No-Bake Creamy Toffee Crunch Dessert (Easy, WW Friendly)

This one comes from my mom, and it arrived the way the best recipes always do — at a potluck. She brought it to one of her ladies’ luncheons and it disappeared before she could even properly introduce it. When she sent me the ingredient list, I couldn’t believe how simple it was: angel food cake, pudding, Cool Whip, milk, and a couple of Butterfinger bars. That’s it.

I made it myself shortly after and understood immediately why it was such a hit. There’s something about the combination of light, airy cake soaked in creamy vanilla pudding with those little hits of crunchy toffee that feels like much more than the sum of its parts. It’s the kind of dessert that looks like you spent a lot more time on it than you did.

The other thing I love about this recipe is how flexible it is. The basic formula — cake, pudding, whipped topping, crunch — works with almost any combination of flavors. I’ve included several variations at the bottom if you want to take it in a different direction.

Why I Love This Dessert

• 5 ingredients and 20 minutes of active prep — the refrigerator does the rest
• Feeds a crowd — makes 15 servings in a 9×13 pan, perfect for potlucks and parties
• 177 calories per serving and WW friendly
• No baking required — no oven, no stress
• Endlessly adaptable — swap the pudding flavor, the cake, or the candy and you have a whole new dessert

Calories and WW Points

According to my calculations, each serving has 177 calories.

To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW a smartphone or tablet.)

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Cold fat-free milk — the liquid base for the pudding. Fat-free keeps the calorie count down. One important note: non-dairy milk is not a good substitute here — it can prevent the instant pudding from setting up properly. Stick with dairy milk for the right texture.
• Sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix — a 4-serving size box. This gives the filling its creamy, thick texture without added sugar. Any sugar-free pudding flavor works — see the variations section for ideas.
• Frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed — I use Cool Whip Free. Two 8-ounce containers. It lightens the filling and adds that airy, mousse-like texture.
• Angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes — angel food cake is naturally low in fat and soaks up the pudding mixture beautifully. A store-bought cake works perfectly and saves time. Any light, spongy cake could work in a pinch.
• Butterfinger candy bars, crushed — four 2.1-ounce bars. The toffee-peanut butter crunch is what makes this dessert. That said, any candy bar you love works here — I’ve used KitKat bars for family members with nut allergies and they were just as good. Heath bars, Skor, or Reese’s are all great options.

How to Make No Bake Creamy Toffee Crunch Dessert, Step-by-Step

Step 1: Assemble and prep your ingredients.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl (affiliate link), make the instant pudding with mix and milk. Let until soft-set and then combine with the whipped topping.

Step 3: In a 13×9-in. dish coated with cooking spray, layer half the cake cubes, half the pudding mixture and half the crushed candy bars. Repeat layers. (I used 2 8-inch square dishes instead. One for us and one to share.)

Step 4: Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Tips for Success

• Use store-bought angel food cake. This is not the time to bake from scratch. A good store-bought loaf is perfect here and saves 30+ minutes.
• Crush the candy bars while they’re cold. Straight from the fridge, they shatter cleanly. At room temperature they can get sticky and clump together.
• Don’t skip the chilling time. Two hours is the minimum — the texture improves significantly as it sits. Overnight is even better.
• Serve within 2 days. The candy bars soften as the dessert sits, so the crunch is best on day one or two.

Variations

This recipe is really a formula, and it’s endlessly flexible. Here are a few combinations worth trying:

• Chocolate Toffee — swap in sugar-free chocolate pudding, use crumbled devil’s food cake in place of angel food, and top with crushed Heath or Skor bars.
• Chocolate Peanut Butter — sugar-free chocolate pudding, devil’s food cake, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups instead of Butterfingers.
• Lemon — use sugar-free lemon pudding and swap the candy for crushed lemon sandwich cookies.
• Strawberry Shortcake — vanilla or white chocolate pudding, angel food or sponge cake, and layers of fresh sliced strawberries in place of the candy.
• S’mores — sugar-free chocolate pudding, layers of mini marshmallows and crushed graham crackers between the cake and pudding, with marshmallow fluff on top.

Storing

Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The dessert is best within the first 2 days — after that the candy bars soften considerably and lose most of their crunch. It doesn’t freeze well due to the whipped topping and cake texture.

If you’ve made this Lightened Up No Bake Creamy Toffee Crunch Dessert Recipe, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.

Recipe source: Slightly adapted from Taste of Home

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a store-bought angel food cake? Absolutely — that’s what I do. Any standard store-bought angel food cake works perfectly. You’ll need about 8–10 ounces, which is roughly half of a typical store-bought loaf.

Can I make this the day before? Yes, and it’s actually better if you do. Making it the night before gives everything time to meld together and the pudding to fully set. Just hold off on any final garnishes until serving.

Can I use a different candy bar? Yes — almost any candy bar works. I’ve made it with KitKat bars for family members with peanut allergies and it was just as popular. Heath bars, Skor, Crunch, or Reese’s Cups all work well. Just avoid anything too soft or chewy, which won’t give you the crunch you’re looking for.

Can I use regular pudding instead of sugar-free? You can, though it will increase the calories and WW Points. Run it through the WW app with your specific ingredients for an updated count.

Why can’t I use non-dairy milk? Instant pudding relies on calcium in cow’s milk to set up properly. Most non-dairy milks don’t have enough calcium to trigger that reaction, so the pudding stays loose and never thickens the way it should.

More Easy No-Bake Desserts for WW

• Tina Fey’s Frozen Cool Whip Banana Split
• 5-Ingredient Ice Cream Bar Ice Box Cake
• Upside Down Strawberry Pretzel Salad
• No Bake Coconut Cream Mounds Bar Pie
• Icebox Eclair Dessert Made Lighter