This Strawberry Eclair Cake is an easy no bake dessert with fresh berry flavor. A fluffy cream filling is layered with graham crackers and topped with chocolate frosting. If you love strawberries dipped in chocolate you’ll love this eclair cake.
This treat reminds me of our favorite Chocolate Covered Strawberries! or give our homemade chocolate cupcakes with strawberry frosting a try next!
Why this Eclair Cake is Best
Chocolate Eclair Cake is one of my favorite desserts. It’s so easy to make too, and it feeds a crowd!
If you’ve never made it before, it’s just layers of graham crackers with a pudding filling and topped with chocolate frosting. Today’s recipe is a variation on my original eclair cake, with the added bonus of strawberries!
- Easy no bake recipe.
- Made with fresh strawberry slices!
- Delicious homemade chocolate frosting layer.
- A light dessert with a decadent taste!
You’ll love bringing this No Bake dessert to potlucks and parties! It makes a wonderful Valentine’s Day dessert too.
This cake is sometimes referred to as an icebox cake. Because you assemble and store in your icebox (refrigerator).
Ingredient Notes
Our eclair cakes are so easy. Layers of graham crackers, pudding filling, berries, and frosting. We love making our own chocolate frosting, but you can also use store bought and melt in microwave and pour over dessert.
- Instant Cheesecake Pudding Mix gives a tangy cream cheese flavor to the light pudding filling. If you can’t find this flavor, use vanilla pudding instead.
- Cool whip – Stabilized whipped topping is combined with the pudding mix to make the filling. While you CAN use real whipped cream, I like the taste and texture of the cool whip more for this recipe.
- Chocolate frosting – This recipe includes directions for making a homemade chocolate frosting that sets up perfectly on top of the chilled eclair cake. If you’re short on time (or energy!), you can use a store bought icing instead. Our chocolate sour cream frosting would also be delicious here.
How to Make Eclair Cake
- Make pudding filling. I start by combining the pudding with milk, then folding in the cool whip by hand.
- Assemble. Line a sheet cake pan with graham crackers. Add half the pudding filling on top, then arrange half the strawberries on top of that. Repeat all layers again. Add one final layer of graham crackers to top it off.
- Make chocolate frosting. Melt baking chocolate with corn syrup. Whisk in vanilla, powdered sugar, butter and milk until smooth. Spread the frosting on top of the cake.
- Chill. Cover the Strawberry Eclair Cake and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Slice and serve!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can! Raspberries would be delicious in this chocolate eclair cake too.
You can prepare this eclair cake up to several days in advance. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The longer it sits though, the softer the graham crackers become.
Instant pudding mix is key to making this an easy dessert.
More No Bake Dessert Recipes
- Easy to make, this No Bake Cheesecake is perfect any time of year. For a little more sweetness, top it with some Cherry Pie filling!
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Lasagna is a no bake, light yet decadent dessert! Packed with flavor, you’ll watch this disappear in no time!
- Layers of cinnamon graham crackers, vanilla pudding and fresh banana make this no bake Banana Eclair Cake a huge summer hit! To top it off, I literally topped it off a cinnamon glaze!
- Too hot to turn on the oven? Try making this No Bake Peanut Butter Eclair Cake version of a Chocolate Eclair Cake!
- Avalanche Cookies– the perfect combo of chocolate and peanut butter.
- Lemon Lush
Strawberry Eclair Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 box Honey Graham Crackers 14 ounce
- 2 packages Instant Cheesecake JELL-O Pudding mix 3 ounce each
- 2 ½ cups milk
- 12 ounce Cool Whip thawed
- 1 pint fresh strawberries hulled and sliced
For the Frosting:
- 2 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate melted
- 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Mix pudding mix with milk using a whisk. Beat for about 2 minutes, by hand. Fold in Cool Whip, set aside.
- Layer a 13×9 baking dish with one layer of graham crackers. Top with half of the pudding mix. Lay half of the sliced strawberries on top of the pudding. Repeat the layers with grahams, remaining pudding and remaining strawberries. Top with one more layer of Grahams.
