What a fabulous and tasty layered dessert! The baked crust has coconut and walnuts, then it’s topped with a cream cheese layer, this is followed by a cherry pie filling and then a vanilla pudding layer that has melted chocolate chips stirred in which makes it very thick. Finally, it’s topped with cool whip, grated chocolate and maraschino cherries. Voila! Beautiful and delicious. This is a rich, decadent dessert that’s incredibly sumptuous. And though it has many layers it’s not overly difficult to make.
Years ago a dish of Black Forest Dream Dessert was brought to one of our Sunday school potlucks after church. I took one bite of this amazing gastronomic delight and knew I had to get the recipe! The gal who brought it got the recipe from a Taste of Home magazine. That didn’t surprise me since Taste of Home is an excellent source for great recipes. This recipe is a take-off on the “delight” recipes from the 70s and 80s that have a crust layer, a cream cheese layer composed of cream cheese, cool whip, and powdered sugar, then a pudding layer and more cool whip. Instead, this one adds a cherry pie filling layer and to the vanilla pudding layer it adds melted chocolate chips which makes that layer much more thick than a regular pudding layer. I added grated chocolate on top and maraschino cherries to keep with the Black Forest theme of the dessert.
If you’re looking for a superb dessert for special occasions like Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, or holiday celebrations, then please consider Black Forest Dream Dessert. It is wonderful!
Black Forest Dream Dessert is a lovely, elegant dessert.
This dessert is great for special occasions and holidays.
Here’s a serving of Black Forest Dream Dessert. Doesn’t it look yummy?
Buried inside is a sweet cream cheese layer, a chocolate pudding layer, a cherry pie filling layer and then lots of whipped topping, shaved chocolate and maraschino cherries. Wow!
This angle shows a little different texture.
If you want a rich, decadent, succulent dessert, Black Forest Dream Dessert is it!
This side view shows the layers.
If you like chocolate and cherries together, this dessert is a must for your dessert repertoire.
This smooth, creamy dessert is wonderful for Valentine’s Day, special occasion dinners, or to bring to potlucks. Everyone loves it!
Here’s what I did.
For the crust: Put UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour in a mixing bowl. (Bleached flour toughens baked goods).
Add sugar.
Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Here’s a look at the texture now.
Add coconut.
Toast finely chopped walnuts about 8-10 minutes at 350 or 400 degrees.
Now the walnuts are toasted.
Add walnuts to flour mixture.
Stir to combine and press into a 9×13″ glass baking dish that has been sprayed with Baker’s Joy cooking spray (since it has flour in the spray). Bake crust at 350 for about 15-18 minutes.
Meanwhile, make cream cheese layer. Soften cream cheese and put in mixing bowl.
Add powdered sugar.
Add a cup of whipped topping.
Cream together and set aside.
Melt chocolate chips in microwave. I think mine took about 3 cycles of 30 seconds at 50% power.
Here the chocolate chips are melted. Set aside.
You will need two packages of French vanilla pudding.
Pour vanilla pudding mix into a bowl.
Add milk.
Beat with an electric mixer until thick.
Add a few tablespoonfuls of the chocolate mixture into the pudding mix and stir to combine.
Here I’m stirring the melted chocolate chips into the vanilla pudding mixture.
Now stir in remaining melted chocolate.
This is a very thick mixture. Set aside.
Allow crust layer to cool completely. This will take at least 30 minutes. If you put the cream cheese layer on sooner it will melt and dissolve and not stay pretty!
Here’s a look at the texture of the crust. Lots of coconut and walnuts!
Here’s one more close up. The crust is delicious.
Smooth cream cheese over top of cooled crust layer.
Here the cream cheese is smoothed over top of the crust.
Top cream cheese layer with a can of cherry pie filling.
Top cherry pie filling with chocolate pudding layer.
Top chocolate pudding layer with remaining cool whip.
I grated three of these miniature Hershey’s candy bars for the grated chocolate on top of the cool whip layer.
Here’s the grated chocolate layer. You can also add more finely diced walnuts if you prefer.
Add maraschino cherries that have been patted dry.
Here is the finished product. Spectacular!
Here’s what the inside texture looks like.
This side view shows a little bit of the crust and cream cheese layer.
This dessert is a melt-in-your-mouth smooth, fluffy pie-like dessert that you’re whole family will love.
Black Forest Dream Dessert is a dream–it’s heavenly!
This close up shows the texture. I froze this for a couple of hours but it still wasn’t long enough to get smooth layers that would have taken great pictures! 
Even if this doesn’t look real pretty, Black Forest Dream Dessert is an awesome dessert.
Serve this at holiday parties and it will be gobbled up in no time!
Here’s the recipe.
BLACK FOREST DREAM DESSERT
(Recipe adapted from Kelley Meeks, when we attended Hillcrest Baptist Church, Cedar Hill, TX; source: adapted from Taste of Home magazine, June/July 2007)
1 cup UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup cold butter
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 carton (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 1/2 cups cold milk
2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
Chocolate curls, or grated chocolate, optional
Additional chopped walnuts for garnish
maraschino cherries for garnish
In a bowl, combine flour and sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in coconut and walnuts. Press into a 13x9x2 baking dish sprayed with Baker’s Joy cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack. In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar; beat until smooth. Fold in 1 cup whipped topping. Spread over cooled crust. Top with pie filling; cover and chill. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Whisk a small amount of pudding into melted chocolate. Return all to the pudding, whisking constantly. Pour over cherry filling. Spread remaining whipped topping over dessert. Garnish with chocolate curls or gratings, maraschino cherries and chopped walnuts, if desired. Refrigerate or freeze about six hours before serving.
Black Forest Dream Dessert is a multi-layer dessert that is so delicious you will have a hard time turning down a second piece!
Cream cheese, cherry pie filling, chocolate pudding, cool whip–what’s not to love!
Each bite of Black Forest Dream Dessert is superb.
This is a great party dessert.
I didn’t have time to let this dessert set really well before taking pictures, but it’s still wonderful in all it’s creamy fluffiness!
Every time we have served this decadent dessert, our company has been impressed!
I couldn’t resist this picture. I love desserts with lots of cool whip!
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such a gorgeous dessert !
It tastes wonderful too!