Bring this dessert out and your parents might just fall out of their chairs — it looks that good. No one will ever suspect that your main ingredient here is pudding out of a box. But don’t get the instant kind — it tastes starchy and grainy — just stick to the “cook and serve” kind. It only takes about four minutes, so it’s still a no-brainer. The fresh berries are the crowning jewels of this tart. They are always available in the supermarket but they’re a lot cheaper when they’re in season in the summer. If you can’t find blueberries or strawberries you can substitute with a pint of fresh raspberries. The graham cracker crust is also as easy as it gets but it’s a great complement for the custard and berries. You don’t need a fancy tart pan for this. If you have one, great, otherwise just grab a large aluminum pie pan from the supermarket. They get the job done and come in handy for other desserts, so don’t throw them away.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 5 hr 30 min |
| Prep: | 4 hr 10 min |
| Inactive: | 1 hr |
| Cook: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 12 whole graham crackers
- 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) butter
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 (3.4-ounce) packages “cook and serve” vanilla pudding
- Milk (according to pudding package instructions)
- 1 pint fresh strawberries
- 1/2 pint fresh blueberries
- 1/2 pint fresh blackberries or raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- For the crust: crumble the graham crackers by hand or with a potato masher to get fine crumbs. Heat the butter in a saucepan or microwave until half-melted. Work the butter into the crumbs with your fingertips until the crumbs look like wet sand. Using your fingertips, press the crust into a 9-inch pie plate or disposable aluminum pie pan to make an even layer over the bottom and sides of the pan. Bake until the crust is a shade darker, about 12 minutes, and let cool completely.
- Make the pudding according to the package directions. Let stand about 5 to 10 minutes stirring occasionally to keep a skin from forming on the top of the pudding.
- Use a spoon or rubber spatula to scrape the pudding into the graham cracker shell and smooth it into an even layer. Put the tart in the refrigerator until the pudding is chilled and set, at least 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, cut the stems off the strawberries and wash with the other berries in a colander under cold water. Drain then spread out on paper towel to dry. You can either arrange the berries nicely over the pudding or just sort of gently tumble them onto it. Cover the tart lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. You can make the tart up to 4 hours in advance. Serve cold.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 243 |
| Total Fat | 12 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 33 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 18 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | 23 mg |
| Sodium | 134 mg |
Reviews
This turned out much better than I thought it would. I opted to arrange the berries which gave it more of a polished look and used Jello brand vanilla pudding and has no issues with the pudding not setting. It set perfectly. Improvised with a danish butter cookie crust and it turned out beautifully. Would definitely make it again.
I would omit pudding and use an 8 ounce package of cream cheese (light or reg. and a quarter cup of sour cream (same. Then add a dash of maple syrup and some vanilla and a little sugar or sweetener….always delicious!
I’ve been making this recipe for several years. Its a big hit in the summer time! Sometimes I struggle to get the pie filling thick enough so that it slices neatly when its time to serve it. I keep cutting back on the milk, but still is very soft when I slice it….even after its been in the fridge for several hours. But it takes sooo good, never seems to matter to anyone, but I would like to learn how to make it serve prettier.
This was an extremely easy recipe to follow, and very tasty. The only trouble with the recipe was that it doesn’t set. Even with allowing the pudding to refrigerate “overnight”, it still doesn’t hold. I think what this recipe is missing is gelatin, but overall I really did enjoy it.
I made this pudding with readymade pie crust, and arranged the berries on top which looked really pretty and tasted Ok. But I could not cut it. It was very messy and the graham cracker crust became a little soggy too. I am not sure whether its because of the store brought crust.
I only used the crust for a different pie recipe and it was great. Easy and quick!
I made this for a party and everyone loved. They all wondered why I didn’t bring two of them. I used the tip from another review, after i added the pudding I kept it in my frige over night with cling wrap the whole time. It was not messy. Everyone got a nice slice of pie. It turned out great.
I made this entire meal for a dinner party, and it was so phenomenally delicious, that I have made it into a regular part of my cooking repertoire.
This crust is so wonderfully crumbly and sweet, and the recipe allows for so much creativity. Peaches are wonderful on this; bananas and nuts, Texas blackberries… they are all fabulous@
make sure and allow more time than he recommends for the pudding to set. It’s DELICIOUS but it will be very runny unless it sets preferable overnight. Otherwise it’s great and I will definitely make it again. Guests loved it.
My small thanksgiving party delighted in this good-looking and yummy dessert. Finished in no time, just as well coz it does not hold up the following day the custard gets darker. thanks Dave