Name: Eclair Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 500 min
Ingredients: 2 boxes (3.4 ounce packages) vanilla instant pudding mix; 3 1/2 cups cold milk; 8 ounces Cool Whip, thawed; 1 (16 ounce container) chocolate frosting; 1 (14 ounce package) graham crackers (honey)

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This recipe for No-Bake Eclair Cake is a simple one that you will love because it is so easy to make and tastes delicious! It is a crowd-pleaser which makes this a great dessert recipe for the holidays!

Éclair Cake is a recipe that my mom used to make when I was a kid. I remember always being so excited when she was making it. It still is a favorite dessert recipe of mine.

Slice of Eclair Cake on a white and green plate with a fork.

This recipe for Eclair Cake is quick and easy to prepare which always scores points in my book! I love recipes that are simple to make and taste great! It will take you about 20 minutes to prepare this dessert and then it will need to chill in your refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

With this recipe being no-bake, it is perfect for those warm weather days. No need to heat up your oven!

This also makes a great holiday dessert. It is so easy to prepare. This way you will have more time during the busy holiday season with so many things that need to get done.

Ingredient List:

Graham Crackers (Honey Flavored)
Vanilla Pudding
Cool Whip
Milk
Chocolate Frosting

How to make Eclair Cake:

Whisk the pudding mix and milk together in a large bowl for two minutes until the pudding mix has dissolved. Using a spatula, gently fold the Cool Whip into the pudding mixture until well combined.

How do you 'fold' in a recipe? Use a rubber spatula and go straight down in the middle of the ingredients and fold over to the edge. Continue to do that until all the ingredients are combined.

How to Assemble the Eclair Cake:

Graham crackers placed at the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish

Once your pudding mixture is ready, line the bottom of your 13 x 9 baking dish with graham crackers. You want the graham crackers to go the long way in the pan. (In my pan I use two full graham crackers & one-fourth of another graham cracker for each layer.)

Vanilla Pudding mixture spread evenly over graham crackers in clear baking dish

2. Spread half of the pudding mixture onto the graham crackers evenly so that it so it covers all of the graham crackers.

Graham crackers placed over vanilla pudding mixture in baking dish

3. Add another layer of the graham crackers over the pudding mix using the same amount as the first layer on the bottom of the pan.
4. Spread the rest of the pudding mix on the graham crackers. Add one more layer of graham crackers to the top of the cake.

Cake covered with chocolate frosting in 13 x 9 baking dish

5. Frost the top of the cake with the chocolate frosting. Spread the frosting evenly over the top.

Tip: To make the frosting smoother and a little easier to work with, you can place the frosting in the microwave for 15 seconds. Be sure to remove the foil liner from the frosting container before placing it in the microwave. Stir the frosting and then frost the cake.

If you want the frosting to be even smoother so that it pours onto the cake, microwave it for 15 seconds, stir, and then heat for another 15 seconds. Pour the frosting on top of the cake. Then spread it out using an offset spatula or knife. Make sure your cover the entire top of the cake with the frosting.

I like to use an angled icing spatula to get the frosting as smooth as possible. The frosting is really not my thing so this tool helps out a lot!

Place the cake in your refrigerator to chill for 8 hours or overnight. Leave it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve it.

Store any leftovers in your refrigerator.

Slices of Eclair Cake on green, red and blue plates

Recipe tips:

To make the frosting smoother and a little easier to work with you can place the frosting in the microwave for 15 seconds. Be sure to remove the foil liner from the frosting container before placing it in the microwave. Stir the frosting and then frost the cake.
If you want the frosting to be even smoother so that it pours onto the cake, microwave it for 15 seconds, stir, and then heat for another 15 seconds. Pour the frosting right onto the cake. Next, spread it out using an offset spatula or knife to make sure all areas are covered with the frosting.
Sometimes it is hard to get all the way to the edges of the pan. Just spread the frosting as far over the graham crackers as you can.

How long does this cake need to chill in the refrigerator? It needs to chill in the refrigerator for eight hours or overnight.

This Eclair Cake can be frozen for up to one month. Once the cake has chilled, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and then foil. When ready to serve, place it back in the refrigerator to defrost for at least an hour.

Looking for more dessert recipes? Check out some of our favorites to make like Easy Apple Pie, Homemade Brownies, or Puff Pastry Heart dessert.

Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a comment and rating below. I love to hear from you!

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5 from 6 votes

Eclair Cake

Eclair Cake is an easy no bake dessert that can be made ahead of time. Perfect for holidays but also is a nice dessert for any day!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword no bake dessert, easy dessert recipe, eclair cake

Prep Time 20 minutes

Chill time 8 hours

Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes

Servings

Author Jeannie Z

Ingredients

2 boxes (3.4 ounce packages) vanilla instant pudding mix
3 1/2 cups cold milk
8 ounces Cool Whip, thawed
1 (16 ounce container) chocolate frosting
1 (14 ounce package) graham crackers (honey)

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and milk for two minutes, until pudding mix is dissolved.
Using a spatula, gently fold in the cool whip until well blended.
Place a single layer of the graham crackers on the bottom of 13x9 baking dish.
Evenly spread half of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers.
Repeat layering the graham crackers and spread the other half of the pudding mixture onto the graham crackers.
Top with another layer of graham crackers.
Spread chocolate frosting evenly on the top layer of graham crackers.
Chill cake overnight (or 8 hours) until it is set before serving.
Serve chilled.
Store any remaining cake in the refrigerator.

Notes

To make the frosting smoother and a little easier to work with you can place the frosting in the microwave for 15 seconds. Be sure to remove the foil liner on the frosting container before placing in the microwave. Stir the frosting and then frost the cake.

If you want the frosting to be even smoother so that it pours onto the cake, microwave it for 15 seconds, stir and then heat for another 15 seconds. Pour the frosting right onto the cake and spread it out to make sure all areas are covered with the frosting.

While this dessert can be made quickly, it does need to chill in the fridge overnight or 8 hours to set.

You can freeze this Eclair Cake for up to one month. Once the cake has chilled, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and then foil. When ready to serve, place it back in the refrigerator to defrost for at least an hour.

Update Note: This recipe was originally posted in 2017, but was updated in 2020.