42 Amazing Recipes to Make With Boxed Vanilla Pudding (2024)

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Boring boxed vanilla pudding gets an instant upgrade with these delicious desserts. We'll show you how to make pies, trifles, ice cream treats and more.

Vanilla Cream Puff Dessert

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Inspired by classic cream puffs, this recipe is a wonderful treat. I’ve served it at Cub Scout banquets, birthday parties and holidays. I’m a regular baker, and this dessert is one of my all-time favorites. —Denise Wahl, Homer Glen, Illinois

Cherry Almond Mousse Pie

Treat your loved ones to a luscious pie with chocolate, cherries and nuts in a creamy vanilla mousse. It's a sweet yet refreshing dessert. —Dorothy Pritchett, Wills Point, Texas

Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

After sampling this flavor at an ice cream stand, I kept trying to duplicate it until it was just right. This blueberry cheesecake ice cream is a hit! —Melissa Symington, Neche, North Dakota

Candy Bar Apple Salad

This creamy, sweet salad with crisp apple crunch is a real people-pleaser. It makes a lot, which is good, because it will go fast! —Cyndi Fynaardt, Oskaloosa, Iowa

Banana Split Icebox Cake

A friend showed me how to make a traditional icebox cake with just cream and graham crackers. I make it special by adding fruit. —Shelly Flye, Albion, Maine

Calgary Nanaimo Bars

This version of Nanaimo bars may claim roots in Alberta, but the original was said to be dreamed up in a British Columbia kitchen. They're three delicious layers of Canadian goodness. —Carol Hillier, Calgary, Alberta

Birthday Cake Freezer Pops

On my quest to find birthday cake ice cream—my favorite flavor—I came up with these easy ice pops. Now, instead of going to the store whenever a craving hits, I just head to my freezer. —Dawn Lopez, Westerly, Rhode Island

Budapest Roll

If you’re a fan of Yule logs and pumpkin rolls, taste my Swedish specialty made from hazelnut meringue. People are in awe every time I bring it somewhere. —Catherine Walbridge, Boise, Idaho

Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding Torte

This recipe is a busy mom's twist on a favorite dessert—tiramisu. The dish is simple to assemble and perfect to make the day before you want to serve it. The hardest thing about this recipe is waiting for it to chill so you can eat it! —Cheryl Snavely, Hagerstown, Maryland

Orange-Fig Pull-Aparts

For breakfast on Thanksgiving, my mom requested an orange pull-apart bread. I tried making one by dressing up tubes of refrigerated rolls. She loved it!—Shelly Bevington, Hermiston, Oregon

Can't-Eat-Just-One Cinnamon Rolls

My cinnamon rolls have been known to vanish quickly. Once I dropped off a dozen rolls for my brothers, and they emptied the pan in 10 minutes. —Regina Farmwald, West Farmington, Ohio

Strawberry Bliss

You'll love this homemade puff pastry crust topped with a soft-set pudding layer that has a hint of strawberry flavor. This dessert needs to chill for at least an hour, so it's a fabulous make-ahead dish. —Candace Richter, Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Root Beer Float Pie

This is the kind of recipe your kids will look back on and always remember. And you don't even need to use an oven! —Cindy Reams, Philipsburg, Pennsylvania

Giant Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwich

I created this giant peanut butter cookie cake for my husband, adding light and low-fat products to the cookie dough. It was so fantastic that I fixed it with conventional ingredients for guests. Since it can be made ahead of time and frozen, it cuts stress for busy hostesses. And really, who doesn't love peanut butter ice cream? —Joann Belack, Bradenton, Florida

Eggnog Ladyfinger Dessert

The combination of cranberries and eggnog will bring a festive end to any holiday meal. Plus, it's super simple to prepare. —Carole Resnick, Cleveland, Ohio

Pretty Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns

I make sticky buns and cinnamon rolls quite often because my husband loves them. One day I had some fresh pumpkin on hand and decided to try pumpkin cinnamon buns. We loved the results! —Glenda Joseph, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania

Mini Rum Cakes

My mother and I tried many different types of rum cake to find the best one, and finally hit on this cake that doesn't dry out and imparts the most flavor. For a really moist cake, brush rum over the individual sponge cakes before topping them with the filling. —Dona M. Hoffman, Addison, Illinois

Pineapple Orange Cake

This is one of my favorite cakes. It’s moist and light yet so satisfying. I’ve been adapting it for years and now it’s almost guilt-free. —Pam Sjolund, Columbia, South Carolina

