This Candy Land Dessert made of pudding, vanilla ice cream and Heath Bars and Lorna Doone cookies is a family favorite! Dirt pudding is everywhere, but this recipe puts a rich twist on a common cookie and pudding dessert.
I asked my husband to describe this recipe and he said, “It’s DELICIOUS!”
If you enjoy this Lorna Doone dessert you may also enjoy Buckeye Cookie Bars.
Lorna Doone Cookie Dessert Idea
The base layer of Candy Land Dessert is Lorna Doone cookies and butter, so it is rich. Next is my favorite layer, the vanilla ice cream and instant vanilla pudding. Spread with whipped topping, sprinkle on Heath candy bar bites and this is a unique and memorable dessert!
Everything mixes and spreads easier when the ice cream has been softened and the whipped topping is at room temperature. One time I tried to make this recipe with cook and serve pudding and that did not work. As long as instant pudding is used this is a great dessert!
My mom has made this recipe several times and my family LOVES it! This Lorna Doone cookie dessert is one of our farmhouse favorite recipes. It tastes great the first day and even better the second day! Just like our Oreo Dirt Cake I’m not sure if we’ve ever had any last until the third day.
A couple other easy and delicious desserts with instant pudding are Banana Cream Delight, Pumpkin Fluff and Watergate Salad.
Delicious Ice Cream Dessert Idea
Once you make this recipe you’ll understand why it’s a tried and true family favorite. Big parties, potlucks and holiday meals are my favorite times to make this recipe. Gatherings, where there are at least ten people, work best because this will feed a crowd. Candy Land Dessert is one of our family’s New Years’ Party traditions.
The pieces are really easy to scale into smaller samples or more generous portions. When people start with a smaller piece they usually come back for more because it’s so good and unique.
How to Make Candy Land Ice Cream Dessert
- Mix crushed cookies and melted butter together, cover bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Bake 15 minutes in a 325º F oven. Let cool.
- Whisk together pudding and milk and allow to thicken.
- In a large bowl, stir softened ice cream into pudding mixture.
- Spread on crust then cover with whipped topping.
- Sprinkle on crushed Heath candy bars. Store in refrigerator, not freezer.
Tips for Making Candy Land Dessert
- Allow crust to cool completely before spreading ice cream and pudding mixture over it – a warm crust will melt this layer
- Ensure whipped topping is defrosted for easier spreading so that you don’t dip into the pudding layer
- Lorna Doone cookies can be expensive and difficult to find, so vanilla wafers can also work if needed
Other Delicious Desserts for a Party:
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad
- Chocolate and Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
- Almond Bark Specials
- Milk Way Cake
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake
- The Best Cake Recipe
- The Best Rich & Moist Chocolate Cake
We hope you enjoy these dessert recipes as much as we do!
Printable Candy Land Dessert Recipe
Candy Land Dessert
Ingredients
- 10 oz Lorna Doone Cookies crushed
- 1 stick butter melted
- 2 small pkg instant vanilla pudding – 3.9 oz ea
- 2 cup milk
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream
- 5 Heath Candy Bars crushed
- 8 oz whipped topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Mix crushed cookies and melted butter together, cover bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Bake 15 minutes. Let cool.
- Mix pudding and milk. Let thicken. Stir in softened ice cream. Spread on crust then cover with whipped topping.
- Sprinkle on crushed candy bars. Store in refrigerator, not freezer.
Notes
- Allow crust to cool completely before spreading ice cream and pudding mixture over it – a warm crust will melt this layer
- Ensure whipped topping is defrosted for easier spreading so that you don’t dip into the pudding layer
- Lorna Doone cookies can be expensive and difficult to find, so vanilla wafers can also work if needed
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Nutrition
Shared on: Meal Plan Monday
I could eat A LOT of this dessert. Super yum!!
This looks wonderful and I’d love to try it. Just not sure I understand that it is to be stored in the refrigerator, not the freezer. Doesn’t the ice cream melt?
Great question! So this recipe tastes best when eaten quickly. We still enjoy it the next day in the refrigerator, but it doesn’t last much longer. Trying the freezer might make leftovers last longer!
Just clarifying if the crust is baked at 375 or 325 degrees? It reads to preheat to 325 but bake at 375?
Can’t wait to make this over the holidays.
My original handwritten recipe says 325 degrees. I’m sorry for the mix-up. Hope you LOVE this recipe as much as we do!
I’ve made this recipe a couple of times and it is yummy! The only thing that I’m having a problem with is that they don’t sell 3.9 0z Instant Pudding Mix…only 3.4 oz. I did not realize that when I made it before and the consistently of it was very runny and it had to be frozen in order to eat it. I am going to try making it again by using 3 – 3.4 oz Instant pudding and 2 1/2 cups milk and see if that makes the consistency less runny…
can you make ahead and freeze i
Hey There! Great question – this recipe freezes fine, but it does not defrost evenly enough to be the best possible dessert. This dessert is best made a few hours ahead of time and enjoyed the same day. Hope you love it as much as we do!
This is a favorite in my family. You can vary the pudding and ice cream flavors too. I usually make one butterscotch and one chocolate. Another option is to fill a couple graham cracker pie crusts instead of making the Lorna Doone crust, although that is the best.