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No-Bake Eclair Cake

No bake eclair cake on a white plate.

If you love eclairs, you’ll love this no-bake eclair cake. With layers of French vanilla pudding, graham crackers, and a top layer of chocolate frosting you can’t go wrong.

The dessert is super easy to make and doesn’t involve the oven. And, even better, the chilled eclair cake is perfect for summertime picnics and warm evenings.

No bake eclair cake on a white plate and blue placemat

Full printable recipe with ingredients, measurements, and instructions at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

What Do I Need To Make An Eclair Cake?

  • Graham crackers
  • Instant French vanilla pudding
  • Cool Whip
  • Milk
  • Chocolate frosting

What’s In Chocolate Eclair Cake Recipe?

Chocolate eclair cakes are made up of several layers including graham crackers, pudding, Cool Whip, and chocolate frosting.

To make the dessert, you need to start with graham crackers and layer them along the bottom of the pan.

Next, mix the instant pudding with milk until it thickens and add the Cool Whip. Spread half of the pudding over the top of the graham crackers, and repeat, ending with a layer of graham crackers.

Finally, melt the frosting in the microwave for a few seconds and pour over the graham crackers. Refrigerate overnight and serve when you’re ready.

Eclair cake sitting on a white plate and blue placemat.

How To Make Eclair Cake

Dry instant pudding in a glass bowl.

Start by adding two French vanilla instant pudding packets to a large glass bowl.

French vanilla instant pudding and milk in a glass bowl.

Secondly, pour the milk into the bowl with the pudding.

Mixing instant pudding in a bowl with a hand mixer.

Mix the pudding with a hand mixer for a couple of minutes. When you finish mixing, give the pudding a few more minutes to thicken.

Instant pudding takes about five minutes to thicken.

Instant pudding and whipped cream in a glass bowl

Now, add the Cool Whip to the bowl and mix it together.

Graham crackers in the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish

Line the bottom of a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish with graham crackers.

You don’t need to grease the bottom of the pan because you’re not going to be baking this cake, so things are not going to stick.

Pudding spread out on top of graham crackers in a casserole dish

Next, spread half of the pudding over the graham crackers gently, so they stay in place.

You will have a total of two layers of pudding and three layers of graham crackers for this dessert.

Graham crackers on top of pudding in a glass casserole dish

Layer again with graham crackers, once again with pudding, and finally with a final layer of graham crackers. You will finish with graham crackers on the top.

Pouring chocolate frosting on top of graham crackers

Melt the frosting for about 30 seconds in the microwave. Once you take it out of the microwave give it a stir and it should be melted enough to easily pour over the cake.

If it needs a little more time in the microwave, stick it in there in 10-second increments until it’s ready to pour.

Chocolate frosting on top of eclair cake

Pour the frosting over the entire eclair cake and place the dessert in the refrigerator overnight. It’s going to take several hours for the dessert to set up so it’s easy to cut.

Layers of pudding and graham crackers in eclair cake

Other cakes you’ll love:

Eclair cake on top of a plate with a fork.

Share Your Cake Pictures With Us

Check out the easy graham cracker eclair cake recipe card below, grab those ingredients, and start creating! This is a great summer dessert.

Then, share your comments below and click here to share a picture of your cake on the Pinterest Pin!  If you made any changes or added something different, be sure to share with us so we can try it, too!

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Recipe Card for No-Bake Eclair Cake

Eclair cake sitting on a white plate and blue placemat.

No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake

Yield: 16 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes

If you love eclairs, you'll love this no-bake eclair cake. With layers of French vanilla pudding, graham crackers, and a top layer of chocolate frosting you can't go wrong.

Ingredients

  • 3 sleeves graham crackers
  • 2 - 3.4 oz. boxes Jell-O French Vanilla Instant Pudding
  • 12 oz. Cool Whip
  • 3 cups milk
  • 16 oz. chocolate frosting

Instructions

  1. Add the two packets of instant pudding to a large bowl.
  2. Pour the milk into the pudding and mix with a hand mixer for at least two minutes. Allow the pudding to thicken for a few more minutes.
  3. Add the Cool Whip to the pudding and mix together.
  4. Line the bottom of a 9" x 13" casserole dish with graham crackers.
  5. Spread half of the pudding over the graham crackers.
  6. Layer more graham crackers on top of the pudding.
  7. Add the rest of the pudding on top of the graham crackers.
  8. Layer once more with graham crackers on top of the pudding.
  9. Microwave the frosting, in the container (without the lid), for 30 seconds. Stir.
  10. Pour the frosting over the top of the graham crackers.
  11. Refrigerate the no-bake eclair cake overnight, or for at least eight hours.

Notes

If the frosting is not pour-ready in 30 seconds, microwave it in 10-second increments until it is ready to pour over the top.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 235Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 130mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 0gSugar: 24gProtein: 3g

Nutrition is approximate.

Did you make this recipe?

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South Your Mouth, Julia’s Simply Southern, and Miz Helen’s Country Cottage

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