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My eclair cake tastes like a chocolate eclair crossed with an old-fashioned icebox cake. The pudding is cool and creamy, the layers underneath are soft and cake-like, and the dark chocolate frosting is really rich, but not too rich. It’s going to work, and it’s going to feed a big group.
This eclair cake has been on my site since 2015, and the recipe came from a friend who gave it to me years and years ago. It’s the classic graham cracker version, an old-school dessert that isn’t complicated or trendy, and it uses simple grocery store ingredients.
I use French vanilla pudding instead of plain vanilla because it makes the filling a little richer, and I top the whole pan with dark chocolate frosting because it cuts the sweetness a bit. Everything else about it stays classic, with no add-ins and nothing fancy.
If you love those soft, cake-like layers, I keep all of my no bake cakes and icebox cakes together in one place.
TESTED AND PERFECTED
The Party Dessert I Get Done the Night Before
This eclair cake is one of the desserts I make when I need something to serve but don’t want to spend the day baking. It needs that overnight chill anyway, so I make it the night before, and on the day of the party I pull it out of the fridge and it’s ready.
That helps a lot when I have a bunch of other dishes to make, and it’s why people love it for Thanksgiving. It’s one less thing to worry about while everything else is cooking.
What Happens to the Graham Crackers Overnight
People are surprised when they find out there are graham crackers in this eclair cake, because nothing about it is crunchy. While it sits in the fridge overnight, the crackers soak up moisture from the pudding and soften until they’re pretty cake-like, and that’s kind of the magic of this recipe. It’s like you made an actual layered cake, even though there’s no baking involved.
That’s also how eclair cake gets its name. The soft graham crackers stand in for the pastry, the French vanilla pudding is the cream filling, and the chocolate frosting on top is the glaze.
What Goes Into It and Why
- Graham crackers: Cinnamon or plain both work, and one standard 14.4-ounce box covers all three layers. Save the broken pieces from the box to fill in the gaps along the edges of the pan.
- French vanilla instant pudding: Make sure you grab instant pudding and not cook-and-serve, because instant sets up cold with the milk and cook-and-serve needs the stove.
- Cool Whip: I take it out to thaw about four hours before I start, because Cool Whip that’s still frozen won’t fold smoothly into the pudding.
- Dark chocolate frosting: Regular chocolate frosting works fine here too. I warm it in a microwave-safe bowl, and I only use the tub if the label says it’s microwave safe.
How to Make Eclair Cake
Use a pan that’s about 3 inches deep so all three layers fit. I make mine in a 9×11 because I like the layers a little thicker, and a 9×13 works too. The layers come out a little thinner, but it doesn’t make a big difference.
Step 1: Make the Pudding Filling Mix the pudding mix and cold milk with a mixer until it’s combined. Fold in the thawed Cool Whip by hand with a rubber spatula until there are no white streaks left.
Step 2: Layer the Graham Crackers and Pudding Cover the bottom of a sprayed pan with graham crackers and spread half of the pudding over them. Repeat with a second layer of graham crackers and the rest of the pudding.
Step 3: Add the Top Layer and Frosting Finish with a third layer of graham crackers. Warm the frosting for 20 to 30 seconds so it spreads easily, then spread it over the top all the way to the edges.
Step 4: Chill It Overnight Cover the pan and refrigerate it for at least 10 hours or overnight before you cut it.
This is one of my favorite recipes! I love eclairs, but they take a long time to make. This has the same flavors as an eclair and is very easy and quick to make.
Storing the Leftovers
Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this one, because the pudding layers turn watery once they thaw.
More Layered Cakes to Make
I’ve kept this one classic, but I have a few other eclair cakes made with the same layering method. My banana eclair cake adds fresh fruit to the layers, and my strawberry eclair cake layers fresh berries under a strawberry frosting.
For fall, my caramel apple eclair cake has a cinnamon apple filling and caramel on top. My lemon eclair cake is one I make all spring and summer, and my s’mores eclair cake brings in marshmallow and chocolate.
More No-Bake Desserts
For the rest of the dessert table, every one of my easy no bake desserts is on one page.
Eclair Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box 14.4 ounces graham crackers cinnamon or plain
- 2 boxes French Vanilla Instant Pudding 3.4 ounces each
- 12 ounces cool whip defrost about 4 hours before you need it
- 3 ½ cups cold whole milk 2% works too
- 1 tub dark chocolate frosting 16 ounces
Instructions
- Spray a 9×11 pan with non-stick spray
- Add the pudding mix and cold milk to a large bowl and mix with a mixer until combined.2 boxes French Vanilla Instant Pudding, 3 ½ cups cold whole milk
- Fold in the thawed Cool Whip by hand with a rubber spatula until no white streaks remain.12 ounces cool whip
- Cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of graham crackers.1 box 14.4 ounces graham crackers
- Spread half of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers.
- Add a second layer of graham crackers, then spread the rest of the pudding mixture over them.
- Finish with a final layer of graham crackers.
- Warm the frosting in a microwave-safe bowl for 20 to 30 seconds (or in the tub if the label says it is microwave safe), then stir so it spreads easily.1 tub dark chocolate frosting
- Spread the frosting evenly over the top layer of graham crackers.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 10 hours or overnight before serving.
Jenn’s Notes
- Use cold whole milk or 2%. Skim, low-fat and dairy-free milk won’t let the pudding set, and you end up with a runny cake.
- Fold the Cool Whip in by hand with a spatula, not a mixer, or the filling thins out.
- Give it the full 10 hours or overnight so the pudding sets and the graham crackers soften.
- For clean slices, put the pan in the freezer for about 30 minutes before cutting.
- A 9×13 pan works too. The layers come out a little thinner.
Nutrition Info
Originally posted – November 4th, 2015
I am not a everyday cook but I like to try things, this was good but one thing on the recipe that confused me is the pudding. Are you saying (2 and 3/4 oz.) of pudding or 2 boxes of 3/4 oz. of pudding.
You will need 2 boxes of vanilla pudding (each box is 3.4 ounces). Enjoy!
they all look good will try one
I make this all the time but i use banana cream pudding with regular graham crackers and milk chocolate icing.
I liked it
On your Eclair cake it says 2 3.4 ounces french vanilla pudding, does that mean 2 boxes of 3.4 or 2 3.4 ounces. An the milk 3 1/2 cups or 3 1/2 cups.
I’m a guy so it is not self explanatory.
Great questions, John! You will need 2 boxes of vanilla pudding (each box is 3.4 ounces). For the milk, it is 3.5 cups total!
Hope that clarifies – please feel free to LMK if you have additional questions.
Made this for Sunday dinner…was so good..grandkids want it again next week….so good…so easy to make.
I used 3 1/2 cups of milk and my pudding is soupy- thin even after I added the cool whip. Should it be only 2 cups?
I figured out what I did wrong! I misread the recipe! I only used one box of pudding after adding the extra box it worked great. My granddaughter and I used the cinnamon crackers on the bottom layer and the plain ones on the other two. Will let you know how that turns out!
This looks easy and delicious! Thanks for sharing. You might want to fix the typo that says to microwave the frosting for 20-30 MINUTES though…I just know someone will do just that and then ends up with a mess?
OMGosh – thank you – fixing now!
Simple and the cinnamon graham crackers give the eclair cake a special touch
I am on a heart healthy diet which greatly restricts my sodium intake. Do you have any nutrition facts on the eclair cake and no bake peanut butter oatmeal bars? Thank you
Ann, do you have recipes you will share that are heart healthy low sodium? I was just put on a 2000mg a day sodium diet & everything has sodium. I feel loved me there’s nothing good out there to eat anymore!