Easy No Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake Recipe

This no bake chocolate eclair cake recipe combines chocolate ganache, graham crackers, and vanilla pudding for an easy and classic dessert! Great for a summer potluck.

A few years ago, we had a church potluck, and one of my friends brought one of the absolute best desserts I've ever had. Seriously. It tastes just like chocolate éclairs, just in cake form!

Afterward, I told her I had to have the recipe. This one was definitely going on my potluck rotation! After she described it to me quickly, I took what she told me and modified the recipe to make it my own.

And y'all. You are going to go nuts over this super easy recipe.

Why You'll Love Chocolate Eclair Cake

The graham cracker layers get soft as they set with the vanilla pudding. This will give you a cakey texture in between layers of rich filling. The chocolate ganache topping gets just a little bit firm when it sets, giving the a great richness and texture.

It's incredible. And so super easy! If your climate is anything like mine, it's way too hot to be cranking up an oven right now. This is a no-bake dessert that's cool and refreshing, but rich and creamy at the same time. It's perfect for a summer potluck dessert.

If you're a fan of no-bake desserts, try these Fluffernutter Cookies and Banana Split Cake recipes too!

Ingredients & Variations

(See recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient quantities.)

For Eclair Cake Base

• instant vanilla pudding mix - It's very important that you use an Instant mix for this recipe; standard mixes won't set correctly.
• powdered sugar
• vanilla extract
• half and half - This gives the vanilla filling a nice creaminess without making it too heavy. Want an even more luscious filling? Use heavy cream instead.
• cold whole milk - I prefer using whole milk for this recipe to keep everything nice and creamy. You could lower the fat content a little bit using 2% or skim milk. Make sure both the half and half & milk are cold though - you need cold milk for the pudding to set!
• Cool Whip - If you'd like to use homemade whipped cream instead, you absolutely can! You'll need about 3 cups of whipped cream to equal one tub of Cool Whip.
• graham crackers - I used honey grahams (plain graham crackers) for mine, but the kind that have a dusting of cinnamon sugar would add even more texture and flavor. Or, make it a super chocolatey dessert with chocolate graham crackers!

For Chocolate Ganache Topping

• semi-sweet chocolate chips
• butter
• vanilla extract
• half and half
• pinch of salt
• cocoa powder
• powdered sugar

Additions & Variations

To be honest, there aren't a ton of extra additions to this recipe that would add to the quality. However, there are a couple of fun ideas you might want to try...

• Stir 1 cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips into the vanilla pudding mixture before assembling the cake.
• Change the chocolate ganache to chocolate frosting for a lighter, creamier topping. One standard container of store-bought frosting would cover the cake. Tip: microwave your frosting for 30 seconds or so to make it super easy to spread.
• If you'd like to change the flavor of the pudding, go for it! A banana pudding, chocolate pudding, or white chocolate pudding mix would be great with this recipe.
• Looking to cut calories? You can use sugar-free pudding mix, skim milk, and fat-free whipped topping to lighten this cake up without sacrificing a ton of flavor.

Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

How to Make Icebox Cake Base

Step 1: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or whisk to mix together pudding mix, ½ cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1.5 cups cold milk, and 1 cup half and half. Stir well and let set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Once the vanilla pudding mixture is set, gently fold in whipped topping until well-incorporated.

Step 2: Place a layer of graham crackers on the bottom of an 8x8" square baking dish. Layer half of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers. Repeat a layer of graham crackers, the remaining pudding mixture, and one final layer of graham crackers.

How to Make Chocolate Ganache Topping

Step 3: In a microwave-safe medium bowl (or glass measuring cup), combine semi-sweet chocolate chips, ⅓ cup half and half, butter, a pinch of salt, and 2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Microwave in 30-second increments until contents are completely melted, stirring well in between. Once the chocolate mixture is completely melted, add 1 ½ cups powdered sugar and ⅓ cup cocoa powder.

Step 4: Pour chocolate ganache mixture over the top layer of graham crackers; spread to cover the entire cake. Let the chocolate eclair cake chill in the fridge overnight before serving.

Storage & Leftovers

This cake stores wonderfully in the refrigerator for up to 4 days after preparation. Make sure to cover it with plastic wrap or seal in an airtight container. I would wait to slice your cake until just before serving.

This is not a recipe for freezing. You want to keep those great textures in the graham crackers & chocolate ganache - the freezer isn't the place for those!

And, for those wondering, this is a perfect recipe to make in advance. Prepare up to 24 hours before you're planning on serving the cake.

Other Recipe Tips

• My chocolate eclair cake is prepared in a glass 8x8" Pyrex dish. If you're planning on putting a lid on the cake before serving, I'd recommend using a 9x13" dish instead so you don't crush the ganache.
• You can plan on this cake feeding roughly 12-16 people, depending on the size of the slices. If you need to stretch the recipe servings even further, try putting your cake in a 9 x 13-inch pan. The cake slices will be flatter (& less pretty), but you'll be able to make 16-20 servings.
• If you want clean slices of cake that show the layers, make sure your cake is nice and chilled before cutting.

No Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake FAQs