We Made This 1985 Striped Delight Recipe—and It’s the Potluck Dessert of Our Dreams
Updated: Feb. 10, 2024
Take this vintage striped delight dessert to your next potluck. Everyone will be asking for the recipe!
When it comes to dessert, there’s no right or wrong answer. Choosing to bake an elaborate cake or a homemade pie is a great choice for any occasion. Making cookies? Perfectly delicious! But when it comes to making dessert for a crowd, we like to go the simple route. And this vintage striped delight recipe is it!
This no-bake dessert uses a graham cracker crust paired with a tangy cream cheese filling, chocolate pudding, and fluffy whipped topping. That’s it! Just a few ingredients and you’ll have an impressive dessert to share with a group.
How to Make Striped Delight
This vintage treat is the dessert we’ve been searching for, and it comes together in a handful of easy steps. The hardest part is waiting for it to fully chill and set before digging in!
Ingredients
For the graham cracker crust:
- 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup melted butter
For the filling and topping:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 8 ounces whipped topping
- 6 ounces Jell-O chocolate instant pudding
- 3-1/2 cups cold milk
Editor’s Tip: If you’d prefer not to use store-bought whipped topping, make your own homemade whipped cream instead!
Directions
Step 1: Make the crust
Pour the graham cracker crumbs and sugar into a bowl. Melt the butter and pour it into the bowl. Mix with a fork until the mixture comes together. Firmly press the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of a 13×9-inch dish to form the crust. Place the dish in the freezer to set.
Step 2: Make the cream cheese layer
Add the cream cheese and sugar into a bowl. Beat with a hand mixer and then mix in the milk until smooth. Fold in half of the whipped topping.
Step 3: Spread the cream cheese and chocolate layers
Remove the crust from the freezer and spread the cream cheese layer over top. Prepare the pudding mix by whisking it with the cold milk. Pour and spread the pudding mixture on top of the cream cheese layer before the pudding fully sets. Chill the dessert for at least four hours.
Step 4: Add the whipped topping and serve
Just before serving, remove the dish from the fridge and spread the remaining whipped topping over top. Garnish with shaved chocolate and serve cold.
Here’s What I Thought
I’m traditionally not a fan of no-bake desserts. I love to whip up a multi-layered cake or a batch of made-from-scratch cinnamon rolls. Baking is a labor of love for me, and I prefer the texture of a moist cake with a great crumb or a delicate pastry as opposed to a cold treat. But this striped delight recipe? It has changed my mind.
Every single bite is rich, creamy and delicious. It’s packed with flavor and there’s such a great play in texture between the crust and creamy layers. The graham cracker crust is flavorful, which is the ideal base for the tangy cream cheese layer. Next up, who doesn’t love chocolate pudding? Then it’s all finished off with additional whipped topping.
While the original recipe from 1985 doesn’t require it, I chose to pop my graham cracker crust in the freezer to be sure it set. I also plan to use homemade whipped cream the next time I make it, rather than store-bought topping. And the key to clean slices? Be sure the dessert is fully set, or freeze it for 30 minutes before serving. Wiping your knife between each cut will help to keep the striking layers intact, making each slice you serve that much more impressive.
Our Favorite Vintage Potluck Desserts
Grandma Pruit's Vinegar PieThis historic pie has been in our family for many generations and is always served at our get-togethers.—Suzette Pruit, Houston, Texas
Spiced Pineapple Upside-Down CakeI often bake this beautiful cake in my large cast-iron skillet and turn it out
onto a pizza pan. —Jennifer Sergesketter, Newburgh, Indiana
Frosted Oatmeal CookiesA woman in my small Iowa hometown sold these cookies. When my grandmother asked her for the recipe, the woman agreed to give it to her if she promised not to make them until the woman was too old to sell them. Grandmother kept her promise, and this special recipe has been a family favorite for years. —B. Capper-Eckstein, Osseo, Minnesota
Milk CakeThis is a simple recipe—and especially easy in a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. The result is a deliciously light, airy cake. —Suzanne Coelman, Rabun Gap, Georgia
Old-Fashioned Chocolate PuddingOne of the nice things about this easy pudding is you don't have to stand and stir it. It's a must for my family year-round! I also make it into a pie with a graham cracker crust that our grandchildren love. —Amber Sampson, Somonauk, Illinois
Chocolate Buttermilk SquaresEvery time I take these squares to a potluck, my pan comes back clean. At home, they vanish as fast as I make them. —Clarice Baker, Stromsburg, Nebraska
