Ice Cream Pudding Dessert (Ice Cream Salad)

This old-fashioned Ice Cream Pudding Dessert (or Ice Cream Salad as it’s known in my family) is an easy-to-make dessert recipe comprised of a salty Ritz cracker crust and creamy toasted coconut ice cream pudding filling. I know you’re going to love it.

Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in a dessert rut? Cookies, cake, and brownies can get old after a while. If you’re looking for an unexpected and unique dessert to impress your guests, you need to try our Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Pudding. Or as I call it: Ice Cream Salad!

You know this is an old recipe when it’s called a salad, but in reality, it’s a dessert. Ha! Figuring the original title might be a bit confusing, I’ve updated the recipe to be called Ice Cream Pudding Dessert.

During my growing up years, my Great Aunt Maggie would make a rotation of dessert recipes: strawberry jello salad, pumpkin roll, sugar cookies, and this ice cream salad. She made these often as they were family favorites. I’ve been meaning to make this particular recipe for quite some time and couldn’t be more excited to share it with you today.

This Ice Cream Pudding is the perfect twist on a classic dessert. The unexpected combination of a savory crust with a sweet and creamy filling is something everyone will love . Plus, the toasted coconut adds a delightful crunch to every bite. This recipe is sure to impress your friends and family at any gathering.

Ingredients

The first question you might have is, “Does this recipe actually have ice cream in it?”
Yes, it does! It contains a half-gallon of vanilla ice cream. That’s what makes this recipe so creamy, rich, and delicious.

In addition to the ice cream, the filling includes coconut pudding and a sprinkle of toasted coconut. The pudding sets the ice cream so you’re able to cut and serve it. The coconut flavor is a subtle but flavorful addition. It’s what makes this recipe so delicious!

The creamy filling sits on top of a crust made of crushed Ritz crackers. I love the combination of salty and sweet in desserts, so this pairing is a match made in heaven. When I was making this recipe, the smell of the crushed Ritz crackers instantly transported me back to being a 10-year-old in my aunt’s kitchen. Time travel is real, my friends.

All this combined together makes for an epic dessert. As you can imagine, this Ice Cream Pudding Dessert is perfect for summer, but I’m happy to enjoy it all year long.

Below is a full rundown of ingredients. The list is pretty simple!

• Ritz Crackers
• unsalted butter
• granulated sugar
•  instant coconut pudding
• milk
• vanilla ice cream
• toasted coconut

How To Make:

I’m going to walk you through the steps to make this Ice Cream Pudding Dessert. For your convenience, at the end of this post there is a printable recipe card with detailed ingredient amounts and recipe instructions.

1. Start by removing your ice cream from the freezer to allow it to soften. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Crush the Ritz crackers with a blender or food processor, or in a plastic baggie to a fine crumb.

3. In a bowl, add the crushed Ritz crackers, melted butter, and sugar. Mix to combine.
4. Press this mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, then allow to cool completely.

6. In a large bowl, add the two boxes of instant coconut pudding and the milk. Use a hand mixer to combine.
7. Once smooth, add in the softened ice cream and mix again until smooth. Add about 2 tablespoons of the toasted coconut and stir to combine.

8. Pour this mixture into the cooled prepared crust. Top with the remaining toasted coconut.
   

9. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours or until ready to serve.

And that’s it! Slice, serve with a spatula, and enjoy!

Recipe Variations

Now that you know how to make this ice cream pudding, it’s time to get creative with some variations to try! I haven’t tried any of these myself, but I’m excited to try them! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Chocolate lovers can mix in a few tablespoons of cocoa powder with the pudding mix for a rich, chocolatey twist on the classic.
2. For a fruity variation, stir in a cup of fresh berries or sliced peaches.
3. Coffee lovers can add a shot of espresso or a tablespoon of instant coffee powder to the custard mixture for a delicious coffee-flavored pudding.
4. Peanut butter fans can mix in a few tablespoons of smooth peanut butter for a rich and creamy dessert. (I’d use a vanilla pudding mix instead of coconut for this one.)
5. Feeling adventurous? Add in a tablespoon or two of your favorite liquor for an adult-only treat. Vanilla vodka, coconut rum, or rumchata would be delicious! You may need an extra tablespoon of pudding mix so your dessert still sets.