Peanut Butter Pudding Dessert

Here's a fun layered dessert that will appeal to all ages. If you want it even nuttier, you can use chunky peanut butter, and if you're not a fan of cashews, substitute your favorite nut. This peanut butter lasagna is one of my favorite pudding desserts. —Barbara Schindler, Napoleon, Ohio

Cranberry-Pistachio Sticky Buns

Looking for a fantastic brunch item? Then try these ooey-gooey good sticky buns. They use frozen roll dough and couldn't be simpler to make. The buns rise overnight in the refrigerator, so you just need to bake them the next morning.—Athena Russell, Florence, South Carolina

Boston Cream Angel Cake

You can prepare this delectable dessert in no time. To change this cake to your family's liking, try different flavors of instant pudding or different ice cream toppings. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Very Vanilla French Toast

These French toast slices have creamy vanilla flavor from a convenient pudding mix, plus a hint of cinnamon. We like to top them with syrup or powdered sugar and fresh berries. —Linda Bernhagen, Plainfield, Illinois

Toffee Brownie Trifle

This decadent combination of pantry items is a terrific way to dress up a brownie mix. Try this trifle with other flavors of pudding or substitute your favorite candy bar. It tastes great with low-fat and sugar-free products, too. —Wendy Bennett, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie

This old-fashioned banana cream pie recipe is full of flavor. Because it uses instant pudding, this no-bake dessert is ready in just minutes. —Perlene Hoekema, Lynden, Washington

Ribbon Pudding Pie

Cool, smooth and creamy, this pretty pie is a slice of heaven for people with diabetes and anyone who likes an easy yet impressive dessert. The lovely pudding layers feature a yummy combination of vanilla, chocolate and butterscotch. —Doris Morgan, Verona, Mississippi

Pecan Coffee Cake

My mom serves this nutty coffee cake for Christmas breakfast each year. The simple recipe is a big timesaver on such an event-filled morning. Everyone loves the crunchy topping. —Becky Wax, Tuscola, Illinois

Snappy Pumpkin Dessert

Our town has a pumpkin-canning factory, so we're known as the "Pumpkin Capital of the World." New pumpkin recipes are always welcomed by our family, and this has become a favorite. The gingersnap crust is the perfect flavor pairing to the pumpkin. —Nilah Fischer, Morton, Illinois

Crumb-Topped Raspberry Coffee Cake

Raspberries are abundant at our summer home nearby Aziscohos Lake. So I developed this recipe to share the bounty with our guests. The pretty crumb-topped cake's fruity flavor really shines through. —Marian Cummings, West Paris, Maine

Cheesecake Strawberry Trifle

The only drawback to this lovely dessert is that there are never any leftovers. For a patriotic look, replace one of the layers of strawberry pie filling with blueberry—or use whatever filling you prefer. —Lori Thorp, Frazee, Minnesota

Chocolate Eclairs

With creamy filling and fudgy frosting, this chocolate eclair recipe is extra special. —Jessica Campbell, Viola, Wisconsin

Quick Icebox Sandwiches

My mother liked making these cool, creamy treats when I was growing up in the States because they're so quick to fix. Then I made them for my three kids.—Sandy Armijo, Naples, Italy

Aunt Marion's Fruit Salad Dessert

Aunt Marion, my namesake, is like a grandma to me. She gave me this luscious salad recipe, which goes to all our family reunions, hunt club suppers and snowmobile club picnics...and I go home with no leftovers! —Marion LaTourette, Honesdale, Pennsylvania

Thelma's Chocolate Eclair

I love eclairs, but making the actual pastry is difficult, so I came up with this recipe as a substitute. It still satisfies my cravings with the same wonderful flavors. —Thelma Beam, Esbon, Kansas

Brownie Mocha Trifle

By using instant pudding and a convenient box of brownie mix, there's nothing to the preparation. The result is moist and chewy. And the layers look so pretty spooned into a glass trifle bowl. —Louise Fauth, Foremost, Alberta

No-Cook Coconut Pie

This creamy No-Cook Coconut Pie proves that a quick meal doesn't have to go without dessert. —Jeanette Fuehring, Concordia, Missouri

As Senior Shopping Editor, Katie connects Taste of Home readers with the best gifts, deals and home products on the market. An avid foodie and a holiday enthusiast, Katie is an expert at cultivating meaningful moments.When she’s out of the office, you’ll find her exploring Wisconsin, trying out new vegetarian recipes and watching Christmas movies.