Apple PieI remember coming home sullen one day because we'd lost a softball game. Grandma, in her wisdom, suggested that maybe a slice of hot apple pie would make me feel better. She was right. —Maggie Greene, Granite Falls, Washington
Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter CookiesMy mother insisted that my grandmother write down one recipe for her when Mom got married in 1942: the how to make peanut butter cookies from scratch recipe. That was a real effort because Grandma was a traditional pioneer-type cook who used a little of this or that until it felt right. This treasured recipe is the only one she ever wrote down! —Janet Hall, Clinton, Wisconsin
Lemon Chiffon CakeThis moist, airy lemon chiffon cake was my dad's favorite. Mom revamped the original recipe to include lemons. I'm not much of a baker, but whenever I make this dessert my family is thrilled! —Trisha Kammers, Clarkston, Washington
White Texas Sheet CakeThis cake gets better the longer it sits, so I try to make it a day ahead. My mother-in-law introduced this deliciously rich sheet cake to me. With its creamy frosting and light almond flavor, no one can stop at just one piece! —Joanie Ward, Brownsburg, Indiana
Fudge Nut BrowniesThere's no brownie recipe or mix I've ever tried that's better than this! And it's so easy—you can mix it in one bowl in just a few minutes. My husband's grandmother passed the recipe on; now our son makes these brownies for after-school snacks. —Becky Albright, Norwalk, Ohio
Buttermilk Cake with Caramel IcingThis fabulous cake and caramel frosting are so tender, it melts in your mouth. It's been a family favorite since the '70s and it goes over really well at church potluck meals. —Anna Jean Allen, West Liberty, Kentucky
Cookie Jar GingersnapsMy grandma kept two cookie jars in her pantry. One of the jars, which I now have, always had these crisp and chewy gingersnaps in it. They're still my favorite cookies. My daughter used this recipe for a 4-H fair and won a blue ribbon. —Deb Handy, Pomona, Kansas
Butter Pecan Layer CakePecans and butter give this cake the same irresistible flavor as the popular butter pecan ice cream flavor. —Becky Miller, Tallahassee, Florida
Best Red Velvet CakeIt's just not Christmas at our house until this festive cake appears. This is different from other red velvet cake recipes I’ve had; the icing is as light as snow. —Kathryn Davison, Charlotte, North Carolina
Turtle Praline TartThis rich dessert is my own creation, and I'm very proud of it. It's easy enough to make for everyday meals but special enough to serve guests or take to a potluck. —Kathy Specht, Clinton, Montana
Chewy Pecan Pie BarsThis treat is one of my husband's favorites. I've been making these bars for many years, and we still can't get enough. I never mind making this recipe—it's about as easy as baking can be! —Judy Taylor, Shreveport, Louisiana
Chocolate Almond CakeFluffy white homemade frosting tops this rich chocolate almond cake. Sliced toasted almonds on top add a little crunch. —Sherri Gentry, Dallas, Oregon
Cream Cheese-Pineapple PieI've made this pie many times for friends, relatives, guests, church suppers and bazaars, and I'm always getting requests for the recipe. I've lived on farms all my life—we used to have a potato farm on Long Island, and now my son farms his own land and manages mine here in Delaware, growing soybeans and wheat. —Elizabeth Brown, Clayton, Delaware
Spiced Devil's Food CakeOne of my mom's friends gave her this recipe when I was a child, and it has been a family favorite ever since. When your chocolate sweet tooth acts up, this really hits the spot! —Linda Yeamans, Ashland, Oregon
Honey Pear CheesecakeWe grow pear trees, so I’m always dabbling in pear desserts. In this cheesecake, I sometimes add ¼ cup crystalized ginger for zing. —Nancy Zimmerman, Cape May Court House, New Jersey
Aunt Murna's Jam CakeI remember Aunt Murna telling me that she created her jam cake recipe as a young girl. She made improvements over the years, such as soaking the raisins in crushed pineapple. This cake is a favorite at our annual family reunions. —Mrs. Eddie Robinson, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Apple and Squash CrispSomeone brought this crisp to a parish dinner at my church. I asked for the recipe, and now I take this yummy dessert to every potluck I attend. —Therese Butler, Ijamsville, Maryland
Cranberry-Orange BarsMy mother has had this recipe for years. I love it! These bars make great snacks, but can also be served for dessert. —Margaret Adelman, Bellingham, Minnesota
Pear Cake with Sour Cream ToppingThis is a great way to combine bread and fruit for an all-in-one breakfast. The cake is very tasty and the unique topping is simply delicious.
Buttermilk Pie with PecansBranch out from the usual pecan pie with a creamy-crunchy version that comes out of the oven golden brown. Big pieces are even better with a generous dollop of whipped cream. —Kathy Harding, Richmond, Missouri
Icebox Cookie CheesecakeCookie lovers will come back for seconds when you serve this tempting treat. —Perlene Hoekema, Lynden, Washington
Originally Published: October 08, 2021
