The Most Delicious No Bake Chocolate Éclair Cake

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This chocolate éclair cake may be the easiest no-bake dessert ever. All you do is layer pudding and graham crackers in a baking pan and top with a simple homemade ganache and then let the refrigerator do the work for you.

Like other icebox cakes, the longer the dessert hangs out in the fridge, the softer the graham crackers get, creating cake-like layers. If you're looking for a no-fuss, crowd-pleasing dessert, I guarantee this recipe will be a big hit!

Four teal plates with squares of Chocolate Eclair cake with a bite taken out of the front plate that's on the fork on the plate.

I love having this easy recipe for dessert in my back pocket. Because it's so impressive, everyone thinks I spend hours putting it together. But in fact, it's just the opposite. You don't even have to turn on the oven.

It's also easily customizable--just change up the flavor of instant pudding mix, chocolate chips, and/or graham crackers to satisfy your sweet tooth, no matter what you're craving. I love to serve it around Valentine's Day too--kids and adults alike gobble it up.

Looking for another perfect dessert that's great for a crowd? My Southern chocolate Coca Cola cake is one of my favorite desserts. So is my crescent roll apple dumplings recipe. If you're looking for other easy dessert recipes perfect for Valentine's Day, you'll love my fresh raspberry and lemon cream cheese frosting spread on top of cupcakes. But let's get to why you're here. Let's make that eclair cake!

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Tasty Tip
Frequently asked questions
Related
Pairing
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Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
Food safety

Ingredients

Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe:

instant French vanilla pudding
whole milk
Cool Whip
vanilla extract
graham crackers
semisweet chocolate
heavy cream

(See printable recipe card for quantities.)

Instructions

Now that we've got our ingredients, let's make this chocolate éclair cake recipe:

Folding Cool Whip into a bowl of vanilla pudding in a glass mixing bowl.

First, whisk together the pudding mix, cold milk, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until smooth. Let stand until set. Fold in the Cool Whip.

Graham crackers arranged in a single layer in the bottom of a 13- x 9-inch baking pan.

Then, arrange one package of graham crackers in the bottom of a 13- x 9-inch baking dish or pan, breaking or cutting some of the crackers in half if necessary to fit.

Spreading pudding in a 13- x 9-inch baking pan.

Next, spoon half of the pudding mixture over the crackers. Top evenly with another single layer of graham crackers followed by the remaining pudding mixture. Top with the last pack of crackers. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Spreading chocolate ganache on top of layers of graham crackers and pudding in a 13- x 9-inch baking pan.

Meanwhile, make the ganache topping. Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat the heavy cream until bubbles form around the edges. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir the mixture until smooth. Let the chocolate cool until thickened and spreadable. Pour the chocolate over the top layer of graham crackers and spread into an even layer. Refrigerate overnight. Cut into squares before serving.

Hint: To help speed up the thickening process of the ganache, take it in and out of the freezer until the desired consistency is reached. (You want it to be slightly thick and spreadable like frosting.)

Hint #2: Thaw the Cool Whip in the refrigerator overnight. It'll be creamier and fluffier that way.

Substitutions

Want to make some ingredient swaps? Here are some ideas:

French vanilla pudding - Instead of French vanilla pudding mix, use regular instant vanilla pudding if you prefer.
Semisweet chocolate chips - For a sweeter cake, go for milk chocolate chips; for a richer cake, go with bittersweet chocolate chips.
Graham crackers - I used regular graham crackers for this recipe but you can also use cinnamon. Or, use another thin cookie.
Cool Whip - You can substitute sweetened whipped cream for the Cool Whip.

Variations

Check out these easy ways to change up this no bake chocolate eclair cake:

Triple Chocolate Eclair Cake - If you're a chocaholic, you may want to use chocolate graham crackers and chocolate pudding in addition to a chocolate ganache topping.
Butterscotch Banana Cream Pie Eclair Cake - Swap out banana cream pudding for the French vanilla. And, instead of chocolate chips, make a ganache out of butterscotch chips.
Lemon Pie Eclair Cake - Instead of French vanilla pudding, go for lemon pudding mix and use white chocolate chips for the ganache.

Equipment

Here's the equipment you'll need for this no bake eclair cake recipe:

liquid measuring cup
measuring spoons
large bowl
whisk
medium or small saucepan
medium bowl
13- x 9-inch baking pan or dish
dry measuring cups
rubber spatula

Storage

Store the cake, covered with plastic wrap or foil in the refrigerator in the baking pan for up to 4 days.

Technically, you can freeze this cake. Wrap it tightly with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, place it in the refrigerator overnight. Note that the texture of the pudding may be loose and the crackers will be very soft.

Tasty Tip

This is one of those desserts that gets better the longer it has to set in the fridge. The pudding softens the layers of graham crackers so that they become cake-like.

Frequently asked questions

What is the traditional filling of an éclair?

Traditionally, eclairs are filled with a custard--crème pâtissière, or pastry cream, to be exact. Then, they're topped with a chocolate glaze or ganache.

Is a Boston cream donut and an éclair the same thing?

They are very similar, but the shape of the donut is very different from the classic French pastry. And, a donut has a fluffier texture whereas an eclair is an egg-based dough that's piped.

Is this considered an icebox cake?

Yes! Because the cake requires refrigeration to allow the cookies and pudding to set, this is an icebox cake.

Why do they call it an icebox cake?

Before there were refrigerators, people had iceboxes--literal blocks of ice were used to keep food cool.

Why were icebox cakes popular in the 1920s?

This type of dessert, similar to a trifle, was made layering cookies and cream and was kept in an icebox until the layers melded together creating cake-like layers with no baking required.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with this chocolate eclair cake:

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