Swiss Roll Layered No Bake Dessert

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No Bake Dessert recipes are the best, don’t you think? This one is one of our favorites: it’s made with Swiss Rolls – those snack cakes you remember from childhood. Instead of making an icebox cake with cookies – use Swiss rolls!

Swiss roll dessert on a plate next to a fork with sliced Swiss rolls on top.

No Bake Dessert with Swiss Rolls

Swiss Rolls will always have a special place in my heart. When my friends and I turned 16 we used to go cruising. No, not with a boat; we’d cruise “The Avenue” in our cars. We’d all pile into my boyfriend’s 1960s-era Impala and we’d drive back and forth from San Carlos to San Bruno (in the Bay Area) along El Camino. We made frequent stops into gas stations and grocery stores, shelves lined with all the junk food a pack of newly-licensed teens could ever want.

Ho-Hos were always my snack of choice on those perfect nights. All these years later, and they’re still my favorite packaged sweet treat! They may taste like creamy, chocolate sweetness to everyone else, but they still taste like freshly gained freedom to me. And what better way to honor the chosen snack of my teen years than make it a full-blown dessert?

Introducing my no bake Swiss Roll dessert lasagna! With layers of classic Swiss Roll snack cakes, no bake cheesecake filling, chocolate pudding, and whipped topping, this lush-style dessert is nothing short of heavenly – much like those special days spent in the passenger seat of my best friend’s car.

Ingredients Needed

Little Debbie Swiss Rolls or Ho-Hos – we’re using these for the cake/cookie layer.
Cream cheese – softened so there won’t be lumps in your no bake cheesecake.
Cool Whip – make sure it’s thawed
Instant chocolate pudding – I love the chocolate pudding layer in this dessert.

no bake Swiss roll dessert process shot.

How to Make No-Bake Dessert Lasagna

Form base layer: Using around 10 or 11 Swiss Rolls, cut each roll into 5 separate slices and use them to line the bottom of a 9×9” pan.
Make cheesecake layer: Beat together the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and sugar until the mixture is smooth. Then, add about 1 ½ cups of Cool Whip to the mixture – this should be about half of the container.
Once mixed together, spread it carefully over the Swiss roll slices, forming an even layer.
Make pudding layer: In a mixing bowl, whisk the milk and pudding together. Allow the bowl to sit for a bit until the mixture thickens slightly.
Then, spread it over the cream cheese layer as evenly as you can.
Use the remaining cool whip to create a layer over the pudding.
Top with Swiss rolls: Just before serving, create your top layer with sliced swiss rolls.

Expert Tips

Switch it up with Little Debbie strawberry Swiss Rolls! These babies are like chocolate-covered strawberries transformed into plush, creamy snack cakes. The yummy chocolate cake and chocolate coating are the same as the classic Swiss Roll, but the cream has been swapped out for whipped strawberry goodness.
If you’re not a Cool Whip person, you can absolutely substitute it for whipped cream.
Use any flavor pudding mix – as long as it’s instant pudding.

FAQs

How long does dessert lasagna last?

Dessert lasagna will last covered and refrigerated for up to one week or frozen for up to one month.

Can I freeze no-bake layered dessert?

Yes, you can freeze no-bake layered dessert in an airtight container for up to a month.