Cookies and Cream Dump Cake: A Stunning, Easy Dessert Recipe

Easy Cookies and Cream Pudding Dump Cake Recipe

This cookies and cream pudding dump cake has a warm vanilla pudding layer, softened chocolate sandwich cookies, and a buttery cake-mix topping. It is assembled directly in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, apart from briefly mixing the topping in a bowl.

The finished dessert is closer to a warm pudding cake or cobbler than a conventional layer cake. It should be served with a spoon rather than cut into tidy slices. As it cools, the pudding thickens and the topping becomes firmer.

Why Mix the Cake Mix With Butter?

Traditional dump cakes often call for sprinkling dry cake mix over a moist filling and covering it with sliced or melted butter. That method works, but it can leave pockets of dry powder if the butter is distributed unevenly.

Stirring the cake mix and melted butter together takes about a minute and produces more dependable coverage. The topping bakes into tender clumps with crisp edges, while the pudding underneath remains soft. The recipe still keeps the simple, layered character of a dump cake without risking a dusty surface.

Cookies and Cream Pudding Dump Cake Recipe

• Yield: 12 servings
• Preparation time: 15 minutes
• Cooking time: 40 to 45 minutes
• Cooling time: 20 minutes
• Total time: About 1 hour 20 minutes
• Course: Dessert
• Cuisine: American

Equipment

• 9-by-13-inch baking dish
• Large mixing bowl
• Medium mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Flexible spatula or large spoon
• Measuring cups
• Small zip-top bag and rolling pin, optional

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray or softened butter, for the baking dish
• 24 chocolate sandwich cookies, about 10 ounces or 285 grams
• 2 packages instant vanilla pudding mix, 3.4 ounces or 96 grams each
• 4 cups cold whole milk, 946 milliliters
• 1 box white or vanilla cake mix, 13.25 to 15.25 ounces or 375 to 432 grams
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, 170 grams
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, optional if using unsalted butter
• Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, optional for serving

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

2. Coarsely crush 18 of the chocolate sandwich cookies. The pieces should vary in size, with some fine crumbs and some pieces about 1/2 inch across. Spread them evenly across the bottom of the prepared dish.

3. Place both packages of instant vanilla pudding mix in a large bowl. Add the cold milk and whisk for about two minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken. Pour the pudding over the crushed cookies and spread it gently to the edges of the dish.

4. Empty the dry cake mix into a medium bowl. Add the salt, if using, followed by the melted butter. Stir with a fork or sturdy spoon until no large pockets of dry mix remain. The mixture will be crumbly rather than smooth.

5. Scatter the cake-mix topping evenly over the pudding. Do not press it down or stir it into the pudding layer.

6. Crush four of the remaining cookies and sprinkle them over the topping. Reserve the final two cookies for serving.

7. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The pudding should bubble around the edges, and the cake-mix topping should look set with lightly browned patches. Because the cookie crumbs are already dark, check the pale portions of the topping when judging doneness.

8. Set the baking dish on a heat-resistant surface and let the cake cool for at least 20 minutes. Crush the two reserved cookies over the top just before serving.

9. Spoon the warm baked cookies and cream pudding cake into shallow bowls. Serve it plain or add whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Getting the Texture Right

The pudding may look loose when the pan first comes out of the oven. A 20-minute rest gives the hot filling time to settle and thicken. For a firmer dessert, let the cake cool for about an hour. Chilling it will make it denser still, although the topping gradually softens in the refrigerator.

Do not prepare the pudding far in advance. It becomes harder to spread after it has fully set. Whisk it immediately before assembling the dessert, then pour it over the cookie layer while it remains fluid.

Coarsely crushed cookies work better than uniformly fine crumbs. Small pieces absorb pudding and become tender, while larger pieces retain some recognizable cookie texture. The reserved cookies added after baking supply a crisp contrast that baked cookies cannot provide.

Ingredient Choices and Substitutions

Vanilla pudding gives this cookies and cream cake mix dessert its familiar cream-filled-cookie flavor. White chocolate pudding can be substituted without changing the method. Cheesecake-flavored instant pudding also works, though it produces a tangier and slightly richer filling.

Use instant pudding mix, not a shelf-stable prepared pudding cup. Cook-and-serve pudding has different preparation requirements and should not be substituted directly unless it is cooked according to its package directions before the dessert is assembled.

White and vanilla cake mixes both suit the recipe. Yellow cake mix produces a stronger buttery flavor and a slightly darker topping. Chocolate cake mix can be used, but it shifts the dessert away from classic cookies and cream and makes it difficult to judge browning.

Whole milk gives the pudding a rich, soft consistency. Reduced-fat dairy milk can be used, though the filling may taste less creamy. Plant-based milks do not always set instant pudding reliably because their protein, fat, and water content varies. Use one only if the pudding manufacturer specifically indicates that it will set with that product.

Any chocolate sandwich cookie with a firm creme center will work. Double-filled cookies make the dessert sweeter and slightly softer, so standard sandwich cookies provide a more balanced result.

Serving the Dessert

This vanilla pudding dump cake with cookies is richest while warm, but it should not be served immediately from the oven. The filling can be extremely hot even after the topping appears cool enough to touch.

A small scoop of vanilla ice cream works well with a warm serving. For a cold serving, use lightly sweetened whipped cream and add fresh cookie crumbs shortly before bringing the dish to the table. Chocolate syrup is usually unnecessary because the sandwich cookies already contribute plenty of cocoa flavor.

The recipe yields about 12 moderate portions. Smaller servings are often sufficient after a substantial meal because the combination of pudding, cookies, cake mix, and butter is dense.

Storage and Reheating

Cover leftovers and refrigerate them within two hours of baking. Because this chocolate sandwich cookie dessert contains a substantial amount of milk-based pudding, it should not remain at room temperature overnight.

Refrigerated cookies and cream dump cake keeps for three to four days. The topping will lose some crispness, but the flavor remains intact.

To reheat an individual portion, place it in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in short intervals until warm. For several servings, cover the baking dish loosely with foil and place it in a 300°F (150°C) oven until heated through. Remove the foil for the last few minutes if the surface seems damp.

Freezing is possible, but the pudding may release a little moisture after thawing and the topping will be softer. Refrigeration is the better choice when the remaining cake will be eaten within a few days.