This No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake is an easy icebox dessert made with a wonderful creamy custard filling between layers of softened graham cracker and topped with a rich chocolate glaze. I love to serve it with strawberries for a garnish.
For other delicious no-bake recipes, be sure to check out my Easy No-Bake Blueberry Delight, Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies, Strawberry Pretzel Icebox Pie, Easy Lemon Icebox Cake, and No-Bake Sour Cream Lemon Pie.
No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake
A funny thing happens sometimes where I make something that has been around forever and that I think everybody in the world knows about, and then it turns out no one in my social circle seems to have ever experienced it before. That’s the case with this easy chocolate eclair cake.
I swear I saw this on every potluck table when I was growing up. But I made this for a dinner party recently and no one, not even my husband, thought they had tasted eclair cake before! Then I polled my friends, SIL, BIL, and others and not one person I asked had ever had an eclair cake!
Our oldest daughter is named Clara and immediately started calling this e-Clara cake, or even just Clara cake, which has stuck. It’s such an easy recipe that she can even make it by herself, which she loves. We love classic French eclairs, but this delicious no-bake cake is an even easier alternative with the same flavors!
What is Chocolate Eclair Cake?
This dessert is called an eclair cake because it’s flavor, and even texture to an extent, is reminiscent of French éclairs, which are cream filled pastries coated with a chocolate glaze on top.
It’s one of those recipes that is so simple and easy to make that it feels like cheating.
The fudgy frosting/glaze/topping is super easy to make and pour over the top. It’s just melted butter whisked with cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and milk. But it’s literally the icing on the cake. You pour it on and it mostly smooths itself out, then sets into a thin, fudgy layer of chocolate indulgence that perfectly balances the light, creamy vanilla pudding underneath.
The pudding layer is ridiculously easy as well. It’s just a package of instant vanilla pudding mixed with cold milk (but not quite as much as the package directs), which is then combined with a container of Cool Whip or stabilized whipped cream. It makes for a super light, custard with the most wonderful consistency!
How to Make No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake
- Make the pudding: Combine the contents of a small package of vanilla pudding with cold mix and whisk together for 2 minutes, then let it set up in the fridge for 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Make whipped cream: Beat 1 cup heavy cream and ¼ cup powdered sugar using an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
- Combine pudding and whipped cream: Just stir the two together with a spatula until no streaks remain.
- Arrange whole graham crackers in an even layer on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish: You may need to break some apart to cover the edges.
- Pour half of the custard filling over the graham crackers: Spread it to the corners to create an even layer.
- Repeat with another layer of graham crackers, the remaining custard, and a final layer of graham crackers on top: As the dessert sets up in the fridge, the custard will soften the graham crackers without making them soggy so they get this cake-like texture to them that is to die for!
- Mix the chocolate glaze and pour over the top: Just whisk all of the glaze ingredients together and use a spatula to spread it evenly over the top layer of graham crackers.
- Chill in the fridge: If you were to slice into this dessert right away, you would end up with crunchy graham crackers and pudding goop. It really needs at least 4 hours in the fridge to set up so that it can actually be sliced and served. I think adding a berry or two to each slice for presentation is not only pretty, but a delicious addition.
Eclair Cake Variations from Others
- No-Bake Strawberry Nutella Eclair Cake by Chef in Training
- Strawberry Shortcake Eclair Cake by Inside Bru Crew Life
- Chunky Monkey Eclair Cake by The Girl Who Ate Everything
- Chocolate Mint Eclair Dessert from Taste of Home
- Peanut Butter Cup Eclair Cake from My Baking Addiction
- No-Bake Chocolate Raspberry Eclair Cake from Six Sisters’ Stuff
- Key Lime Eclair Cake from This Silly Girl’s Kitchen
- Double Chocolate Eclair Cake from Melanie Makes
More No-Bake Desserts You’ll Love
- No-Bake Sour Cream Lemon Pie
- Easy No-Bake Blueberry Delight
- Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
- Strawberry Pretzel Icebox Pie
- Easy Lemon Icebox Cake
- Raspberry Pretzel Salad (okay, you do need to bake the crust for just a couple of minutes, but that’s it for this one)
- Banana Split Cake
No-Bake Desserts
No-Bake Caramel Apple Eclair Cake
Dessert
Classic Homemade Eclairs
Cake
Boston Cream Pie
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake
Ingredients
Filling Layers
- 2 (3.4-ounce) boxes instant vanilla pudding
- 3 1/2 cups cold milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3 sleeves graham crackers
Glaze
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 6 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the pudding mixes and milk in a large bowl and whisk for 2 minutes, until smooth and beginning to thicken. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
- Beat whipped cream and powdered sugar in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into the vanilla pudding, stirring until completely incorporated.
- Arrange graham crackers in the bottom of a 9×13-inch dish in an even layer, breaking them up as needed to fit the pan. Spread ½ of the pudding mixture over the bottom layer of graham crackers. Arrange additional graham crackers in another even layer on top of the pudding, then repeat with the remaining pudding mixture and a final layer of graham crackers.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, heat the butter and milk until the butter has melted, then add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla and stir until smooth. Pour over the top graham cracker layer, spreading the glaze out to create a smooth top.
- Transfer the eclair cake to the refrigerator and let it chill for 8 hours until set. Slice into squares and serve.
Notes
- You can use one 8-ounce container of thawed Cool Whip in place of the heavy cream and powdered sugar, if desired.
We love this dessert! This has been Lilly’s contribution to the Thanksgiving dessert table for a couple of years now. Because we are lactose intolerant over here we have to make a few modifications, including using whipped topping AKA Cool Whip, but it is so nice to be able to have something fancy & fun and simple enough for a teen to make.
I hadn’t thought of this as a Thanksgiving dessert, but it’s a great idea!
I love your recipes. I have been trying to bake successful french macarons all year and after many, many failed batches, yours was the only no-fail recipe that gave me success!
Would you consider posting a traditional French chocolate eclair recipe?
Hi Muriel! I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to respond to your comment! I definitely got behind there on replying for a bit, but I wanted to tell you that your comment inspired me and I made classic French eclairs! Let me know if you try them out!
This no bake cake was absolutely delicious! My last recipe to make for the June no bake dessert challenge and it was my favorite for sure. I feel like the possibilities are endless on different versions of this cake – change up the graham crackers to chocolate or change the pudding to banana or chocolate or add some hazelnut chocolate between layers. I am definitely going to be making a few of these cakes this summer!
You are absolutely right – you can adapt it really easily for other flavors!
Exellent ! just looking at theese culinary delights, I’m salivating all day & I’m gaining weight ! . . . still love watching & dreaming
I made this recipe a long time ago but a shorter version, and it was perfect and simpler than making an original chocolate eclair.
We love this recipe. It’s so simple and feeds a crowd. It’s so good!