My favorite person in the world, my second mom Patty, gave me this easy and delicious recipe. Its the best.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

graham crackers

vanilla pudding mix

milk

(16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed

(16 ounce) package prepared chocolate frosting

Line the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan with graham crackers. In a large bowl, combine the milk and vanilla pudding according to directions on box. Fold in the whipped topping. Spread a layer of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers. Alternate the graham cracker and pudding layers up to the top of the pan. Cook the container of prepared frosting, uncovered in the microwave for 1 minute on half power. Pour over the top of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving.


Instead of using frosting I used Hot Fudge sauce! OOOhhh so much better!!

Nice and light dessert . Although I used the ingredients for this recipe I did make modifications for prep, serving size and refrigeration time. I halved recipe, used a standard sized loaf pan. Using kitchen shears, I did cut some of the graham crackers to fit the pan. I dipped the graham crackers into milk before placing in the pan to soften up slightly. I did not put the chocolate on the dessert until after it set up. Instead of refrigerating for 4-24 hours, I froze for 2 hours. Drizzled chocolate sauce upon serving.  I used french vanilla pudding, next time I will use cheesecake flavor.  I think I will also add a cooled layer of chocolate upon the second graham cracker layer, then refrigerate until firm, then add the next layer of pudding and top layer of graham cracker.

Maybe it's me but this seemed like a lot of cool whip. Don't get me wrong, it was tasy, but my mouth felt way too full of cool whip. I think that 8 oz would have suited better. Thank you :)

This has long been a family favorite at our house.  Super easy to make the taste is very similar to an eclair.  Of note, letting the cake sit over night is a must.  The cake is so much better when the crackers get soggy and mushy.

This was very easy to make.  The hard party was waiting the 12 hours to eat it.  Everyone loved it and even went back for seconds.  The best part was I made it lowfat.  I used low fat graham crackers, fat free milk, and light cool whip.  Next time, I'll try using sugarfree pudding.

The only thing that could make this recipe better would be to lessen the calories.
I tried using Jello Sugar Free Pudding and Sugar Free Cool Whip.  Because of the frosting, it didn't taste any different and my family didn't even notice. :-)

I love this recipe.  It taste sooo good and easy enough that my children can help me make it.  A little tip...I warm my tub of prepared frosting in the microwave for 20 seconds, stir, then spread.  It speads much easier. Then chill

Simple to put together and absolutely delicious. A little messy though, so I wouldn't recommend this if you are looking for something that "looks" good. Definitely needs 24 hours in the fridge before serving.

I have made this recipe several times.  I just took it to the dessert bake-off at work--and I WON!!!  I was actually somewhat embarrassed!  There were so many complex desserts that were submitted that I am sure people spent HOURS making.....I spent 20 minutes!  This is my husband's favorite dessert (he is the one who told me to make it for the bake-off).  And he was disappointed when I came home with an empty pan.....in fact it went very quickly.  My changes....I use 3 layers of graham crackers and make sure that the top layer is crackers, not cream.  I also use only 8 oz of cool whip.  I coat the entire top with melted canned chocolate frosting (after chilling the dessert in the fridge for an hour) --then I chill it for another hour and take it out and put a decorative swirl/design using vanilla frosting that has been melted in the micro and put into a baggie with the corner cut off.  I wish I had taken a photo of the cake that won---it really was pretty with that white zig zag design I put on top!

This is so easy to make and so delicious!  I made it for my family and there is nothing left of the 9 x 13 pan.  Everybody went back for seconds.

I absolutely love this recipe and have a hard time not eating the entire thing! I changed up the pudding mixture a bit. I use 2 large boxes of instant vanilla pudding, 2 1/2 cups milk and 16 oz of cool whip.

What an easy and decadent dessert! My family went wild over this. I used tea biscuits instead of graham crackers and chocolate spread instead of frosting (here in Israel they don't have prepared frosting but chocolate spread did the trick). I whipped the whip and alternately added the pudding mix and the milk (using only 2 cups). Excellent!

I LOVE this cake, as does everyone else who has tried it. It is so incredibly easy to make (and inexpensive), yet it impresses every crowd I make it for, from kids to those with "refined" palettes. I really think you just can't help yourself, even if you want to dislike it just because it seems like simple "kid" food. It's not meant to be fancy, folks...it's just meant to taste good! And it does! 

