Too hot to turn on the oven? Make this No Bake Peanut Butter Eclair Cake. Layers of chocolate graham crackers with pudding, peanut butter cups, and ganache.
If you love all things chocolate and peanut butter, you’ll love these Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies too.
Why This Recipe is Best
I love cold, no-bake desserts and eclair cakes are no exception. Similar to Icebox Cake, eclair cake set up in the refrigerator and is so easy to make!
Some people may call these layered desserts a dessert lasagna (like our no bake strawberry lasagna), or you may hear them called a “lush.” Whatever the name, just know it’s delicious.
Today’s recipe is based on my Chocolate Eclair Cake Recipe with a twist that peanut butter fans are going to love.
- This is an easy no bake recipe made with simple ingredients.
- Layers of creamy peanut butter filling, Reese’s cups and graham crackers.
- Topped with a thick layer of chocolate frosting!
- Peanut Butter Eclair Cake makes enough to feed a hungry crowd!
Craving a light and fruity dessert? Try my Strawberry Eclair Cake or this banana eclair cake instead.
Ingredient in Peanut Butter Icebox Cake
Here’s what you need to make an eclair cake with peanut butter.
- Graham Crackers– You’ll need a whole box of the chocolate or plain (or honey) flavored ones if you can’t find chocolate. Layering Oreo cookies (or even nutter butters) works great too.
- Vanilla Pudding Mix – Make sure to use the INSTANT kind. You’ll mix it with milk to make pudding for the filling.
- Peanut butter – The shelf stable creamy peanut butter works best.
- Cool Whip– or homemade stabilized whipped cream.
- Reese’s mini cups – Chopped into bite sized pieces.
- Chocolate Frosting- You can use canned frosting, or follow the recipe to make homemade chocolate frosting below!
Easy Instructions
Make the filling: Combine vanilla pudding with peanut butter. Fold in Cool Whip or whipped cream.
To assemble the eclair cake:
- Arrange 6 graham crackers in a square baking dish.
- Spread half of the pudding mix on top.
- Top with 6 more crackers and the Reese’s cups.
- Spread the rest of the pudding mix on top.
- Cover with graham crackers and frosting!
Prepare the frosting: Melt butter and corn syrup with a bar of unsweetened chocolate. Whisk in powdered sugar and milk.
Refrigerate the peanut butter butter eclair cake for 4 hours. Cut, serve and enjoy!
Tips and Tricks
- Prepare it ahead of time. I like to make the cake the night before I plan to serve it. Chilling overnight gives eclair cake an even better flavor and texture!
- Canned chocolate frosting tastes wonderful on eclair cake, too! Open the can, remove the lid and microwave for 20 seconds. Stir frosting, then pour it over the top layer of graham crackers.
- Ganache. Make a batch of chocolate ganache for the topping if desired. Works great in place of the frosting.
- In order for the pudding mix to set properly in the cake, we recommend using cows milk (not oat or almond milk).
- Store eclair cake in refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days. The graham crackers will soften more and more each day.
Recipe FAQs
Fresh whipped cream works well as a substitute for the Cool Whip here. I love to use my Stabilized Whipped Cream, a homemade version of cool whip, in eclair cakes recipes.
One 16 ounce can of frosting is plenty for covering the top of this peanut butter eclair cake.
For this eclair cake frosting, I used light corn syrup.
Cook ‘n’ serve pudding mixes will not work with this recipe, so make sure to check the box label!
More Easy Dessert Recipes
No Bake Peanut Butter Eclair Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 18 chocolate graham crackers
- 1 box vanilla instant pudding mix 3.5 ounce
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 8 ounce Cool Whip thawed
- 16 Reese’s Peanut butter cups chopped
For the frosting:
- 2 ounce unsweetened chocolate
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon corn syrup
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- 3 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat vanilla pudding mix with milk, until there are no lumps. Beat in peanut butter until smooth. Fold in the Cool Whip, set aside.