Now that you’ve got some ideas for variations, let’s answer a few frequently asked questions about making ice cream pudding.,

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I make this dessert ahead of time?

Absolutely! This dessert can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the freezer until ready to serve.

Can You Freeze This?

Yes. In my family, we have always enjoyed this dessert when it is refrigerated. While the pudding helps the filling to set, it’s still loose and creamy. If you prefer a firmer dessert, you can certainly store this in the freezer and serve it frozen.

Also, I made this dessert and decided to freeze it so I could take it to a party later in the week. Before going to the party I removed the dessert from the freezer, transferred it to my cooler, and a few hours later it was the perfect consistency for serving.

Can You Use Different Pudding or Ice Cream Flavors?

Yes, you can! I believe the (toasted) coconut is the classic flavor, but feel free to experiment as suggested below:

• vanilla pudding with butter pecan ice cream
• chocolate pudding with chocolate ice cream
• lemon pudding with vanilla ice cream
• pistachio pudding with pistachio ice cream
• white chocolate pudding with cherry ice cream

While I’m partial to the coconut, some of these combinations sound so good that I may need to give them a try!

And that’s a wrap on one of my favorite childhood desserts. Whether you want to call it Ice Cream Pudding Dessert or Ice Cream Salad, I hope you’ll give this old-fashioned recipe a try. It may even become one of your favorites too.

More Desserts You May Love

• Mixed Berry Pound Cake
• Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie
• Cream Puff Cake
• Cherry Cream Cheese Bars
• The Best Rhubarb Cobbler

Have I intrigued you enough to try this Ice Cream Salad recipe? I think you should! I know you’re going to love! If you do, please stop back and leave a comment and a 5-star rating below. 

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Ice Cream Pudding Dessert

This old-fashioned Ice Cream Pudding Dessert (or Ice Cream Salad as it’s known in my family) is an easy-to-make dessert recipe comprised of a salty Ritz cracker crust and creamy toasted coconut ice cream pudding filling. I know you’re going to love it.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: coconut, ice cream, pudding, ritz crackers

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Chilling Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 12

Calories: 536kcal

Ingredients

• 65 Ritz Crackers
• 1 stick unsalted butter melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 boxes instant coconut pudding
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
• 1/2 cup toasted coconut divided

Instructions

• Start by removing your ice cream from the freezer to allow it to soften. (Do not let it melt.) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• Crush the Ritz crackers with a blender or food processor, or in a plastic baggie to a fine crumb.
• In a bowl, add the crushed Ritz crackers, melted butter, and sugar. Mix to combine. Press this mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then allow to cool completely.
• In a large bowl, add the two boxes of instant coconut pudding and the milk. Use a hand mixer to combine. Once smooth, add in the softened ice cream and mix again until smooth. Add about 2 tablespoons of the toasted coconut and stir to combine.
• Pour this mixture into the cooled prepared crust. Top with the remaining toasted coconut.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours or until ready to serve.

Notes

Our family enjoys this dessert refrigerated. I’ve seen similar recipes where it’s frozen. Either method would be fine.

You can create variations of this recipe by using different flavors of pudding and/or ice cream.

How to Toast Coconut:
Preheat your oven to 325ºF. Spread out 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut on a large baking sheet. Put the baking sheet on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 3 minutes. Watch carefully as the coconut can go from toasted to burnt in an instant.

Nutrition

Calories: 536kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 325mg | Potassium: 374mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 50g | Vitamin A: 932IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 246mg | Iron: 1mg