Oreo Pumpkin Pudding - creamy pumpkin spice pudding layered with Oreo cookies, folded together with homemade whipped cream for a no bake fall dessert that comes together in one bowl.
This one wasn't part of the original No Bake Harvest lineup. I had a sleeve of Oreo Thins sitting on my counter while I was testing another recipe in the series, and pumpkin and Oreos just made too much sense to skip. So consider this a bonus episode, same easy no bake pudding base as the rest of the series, just dressed up for cookies and cream season.
If you're building out your fall dessert lineup, this one pairs beautifully with two other pudding cups from the series: my Pumpkin Biscoff Pudding leans into that warm spiced cookie butter flavor, and the Apple Pie Pudding is basically a slice of apple pie you eat with a spoon.
Why You'll Love Oreo Pumpkin Pudding
- No oven required, no fussy techniques, just a bowl and a whisk.
- Real pumpkin puree gives it actual pumpkin flavor, not just spice.
- The Oreo layers soften into something closer to cake than cookie after a night in the fridge.
- Make it in individual cups for parties or one big trifle bowl for potlucks.
- Comes together well ahead of time, which is one less thing to think about during a busy fall week.
Ingredients Overview
Nothing here is hard to find. Most of it is probably already in your kitchen if you've made pudding before.
- Instant vanilla pudding mix - this is what thickens the whole thing up. Instant is important here, not the cook and serve kind.
- Cold milk - has to be cold or the pudding mix won't set up properly.
- Sweetened condensed milk - adds sweetness and a richer, creamier texture than pudding made with milk alone.
- Pumpkin puree - plain puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which already has spices and sugar mixed in and will throw off the flavor.
- Pumpkin spice - this is where the warm fall flavor comes from.
- Oreo Thins - thinner than regular Oreos, which means they soften faster and layer more neatly.
- Heavy cream - whipped and folded in to lighten the pudding and give it that fluffy, mousse like texture.
- Vanilla extract - goes into the whipped cream for a little extra flavor.
How to Make Oreo Pumpkin Pudding
- Whisk together the cold milk, sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin spice in a large bowl until combined.
- Sprinkle the instant pudding mix over the top and whisk until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Chill the pudding base for 10 minutes to thicken.
- Whip the heavy cream and vanilla extract in an electric mixer to stiff peaks.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding base with a rubber spatula.
- Layer pudding and whole Oreo Thins in cups, a casserole dish, or a trifle bowl, repeating 2 to 3 times.
- Finish with an even layer of pudding that fully covers the top and seals the edges.
- Cover and chill for at least 6 hours, up to 24.
- Top with reserved crushed Oreo Thins right before serving.
Common Mistakes
- Using regular pumpkin pie filling instead of plain pumpkin puree, which makes the pudding overly sweet and muddies the spice flavor.
- Skipping the chill time on the pudding base and folding in whipped cream too soon, before it has thickened.
- Overbeating the whipped cream until it turns grainy instead of stopping at stiff peaks.
- Not sealing the top layer of pudding all the way to the edges, which lets the top cookie layer dry out instead of softening.
- Serving right after assembling instead of giving it time in the fridge, which means the cookies stay crunchy instead of turning soft and cake like.
What Are Some Tips for Oreo Pumpkin Pudding
- Use a hand whisk instead of a hand mixer when combining the pudding mix into the base. A hand mixer tends to overwork it and can leave it clumpy instead of smooth, and a whisk gives you more control over how much you're mixing.
- If your whipped cream starts to look grainy or separated from overbeating, don't panic and don't toss it. Add a small splash of cold heavy cream and gently fold it in by hand until it smooths back out.
- Reserve your prettiest 4 to 5 Oreo Thins before you start layering so you have enough left to crush for a nice topping later. It's easy to use them all up mid assembly and realize you have nothing left for the top.
- Fold, don't stir, when combining the whipped cream into the pudding base. Stirring deflates the whipped cream and you lose that light, mousse like texture that makes this different from a regular pudding cup.
- If you're making this in individual cups for a party, assemble them the night before. The longer chill time actually improves the texture, and it means one less thing on your plate the day of.
- Let the pudding base sit the full 10 minutes before folding in the whipped cream. It needs that time to firm up enough to hold the whipped cream without turning soupy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few questions that tend to come up when people make this one.
- Can I use regular Oreos instead of Oreo Thins? You can, though the layers will be a bit thicker and take a little longer to soften in the fridge.
- Can I make this ahead of time? Yes, and honestly it's better that way. The full 24 hour chill gives the cookies time to soften all the way through.
- Can I use homemade whipped cream substitutes like Cool Whip? You can swap in an 8 ounce tub of thawed whipped topping if you're short on time, though the texture will be slightly different from fresh whipped cream.
- My pudding base seems too thin, what happened? Your milk was probably not cold enough, or you didn't whisk long enough after adding the pudding mix. Give it a few more minutes in the fridge to firm up.
- Can I use fresh roasted pumpkin instead of canned puree? Yes, just make sure it's well drained first. Fresh roasted pumpkin holds extra moisture that can thin out the pudding.
Storing and Freezing
This pudding keeps well in the fridge, covered tightly, for up to 3 days. The cookies will continue to soften the longer it sits, so if you like a little more texture in your cookie layers, aim to eat it closer to the first or second day.
This one does not freeze well at all. The pudding and whipped cream mixture separates and turns watery once thawed, and the texture never fully recovers. I'd skip freezing altogether and just make it fresh a day or two before you plan to serve it.
FOR MORE RECIPES HERE ARE SOME!
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Recipe
Oreo Pumpkin Pudding
Ingredients
- 3.4 ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 ¼ cups cold milk
- 1 can 13.4 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1 cup pumpkin puree not canned pumpkin pie
- 2 packages of thin Oreo's reserve 4-5 and crush for topping
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the cold milk, sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin spice, and mix. The mixture will be slightly clumpy and thin. That's okay. Sprinkle the vanilla pudding mix over the top. Whisk together until smooth. This will take 2-3 minutes. I prefer a hand whisk, not a hand mixer, because it will get clumpy. Let it sit in the fridge for 10 minutes to thicken up. While it sets, beat the heavy whipping cream.3.4 ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix, 1 ¼ cups cold milk, 1 can, 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice, 1 cup pumpkin puree
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a handheld mixer, add the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Beat until stiff peaks form to make whipped cream. If you over beat and it looks grainy, add a tablespoon or two of heavy cream and gently mix to smooth it out.2 cups heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- With a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture.
- To assemble, you can use individual cups, a large casserole dish, or a trifle bowl. Start with a layer of pudding on the bottom, then add a neat layer of whole oreo thin cookies. Repeat to make 2-3 layers total. Finish with a final layer of pudding that fully covers everything, making sure to seal the edges so the cookies stay soft.2 packages of thin Oreo's reserve 4-5 and crush for topping
- Gently wrap with plastic wrap and allow it to sit in the fridge for at least 6 and up to 24 hours to soften up.
- Unwrap the plastic wrap from the top. Top the pudding with the reserved crushed oreo cookies and crumbs. Serve!
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