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This layered pistachio dessert is insanely delicious! It has the perfect crust, topped with layers of creamy cheesecake and pistachio pudding. The crushed pistachios on the top finish it off and make it the best dessert for any occasion!
If you love desserts that have pudding in them then you MUST TRY this banana pudding, this pudding salad, and this amazing rice pudding. You can’t go wrong with any of them!
Layered Pistachio Dessert
This dessert is so simple to make and full of delicious and classic pistachio flavor! I love a good pistachio dessert and there are SO many out there. But trust me when I say that if you only had one to try, THIS is the one for you! It brings in all of the flavors and textures that you see made with pistachio. Cheesecake, pudding, pie…This is basically all of those made into one.
This is actually pretty quick to put together! The rest of the time is hands-off while you wait for it to chill in your fridge! This makes this the absolute perfect dessert to make ahead of time for any event or party that you are having. And if you taste this and you just can’t get enough of pistachio then you MUST TRY this biscotti, this pie, or even this cheeseball! There are so many options, you really just need to try them all!
Ingredients for Pistachio Layered Dessert
The ingredients that you use in this dessert are simple! Once you have them all gathered up, you will whip this up in no time! See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.
- Butter: Set your (unsalted) butter out for about 30 minutes before so that they can soften up! Then, it’s easier to mix!
- Pecans: Chop these up into smaller pieces.
- Flour: All purpose flour works great for this recipe!
- Powdered sugar: This will sweeten up the crust without changing the texture.
Cheesecake layer
- Cream cheese: Soften this to room temperature before you mix it in.
- Powdered sugar: This makes it sweet and creamy!
- Vanilla: The vanilla will enhance the sweet flavor of the cheesecake layer.
- Whipped topping: You can use whatever kind that you have on hand but this whipped topping is my favorite!
Pistachio Layer
- Evaporated Milk: Using eveporated milk helps the pudding layer stay creamy.
- Pistachio pudding: I use the instant pudding mix for this recipe.
Topping
- Whipped topping: Again, use this whipped topping if you can!
- Pistachios: Take the pistachios out of their shell (or buy them without the shell) and chop them up as big or as little as you want.
- Pecans: Chop these us to be about the same size as the pistachios.
Let’s Make Some Dessert!
This layered pistachio dessert is loved by everyone! It’s a great option to make when you need to bring something to a party because you can make it ahead of time!
- Preheat: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine ingredients, bake and chill: In a medium bowl combine the butter, pecans, powdered sugar and flour until it forms a shaggy dough. Press into a 9×13 baking dish and bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. Let cool completely.
- Combine, spread on crust and chill: Using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until it’s smooth and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Once combined, fold in 8 ounces of whipped topping by hand until completely combined. Spread evenly over the cooled crust. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
- Whisk and spread on cheesecake layer, then chill: In a medium bowl whisk the evaporated milk and pudding mix together until nice and thick. Then, spread it evenly across the cheesecake layer and place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes, until the pudding has set up.
- Spread, sprinkle and chill: Once the pudding is set up, evenly spread the remaining 8 ounces of whipped topping over the top and sprinkle the chopped pecans and chopped pistachios over the top. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving.
Tips and Variations for Layered Pistachio Dessert
This layered pistachio dessert is so easy and there are a bunch of ways that you can change it up! Here are a few ideas for you!
- Chill: No… I don’t mean relax. At least not quite yet! You need to make sure not to skip each step to chill the layers in the fridge. By getting each layer colder, it helps make the next layer spread easily of top without mixing the two! It’s really key to creating that start line between the layers.
- Crust: If you aren’t a fan of pecans, then you can switch those out in the crust to shortbread cookies (like the Keebler Sandies)! Put them all in a ziplock bag and crush them up with a rolling pin! Mix as directed with the other ingredients. You could also use oreo cookies as well! Just make sure to remove the filling first.
- Toppings: If you want to try out some other toppings then you could use mini chocolate chips, m&m’s, sprinkles, shredded coconut, any other kids of nuts, toffee and even some crushed oreos! The sky is the limit with this part so get creative and have fun!