- For the frosting, mix melted baking chocolate with corn syrup. Add vanilla, butter, powdered sugar and milk and whisk thoroughly until smooth. Spread over top layer of graham crackers.
- Cover and refrigerate cake for 2 hours or overnight. ENJOY!
Notes
- You can swap out homemade frosting for one can of milk chocolate frosting. Remove lid and foil cover. Microwave 20 seconds, stir, and spread over graham crackers.
- Can’t find the cheesecake pudding? Use vanilla or french vanilla flavor instead.
I know this post is years old, but, I’m just discovering it and bought the ingredients today to make it. It sounds wonderfully delicious. I have a question though. Did your plates accidentally match the dessert, or was that on purpose? Either way, it’s awesome!
haha!! It truly was an accident 🙂
Hi Aimee – I haven’t been able to find 1 oz boxes of pudding mix anywhere. Is it supposed to be the small size box which is 3.4 oz? Thanks! Can’t wait to make this for my oldest’s Bible class tomorrow 🙂
Yes, the 3.4 oz box will work. The sugar-free version is 1oz. WHichever you can find will work perfectly 🙂
can I just melt a tub of choco. frosting and use this as the topping?
You sure can!
I have a pint of strawberries sitting on the counter and wanted a new recipe and this is it! Now I have to get to the store and get everything else!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Linda
You’re welcome! ENJOY!!
So I have made the regular eclair dessert in a pan, absolutely amazing, I like the addition of strawberries but I am using it for a baby shower so I wanted to make them in those individual plastic cups. Do you think if I crushed the grahams in smaller pieces, not like a crumb, and did a layer on the bottom of the cup, then pudding, etc. do think I would still get the same effect?
I think it would be delicious!
I love this dessert. I have made a similar one like this, but instead of chocolate icing, I used a can of blueberry pie filling and use French vanilla pudding. To die for dessert and so easy to make. Can make it ahead of time.
Thank you for sharing this awesome dessert. Making it for our next family function.
Oooh what a fun idea to use pie filling. I may be giving that a try too!!
Sometime try chocolate grahams layered with white chocolate instant pudding and chocolate ganache over the top. Super yummy variation on this great dessert. Now that I see you’ve tried adding strawberries, I am wondering how the chocolate variation would be with strawberries in it, and maybe some chopped pistachios sprinkled on top!!!
You have a strawberry patch? I am so jealous! Living in an apartment I have no green space to speak of. This cake is ideal for the hot weather Seattle has been getting lately. Turning on my oven is torture.
I know. I’m so lucky! I love my fruits and veggies in my backyard!
This eclair cake is just gorgeous Aimee! And, no-bake is obviously awesome as we approach summer – love it!
Thanks Trish!! I love having an arsenal of no bake recipes for the summer!
HOW in the world did I miss this!? Just saw you post about it on FB and I died! I have been wanting to make an eclair cake for about 18 months now. I am pretty sure a friends mother made one for her daughters 7th birthday and 18 months ago this cake
(17 years old) came into my head LOL.. but your version sounds freaking to die for!!! UGH need this in my life ASAP!
Oh you need to make one. They are seriously so easy, and with the strawberries? Such a fresh summer treat!! ENJOY 🙂
Sounds like my kind of treat- YUM. Thanks for sharing it.
Looks delicious!
Oh goodness, this is calling my name 🙂 this looks wonderful!
OK strawberry patch in the yard makes me jealous! lol. But not as much as I am jealous over not having a piece of that cake. Great post again!
I have made and loved the chocolate eclair cake for years! Why didn’t I ever think to play with the flavors! 🙂 I can’t wait to try this- this will be pinned, made, reviewed and blogged VERY soon!!! Thanks! (found you via Google+ which I never thought I’d use) 🙂
Well I’m so glad you found me!
Ok so I am lovin this dessert and the fact you don’t have to use the oven!
Goodness gracious, give me some of this! It looks awesome, Aimee! I love that you added that strawberry twist .. perfect for spring and for my strawberry-loving mom for Mother’s Day!
Oooo I do love the no-bake idea as its getting warmer out. Plus anything with the word “Strawberry” in it has me sold. 😀
that looks so fluffy!