Butterscotch lush is a cool, creamy layered dessert built in a 9-by-13-inch dish: a buttery baked crust, a sweet cream cheese layer, a layer of butterscotch pudding and a cloud of whipped topping. Every forkful has all four. It tastes like butterscotch pie and cheesecake together, and it slices into neat squares. It is a classic for potlucks, church suppers, holidays and summer cookouts.
How to make butterscotch lush: Mix flour and melted butter, press it into a greased baking dish and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Let the crust cool completely. Spread on cream cheese mixed with powdered sugar and whipped topping, then butterscotch pudding made with instant mix and milk, then more whipped topping. Refrigerate for about two hours before cutting.
Why You’ll Love It
- Four layers, seven ingredients. A short list for a dessert that looks like much more work.
- Only the crust is baked. The oven is on for 15 minutes.
- Made ahead. It has to chill, so it is ready before the guests are.
- It feeds a crowd. One dish cuts into 16 pieces.
- Cold and creamy. A welcome dessert after a heavy meal.
Ingredient Notes
All-purpose flour and butter. One cup of flour and 1 stick of melted butter make the crust. Nothing else goes in it.
Cream cheese. Eight ounces, softened so it mixes without lumps.
Powdered sugar. One cup. It sweetens the cream cheese layer and dissolves smoothly.
Whipped topping. Two 8-ounce containers, thawed. One goes into the cream cheese layer and one goes on top.
Instant butterscotch pudding mix. One 3.4-ounce package. Be sure it says instant.
Milk. Two cups, cold, for the pudding.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 stick butter, melted
For the cream cheese layer
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 container whipped topping (8 ounces)
For the pudding layer and top
- 1 package instant butterscotch pudding mix (3.4 ounces)
- 2 cups milk
- 1 container whipped topping (8 ounces)
How to Make Butterscotch Lush
1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
2. Bake the crust. Mix the flour and melted butter. Press into the bottom of the dish and bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Let the crust cool completely before adding the layers.
3. Add the cream cheese layer. Mix the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and one 8-ounce container of whipped topping. Spread over the cooled crust.
4. Add the pudding. Mix the instant butterscotch pudding mix with the milk until thickened. Spread it over the cream cheese layer.
5. Top and chill. Spread the second 8-ounce container of whipped topping over the pudding. Refrigerate for approximately two hours before cutting.
Does Butterscotch Lush Need Baking, and When Can You Cut It?
Only the crust is baked. The three creamy layers never see the oven. So this is not a no-bake dessert, but it is close, and the baked crust is worth those few minutes. It comes out crisp and buttery, like shortbread.
There are two waits in this dessert, and both matter.
| Stage | What happens | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Bake the crust | Flour and butter, pressed in the dish, at 350°F | 15 minutes, until the edges are golden brown |
| Cool the crust | On the counter, uncovered | Until completely cool |
| Add the layers | Cream cheese, then pudding, then whipped topping | A few minutes |
| Chill | In the refrigerator | Approximately two hours |
| Cut | Into squares, straight from the refrigerator | After the chill |
A warm crust melts the cream cheese layer into a puddle, so do not rush the cooling. And an unchilled lush will not hold a clean edge. The pudding and cream cheese firm up in the refrigerator, and that is what lets you lift out a tidy square.
Some lush desserts skip the oven and use a graham cracker or cookie crumb crust. That is a different dessert from the one here.
Tips for Success
How do I press the crust evenly?
Use your fingers or the flat bottom of a measuring cup. Press it into the corners and keep the thickness even, so it bakes at the same rate all over.
How do I spread the cream cheese layer without tearing up the crust?
Drop it over the crust in spoonfuls, then spread gently with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. Soft cream cheese makes this much easier.
Why did my pudding not set?
Check the box. It has to be instant pudding mix, whisked with cold milk until it thickens.
How do I get clean squares?
Cut the lush cold, with a sharp knife, and wipe the blade between cuts.
Can I make it the day before?
Yes. It needs about two hours at least, and a longer chill is fine. Keep it covered in the refrigerator.
How Long Does It Take?
About 165 minutes in all: 30 minutes of prep, 15 minutes of baking and about 120 minutes of chilling. The time for the crust to cool comes on top of that.
Storage
Keep butterscotch lush covered in the refrigerator, at 40°F or below. USDA FSIS gives three to four days for refrigerated leftovers. At a potluck or picnic, do not leave it out for more than two hours, or more than one hour when it is above 90°F.
What to Serve With It
For a table of cold, creamy desserts, add Oreo delight, the strawberry cream cheese icebox cake or the no-bake pineapple cream dessert. For another lush, try the slow cooker lemon lush. If you love pudding desserts, bake the banana pudding cake. And for more butterscotch, there are old-fashioned butterscotch cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is butterscotch lush a no-bake dessert?
Not quite. The flour and butter crust is baked for 15 minutes. The layers on top are not baked.
How long does it need to chill?
Approximately two hours before cutting.
What are the layers?
A baked crust, a sweetened cream cheese layer, butterscotch pudding and whipped topping.
How many pieces does it make?
Sixteen.
Final Notes
I bake the crust first thing, so it is fully cool by the time I have the cream cheese mixed. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Butterscotch Lush
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Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 stick butter melted
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 container whipped topping 8 ounces, for the cream cheese layer
- 1 package instant butterscotch pudding mix 3.4 ounces
- 2 cups milk
- 1 container whipped topping 8 ounces, for the top layer
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Mix the flour and melted butter. Press into the bottom of the dish and bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Let the crust cool completely before adding the layers.
- Mix the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and one 8-ounce container of whipped topping. Spread over the cooled crust.
- Mix the instant butterscotch pudding mix with the milk until thickened. Spread it over the cream cheese layer.
- Spread the second 8-ounce container of whipped topping over the pudding. Refrigerate for approximately two hours before cutting.
