2(3.4-ounce/96g) packagesinstant French vanilla pudding
3cupswhole milk(720ml)
1(8-ounce/226g) containerwhipped toppingthawed
1(25.6-ounce/726g) boxgraham crackers
For the Chocolate Sauce Topping:
1½cupssemisweet chocolate chips(270g)
1cupcream(240ml)
1tablespoonunsalted butter
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, whipped topping, and pudding mix until well combined.
In a 9x13-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.