No-Bake Cherry Eclair Dessert

February 14, 2022
If you love creamy comfort-food desserts that taste great and are super easy to make, No-Bake Cherry Eclair Dessert is for you. Five simple ingredients, a little whisking, and the layering of ingredients in a pan is all it takes to create this tasty no-bake beauty.

No-Bake Cherry Eclair Dessert Image

This dessert's a cherry-topped riff on our reader-favorite No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Dessert. It's the same creamy pudding and graham cracker layers we know and love from the classic, but with cherry topping stepping in for the usual fudgy chocolate layer on top. And oh, what a tasty riff it is!

By topping the dessert with cherry pie filling, it makes this recipe completely no-cook and no-bake. -- And makes it ridiculously easy to make. Truly, a little whisking and the layering of ingredients in a pan is all it takes to create this tasty no-bake beauty. Simply whisk up a filling made with instant vanilla pudding, milk, and Cool Whip. Then layer it with graham crackers in a pan, and spoon on cherry pie filling to top it off. Super easy, right?

But don't let Cherry Eclair Dessert's ease of prep fool you about its flavor. -- Its creamy mix of vanilla pudding layers, cakey graham crackers, and cherry pie filling is delicious indeed!

Truly, a little whisking and the layering of ingredients in a pan is all it takes to create this tasty no-bake beauty.

What's to Love About This Recipe?
  • No-bake - No need to heat up the oven for this tasty dessert! -- It's completely no-cook/no-bake.
  • Easy to make - A little whisking and the layering of ingredients in a pan is all it takes to create this super-easy beauty.
  • Just 5 ingredients - No long list of ingredients needed. -- Just 5 simple ingredients is all it takes.
  • Creamy comfort that tastes delicious - If you love creamy comfort-food desserts that taste great, No-Bake Cherry Eclair is for you. The cherry pie filling topping tastes so delicious with the creamy vanilla pudding and cakey graham cracker layers below.

Fork Bite of No-Bake Cherry Eclair Dessert Image

No-Bake Cherry Eclair Dessert Ingredients:

It takes just 5 simple ingredients to make No-Bake Cherry Eclair Dessert. To whip up a pan, you'll need:

  • Vanilla instant pudding - Serves as the foundation of the dessert's creamy pudding layers. Be sure to use instant pudding mix, and not the cooked kind. Also, sugar-free instant pudding mix works just fine, and actually seems to make the pudding layers a bit fluffier than the regular full-sugar pudding.

  • Milk - Whole, 2%, and skim milk all work fine to combine with the instant pudding.

  • Cool Whip non-dairy whipped topping - Creates the fluffiness of the creamy layers. Homemade whipped cream can be substituted, if you prefer.

  • Graham crackers - Create the structural layers of the dessert. As the dessert chills and the ingredients meld, the graham crackers turn into softened cakey deliciousness.

  • Cherry pie filling - Canned cherry pie filling creates the dessert's tasty topping. Choose premium cherry pie filling for even more cherries, if you'd like.

No-Bake Cherry Eclair Dessert Ingredients Image

How to Make No-Bake Cherry Eclair Dessert:

No-Bake Cherry Eclair Dessert is ridiculously easy to make. In fact, it's hard to believe something that tastes this good can be so easy!

To start building the dessert's layers, first place a layer of graham crackers in a 9x13" dish, completely covering the bottom.

Make the dessert's vanilla pudding filling by beating together vanilla pudding mix and milk. Let this stand for 5 minutes to thicken a bit, and then stir in a container of Cool Whip.

Spread half of the fluffy pudding mixture evenly over the graham crackers in the pan. Top with another layer of graham crackers, completely covering the vanilla pudding. Then repeat this process to create another layer of pudding and graham crackers.

Break some of the graham crackers, as needed, to completely fill the pan when making each graham cracker layer.

Making Layers of No-Bake Cherry Eclair Dessert Image

Spoon cherry pie filling over the top layer of graham crackers, spreading it evenly.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or over night to allow the ingredients to meld and the graham crackers to soften.

How to Make No-Bake Cherry Eclair Dessert Image

Then you're ready to dig into the cherry-topped deliciousness! Creamy and comforting, the cherry pie filling topping tastes so delicious with those creamy vanilla pudding and cakey graham cracker layers below.