I like to make it with three layers of graham crackers; one on the bottom, one in the middle and one on top (you pour the frosting over the top layer of crackers) and I find that one box of graham crackers isn't enough to do that (unless you don't completely cover each layer with the crackers).

Easy and everyone raves!  It is a little bit messy but great.

Easy to make and tasty considering how easy it is.  It's a good recipe to make with kids, or when you just want to throw together something sweet quickly. In response to the review left by Isabelle, I'm surprised that an expert cook like herself would make a recipe like this.  Anyone with any common sense can see that this recipe is focusing on simplicity and they would not expect it to be a gourmet dessert.  Give us a break, Isabelle.

Some folks are pressed for time and are seeking an easy dessert. Thanks to the submitter for an easy choice that will likely impress those who are accustomed to dinner shoved through a window!

very good and so easy to whip together! I loved it and so did my husband.  I only usually cook for two so I just halfed the recipe and put it in a 8x8 pan. Used the full can of frosting though since you can never get enough chocolate in a desert!

Fun and easy to make (my 3 year-old "helped" me :)). I did make a couple changes: using home-made whipped cream instead of whipped topping, and home-made frosting (just semi-sweet chocolate melted into the same weight of whipping cream). I liked its tiramisu-like consistency, but gave it only 4 stars because the flavor was a little boring. I'll try adding real vanilla extract in the whipped cream and maybe a dash of cinnamon or sprinkling of cocoa next time, something like that.

This was very easy to make, but I was not impressed.  I even used homemade fudge sauce as the topping.  I guess we just find mushy graham crackers very unappealing.  Sorry, won't be making this again.

Love this!  I like to dip the crackers in milk for a second while arranging.  Makes them softer, faster!

Very good.  I suggest cutting the recipe in half, just so you don't eat it all and feel guilty later.  It was VERY easy and my kids loved it also.

Easy to assemble,
Inexpensive to make,
Serves a crowd,
Very delicious!
Tip: chill in fridge a half hour before topping with frosting.

This was a decent recipe.  It tasted good though not  like a chocolate eclair.  I have actually made this exact same cake before and instead of using chocolate I used a can of pie filling cherries.  I definitely preferred the cherries and would not make it with chocolate again.

Hey guys. I Make this dessert all the time. It is great to take to parties because it is sooo easy and can be made ahead of time. I however DO NOT MIX the Pudding with milk. Try using extra whipped topping and either omitting the milk all together or only adding a smaller amount like a cup. Also I always refrigerate overnight before I do the frosting. Then pop it back into the fridge until the frosting is set. Overall this is one of the best and easiest desserts in the world.

This impossibly simple recipe actually won my company's annual bake-off!  I dressed it up by dribbling some lines of melted vanilla frosting over the chocolate frosting.  Everyone was very impressed for next to no effort on my part.

This recipe calls for too much whipped cream (as others have stated).  A much richer flavor comes from using 3 boxes of pudding mix. And, I can't encourage you enough to make your own frosting for this (I highly recommend "One Bowl Buttercream Frosting" from this site).   For this photo I layered the ingredients in a square pan lined with plastic wrap (I sprayed the plastic lightly with cooking spray).  I chilled it overnight and inverted it on a plate.  I then frosted the top (with the above mentioned frosting!) and dusted the sides with cocoa and chocolate shavings.  

i didn't care for this at first, but with each day it sat in the fridge and the flavors melded together, it got better.  very refreshing, but very sweet.

a tried and true recipe.  I do however use the small container of cool whip, not the large one as suggested.  

I have made this several times for different groups of people and so far EVERY one has raved about it! My 13 year old son just made it (yes -- HE made it)for a Valentine's Day "dessert pot luck" at school. They ate all of it, it was something different then the standard cookies and cupcakes and the teachers and kids wished they had more! This is great!

Like this recipe. Easy to put together.  Taste good but not really like an eclair.  Would make again.  great for a potluck.

So easy, and so good!  I used instant cheesecake flavored pudding, and it was outstanding!

Thanks for a really good and easy recipe.  I get raves from everyone when I bring this.

I have this same exact recipe, and I always use pistachio pudding and vanilla icing. Pistachio is definitely the way to go! It is so... good this way. Made for St. Patrick's Day today (green pistachio pudding!) Here's my tip: make sure you start and end with a graham cracker layer and break the graham cracker into 4-5 mini-rectangles to make the layers, easier to serve/scoop out. Will be posting a photo...

