Easy Eclair Cake {Gluten & Dairy Free}
This easy eclair cake is a no-bake ice box style cake, made gluten and dairy-free! It’s made with corn and dairy-free pudding, gluten-free graham crackers, and ganache!
For nearly every major holiday for the past few years, my mom has made eclair cake. It’s a no bake, ice box cake layered with pudding whipped topping, graham cracker, and topped with chocolate frosting. The whole family loves it, and I’ve always been intrigued to try it. With it being summer and the perfect time to make no-bake recipes, I decided it was time to try!
This gluten and dairy-free eclair cake is a great no-bake dessert for a crowd! Make it for summer BBQs, or hold onto the recipe year-round for when you need an easy but delicious dessert.
The Ingredients for gluten & dairy free eclair cake
- Gluten-free graham crackers. I use this for the photos of this recipe, and my husband and son really loved the cake. I have a hard time with potato starch, so I use this for myself. You can also use mini crackers like this. It’s a really flexible recipe to whatever you have, just make sure everything fits properly in the pan!
- Vanilla Pudding. I have a recipe for a corn-free version here on the blog, or you can use whatever pudding works for you.
- Whipped Topping. I like using cocowhip, but you may be able to make something with coconut cream.
- Chocolate Ganache. Most eclair cake recipe call for frosting, but I decided to make it with homemade ganache using chocolate chips and coconut cream. Not only does it taste better, but it’s much easier to pour over the top of the cake.
How to make a gluten & dairy free eclair cake
- Step One. Combine pudding and whipped topping.
- Step Two. Layer graham crackers and pudding mixture.
Tips & Tricks
- Let it sit on the counter for a few minutes before serving. Ganache can harden a bit too much in the fridge, so sitting at room temperature for 5 minutes before cutting will help!
- Use a smaller pan for a smaller crowd. This makes a considerably large cake, but you can easily cut this recipe in half, or less depending on how many people you’ll be serving.
How long can you keep this recipe in the fridge?
It’s best within 24 hours as the crackers start to get soggy after a while. If you make it the night before, and serve the next day, that will totally work!
Can you freeze this recipe?
Ice box cake works best when it’s set in the fridge, so I wouldn’t recommend freezing this recipe.
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PrintEasy Eclair Cake {Gluten & Dairy Free}
- Prep Time: 25
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 9 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No Cook
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
For the eclair cake
- 2 1/4 cups of whipped topping, thawed in the fridge
- 1 batch of vanilla pudding (about 2 1/2 cups of pudding)
- 1 1/2 boxes of gluten-free graham crackers (see notes)
For the chocolate ganache
- 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup coconut cream
Instructions
- Add the prepared pudding and whipped topping to a bowl and stir well to combine. Set aside.
- Add a layer of the graham crackers using a large 9×13″ baking pan. Pour a layer of the pudding mixture over the crackers and smooth it out with a silicone spatula. Another two more layers of pudding and graham crackers, then finishing with a single layer of graham crackers on top. Set aside
- Combine the chocolate and coconut cream in a bowl and melt in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring each round, or over a double boiler.
- Allow the ganache to cool slightly, then pour over the top layer of graham crackers. Evenly spread over the cake with a clean silicone spatula.
- Cover the cake and allow to sit in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours or overnight to allow the crackers to soften and the ganache to set.
- Once ready to serve allow it to sit on the counter for a few minutes for the ganache to soften a bit, then use a spatula to cut slices of cake. Enjoy within 24 hours!
Notes
For the GF grahamn crackers – I use these in the recipe photos but something like this also works… amount will vary depending on the size of the crackers and your pan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 247
- Fat: 11.8g
- Carbohydrates: 31.6g
- Fiber: 1.9g
- Protein: 2.5g
We made this for our daughter’s 13th birthday with family last night. It was a hit! Definitely a keeper. Three of us in the house are gluten free (including her) so she always allows me to try a new cake for her birthday. This one is at the top of the list for being one of the best! It didn’t last!
My FIL is a diabetic, so we used allulose to sweeten the whipped topping we made, allulose sweetened chocolate chips and Simply Delish Keto Vanilla Pudding. We used Simple Mills graham cracker thins as well, and those had the only real sugars in the recipe (from honey and coconut sugar, so still pretty good). You couldn’t tell it was low sugar or gluten free. It was sooo good!
Yay, so glad it was a hit!!