This no-bake chocolate eclair icebox cake is made with graham crackers and pudding to give it a cake-like, rich taste! Easy and classic dessert recipe for a summer potluck.
A few weeks ago, we had a church potluck, and one of my friends brought one of the absolute best desserts I’ve ever had. Seriously.
Afterwards, I told her I had to have the recipe. This one was definitely going on my potluck rotation! So she just kind of described it to me quickly. That night, I took what she told me and kind of modified the recipe to make it my own – and y’all. You are going to go nuts over this super easy recipe.
The graham cracker layers get soft as they set overnight, so you end up having a cake-y texture in between layers of rich pudding mixture. And the chocolate topping gets just a little bit firm when it sets, giving the slightest bit of crunch and texture. It’s incredible.
Here’s my version of Chocolate Eclair Icebox Cake!
- 14.4oz box graham crackers
- 2 3.1oz boxes vanilla pudding mix
- 8oz container whipped topping, thawed
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups cold milk
- 1 cup half and half
- Topping:
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ stick (1/4 cup) butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup half and half
- pinch of salt
- In a large bowl, mix pudding mix, ½ cup powdered sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 2 cups cold milk, and 1 cup half and half. Whisk well and let set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Once pudding is set, gently fold in whipped topping until well-incorporated.
- Put a layer of graham crackers in the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish. Layer half of the pudding mixture over the graham crackers. Repeat a layer of graham crackers, the remaining pudding mixture, and one more layer of crackers.
- Combine semi-sweet chocolate chips, ⅓ cup half and half, butter, pinch of salt, and 2 tsp vanilla extract in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments until contents are completely melted, mixing well in between. Once completely melted, add in 1½ cups powdered sugar and ⅓ cup cocoa powder.
- Pour chocolate over the top layer of graham crackers; spread to cover entire cake.
- Let cake set in the fridge at least overnight before serving.
Good luck not eating it all in one weekend (like I might or might not have done).
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This is one of my go to potluck desserts. However, I live out in the country and was planning to make this one day and didn’t have vanilla pudding. I did have banana pudding, so I substituted banana for vanilla, then added a layer of bananas! It was delicious and gave a twist to this recipe.
I bet it’s amazing with banana flavors. I love chocolate and banana together!
I have made this for years for my kids. They all like it. One thing I did do differently tho was to use a can of Chocolate Icing instead of making my own. Either way it is a keeper and sure to delight.
That sounds like a great alternative to the topping I used!
The Chocolate Eclair Icebox Cake looks delicious, but it’s not diabetic friendly. I would love to see a sugar-free version of it.
Definitely something to consider in the future, Sharon!