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With all the flavors of a chocolate eclair, but none of the fuss, this eclair cake recipe is simple and delicious. Subtly sweet vanilla pudding, softened graham crackers, and a rich chocolate topping make a no bake dessert that’s perfect for a gathering. The best part? This no-bake dessert recipe takes just a few pantry staples and 15 minutes of active prep time to put together.
This quick and easy no bake éclair cake recipe draws its inspiration from the classic chocolate éclair, a dreamy French dessert made from choux pastry (pâte à choux) that’s been filled with pastry cream and topped with chocolate.
To make an éclair cake, simply top layers of graham crackers and creamy French vanilla pudding with a decadent homemade chocolate ganache before popping it into the fridge for a few hours to set. That’s it! It’s such an easy recipe with all of the flavors of a classic eclair packed into a no-bake cake.
Since this dessert needs time for the pudding to firm up and the graham crackers to soften, it’s a good idea to make it a night ahead of time. That way, once you’re ready to serve, all you need to do is slice the chocolate eclair cake into squares and enjoy chilled.
Give this icebox cake a try for next time you host a potluck — your friends and family will be begging you to make it over and over!
What You Need To Make This Recipe
Milk — whole milk is the best option to make creamy vanilla pudding.
Cool Whip (whipped topping) — mixing the instant pudding powder with Cool Whip gives it a thicker, luscious consistency. Thaw it for a few hours or overnight in the fridge before use. You can replace it with stiff whipped cream if desired.
Instant French vanilla pudding — it’s important to use instant pudding in this recipe because it sets very differently to pudding that you make on the stove. You can substitute it with instant vanilla pudding mix.
Graham crackers — graham crackers take the place of choux pastry here, in a sense. While they don’t quite mimic the texture of choux, they do become much softer and more delicate after sitting in the fridge for several hours. You’ll need a family-size box of graham crackers for this perfect dessert.
Heavy whipping cream — heavy cream forms the base of the decadent chocolate sauce topping.
Butter — make sure to use unsalted butter. The butter adds shine and silkiness to the chocolate sauce.
Chocolate chips — I recommend semi-sweet chocolate chips so you don’t end up with an eclair cake that is too sweet. If you prefer even less sweetness, use bittersweet chocolate chips. You can also use roughly chopped chocolate bars instead of chocolate chips. (I used chocolate chips in this recipe to save time.)
How To Make Eclair Cake
1. Whisk together the milk, whipped topping, and pudding powder in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
2. Arrange a single layer of graham crackers on the bottom of the pan. You may need to break some crackers so that the entire bottom of the baking dish is covered (don’t overlap the crackers).
3. Top the graham crackers with half of the prepared pudding mixture. Add another layer of graham crackers on top of the pudding. Spoon the remaining pudding on top, followed by one last layer of crackers. You should have three layers of graham crackers and two layers of pudding. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Towards the end of the hour, start preparing the chocolate topping. Add the chocolate chips to a medium bowl and set aside. Scald the heavy cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, pour it over the chocolate, and allow it to stand for 10 minutes (as you would when making a chocolate ganache). Then stir until you have a smooth chocolate sauce.
5. Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and pour the chocolate sauce over the top layer of graham crackers.
6. Spread the chocolate glaze evenly so it completely covers the final layer of graham crackers. Chill for a few hours (preferably overnight) to allow the eclair cake to set and the crackers to soften. Slice into squares and serve chilled.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Don’t overlap the graham crackers. Instead, break some up into smaller rectangles to fill in around the edges of the baking dish. This will give you neat, uniform layers.
- Instant pudding makes this recipe super easy! Instant pudding versus cooked pudding is a bit thicker and also doesn’t need time to cool, so it allows for easier and faster layering.
- Chill for the perfect slice! Chill the chocolate eclair cake for a sufficient amount of time. I recommend making it a night ahead of time, if you’re able to. It needs several hours for the graham crackers to soften and have the correct texture. The crackers should not be crunchy when you slice the cake.
- Swap up the flavors! If you want to play around with flavors, use flavored graham crackers or even vanilla wafers. You can also change up the flavor of the pudding from vanilla to chocolate pudding. Keep in mind that this will no longer be an eclair cake, but will be a delicious no bake dessert nonetheless.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! In fact, I recommend making it in advance to give the eclair cake plenty of time to set. You’ll end up with a firm pudding mixture and soft, delicate graham crackers that you can easily and neatly slice up.
Store leftovers by tightly covering the dish with plastic wrap or putting them in an airtight container and refrigerating for up to 5 days.
Eclair cake will keep for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.
While you can freeze chocolate eclair cake, the texture changes quite a bit when it is thawed. For this reason, it’s better to simply make a fresh cake as needed.
If you’ve tried this Eclair Cake recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Éclair Cake
Ingredients
- 2 (3.4-ounce/96g) packages instant French vanilla pudding
- 3 cups whole milk (720ml)
- 1 (8-ounce/226g) container whipped topping thawed
- 1 (25.6-ounce/726g) box graham crackers
For the Chocolate Sauce Topping:
- 1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips (270g)
- 1 cup cream (240ml)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, whipped topping, and pudding mix until well combined.
- In a 9×13-inch baking dish, arrange a single layer of crackers on the bottom. (You may have to break a few crackers to cover the dish without overlapping them.)
- Top with half of the pudding mixture. Arrange another layer of graham crackers over the pudding. Repeat with the remaining pudding and top with a final layer of graham crackers.
- Cover and chill for 1 hour.
For the Topping:
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the chocolate.
- In a small saucepan, scald the cream and butter over medium-high heat. Pour over the chocolate and let stand for 10 minutes.
- Stir together until smooth. Pour over the top of the cake and spread it into an even layer.
- Chill for a few hours or overnight, giving the graham crackers time to soften. Slice into squares to serve.
Notes
- Don’t overlap the graham crackers. Instead, break some up into smaller rectangles to fill in around the edges of the baking dish. This will give you neat, uniform layers.
- Instant pudding makes this recipe super easy! Instant pudding versus cooked pudding is a bit thicker and also doesn’t need time to cool, so it allows for easier and faster layering.
- Chill for the perfect slice! Chill the chocolate eclair cake for a sufficient amount of time. I recommend making it a night ahead of time, if you’re able to. It needs several hours for the graham crackers to soften and have the correct texture. The crackers should not be crunchy when you slice the cake.
- Swap up the flavors! If you want to play around with flavors, use flavored graham crackers or even vanilla wafers. You can also change up the flavor of the pudding from vanilla to chocolate pudding. Keep in mind that this will no longer be an eclair cake, but will be a delicious no bake dessert nonetheless.
Nutrition
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