No-Bake Cherry Eclair Dessert in Baking Dish Image

Recipe FAQs:
  • Do I have to use Cool Whip, or can I substitute homemade whipped cream for the Cool Whip in this recipe? - You can substitute homemade whipped cream for Cool Whip in just about any recipe that calls for Cool Whip. To replace an 8-ounce container of Cool Whip, whip 1 & 1/2 cups of heavy cream with 1/4 cup of sugar and 3/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract until stiff peaks form, producing about 3 cups of homemade whipped cream.

  • Will Cherry Eclair Dessert still work if it doesn't sit for 6 hours or over night? I'd like to make this for an event, but don't have time to let it sit. - Unfortunately, no, this dessert won't work without time to sit. This is one of those desserts that needs to stand to let the ingredients meld and get all friendly with one another, since the graham crackers soften as they absorb moisture from the pudding layers. The texture of the dessert completely changes over this time, allowing the graham crackers to become softened and cake-like.

  • Can I use sugar-free instant pudding mix to make this? What about lite Cool Whip? - Sugar-free instant pudding mix works just fine, and actually seems to make the pudding layers a bit fluffier than the regular full-sugar pudding. Lite Cool Whip works just fine, as well.

  • Can I make No-Bake Cherry Eclair Dessert with chocolate pudding instead of vanilla? - Yes, you absolutely can make this Cherry Eclair Dessert with instant chocolate pudding instead of vanilla. We've made both and do, however, love the flavor of the vanilla version much better than the chocolate one.


No-Bake Eclair Dessert with Cherry Pie Filling Image
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Dessert
American
Yield: about 12 servings
No-Bake Cherry Eclair Dessert

No-Bake Cherry Eclair Dessert

If you love creamy comfort-food desserts that taste great and are super easy to make, No-Bake Cherry Eclair Dessert is for you. Five simple ingredients, a little whisking, and the layering of ingredients in a pan is all it takes to create this tasty no-bake beauty.
Prep time: 30 MinInactive time: 6 HourTotal time: 6 H & 30 M

Ingredients

  • 2 (3.4 oz.) boxes vanilla instant pudding
  • 2 1/2 c. milk
  • 1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip non-dairy whipped topping {or 3 c. homemade whipped cream}
  • 1 (14.4 oz) box graham crackers
  • 2 (21 oz.) cans cherry pie filling

Instructions

  1. Place a layer of graham crackers in a 9x13" dish, completely covering the bottom.
  2. Combine dry vanilla pudding mix and milk; beat until well mixed and beginning to thicken. Let stand for 5 minutes to thicken a bit more. Then stir in Cool Whip.
  3. Spread half of the pudding mixture evenly over the graham crackers. Top with another layer of graham crackers, completely covering the vanilla pudding.
  4. Spread remaining vanilla pudding mixture evenly over the graham crackers. Top with another final layer of graham crackers, completely covering the vanilla pudding.
  5. Spoon cherry pie filling over the top layer of graham crackers. Spread evenly to completely cover graham crackers.
  6. Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours or over night.
TRACEY'S NOTES:
  1. Keep in mind when making this dessert, it must chill several hours or overnight before serving. Chilling allows everything to meld together and the graham crackers to soften.
  2. Break some of the graham crackers, as needed, to completely fill the pan when making each graham cracker layer.
  3. For the pudding mix, be sure it is instant and not the cooked kind. Also, sugar-free pudding mix works just fine, and actually seems to make the pudding layers a bit fluffier than the regular full-sugar pudding.
Did you make this recipe?
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No-Bake Cherry Eclair Dessert ~ If you love creamy comfort-food desserts that taste great & are super easy to make, No-Bake Cherry Eclair Dessert is for you! Five simple ingredients, a little whisking, and the layering of ingredients in a pan is all it takes to create this tasty no-bake beauty.  www.thekitchenismyplayground.com


This post is linked with Weekend Potluck.

7 comments

  1. Your desserts are incredible - so rich and delicious looking but so easy! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party! Enjoy the rest of your week.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This looks delicious. I'm trying it for Sunday dinner tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Please let us know how it goes. This is a family favorite of ours.

      Delete
  3. There were rave reviews from friends at our potluck, and recipe requests, too! Great for a cool dessert on a hot summer day. I did cherry AND blueberry pie filling in stripes for our Memorial Day gathering.

    ReplyDelete
  4. PS I made one box of pudding for that layer at a time. It was easier than having such a large batch of pudding.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for sharing the tip! We are glad you enjoyed the desert.

      Delete

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