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    Home » Amish Recipes

    Chocolate Eclair Cake (Amish Recipe)

    02/23/2023 by Anna Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Easy Chocolate Eclair Recipe

    What is chocolate éclair cake?

    First of all, Eclairs are a delicious French pastry made with choux dough, filled with creamy custard, and typically topped with chocolate frosting. And they are amazing!! But they're also time-consuming and not exactly simple to make.

    Amish eclair cake on a plate

    So what I am sharing with you today is a recipe for chocolate eclair cake. It is a quick and easy dessert that consists of graham crackers layered with a creamy pudding and topped with chocolate frosting.

    It's an icebox cake, which is a no-bake dessert made by layering ingredients and chilling it in the refrigerator until the layers set and the cookie or wafer layers become cake-like in texture.

    And trust me, it's delightful! Not to mention, it is made in advance and is a great dessert to take along to a family gathering or potluck dinner.

    Why is it Called Eclair Cake?

    I honestly do not know where this dessert got its name or why it's called éclair cake. But it was a popular dessert in the eighties that also found its way onto Amish dessert tables.

    My guess is that someone, who loved French eclairs, wanted to make a simple version of something that tasted similar and came up with this easy dessert.

    And while it isn't made with puffed pastry, it has many of the same components and tastes similar to a classic eclair, without all the work.

    Ingredients - graham crackers. pudding mix, milk, Cool Whip, Cocoa, butter, powdered sugar, and Karo

    Eclair Dessert is not a Traditional Amish Recipe

    I know I will probably get comments from people saying that chocolate éclair cake is not Amish food. And that's okay because I honestly doubt that the recipe originated with the Amish.

    But just because the food didn't originate with the Amish doesn't mean that it can't be an Amish recipe.

    Because sometimes Amish cooks will take a popular recipe and change something to make it how they like it. Or they'll taste a dish and try to create a copycat recipe.

    For example, Amish haystacks are just a twist on tacos. Someone took basically the same ingredients and created a new dish that became popular with the Amish.

    So whether a recipe had Amish or PA Dutch origins or not, sometimes it gets called Amish simply because it's a popular dish in many Amish circles.

    9x13" pan with graham crackers, bowl of pudding, and a dish of chocolate frosting
    pudding in a dish with graham crackers layered on top
    spreading chocolate frosting over the graham crackers

    Amish Recipes

    Many of the recipes that I post on my website are traditional Amish recipes and originate with the PA Dutch people.

    But sometimes we have no way of knowing where a recipe originated. And some recipes become very popular in Amish circles even though they didn't begin with them.

    The Amish people share lots of meals with their friends and neighbors, etc. So if one person creates or gets ahold of a recipe they love, they will probably make that dish to share with others at their next gathering.

    Well, guess what happens then? Everyone loves the new dish and wants the recipe.

    Amish ladies share many of their recipes. And the next thing you know everyone is making that new dish. And it becomes a popular recipe among the Amish, finding its way into many of their cookbooks.

    Amish Desserts

    A few days ago, I was trying to remember what kind of desserts we ate a lot when I was growing up (besides cake, cookies, pies, etc.). And the first thing that came to my mind was this no-bake chocolate éclair cake.

    Another one was layered delights, such as this peach delight and cherry delight.

    So even though the Amish are known for their delicious pies, cakes, and whoopie pies, they also enjoy many layered desserts, etc.

    slice of éclair dessert taken from 9x13 pan

    Chocolate Eclair Dessert with Homemade Frosting

    While this pudding and graham cracker cake is topped with a simple homemade dark chocolate frosting, you can cut some time and top it with a container of store-bought frosting if desired.

    Or perhaps you would enjoy it better with chocolate ganache on the top. Feel free to switch things up as you desire.

    Eclair Cake Made from Scratch

    The other day when I went to make this easy homemade eclair cake, I discovered that I didn't have enough instant pudding in my pantry. So what do I do now? I could make a different dessert.

    But I decided to make pudding from scratch instead. I had all of the ingredients that I needed to make homemade pudding. And truthfully, it tastes even better when made with homemade pudding rather than instant pudding.

    So, in case you're wondering why some of my photos don't look like they exactly match the recipe, it's because I made it with homemade pudding.

    And my homemade cornstarch pudding recipe makes a very large batch. Even if you cut the recipe in half, you'll still have more than enough to make this eclair dessert.

    Therefore, since I had a large batch of pudding, I decided to add an extra layer. I used an extra package of crackers and just spread a nice layer of pudding over each layer of crackers.