How to Store Leftovers
If you have leftovers from this layered pistachio dessert then it’s easy to store for later! Just place a lid on your 9×13 baking dish to keep it airtight and put this in the fridge. It will last for about 4 days!
More Pistachio Recipes to Try
If your love for pistachios runs deep then I am here to help! I have rounded up some more of my very favorite pistachio recipes. Ranging from desserts to entrees, there is something for everyone! They are all so delicious that the hardest part is picking my favorite one!
Dressings, Sauces, and Dips
Pear, Raspberry and Pistachio Salad with a Creamy Poppyseed Dressing
15 mins
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Layered Pistachio Dessert
Ingredients
Crust
- ½ Cup Butter softened
- ½ Cup pecans chopped
- 1 Cup All-purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Cheesecake layer
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 Cup powdered sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 8 ounces Whipped Topping
Pistachio Layer
- 2 (12 oz) cans Evaporated Milk
- 2 (3.4 ounce) boxes instant pistachio pudding mix
Topping
- 8 ounces whipped topping
- 1/4 Cup chopped Shelled pistachios
- 1/4 Cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- In a medium bowl combine the butter, pecans, powdered sugar, and flour until it forms a shaggy dough. Press into a 9×13 baking dish and bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant. Let cool completely.
Cheesecake Layer
- Using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until it’s smooth and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Once combined, fold in 8 ounces of whipped topping by hand until completely combined. Spread evenly over the cooled crust. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
Pistachio Layer
- In a medium bowl whisk the evaporated milk and pudding mix together until nice and thick. Spread it evenly across the cheesecake layer and place it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes, until the pudding has been set up.
Topping
- Once the pudding is set up, evenly spread the remaining 8 ounces of whipped topping over the top and sprinkle the chopped pecans and chopped pistachios over the top. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I follow all steps exact and looked fine but when cut into it it flopped. As if melted. Any suggestions or have you seen this ? Tasted amazing though
Hi Ed, I’m not exactly sure why that happened. Did it chill for long enough? Did you use fat free cream cheese? Low sugar pudding?
Hi Alyssa, I made this again over the weekend. I definitely chilled everything long enough and the only reduced fat I used was the whipped topping and I think that maybe the issue. I love the recipe and not giving up
Can this be downsized? I’m looking to make only an 8×8 pan? Thanks!
Hi Deb, thanks for the question. I haven’t tried it in a smaller amount, but I think making half the recipe would work in an 8×8 pan. Let me know how it turns out!
Can you put this in freezer to chill more quickly for final step or will that ruin it
That should be fine to speed up the process!
I also got a little creative and used chocolate pudding instead of the pistachio. And our favorite now is vanilla pudding and bananas!! And I also use walnuts instead of pecans.
Sounds great, I’ll have to try it that way!! Glad you like the recipe. 😊
Would a graham cracker crust also work? I havent made this yet. But looking forward to trying it. But would like to know if the graham cracker would be okay? Ive been using many of your recipes. So glad I stumbled across you.
Can you use pistachio nuts instead?
Of course!
Hello! I plan on making this as a dessert for Easter Sunday feast! Can it be made 1 or 2 days ahead??
Yes, that should be fine! Just make sure to store it in an airtight container in your fridge. Let me know how it turns out. Happy Easter!
Should nuts be unsalted?
I typically will use unsalted pistachios when baking.
Salted butter or Unsalted?
I used unsalted butter!
Thank you for this recipe! Came out great. Was a hit at Christmas! Next time I will experiment and add a layer of banana pudding and an oreo crust. So many ways to change it up while keeping the original recipe! Pecan crust was amazing too
This dessert was a big hit – 5 stars for sure! I used heavy whipping cream instead of whipped topping. I also mixed the crust in my food processor.
How big are the can of evaporated milk?
5 fluid ounces
I’m sorry, but I’m a bit confused about the 2 cans evaporated milk. So are you saying do not use 2)12 oz cans? Use 2)5oz cans instead? Just trying to understand. Sorry for the ignorant question.
I used two 12 ounce cans in this recipe.
I have always used 2-12oz cans of Evaporated Milk and it turns out great!