Easy No Bake Blueberry Pie Pudding

No Bake Blueberry Pie Pudding -- a creamy, layered dessert with cinnamon spiced whipped cream, blueberry pie filling, and soft vanilla cookies.

If you have ever stood in front of a Magnolia Bakery display case and thought "I could make that at home and honestly probably make it better," this recipe is for you. No Bake Blueberry Pie Pudding is episode five of my no bake series, and it might be the one I am most proud of. Magnolia Bakery does a blueberry crisp pudding that is genuinely delicious, but I wanted to keep this true to the no bake spirit, so I skipped the crisp and instead folded a cinnamon spiced whipped cream directly into the pudding mixture to make the filling. The result is layered, creamy, and honestly one of a kind. No oven, no stress, just a bowl and a whisk and a little patience while it sits in the fridge overnight.

If you are deep in a blueberry era like I am, you are going to want to also check out my Lemon Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls, my No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake, and my Brown Butter Blueberry Cookies. You are welcome in advance.

Why You'll Love No Bake Blueberry Pie Pudding

• No oven required. This is the whole point. No bake means no preheating, no checking on anything, and no heating up your kitchen. You whisk, you layer, you refrigerate. That is the entire job.
• The cinnamon whipped cream is the secret. Folding cinnamon spiced whipped cream into the pudding base creates a filling that is light but rich, with just enough warmth to make the blueberry flavor pop. It sounds subtle and it is not.
• It gets better as it sits. The cookies soften into something almost cake-like overnight, and the layers meld together in a way that makes this taste like significantly more effort than it actually was. This is a feature, not a bug.
• It feeds a crowd without any real effort. A 9x13 dish of this will serve a table of people who will all ask you for the recipe, and you can tell them it took you maybe 20 minutes of active work.
• It is endlessly adaptable. Use a trifle bowl for a dinner party, individual cups for a cute single serve situation, or eat it straight from the casserole dish because no one is watching.

Ingredient Overview

Here is what you need to make this happen, and a few notes on why each thing matters:

• Instant vanilla pudding mix. The 3.4 ounce package. Do not use cook and serve pudding. It will not set the same way and you will be upset.
• Cold milk. Two cups, and it has to be cold. Room temperature milk will not thicken the pudding properly. This is one of those details that sounds fussy but actually matters.
• Sweetened condensed milk. This is what makes the pudding base taste bakery-level instead of just like something you made from a box. Do not skip it.
• Heavy cream. Two cups, beaten into whipped cream with cinnamon and vanilla folded in. This is your filling. It does a lot of heavy lifting.
• Vanilla extract and cinnamon. One teaspoon each. The cinnamon goes into the whipped cream and gives the whole dessert a warmth that makes the blueberry flavor taste more intentional.
• Nilla wafers. Two bags. These are the cookie of choice here because they are accessible, affordable, and they soften beautifully into the pudding layers overnight. If you want to upgrade, Chessman butter shortbread cookies are a delicious swap and give the dessert a slightly richer, more buttery flavor. Both work. Use what makes sense for you.
• Blueberry pie filling or blueberry jam. About half a cup per layer. Canned blueberry pie filling is the easier call here and gives you that glossy, jammy layer. If you want to use blueberry jam, go for it, just make sure it is spreadable enough to work with.

How to Make No Bake Blueberry Pie Pudding

• Whisk the cold milk and sweetened condensed milk together in a large bowl first before adding the pudding mix. The mixture will look clumpy and a little weird. That is fine. Sprinkle the pudding mix over the top and whisk for a solid 2-3 minutes until smooth. A hand whisk is better here than a hand mixer, which will actually make it clumpier. Set it aside for 5-10 minutes to thicken.
• While the pudding sets, make your whipped cream. Add the heavy cream, cinnamon, and vanilla extract to the bowl of a stand mixer or use a handheld electric mixer. Beat on medium high until stiff peaks form. Stiff peaks means when you lift the beater, the cream holds its shape and does not flop over. Watch it closely because it goes from perfect to overbeaten faster than you think.
• Fold the whipped cream into the pudding mixture gently with a rubber spatula. Go slow. You want to keep the air in the whipped cream, which is what makes the filling light instead of dense. Fold, do not stir.
• Set your filling aside and get your assembly situation ready before you start layering.

How to Assemble No Bake Blueberry Pie Pudding

• Choose your vessel. A 9x13 casserole dish works great for a crowd. A trifle bowl is beautiful if you want to show off the layers. Individual cups are great for single serve. All three options work with this recipe.
• Start with a generous layer of the pudding filling on the bottom of your dish, enough to fully coat the base.
• Add a single layer of whole shortbread cookies directly on top of the pudding. Fit them in as snugly as you can without overlapping too much.
• Spoon about half a cup of blueberry pie filling over the cookies and spread it gently into an even layer, all the way to the edges.
• Repeat the layers -- pudding, cookies, blueberry filling -- until you run out of ingredients. You are aiming for 2-3 full layers depending on your dish.
• Finish with a final layer of pudding on top that fully covers everything. Spread it all the way to the edges and seal it against the sides of the dish so the top cookies do not dry out while it refrigerates.
• Press a sheet of plastic wrap directly against the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but overnight is strongly encouraged.
• Right before serving, crush your reserved cookies into a mix of bigger pieces and fine crumbs and scatter them over the top. Finish with a few spoonfuls of blueberry pie filling or a handful of fresh blueberries.

