Robert Redford Dessert in Jar Recipe

Enjoy the vintage Robert Redford Dessert with an easier prep but all the great flavor in this dessert in jar recipe. You can mix it up in minutes and have it company-ready in no time.

If you want to go for the gusto, make Homemade Chocolate Pudding and Stable Whipped Cream for this tasty treat, but these short cuts with boxed pudding and shortbread cookies brings dessert to the table in a flash.

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• Why Make This
• Ingredients
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• FAQs & Recipe Costs
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• Robert Redford Dessert in a Jar

Years ago, maybe 30 or more, my mom and her friends made a dessert called “The Next Best Thing to Robert Redford”. Yes, really. Well, some ladies wrote it down as “Better than Robert Redford”.

I think that it’s pretty funny that a chocolate dessert is superlative or even being compared to some actor, hunky though he may have been at the time. Women have their priorities straight.

Chocolate trumps some guy you never met. And this dessert in jar recipe takes the cake.

Why Make This

It’s classic but made new. Like Pretzel Berry Dessert, Robert Redford Dessert is probably one you’ve seen before at a potluck or family reunion. This version has been updated in a fun way — as a single-serve dessert in jar recipe.

It’s easy. Since I wanted to make this a quick and simple dessert and since you’re not supposed to bake in mason jars, this version of Robert Redford Dessert has been simplified with shortbread cookies and boxed pudding. You can bake your own cookie crust and make homemade pudding, but this dessert in jar recipe comes together in a flash this way.

It’s fun! This dessert in jar recipe is super convenient to prepare and stores well in the fridge. It’s a little more elegant to serve in jars than the traditional baking pan since you’re layering all that goodness in individual serving dishes all ready to go.

It’s delicious. Layered shortbread cookie with cream cheese filling, chocolate pudding, and a whipped cream topping make this dessert in jar just as good if not Better than Robert Redford Dessert.

Did you see what I did there?

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this Robert Redford Dessert in Jar recipe:

baking chocolate – Chocolate shavings make a nice topping to this Robert Redford Dessert in Jar. You can use chopped nuts or mini chocolate chips if that’s what you have, or keep things simple with whipped cream.

shortbread cookies – I used Keebler Sandies cookies which tasted just how I remembered this classic dessert. You can use your favorite shortbread cookie.

cream cheese – Cream cheese makes a lovely cheesecake-style layer in the dessert. You can use full fat or neufchâtel cheese; both work well.

powdered sugar – Powdered sugar combines well with the cream cheese without making it gritty. Remember you can Make Powdered Sugar if you run out.

vanilla extract – Vanilla adds a nice foil to the chocolate in this dessert in jar recipe. If you haven’t already tried it, making homemade vanilla extract is much more affordable than store bought varieties.

chocolate instant pudding – While homemade chocolate pudding is amazing, I find that using instant for this quick prep dessert is just the thing. Don’t like chocolate? Use a different flavor pudding mix.

milk – This is a great recipe for using up milk before it goes to waste. You’ll need very cold milk to get the instant pudding to set quickly.

whipped cream topping – You can use Cool Whip, canned whipped cream, but I find that stable whipped cream gives best flavor and still lasts for several hours without weeping.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s how to make this Robert Redford Dessert in Jar recipe:

Prepare the elements

1. Shave the chocolate with a vegetable peeler. Set this aside. Chill in the fridge if the kitchen is warm.

2. Place the shortbread in a ziptop bag and crush with a rolling pin until coarse crumbs are formed. Set this aside.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat until light and fluffy. Set aside.

4. In another mixing bowl, whip together the pudding mix and cold milk, beating until well combined and thickened, about 2 minutes.

5. Assemble the jars

• Lay out eight half-pint jars on the work surface. Place ¼ cup cookie crumbs in the bottom of each.
• Divide the cream cheese mixture among the 8 jars. Then layer on the pudding. Top with the whipped cream.
• Top the whipped cream with shaved chocolate. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.

FAQs & Recipe Costs

Recipe Costs

Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.

• baking chocolate – $0.61
• shortbread cookies – $2.70
• cream cheese – $0.99
• powdered sugar – $0.12
• vanilla extract – $0.08
• chocolate instant pudding – $0.72
• milk – $0.27
• whipped cream – $1.37

While your costs may vary depending on where and how you shop, you can expect to pay about $6.86 for a big batch of Desserts in Jars, about $0.86/serving.

More Easy Desserts

This post was originally published on December 15, 2013. It has been update for content and clarity.