Treat your guests to this rich and delicious Christmas Lasagna. With decadent layers of moist red velvet cake, creamy vanilla pudding, and a sweet cheesecake mixture this festive dessert is guaranteed make a statement at any Christmas dinner or holiday gathering!

slice of Christmas lasagna on spatula showing four layers of cake

Christmas Lasagna Recipe

One of our favorite Christmas traditions every holiday season is trying out new festive and delicious dessert recipes. From these super cute Christmas Tree Cinnamon Rolls to cheerful Gum Drop Cookies, creating sweet treats is the most wonderful way to bring the family together for a little fun in the kitchen.

When it comes to holiday desserts, like this Christmas Lasagna, it’s an added bonus when they are quick and easy but look like it took you hours to make. That’s the wonderful thing about this recipe. It has 4 glorious layers of goodness plus yummy toppings, but it all comes together with just a few easy steps.

If you’re a huge fan of dessert lasagna recipes, you should also check out this recipe for Chocolate Lasagna and this Strawberry Lemon Lasagna.

💗 Why We Love this Recipe

Super easy recipe that uses a cake mix and instant pudding.
Fun holiday dessert that just says Merry Christmas with all the pretty green, red and white colors.
Makes a large enough dessert for serve a crowd after your Christmas day or Christmas Eve dinner.

Recommended Tools

9 x 13 Baking Dish
Electric Mixer
Mixing Bowls
Electric Mixer
Measuring Cups

🛒 Ingredients for Christmas Lasagna Recipe

Red velvet cake mix
Butter-melted
Egg
Cream cheese
Confectioners’ sugar
Crushed candy canes
Milk
Cool Whip
Vanilla instant pudding
Green food coloring
Christmas themed sprinkles and crushed candy canes for topping

👩‍🍳 How to Make a Layered Holiday Lasagna

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking dish or casserole dish.

Step One: Bake the Red Cake Layer

In a large bowl, mix cake mix, butter and egg.
Press thick cake batter into the bottom of the pan in an even layer.
Place in oven for 15 minutes and allow to cool to room temperature.

Note: The cake batter will be much thicker than usual batter.

Step Two: Make the Cheesecake Layer

One process of preparing Christmas Lasagna is to add a cheesecake layer to the red layer

While the cake layer is cooling, beat cream cheese and sugar together with an electric mixer on low speed and add 1/4 cup milk.
Fold in one container of Cool Whip and the crushed candy canes.
Spread evenly over the cooled brownie layer and place in refrigerator.

Step Three: Make the Pudding Layer

Adding a green pudding layer to Christmas Lasagna

In a large bowl, mix the cups milk and the pudding mixes together and add green gel color until you’re happy with the shade for the green layer.
Pour the pudding layer over the cream cheese layer and place back into the refrigerator to set up at least 4 hours.

Step Four: Add Whipped Cream Layer and Decorations

When ready to serve, top with the 2nd container of Cool Whip and top with sprinkles.

Suggestions and Alternatives

Extract: The cheesecake layer has crushed peppermint candy but if you want a stronger mint flavor, you can add some peppermint extract to it.

Cake: This recipe uses red velvet cake mix but you can also use a white cake mix and add some red food coloring to give you the color you’re looking for. If you want a more intense chocolate flavor, sift in a touch of a cocoa powder to the cake mixture.

Decorations: You can add all sort of fun and festive decorations, Mini marshmallows or red and green M&M’s are always super cute and they taste good too.

Cream Cheese: There are two white layers in this dessert. The middle white layer is a cream cheese mixture. For a milder flavor, you can use the same amount of mascarpone cheese instead of cream cheese if you prefer.

Pudding: The green layer in this dessert is vanilla instant pudding mix but you can use white chocolate pudding. Or you can make your own homemade vanilla pudding if you have a go-to recipe you like to use.

Cool whip: You can make your own stabilized whipped topping using heavy cream like if you prefer.

Trifle: One way to really change up this Christmas Eve lasagna recipe is to make it in a trifle. Just layer large chunks of the cake with the cheesecake mixture. Repeat layers until you get close to the top of dish, then add your whipped cream layer and toppings.

slice of layered red, white, and green Christmas lasagna

How to Store Christmas Layered Dessert

In the fridge: Keep the lasagna in the fridge when not serving. For best results for storing leftover dessert, make sure you keep it covered tightly with plastic wrap or in airtight container. It should stay fresh for up to about 4 days in the fridge.

In the freezer: To freeze, double wrap the glass baking dish of dessert lasagna with plastic wrap and then with a layer of aluminum foil. It will keep for about a month. To thaw, just stick it in the fridge overnight.

Tips for Making Holiday Lasagna

Make this dessert in a clear baking dish so you can see all the pretty colors from the side.
Keep in mind when using instant pudding, you need to use whole milk. Dairy-free and skim milk will cause the pudding to be too runny.
This dessert is best when it has time to sit overnight, which makes it a great make ahead dish. You just need to factor that in when menu planning.
If you are making this recipe the night before, wait to add the sprinkles. The colors may run onto the whipped cream.
Just like most layered desserts, to get really clean slices, use a sharp knife and wipe it clean after each one.

🎄 More Holiday Dessert Recipes

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Phyllis Miller says

November 17, 2022

Can’t wait until I make some of ur recipes!!!!

Christmas Lasagna

Christmas Lasagna Recipe

💗 Why We Love this Recipe

Recommended Tools

🛒 Ingredients for Christmas Lasagna Recipe