Everyone loved this. So easy, but next time &amp; may follow someone else advice and make a homemade ganache frosting for the top, instead of the pre-made frosting which to me is kind of yucky to begin with.  Otherwise, this recipe is a keeper.

I strayed just slightly from the recipe.  I used 
French Vanilla pudding and French Vanilla Cool Whip.  This made it too sweet for my taste.  Ergo, I'm going to have to just give this an average rating.  

This was very good and I would of rated it 5 stars-but I think some of the ingredient amounts were off. I used two packages of instant vanilla pudding (they are 1.5 ounce boxes)each called for 2 cups of milk so I figured this was the correct amount, I also used an 8 ounce container of whipped topping. This was the perfect amount, using 16 ounces would of taken away from the vanilla flavor and been to whipped cream tasting for me. The end result was GREAT. Then my husband covered it with saran wrap and put it in the fridge. Well the next day, removing the saran wrap removed the majority of the frosting! The leftovers were sloppy and chocolate-less. I would suggest to put some toothpicks in it and "tent" a piece of foil over it for storage. 

this recipe is so yummy! Really tastes like a chocolate eclair! I have made it for church dinners and holiday get togethers,and it is always a big hit.

This is a great, easy and delicious dessert.  I used one box of pitacio pudding and one french vanilla.  Topped with spreadable frosing that I heated in the microwave and topped with chopped pistacios while still warm.

Didn't care too much for this, although my kids enjoyed it.

OUTSTANDING!!! This was so good. What a great summer dessert!
I used 3 cups of milk instead of 4 and it worked well for me!

i also use this exact same recipe. My husband is one of the pickiest eaters alive and this is his favorite dessert. My four year old also loves it. This is just an all around crowd pleaser. Can't go wrong with this one.It is also low budget. Which is always great if you have a family.

I made this dessert for a family picnic and it was a huge success!!! It is very simple and extremely delicious!  I received many requests for this recipe.  I plan on making it again for Thanksgiving.  2 thumbs up on this one!

I have been making this recipe for a few years now.  It is always well liked by all who tries it.  Today, I made it for a co-workers b-day.  He likes bananas, so substituted one box of banana cream pudding mix and one vanilla. Next time I want to try strawberry icing instead of chocolate. This is a must try...it is easy, quick and delicious!

I was hoping for something greater with these ingredients combined, but it didn't wow me as others mentioned.  I halved the recipe and put in an 8x8 pan.  I used a sharp knife to trim the graham crackers to the right size which worked very well.  I also opted for the french vanilla pudding and making the fudge topping (on the stove) another had suggested.  This is easy to assemble and looks pretty, just wasn't awesome for me.  I would not suggested freezing it, as it crystallizes the pudding layer.  It was easier to cut, however, so maybe freezing, cutting, and then de-thawing would work out.  I would also stick to the chocolate frosting recipe, because the topping that I made tasted just like i thought it would, undercooked fudge.  It never sat up well, hence putting it in the freezer to prevent it running everywhere.  I plan on trying this same techinque with chocolate graham crackers, cheese cake pudding, and maybe a white chocolate topping.

This is definitely a "go back for more" recipe!

Made it for a Bridal shower..it was a hit! Definitely delicious.

This was really good and really easy. I used only 3 cups of milk, per the comments of others, but next time I'll use the full 4 cups (my pan was plenty deep). I also used 160z light cool whip.  I took this to an Army Christmas party and apparently it was a hit because the pan got cleaned out. I will definitely make this again, probably sooner rather than later.

Sinfully delicious and easy to make. Keep in mind this makes a huge amount, 24 servings. There's a similar recipe called "Eclair Cake" that comes in at 14 servings.

This was sinfully good! Taste just like an eclair! My kids and husband fought over seconds. Must let sit overnight so the graham crackers can soften. Will make again! Thank you!

Awesome.  Great for pot luck if your lucky enough to get desserts! Will make over and over again.

This is AWESOME!!!! We loved it. I used vanilla pudding and chocolate graham crackers, and I also skipped the frosting, as I didn't have any on hand (although it would have been great). I think that many different combinations would work well. Definitely a keeper!

Took this to a retirement party and was asked by several people how to make it.  Kind of funny to see it being eaten before many of the more elegant and impressive deserts.  There can't be an easier desert to make.  I'd like to try it with some coffee flavoring, or possible a liquer to make it a little more interesting.

