Chocolate Eclair Cake Recipe

This Chocolate Eclair Cake Recipe is so easy to make with less than 10 ingredients and under 30 minutes or preparation time. It's the perfect make-ahead dessert that chills in the fridge for several hours. This classic Midwestern dessert is so decadent with flavors of chocolate, vanilla, and graham cracker in each bite.

This delectable No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake has everything you love about traditional chocolate eclairs, but in cake form! It's made with simple, store-bought ingredients and the whole thing comes together in the refrigerator. This treat is full of everything you love about the classic dessert, but without the extra work!

And the best part? You can make this Chocolate Eclair Cake Recipe ahead of time, then serve it ice cold. This way, you and your guests can enjoy the company AND the cake together.

If you like this quick and simple sweet treat, try some of our other favorite easy dessert ideas - like this sweet and tangy No Bake Lemon Pie, our super simple Cool Whip Pie, and this decadent Frozen Yogurt Pie.

Why You'll Love This No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake

• Prep-Ahead Dessert: With just a handful of ingredients, including store-bought shortcuts, this dessert is super easy to make. And because it has to set up in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight, it can be made well in advance of serving. It's perfect to prep ahead of time!
• Feeds a Crowd: This dessert is like one giant chocolate eclair. It's assembled in a 13"x9" baking dish, making it the perfect treat to bring to a party and serve a hungry crowd.
• No-Bake Baked Good: No baking is involved in this sweet treat! Everything is simply mixed together and layered, then topped with a decadent chocolate ganache. The whole thing goes into the fridge and voila! No oven needed!
• Customizable: We love this version of this cake, but feel free to swap in different flavors of pudding or graham crackers. Chocolate or even gluten-free cracker options work great here too.

Ingredients

Scroll Down for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Printable Recipe Card Below

For The Cake:

• Honey Graham Crackers: These make up a couple of layers in this cake. They get slightly softened and pair perfectly with the creamy pudding and whipped cream mixture. The classic honey flavor is our favorite, but feel free to experiment with others, like chocolate.
• Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix: The key ingredient for the eclair-like filling in this cake. Make sure you get instant, too. It'll set up and stabilize the cake, giving it a rich, creamy texture. We like vanilla, but get creative with other flavor combinations if you'd like.
• Evaporated Milk: Adds an extra rich, creamy texture to the pudding filling mixture.
• Milk: Helps thin out and balance the decadent pudding mixture. Also adds a nice creaminess.
• Heavy Cream: Essential for making whipped cream! This is the base ingredient that's whipped into a light, fluffy topping to fold into the pudding mixture.
• Powdered Sugar: Adds a nice balanced sweetness to the whipped cream.
• Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste: A key ingredient in desserts and baked goods - vanilla adds a nice flavor and enhances the other ingredients.

For The Chocolate Ganache:

• Heavy Cream: You MUST use heavy cream here, milk won't work. It's rich and creamy, and helps to melt the chocolate chips.
• Dark, Semi-Sweet or Milk Chocolate Chips: The star ingredient in the ganache - use whatever you prefer or have on hand here. Slightly bitter semi-sweet compliments the sweet vanilla pudding nicely, but dark and milk work great too.

How To Make Chocolate Eclair Cake

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together instant vanilla pudding mixes, evaporated milk, and milk until well combined and thickened, then set aside.

2. In a separate mixing bowl, beat 1 cup heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until stiff peaks form.

3. Gently fold the freshly whipped cream into the prepared pudding mixture until fully combined.

4. In a 13"x9" baking dish, arrange a single layer of graham crackers on the bottom. You may need to break some crackers to fit them in evenly.
5. Spoon half of the pudding mixture over the layer of graham crackers and spread it out evenly with a spatula.

6. Add another layer of graham crackers on top of the pudding mixture, followed by the remaining pudding cream mixture. Smooth it out with a spoon or spatula.

7. For the ganache, pour chocolate chips into a small bowl. Then, in a small saucepan, heat heavy cream over medium heat until it begins to simmer. Remove it from the heat and pour over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for a minute, then stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.

8. Pour the chocolate ganache over the top layer of the eclair cake, spreading it out evenly with a spatula.

9. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to allow the pudding mixture to set and the flavors to meld together.
10. Slice the eclair cake into squares and serve cold. Enjoy!

Pro Tips

• Let The Cake Chill: Don't skip this step, trust me. This cake needs time to set and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but ideally longer (even overnight), if possible. The layers will set nicely and won't run together, and the cake should be served chilled - not room temperature.
• Use Instant Pudding: The instant mix sets up perfectly and works nicely with the whipped cream. If you use the cook and serve pudding mix, it won't layer quite the same and the texture will be slightly off.

Storage & Make-Ahead Instructions

• Fridge: If you've got leftovers, lucky you! Store this in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. The graham crackers will get softer the longer they sit, but some might say it's even more delicious this way!
• Freezer: You can freeze this eclair cake once it's been assembled in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
• Make-Ahead: This dessert is one of those treats that needs to set before it's served, which makes it a great make-ahead recipe. This allows the pudding layer to set, and the graham crackers to soften. Assemble it up to 24 hours before you're ready to enjoy and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Then simply slice and serve!

Variations & Substitutions

• Change Up The Graham Crackers: We're using classic honey-flavored graham crackers here, but try layering in chocolate graham crackers or even cinnamon-sugar flavored graham crackers for a different flavor profile.
• Swap in Different Pudding Flavors: Vanilla always work, but if try any flavor combinations you like. The options of instant pudding flavors are endless, so have fun and get creative!
• Add Toppings: Adding some toppings like toasted, chopped nuts, coconut flakes, chocolate chips or sprinkles are a great way to add some extra color, texture and flavor to this dessert.
• Whipped Cream: Eight ounces of Cool Whip can be substituted for the whipped cream made that is folded into the pudding mixture.

Frequently Asked Questions

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