Creamy, soft and full of flavor, this Mini Cream Cheese Vanilla Pudding Dessert is an easy no-bake dessert you are going to love!
Made with a buttery graham cracker crust, softened cream cheese, and vanilla pudding mix, this easy mini dessert is perfect for parties, holidays, or family gatherings and tastes delicious topped with fresh strawberries and a drizzle of warm strawberry jam.
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This recipe was originally published in 2021 and has been updated with new photos, additional tips, and clearer instructions.
Table of Contents
- Recipe at a Glance
- Main Ingredients Needed
- Substitutions and Variations
- Step-by-Step Directions
- Insider Tips from My Kitchen to Yours
- Storage Tips for Mini Vanilla Pudding Dessert
- Recipe FAQ's
- More Easy Desserts to Try
- LOVE this recipe? SAVE it for Later!
- 🗒️Shopping List
- 📖 Recipe Card
- Mini Cream Cheese Vanilla Pudding Dessert
- 💬 Comments
Recipe at a Glance
Prep: 15 min | Chill: 2 hours | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 12 mini desserts
Main Ingredients: graham crackers, cream cheese, instant vanilla pudding mix, fresh strawberries, strawberry jam.
Why You’ll Love It: The creamy filling and buttery graham cracker crust make this an easy make-ahead dessert for holidays, parties, or family dinners.
Best For: Mini no-bake desserts, spring and summer gatherings, and easy individual desserts.
Looking for more easy desserts? Try my Oreo Pudding Dessert or my Chocolate Eclair Pudding Pie.
Main Ingredients Needed
Here's a quick overview of the ingredients for this recipe. Find the exact amounts and click the Instacart button to easily add them to your cart – all in the printable recipe card below!
Substitutions and Variations
- Pudding Mix: You can add your favorite flavor!
- Pie Filling: use your favorite canned pie filling topping.
- Fresh Fruit: use your favorite fresh fruit as a topping in place of the strawberries I used.
- Chocolate: stir in a few tablespoons of melted chocolate or Nutella Hazelnut Spread into the cream cheese mixture.
- Cookie Crumbs: you can use a different flavor of cookie crumbs for the crust such as vanilla wafer cookies, chocolate or cinnamon flavored graham crackers.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Step-by-Step Directions
This section includes step-by-step photos and instructions to guide you through the recipe. For the complete printable version, scroll down to the recipe card below.
Step 1: Combine the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter, and sugar, then stir until fully mixed.
Step 2: Spoon about 2 tablespoons of graham cracker crumbs into each muffin liner set in a muffin pan. Gently press the crumbs down using a tart tamper or the back of a spoon to form a firm crust. Place the pan in the freezer to allow the crusts to set while you prepare the filling.
Step 3: Using a KitchenAid mixer with the paddle attachment, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Switch to the whisk attachment (if available), add pudding mix and milk, and blend until creamy. Spoon into 12 muffin cups, chill for 2 hours, then top with fresh strawberries and a warm drizzle of strawberry jam right before serving.
Insider Tips from My Kitchen to Yours
✔️ DO let the cream cheese soften at room temperature before mixing to help create a smooth, creamy filling.
❌ DO NOT skip chilling the crust. Chilling helps the graham cracker base firm up before adding the filling.
Storage Tips for Mini Vanilla Pudding Dessert
Refrigerate: Store the mini desserts covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For best texture and appearance, add the fresh strawberries and strawberry jam just before serving.
Make Ahead Tip: Prepare the desserts a day in advance and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Recipe FAQ's
To view the answers, simply click on the down arrow (⬇) next to the questions. If you have any other questions not answered here, please leave a comment!
Almond milk does not set instant pudding as firmly as regular milk. For best results, use dairy milk, or choose cook-and-serve pudding if you need a dairy-free option.
Yes, softened cream cheese can be mixed with instant pudding to make it thicker, creamier, and more stable. For best results, beat the cream cheese until smooth before mixing in the pudding and milk.
More Easy Desserts to Try
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📖 Recipe Card
Mini Cream Cheese Vanilla Pudding Dessert
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup butter; melted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese; softened
- 1 cup milk
- 3.4 oz Vanilla Flavored Jell-O Instant Pudding and Pie Filling
Equipment
Method
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl until fully combined.
- Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the crumb mixture into each muffin liner placed inside a muffin pan.
- Use a tart tamper or the back of a spoon to firmly press the crumbs into the bottom of each liner.
- Place the muffin pan in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
- Beat the softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Add the vanilla pudding mix followed by the milk. Continue mixing until the filling is smooth and slightly thickened.
- Divide the filling evenly between the prepared muffin liners.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until the filling is firm.
- Top each mini dessert with fresh strawberries and a drizzle of warmed strawberry jam before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
Tips
- Let the cream cheese soften at room temperature before mixing for a smoother filling.
- Press the graham cracker crust firmly into the muffin liners so the crust holds together after chilling.
- For best texture, chill the desserts for at least 2 hours before serving.
Storage & Make Ahead
- Store the mini desserts covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Add the fresh strawberries and strawberry jam just before serving for the best texture and appearance.
- These desserts can be prepared a day in advance and kept refrigerated until ready to serve.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
Joy McDonald says
Oh, these look delicious! Thanks for joining in on Home Matters Linky Party! I will be featuring your post this week! #HomeMattersParty xx
Marg says
I had the same problem where the cream cheese blended with the putting mix and milk gave a weird texture so I just put it in my food processor for a minute or two and it came out perfectly smooth. Great recipe will be using this again!
Lois says
Yes, the texture of the cream cheese combined with the pudding mix will not affect the outcome of the recipe at all! I have a chocolate pudding cheesecake recipe coming out soon and it's just as good as this one. Thank you for your comment.
Carol Maher says
As soon as I added cold milk to the pudding cream cheese mixture, it broke up into small lumps suspended in the liquid kind of like rice pudding. Tried adjusting mixer to high speed but they were there to stay. Bad texture. Not smooth like I was wanting.
Lois says
I'm not sure could have been the problem! I hope you will try again.
Arlene says
Thank you for this recipe. Recently attended a barn wedding and they served these as appetizers. I searched like crazy to find a recipe so I could make them. Very pleased the way ot turned out. Will definitely try some of your other recipes. Thanks for keeping it simple.
Lois says
Thank you for leaving a comment! I hope you enjoy the recipe.