Circus Animal Cookie Lush

circus animal cookie lush dessert on white plate with sparkly gold fork and pan in background

This Circus Animal Cookie Lush is a delicious no-bake dessert fully loaded with circus animal cookies, creamy pudding, and whipped cream!

You guys KNOW I am obsessed with all things circus animal cookie!

And I think based on my search engine traffic, likes on Instagram, and pins on Pinterest that you guys are gaga over them, too!

I am also a huge fan of lush because it’s easy, it’s no-bake and requires very little effort for a seriously delicious dessert.

Now if you’re wondering, what the heck is a “lush”? I’ve got you covered. Lush desserts are basically a pudding-based dessert with some kind of crust and a pudding filling. My lush recipes in particular have a cookie crust, pudding filling, a whipped cream, and some kind of topping – either sprinkles, nuts, or in this case, more circus animal cookies! The result is a creamy, luscious dessert with some crunch from the crust and topping and lots of silkiness and deliciousness from the pudding filling.

To make, you’ll need a square 8×8″ baking pan lined with foil. You’ll crush some of your circus cookies in a blender until they are a coarse crumb consistency, then mix in some melted butter to help hold the crust ingredients together. You’ll press the crust into the pan and set aside.

Next, you’ll prepare the pudding according to the recipe and tint it pink for a little pop of color. Fold in some whipped topping and spread the pudding layer over the crust layer. Then frost the pudding layer with the remaining whipped topping and garnish with more coarsely crushed circus cookies. Easy peasy!

closeup of circus animal cookie lush dessert in a foil-lined pan

This Circus Animal Cookie Lush will soon become your new favorite dessert – trust me!

circus animal cookie lush slice on white plate with gold fork

This Circus Animal Cookie Lush is light, fluffy, creamy, delicious and perfect for lovers of circus animal cookies! You’ll love that those circus cookies are in the crust and topping for maximum nostalgia and deliciousness!

Prep Time6 hrs

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time6 hrs 10 mins

Course: Dessert, No Bake Desserts, No-Bake Treats

Cuisine: American, Dessert

Ingredients

Two (11 oz each) bags Circus Animal Cookies divided
1/4 cup melted butter
One (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix just the dry mix
1 cup milk
One (16 oz) tub whipped topping thawed
1/4 cup rainbow jimmie sprinkles
Pink food coloring optional

Instructions

Line an 8×8 square baking pan with foil, extending the sides of the foil over the edges of the pan. Spray foil very lightly with cooking spray; set aside.
In a food processor, process one (1) package of the Circus Animal Cookies until coarsely crushed. Mix in the melted butter and process to combine. Spread the crust mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan and press together to form the crust. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the pudding mix powder and the milk until combined; tint with pink food coloring, if desired. Fold in half of the whipped topping until smooth. Pour the filling on top of the cookie crust layer and smooth out the top.
Frost the pudding layer with the remaining whipped topping. Lastly, very coarsely crush some of the remaining Circus Animal Cookies (you may not use the whole bag) and sprinkle over the top. Garnish with some more rainbow jimmie sprinkles.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.

circus animal cookie lush on white plate with bite missing