This post may contain affiliate links, which won’t change your price but will share some commission.
Layers of graham cracker and vanilla pudding are topped with a layer of chocolate in this light yet decadent make-ahead dessert.
This is one of those recipes that I had bookmarked for yeeeeears, but hadn't actually made it until recently.
A few weeks back, a friend hosted a BBQ potluck for a bunch of my husband's high school buddies and their families. I knew this dessert would be a big crowd-pleaser.
I love that this is a classic dessert from Cooking Light, and that they took care to lighten up a typically decadent recipe. I wasn't able to find fat-free pudding mix that wasn't also sugar free, so I went for regular here.
I also split this up between 2 square pans, which worked out beautifully. We had one at home that held up really well for a few days. Dessert on demand... I like it!
The recipe didn't call for letting the cream cheese soften to room temperature, but I think it might have helped a little. My filling turned out a bit lumpy, but it wasn't really noticeable by the time the dessert sat overnight.
I really liked the way the graham crackers softened, making them more and more cake-like the longer it hung out in the fridge.
This was a big hit with our friends, as well as some neighbors that lucked out with getting a few slices the next night.
Print📖 Recipe
Chocolate-Éclair Icebox Dessert
- Prep Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 18 Servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
Description
Layers of graham cracker and vanilla pudding are topped with a layer of chocolate in this light yet decadent make-ahead dessert.
Ingredients
- 22 ½ sheets (about 1 [14-ounce] box) low-fat honey graham crackers, divided
- Cooking spray
- 3 cups fat-free milk
- 2 (3.4-ounce) packages fat-free vanilla instant pudding mix
- 1 (8-ounce) tub fat-free cream cheese
- 1 (8-ounce) tub frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed
- ¼ cup fat-free milk
- 2 tablespoons stick margarine or butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
- 1 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar
Instructions
- Arrange 7 ½ graham cracker sheets in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine 3 cups milk, pudding mix, and cream cheese in a large bowl, and beat at low speed of a mixer 1 minute or until thick. Fold in whipped topping. Spread half of the pudding mixture over graham crackers, and top with 7 ½ graham cracker sheets. Repeat the procedure with the remaining half of pudding mixture and 7 ½ graham cracker sheets.
- Combine ¼ cup milk, softened margarine, honey, and unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl, and beat well with a mixer. Gradually add powdered sugar to milk mixture, and beat well. Spread chocolate glaze over graham crackers. Cover dessert and tent with foil; chill 4 hours.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 234
- Sugar: 36 g
- Sodium: 516.4 mg
- Fat: 7.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 61.4 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5.6 g
- Cholesterol: 8.2 mg
Keywords: ice box cake, chocolate eclair cake, graham crackers, pudding
Amy (Savory Moments)
This eclair cake looks quite scrumptious!