigerate 4 hours. Top with remaining crushed candy just before serving.

Notes

** Kraft Kitchen Tips **
HOW TO EASILY CUT INTO SQUARES
Place dessert in freezer about 1 hour before cutting into squares to serve.
HOW TO SOFTEN CREAM CHEESE
Place completely unwrapped package of cream cheese on microwaveable plate. Microwave on HIGH 15 sec. or until slightly softened.
SUBSTITUTE
Prepare using non-hydrogenated margarine, Philadelphia Light Brick Cream Cheese, skim milk, JELL-O Fat Free Pudding and Cool Whip Light Whipped Topping.

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