This Red Velvet Lasagna is a layered, no-bake dessert recipe with a crunchy graham cracker crust, cream cheese layer, red chocolate pudding layer and topped with Cool Whip, chocolate shavings and cherry syrup.
10ouncesregular or vanilla graham crackers, finely ground using a food processor or manually crushing2 5-oz packages
9tablespoonsunsalted buttermelted and cooled *I give a range for the amount because I have found that depending on the humidity, you may need more or less butter
Cream Cheese Layer:
16ouncescream cheese, softened to room temperature8 ounce packages
1cupgranulated white sugar
1.5tablespoonsapple cider vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice
8ounceswhipped topping (I use Cool Whip), you can substitute the same amount whipped cream
1teaspoonshaved or curled dark chocolateamount to taste for garnishing
a drizzle of cherrystrawberry or raspberry sauce – I use wild cherries in syrup
Instructions
Crust:
In a medium-large bowl, mix melted and cooled unsalted butter with finely ground, processed graham crackers. Press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Cover and chill until the next layer is ready.
Cream Cheese Layer:
Using a hand held electric mixer, combine cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or fresh squeezed lemon juice. Mixture should be even and smooth. Spread evenly on top of the graham cracker crust.
Red Chocolate Pudding Layer:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the milk and instant chocolate pudding mix until set. Add the red food coloring until desired color is reached. It may take 4-5 minutes to thicken. Spread evenly on top of the cream cheese mixture.
Topping Layer:
Using an offset spatula, spread thawed whipped topping on top of the pudding layer. Sprinkle with shaved or curled dark chocolate. For serving drizzle with a red cherry (or other fruit) sauce. Optionally, you can freeze the Red Velvet Lasagna overnight for more defined slices (as shown in the photos). Do not freeze if you substitute homemade whipped cream because it might not hold up like frozen whipped topping like Cool Whip.
Notes
I suggest using an offset spatula for spreading the layers and make sure it’s clean before starting a new layer. After refrigerating, for serving to show more defined layers, you can just take a butter knife and “wipe” along the sides and the layers will show nicely. You can freeze the Red Velvet Lasagna overnight (at least 6 hours) to get more defined slices. Make sure you use a sharp knife to cut down into the bottom crust first before removing with the spatula. It will defrost fairly quickly depending on the room temperature.