Common Mistakes

• Using room temperature milk. The pudding will not thicken properly. Cold milk only.
• Using a hand mixer for the pudding base. It seems like it would speed things up and it does not. It makes the mixture clumpier and harder to smooth out. Use a whisk and just commit to the two minutes of arm work.
• Not letting it sit long enough. Six hours is the minimum. Overnight is better. The cookies need time to soften into the layers, and the filling needs time to fully set. If you try to serve this after two hours it will taste fine but it will not taste like what this is supposed to be.
• Overfilling the layers with blueberry filling. Half a cup per layer is the move. Too much and the layers get soggy and slide around when you serve it. More is not always more.
• Skipping the plastic wrap directly on the surface. This is the step people skip and then wonder why there is a weird skin on top. Press the wrap right against the pudding before it goes in the fridge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the questions I get asked most about this recipe, answered as honestly as possible:

• What if I overwhip the cream? It happens to everyone. If it looks grainy, add a small splash of heavy cream and beat again on medium until stiff peaks return. If it looks slightly curdled, add a splash of cream and mix on low until it comes back together. 
• Do I have to use Chessman butter shortbread cookies? No, Nilla wafers are a great swap and give the dessert a slightly richer flavor. Any vanilla or butter flavored cookie that can soften in the pudding will work. What you want to avoid is anything too thick or dense that will not soften up overnight.
• Can I let it sit longer than 24 hours? Technically yes, but 24 hours is really the sweet spot. Beyond that the cookies can get a little too soft and the whole thing starts to lose some of its texture. 
• Can I use fresh blueberries instead of pie filling? You can, but fresh blueberries will not give you that jammy, spreadable layer that makes the assembly work so well. If you want to use fresh, cook them down with a little sugar first until they are syrupy, then let them cool completely before layering.
• Can I make this dairy free? I have not tested it personally, but full fat coconut milk in place of the heavy cream and a dairy free condensed milk should work in theory. The texture may be slightly different. If you try it, let me know how it goes.

Storing and Freezing

Storing: This no bake blueberry pie pudding stores really well in the fridge, which is part of what makes it such a good make ahead dessert. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface, or transfer it to an airtight container if you are storing individual portions. It will keep well in the refrigerator for up to three days. After that the cookies get a little too soft and the filling starts to lose its structure. It is still edible, it just is not at its best. For the best texture and flavor, try to serve it within the first two days.

Freezing: This one does not freeze. I know that is not what anyone wants to hear, but the pudding base and whipped cream filling do not hold up well to freezing and thawing. The texture gets grainy and watery once it thaws, and no amount of stirring will bring it back. The good news is that it comes together in under 30 minutes of active work, so it is not the kind of recipe that really needs to be frozen ahead anyway. Make it, refrigerate it, eat it within three days.

FOR MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS, HERE ARE MY FAVORITE TO PAIR!

• The Best Biscoff Banana Pudding
• Banana Bread Banana Pudding
• Snickerdoodle Banana Pudding Recipe
• Browned Butter Blueberry Cookies
• Summer's Best Blueberry Cheesecake Cake

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Recipe

No Bake Blueberry Cream Pudding

Molly Murphy

a creamy, layered dessert with cinnamon spiced whipped cream, blueberry pie filling, and soft vanilla cookies.

5 from 10 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 12 people

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3.4 ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 bags Cheeseman butter short bread cookies sub Nilla wafers. Set aside 3 cookies for the top!
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Blueberry jam or blueberry pie filling

Instructions

 

• In a large bowl, combine the cold milk and sweetened condensed milk and whisk together. The mixture will look a little clumpy at first -- don't panic, that's totally normal. Sprinkle the vanilla pudding mix over the top and whisk until smooth and no lumps remain, about 2-3 minutes. I prefer a hand whisk over a hand mixer here because a hand mixer can actually make it clumpier. Once it's smooth, set the bowl aside and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to thicken up. It should look noticeably thicker and more pudding-like before you move on. While it sets, go ahead and make the whipped cream.
  3.4 ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix, 2 cups cold milk, 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric handheld mixer, add the heavy cream, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high until stiff peaks form -- this means when you lift the beater, the cream holds its shape and doesn't flop over. Keep a close eye on it because it goes from perfect to overbeaten quickly. If it looks slightly curdled, add a splash of cream and mix on low until it comes back together.
  2 cups heavy cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Once your whipped cream is ready, use a rubber spatula to gently fold it into the pudding mixture. Go slow here.
• Now it's time to assemble. You can do this in individual cups for a cute single-serve presentation, a large 9x13 casserole dish for a crowd, or a trifle bowl if you want to show off those layers. Start with a generous layer of the pudding mixture on the bottom -- enough to fully coat the base.
• Then add a single, neat layer of whole shortbread cookies on top of the pudding, fitting them in as snugly as you can without overlapping too much. Spoon about ½ cup of blueberry pie filling over the cookies and gently spread it into an even layer, going all the way to the edges. Repeat this -- pudding, cookies, blueberry filling -- until you run out of ingredients, aiming for 2-3 full layers total depending on your dish.
  2 bags Cheeseman butter short bread cookies, Blueberry jam or blueberry pie filling
• Finish with a final layer of pudding on top that fully covers everything. Make sure to spread it all the way to the edges and seal it against the sides of the dish so the top layer of cookies doesn't dry out as it sits.
• Gently press a sheet of plastic wrap directly against the surface of the pudding -- this prevents a skin from forming on top. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but overnight is even better. The cookies need that time to soften into the pudding and become almost cake-like in texture, which is what makes this dessert so good.
• Right before serving, take your reserved cookies and crush them in your hands or in a zip-lock bag until you have a mix of bigger pieces and fine crumbs -- you want some texture, not just dust. Scatter that generously over the top. Finish with a few big spoonfuls of blueberry pie filling or a handful of fresh blueberries scattered on top. Serve cold straight from the fridge.

Notes

 

 

Keyword no bake, pudding, blueberry,

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