So simple and delicious! I used honey graham crackers, french vanilla pudding and I only put in a 12 oz container of cool whip which was MORE than enough. I wouldn't use as much as this recipe calls for. You won't have room in your pan, and it would taste way to coolwhipey. I used a whole box of graham crackers plus an extra sleeve. I used the choc. frosting and it was EXCELLENT! Don't think using that will make it not good. I microwaved it for about 30 seconds which made the frosting into a perfect melted chocolate liquid. Then I just poured it ontop the cake and it smoothed onto it perfectly on it's own. Definitely make this the night before so the graham crackers have time to soften in the pudding mix. Everyone loved this! My kids are already begging for me to make it again.

This is a good solid recipe that is so easy to put together.  It got a great response from my guest, it was okay for me.  5 stars for ease, 4 stars for taste.

We love this cake! Few changes -we use french vanilla pudding, 8 oz cool whip, 3 cups of milk and u must refrigerate overnight! Not messy at all-serves beautifully. At St Patricks day we make it with 1 package of pistachio pudding and one french vanilla. Gives it a light pale green color, which would be good for Christmas or Easter! Our family eats the whole 9x13 pan (there is 10 adults!)

This dessert is great!  The only change I made was to use french vanilla pudding instead of regular vanilla.  I love the recipe as is but my husband suggested that next time I add a layer of cream cheese.  I will just cut the pudding back to one package and mix it with half of the whipped topping and then will mix the other half with 8oz of cream cheese.  The filling was a bit more than I had room for in my pan even though I used a 9x13 pan as directed.  It was not a big deal since the filling was good by itself.

Very quick and very easy to make...only thing we did different is we made the chocolate frosting from scratch...I found the first batch of this recipe a bit too sweet for my taste using the canned frosting.

8 oz of whipped topping is sufficient. Other than that, I love this recipe. Great for a pot luck picnic!

I needed something quick to make to take to a friends for dessert. This was so easy. Used sugar free vanilla pudding and cream cheese pudding, as that was what I had.  Also used skim milk and light cool whip.  Be sure to heat the frosting, as it makes it much easier to pour over the top layer.  I will definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing!

My mama used to make this when I was a kid, and now I make it for mine. The only thing I do different is I add @ 1/2 tub of cool whip and @ a cup of sour cream. It gives it a richer flavor. I also make homemade icing. It tastes better than canned in my opinion. :)

This recipe is super simple and so delicious! Instead of using frosting, I melted Nutella and used that to top my cake. TO DIE FOR!!!!

This is now my family's favorite dessert. So easy and the only thing I changed was I replaced the chocolate frosting with homemade dark chocolate ganache. I also used sugar free pudding and whipped topping and no one knew the difference! This is so good and with the changes everyone can enjoy this dessert, even the diabetics!

I've made this recipe so many times I think I could make it in my sleep. Everyone loves it &amp; can't believe how easy it is. I use lite cool whip and make my own frosting when I have time. I really recommend this recipe though for anyone in a hurry.

Wonderful and easy.  Just remember to FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS and use INSTANT pudding.  Saw one reviewer must have used cook and serve pudding.  Hopefully they will read this review and see what their error was.  ENJOY!

This is a very easy &amp; quick dessert that everyone finds rich and creamy.  I do suggest covering the cake while in the frig. so it will stay nice and fresh.  Have made this treat every summer for family and friends, and they all love it.

yum! i couldn't resist making this recipe but wanted it to have a more homemade touch. the pudding part was basically kept the same except i made cooked vanilla pudding (make this ahead of time so it's cold when you fold in the whipped topping). lastly, i doubled the super delicious warm frosting recipe from "minature chocolate eclairs" (also on this website), spread it overtop then chilled the cake as directed. thanks misty!

This is exceptionally easy to make and taste fantastic.

This sounded great, but found it just average. Disappointing.

loved this recipe!! the only change i made was to use strawberry frosting. my boyfriend hates chocolate...(i know, what a crazy person!). he loved this dessert,  as did i. cooling the dessert is definitely essential. the texture becomes wonderful. thanks for the recipe!!

recommend to everyone, it is easy and delicious!
Everyone loved it.
Josephine

This cake is always a big hit at every party or family gathering. Tastes just like an eclair.

This is one of the best desserts I have ever made and it is so EASY!! My family requests it frequently!

Delicious!  Did not change a thing.  This is now in my "favorites" recipe box.

sorry, I didn't care much for this.  Was a little disappointed since it was so highly rated.

