A rich, fluffy, no-bake coconut dessert inspired by the creamy bowl shown in the image. It combines vanilla pudding, coconut, and whipped topping for a light-but-indulgent texture.
Ingredients
Serves: 6–8
Prep: 15 minutes
Chill: 2–4 hours
- 1 package (3.4 oz / 96 g) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1½ cups cold milk
- 1 cup Original Whipped Topping
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2–3 tbsp extra shredded coconut, for topping
- Optional: ½ cup crushed vanilla wafers or shortbread cookies
- Optional: toasted coconut flakes for garnish
Method
- Make the pudding: Whisk the instant vanilla pudding mix with cold milk for about 2 minutes, until thickened.
- Prepare the creamy base: Beat softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until smooth.
- Combine: Fold the pudding into the cream-cheese mixture.
- Add coconut: Stir in 1 cup shredded coconut.
- Fold in Cool Whip: Gently fold in the whipped topping until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Don’t overmix.
- Layer: If using cookie crumbs, place them in the bottom of a serving bowl or individual cups. Spoon the coconut mixture over them.
- Chill: Cover and refrigerate for 2–4 hours.
- Finish: Top with additional shredded coconut. Toasted coconut gives it an especially nice flavor and crunch.
Tip: For the closest texture to the picture, keep the dessert very cold and fold the whipped topping in gently. The manufacturer recommends thawing frozen Cool Whip in the refrigerator rather than at room temperature.
Nutrition estimate
Per serving, assuming 8 servings and the ingredients above:
- Calories: ~250–300 kcal
- Carbohydrates: ~35–40 g
- Fat: ~10–13 g
- Protein: ~3–5 g
- Sugar: ~25–30 g
The exact nutrition will vary substantially with the pudding, milk, cream cheese, coconut, and topping brands. For reference, Original Cool Whip itself contains 25 calories, 1.5 g fat, 3 g carbohydrate, and 2 g sugar per 2-tbsp (9 g) serving.
Nut & allergen information
- Contains: milk/dairy.
- Coconut: coconut is botanically a fruit, but it is treated as a tree-nut allergen under U.S. FDA allergen-labeling rules in some contexts. Check the actual package if serving someone with a coconut/tree-nut allergy.
- Gluten: potentially present if using cookies or if any ingredient has cross-contact; use certified gluten-free ingredients for a gluten-free version.
- Eggs: none required.
- Peanuts: none required.
- Tree nuts: none required other than the coconut consideration above.
- Always check the specific product label because formulations can change; the current U.S. Original Cool Whip listing identifies milk as an allergen and includes coconut-derived oil in its ingredients.
Q&A
Q: Can I make this without cream cheese?
Yes. Replace it with an additional ½–¾ cup Cool Whip for a lighter, softer dessert.
Q: Can I use coconut milk?
Yes, but use refrigerated, full-fat coconut milk for more coconut flavor. The pudding may set somewhat differently.
Q: Can I make it ahead?
Absolutely. It can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated.
Q: Why is my dessert runny?
The pudding may not have thickened enough, the milk-to-pudding ratio may be off, or the dessert may not have chilled long enough.
Q: Can I freeze it?
You can, although the texture may become less creamy after thawing. Refrigeration is preferable.
Q: How do I make it more coconut-forward?
Add ½ teaspoon coconut extract and use toasted coconut on top.
Q: Can I make individual portions?
Yes—layer the mixture into 6–8 small dessert cups for an attractive presentation.