- In a 9-inch square baking dish, layer 6 grahams. Top with half of the pudding mix. Top with 6 more crackers and the chopped Reese's PB cups. Top with the remaining of the pudding mix. Finish by topping with the remaining 6 graham crackers.
- For the frosting, heat unsweetened chocolate with butter and corn syrup on medium heat in a small saucepan. Whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and milk. Frost the top of the graham cracker layer and place in refrigerator.
- Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Cut and enjoy!
Notes
- Prepare it ahead of time. I like to make the cake the night before I plan to serve it. Chilling overnight gives eclair cake an even better flavor and texture!
- Canned chocolate frosting tastes wonderful on eclair cake, too! Open the can, remove the lid and microwave for 20 seconds. Stir frosting, then pour it over the top layer of graham crackers.
- Store eclair cake in refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days. The graham crackers will soften more and more each day.
- In order for the pudding mix to set properly in the cake, we recommend using cows milk (not oat or almond milk).
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
This looks like a giant, super creamy peanut butter cup- except it’s cake and has peanut butter cups in it, so it’s even better!
Exactly!!!
A friend sent me a recipe for a peanut butter eclair cake a while back and I totally didn’t take the hint that she wanted me to make it for her. She’d probably forgive me if I made her this version cuz it has Reese’s in it! Oh boy, this is over the top awesome!
Thanks Veronica. I think you totally need to make this for her…win some points!!
I love eclair cake! I was just thinking the other day about switching up the ingredients to make a different version, thanks for doing all the work for me 😛 I can’t wait to try this!
You’re quite welcome!! ENJOY!
How fun is this cake!? I love Eclairs. It’s my go-to dessert when I am out and about, I think because it reminds me of Boston cream donuts!
Well, stay turned because I have a delicious Boston Cream Donut recipe coming soon!!!!
Oh that is FANTASTIC news!
It’s funny although I am not a huge peanut butter fan, I am a fan of resses pb cups and go weak at the knees when I see them!! LOL weird, I know. This eclair cake looks fabulous!!
You know that I love every single thing about this cake! I’m sitting here drooling at how good I know this must have been! And that chocolate sounds fabulous…I will have to keep an eye out for it!
Just by looking at the pics, would have never guessed this was nobake! Amazing! And that there’s PB cups stuffed in…oh yeah 🙂
I’ll stuff PB cups into everything!! 🙂
This is fabulous Aimee! I almost made an eclair cake with the peanut butter poptarts, but did the bars instead. That would have been too funny!
That would have been pretty funny!!!
Wow, I can’t believe a no bake can look that decadent! Gorgeous and so creamy!
PB eclair cake? No bake in the heat of summer?!? Sign me up a dozen, please 😀
I have never had an eclair cake, which is weird because I love eclairs and cake! Must get one into my life.
Oh you must try an eclair cake!! they are one of our favorite summer desserts!
Holly scraps this looks mighty delicious, but then again, everything you do does 🙂 I wish I could just dig in.
Awww you’re too sweet 🙂
Eclairs have been one of my favorite things since I was a kid. Something about that rich and creamy filling with that chocolate glaze. Yours look SO delicious, and I can never resist peanut butter!
Thanks Marcie, it’s hard to resist chocolate and peanut butter!!
Wow…. this looks amazing! I love no-bake desserts in the summer time. Keeps the heat out of the house. I can go for a slice or two here… YUM!
This looks so simple but so incredible! I have to make this!
This looks amazing, Aimee! I love no bake desserts in the summertime!
I can’t believe how delicious this looks. I am not one for eclairs but I would be more than happy to try this!
This looks pretty ridiculous. And that frosting looks silky and beautiful. Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks Renee. It is a pretty ridiculous dessert 😉
GENIUS!!! Pinned!
Thanks for pinning Jenn 🙂
I had something like this today at a luncheon at church minus the peanut butter. Oh how I bet this is so much better adding it!
The peanut butter is a nice addition! I do make a classic version as well (maybe more like what you had today). Both are awesome!!!