What a terrific recipe for a large number of people. I took it to a pot luck and it was gone in no time.

BEST dessert i've ever made!  the more layers the better!  i love a nice equal amount of grahams and the pudding mixture.  i make it for every party and they LOVE it!

Loved this. BIG hit with the family for Christmas dessert. I like it better with the canned frosting (go figure). The homemade choc. sauce was too gritty and my 2nd try w/ the frosting was divine. I'm going to try to 1/2 the recipe tonight for just me and my husband. 
You must let this sit in the fridge overnight! Also, to get the pudding/whip mixture to spread out, I bang the pan on the counter a few times so that the graham crackers aren't moved too much (as opposed to spreading w/ a spatula). Works a lot better. 

So easy and so delicious!  Sometimes I stir peanut butter into the pudding mixture to please dh.

This is one of my family's all time favorites.  I make it with 1 pkg of pudding &amp; 1 pkg of Dream Whip and don't find it messy.

This was excellent! I used 1 butterscotch pudding and 1 french vanilla pudding, instead of 2 vanilla. Very yummy!

Very yummy, and easy to put together for us busy cooks!!  I did use low fat, or surgar free for the pudding, whipped topping, and hot fudge sauce I used for the top.  Next time I make this, I think I will add another pudding, and cut the whipped topping in half,  Thanks for sharing your recipe!!

Just ok.  Nothing special about this dessert.  Although it was easy to make, we won't make this again.

This was pretty okay. What I didnt like was that Icey texture in the pudding and whip topping.Next time I'm going to try regular vanilla ice cream mixed with the whip topping. I def will make it again though because it was easy and you can keep it in the freezer for whenever you wanted a treat.

Okay, so I learned an important lesson making this. Apparently the weights of the sugar free puddings are drastically smaller than the weights of the regular puddings.  I did not realize I was picking up the sugar free puddings and ended up having to put 5 or 6 boxes of it in to add up to the suggested ounce sizes in the recipe.  Well, the recipe turned out fine, it was just extremely sweet and I think that is probably because of the mistake in buying the sugarfree pudding.  I took it to my husband's work and everyone seemed to enjoy it.  I am rating this recipe 4 stars, because if I had followed I can tell it would have been very good!

What an amazing Father's Day treat! I used cinnamon graham crackers and made a Francelico ganache instead of the chocolate frosting.  This will definitely will be a keeper!

Oh my goodness, I was surprised about this one. I really didn't think it would come out tasting like a chocolate éclair. And boy was I wrong. It's divine. I made my own  chocolate frosting for the top using the suggestion from one reviewer who used the recipe from mini chocolate éclairs. Perfection.    

I was so impressed with this. I personally don't think it tastes like eclairs, but is fabulous nonetheless. Super easy and delish!

This was so good and very easy to make!  I will definitely make this again soon. I used hot fudge on top instead of the frosting, and I thought it tasted fabulous. 

I'm giving this recipe a 5 star rating because it's quick and easy to prepare and everyone loved it. My personal preference is to NOT use artificial canned, boxed ingredients because it's not good for you. I almost cried when I saw that the frosting's first ingredient is high fructose corn syrup. eeek!! However, I needed to prepare something quick that would be sure to please and this did it. I think I will try the other recipe on this site because you make the frosting from scratch and that's much better. It's definitely a keeper for last minute dessert.

Excellent!  Very simple to make, my family loved it!

Love this recipe.  It was so easy to make and everyone loved it.  It was even better the next day. I will make this often!

This  recipe is one that I have made many times before. My original recipe came from a farming magazine but has been lost for sometime. I wholeheartedly agree with another reviewer, 16 ounces of Cool  whip is way too much. Instead I used 8 ounces of Cool  whip and made 3 layers instead of 2. Delicious!!! My children and husband always look forward to the cake.

Does not last 10 minutes at a church social. Non for take home ever.So make a small pan of extra for family.

All the children in my life love this cake, and my five year old enjoyed helping make it. Thanks

This was very easy to make and absolutely addictive. It was a big hit and presented attractively. I had a little bit of the pudding mixture leftover and so I paired it with chocolate graham crackers for a mini version of the larger cake. It was also very tasty.

Serve this easy and delicious dessert to your favorite guests!

chocolate eclair cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 minutes

Total: 12 hours, 20 minutes

Servings: 5

Author : mspms

Ingredients

Instructions

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