Description

This whimsical Sand Pudding Beach Buckets recipe creates a fun, beach-themed dessert that’s perfect for parties or summer gatherings. Using a box white cake mix combined with instant cheesecake pudding, blue sprinkles, and crushed vanilla wafers, this dessert mimics a sandy beach in a bucket, topped with adorable Teddy Grahams and rainbow candy to complete the look. It’s a delightful treat that is as visually charming as it is delicious.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake Mix

1 15.25 oz box white cake mix
Water, Oil, and Eggs (as required on the cake mix box)
1 Lemon (juiced)
1 1/2 tablespoons blue sprinkles

Pudding

2 3.4 oz boxes instant cheesecake pudding mix
4 cups cold milk
Blue food coloring (few drops)

Toppings

1 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafer cookies
Teddy Grahams crackers (as needed for decoration)
Rainbow stripe candy (for decoration)

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Instructions

Prepare the Cake Batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine the white cake mix with the required water, oil, and eggs according to the box instructions. Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and blue sprinkles to the batter and mix well until fully incorporated.
Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into a greased baking dish or beach bucket molds. Bake according to the cake mix package directions, usually about 30-35 minutes at 350°F (175°C), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Once done, allow the cake to cool completely.
Prepare the Pudding: In another bowl, whisk together the instant cheesecake pudding mixes with the cold milk. Add a few drops of blue food coloring to tint the pudding a light ocean blue shade. Stir thoroughly until the pudding thickens.
Assemble the Sand Pudding Beach Buckets: Once the cake has cooled, crumble it finely. Layer the crumbled cake in your serving containers (beach buckets or cups). Spread a layer of the blue cheesecake pudding over the cake crumbs to resemble water. Sprinkle crushed vanilla wafer cookies to mimic sand over the pudding layer.
Decorate: Place Teddy Grahams crackers on top to look like beachgoers and add rainbow stripe candy as colorful beach accessories for a playful touch.
Chill and Serve: Refrigerate the assembled beach buckets for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld and the pudding to firm up.

Notes

You can substitute lemon juice with lime juice for a slightly different citrus note.
Use clear beach buckets or transparent cups to show off the layered dessert for a more striking presentation.
If blue sprinkles are not available, you can skip them or use other blue edible decorations.
This dessert can be made a day ahead and chilled for convenience.
For gluten-free options, use gluten-free cake mix and cookies.