Candy Land Dessert
A shortbread cookie crust enhances a creamy ice cream and pudding layer that’s topped with crushed Heath Bars to create a special dessert.
Candy Land Ice Cream Dessert Recipe
This recipe has been in our family my whole life and is also known as Candy Land Dessert. The simple mixture of pudding, vanilla ice cream, and Lorna Doone cookies is one of my favorite treats!
People always come back for more and just like our Cream Puff Dessert, this recipe never lasts more than a couple days in our refrigerator because this ice cream dessert is so delicious!
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, vanilla pudding and Cool Whip layer. Sprinkle on Heath candy bar bites and this is a unique and memorable recipe!
Big parties, potlucks and holiday meals are my favorite times to make this tried and true family favorite recipe. Gatherings where there are at least ten people work best because this will feed a crowd. Candy Land Ice Cream Dessert is one of our family’s New Years Eve Party traditions.
Ingredients Needed
- Vanilla Ice Cream – use a higher quality brand for the best flavor
- Instant Vanilla Pudding
- Milk
- Cool Whip or store brand whipped topping
- Lorna Doone Cookies or another quality shortbread cookie like Pepperidge farm Chessmen cookies
- Butter
- Heath Candy Bars – chopped toffee crunch or other crushed candy bars can vary the flavor of the entire dessert
If you enjoy this Lorna Doone dessert you may also enjoy Buckeye Cookie Bars.
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 325ºF oven. Let cool.
Whisk together pudding and milk and allow to thicken.
In a large bowl, stir softened ice cream into pudding mixture. Fold in whipped topping.
Spread over crust.
Sprinkle on crushed Heath candy bars. Chill for an hour or two before serving.
Store in refrigerator, not freezer.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Through testing we can confirm that instant pudding is the only option, cook and serve does not work well and mix into the other ingredients smoothly.
- Vanilla wafers can be used for the crust and make a more budget friendly option than Lorna Doone shortbread cookies.
- The cookie crust can be prepared ahead of time, but the ice cream mixture is best served right away after chilling.
More Unique Dessert Recipes
Candy Land Ice Cream 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°F. Mix crushed cookies and melted butter together, cover bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Bake 15 minutes. Let cool.10 oz Lorna Doone Cookies, 1 stick butter
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together pudding and milk. Let thicken.2 small pkg instant vanilla pudding – 3.9 oz ea, 2 cup milk
- Stir in softened ice cream. Then stir in whipped topping. Spread over crust.1 quart vanilla ice cream, 8 oz whipped topping
- Sprinkle on crushed candy bars. Store in refrigerator, not freezer.5 Heath Candy Bars
Notes
- Allow crust to cool completely before spreading ice cream and pudding mixture over it – a warm crust will melt this layer
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Rate This Recipe Pin This RecipeOriginally published January 8, 2017 with pictures updated on February 6, 2025.
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!
It does not melt in the fridge because mixing the ice cream with the pudding makes it set up. The milk is to mix with the dry pudding mix, don’t use milk plus the milk that goes into making the pudding. I use Nestle’s Crunch bars for the topping instead of Heath bars. It is wonderful. It has been my family’s favorite dessert for over 40 years
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.