    And it turned out great! Honestly, I liked it better than the original recipe.

    So even though it requires an extra step (cooking and cooling the pudding), this éclair dessert is delightfully yummy when made with homemade pudding.

    piece of éclair cake made from scratch on a plate

    Variations:

    Recipes are often given as a guide. And if you cook a lot, chances are that you have numerous dishes you make where you don't need a recipe. You just throw ingredients together, and it turns out great.

    And while it's more important to follow a recipe when baking, there are many recipes where you can get creative and switch things up to make it how you like it.

    Eclair dessert is one of those recipes. It's delicious topped with cherry pie filling instead of chocolate frosting.

    You can use regular instant vanilla pudding, French vanilla, or homemade pudding, or even switch it up for a different flavor of pudding. Use lemon instant pudding and top it with blueberry pie filling, etc.

    Try it with chocolate grahams, or use vanilla wafers instead of graham crackers.

    In most recipes, I prefer whipped cream over Cool Whip. And if that's you as well, feel free to whip up about 1 1/2 - 2 c. of heavy whipping cream to use in this recipe instead of Cool Whip. You can add a Tbsp. or two of sugar and a tsp. of vanilla, if desired.

    If you enjoy this éclair cake dessert, I would love it if you left a comment and star rating below. And let me know what variations you tried.

    More Amish Dessert Recipes

    Strawberry Tapioca Pudding

    Pumpkin Torte Dessert

    Strawberry Danish Dessert

    PA Dutch-Style Apple Dumplings

    Amish eclair cake on a plate

    Chocolate Eclair Cake (Amish Recipe)

    An easy-to-make layered dessert with graham crackers, pudding, and chocolate frosting. Great dessert for a potluck meal.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Refrigerate 5 hrs
    Total Time 2 hrs 20 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American, Amish
    Servings 20 servings
    Calories 137 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 (14 oz.) box graham crackers (3 pkgs.)
    • 2 (3.4 oz.) pkgs. instant vanilla pudding mix
    • 3 1/2 c. milk
    • 1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip, thawed (or heavy whipped cream - see post above)

    Frosting:

    • 6 Tbsp. butter (softened)
    • 6 Tbsp. cocoa powder
    • 1 1/2 c. confectioners sugar
    • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
    • 2 tsp. Karo Syrup
    • 1/4 c. milk

    Instructions
     

    • In a mixing bowl, beat instant pudding and milk until smooth. Gently stir in the thawed Cool Whip and mix to combine.
      2 (3.4 oz.) pkgs. instant vanilla pudding mix, 3 1/2 c. milk, 1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip, thawed (or heavy whipped cream - see post above)
    • In another bowl, mix and beat frosting ingredients until creamy and smooth. And if it seems too thick add a bit more milk or a Tbsp. of oil.
      6 Tbsp. butter (softened), 6 Tbsp. cocoa powder, 1 1/2 c. confectioners sugar, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, 2 tsp. Karo Syrup, 1/4 c. milk
    • Arrange a layer of crackers into the bottom of a 9x13" dish. Spread half of the pudding over the top. Then put another layer of crackers and the remaining pudding. Then cover the top with another layer of crackers. (It goes like this: crackers, pudding, crackers, pudding, crackers.)
      1 (14 oz.) box graham crackers (3 pkgs.)
    • Carefully spread the frosting over the top of the last layer of crackers. (If you prefer, you can refrigerate the dish for a while before frosting.)
    • Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours (preferably overnight) before serving.
    • Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 5 or 6 days.

    Notes

    You can use homemade pudding for this recipe. And you can add an extra layer of crackers and pudding. (If you add an extra layer, you will need another package of crackers and more pudding.)
    Instant French vanilla pudding works great too.
    For more dessert variations, top the pudding and crackers with 2 cans of your favorite pie filling (cherry is yummy!). Or use lemon pudding and top it with blueberry pie filling.
     
    *Nutrition is approximate.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1servingCalories: 137kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 52mgPotassium: 132mgFiber: 2gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 156IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword Amish Eclair Dessert Recipe, Chocolate Eclair Cake Recipe, Chocolate Eclair Dessert with homemade frosting
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Hi, I’m Anna. I grew up Amish in the Lancaster County, Pa. area (the heart of Amish country). I currently live in a small rural town in Missouri and am a homeschool mom to 4 great kids. Some of my favorite things to do are spending time in the kitchen, (baking and preparing meals from scratch), gardening, and spending time with my lovely family.

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