Serve this no bake Caramel Apple Eclair Cake on cool fall days. Layers of graham crackers, cinnamon fried apples and pudding, all topped with a thick caramel sauce.

My favorite fall desserts generally include anything caramel apple. From caramel apple dip to a gorgeous layered trifle, caramel apple desserts are always a crowd pleaser.

We love eclair cakes, so making a version with cinnamon apples and caramel was only natural. I think you’re going to love the flavor combination of this Caramel Apple Eclair Cake.

caramel apple eclair cake with a bite out

Why you’ll love this cake:

No baking needed! Perfect for warm fall days.
Made with homemade cinnamon apples or use a canned apple pie filling.
Thick layer of caramel dip tops the cake.
It’s a great make ahead dessert to serve for guests.

Ingredients Needed:

Granny Smith apples. Or Gala or Honeycrisp. Personally we like the tartness of Granny Smith apples in desserts.
Sugar. White sugar or brown sugar works.
Cinnamon. Saigon cinnamon gives great flavor. We get large containers at Costco so we’re stocked for fall baking.
Flour. This is only if your cinnamon apples end up too “juicy”. The flour with thicken the mixture slightly. Sprinkle the flour lightly over the apples so it mixes in easily.
Pudding. Although you can use cook ‘n serve pudding, instant is easiest.
Milk. The higher fat the milk, the creamier this layer will be.
Sour cream. Sour cream cuts the sweetness of this layer just slightly. Plus, it adds structure and richness.
Cool Whip. The Cool Whip should be thawed before you mix it in.
Graham crackers. Cinnamon graham crackers work well, but because there is cinnamon in the apple filling, you can use regular graham crackers as well.
Caramel apple dip. Instead of a runny caramel sauce, use caramel apple dip. It’s thick and will hold its layer better on the cut cake. Marzetti caramel dip works great.

caramel apple eclair cake in a baking pan

Eclair Cake Layers

There are 8 delicious layers to this cake:

Graham crackers
Cinnamon fried apples
Creamy vanilla pudding
Graham crackers
Cinnamon fried apples
Creamy vanilla pudding
Graham crackers
Caramel dip

How to Make Caramel Apple Eclair Cake

It’s important to note that you’ll want to make the cinnamon apples in advance. They need time to cool before layering the dessert.

Make the apples:

In a large saucepan, combine the diced apples, sugar and cinnamon over medium low heat. Cook and stir until the apples are tender. If the apples have a lot of juice, sprinkle two tablespoons of flour lightly over the apples and stir it in. Stir the mixture over medium low heat until it has thickened.
Remove from the heat and allow the apples to cool to room temperature.

chopped apples in a skillet with sugar and cinnamon

Make the filling:

In a large bowl, whisk together the pudding and the milk.
Stir in the sour cream and Cool Whip.

cool whip mixing into pudding in a glass bowl

Assemble the cake:

Line the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan with 7 cinnamon graham crackers.
Top with ½ of the apple mixture.
Spoon ½ of the pudding mix over the apples.
Add another layer of graham crackers on top of the pudding.
Spread the remaining apples over the graham crackers.
Spoon the rest of the pudding mix over the crackers.
Add one last layer of graham crackers on top.
Heat the caramel dip for 30 seconds in the microwave. Use a knife to mix the caramel. Heat for another 20-30 seconds or until the caramel is softened.This is so that the caramel is easier to spread. You don’t want it hot and totally melted, just softened so you can easily spread it.
Spread the caramel evenly over the graham crackers.Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

pudding over apple pie filling in a baking dish

Recipe Variations

Lower the calories! Use sugar free Cool Whip, sugar free pudding, fat free milk, fat free sour cream and low fat graham crackers.
Use cheesecake pudding. Instead of vanilla pudding, try cheesecake pudding.
Need a shortcut? Use canned apple pie filling.

Caramel Apple Eclair Cake

4.55 from 293 votes

Serve this no bake Caramel Apple Eclair Cake on cool fall days. Layers of graham crackers, cinnamon fried apples and pudding, all topped with a thick caramel sauce.

Servings 15

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Chill Time 8

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Ingredients

For the apples:

5 pounds Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and sliced, then chopped into 1” pieces
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1-2 tablespoons all-purpose flour if needed

For the filling:

2 small boxes vanilla instant pudding 3.4 ounces each
3 1/2 cups whole milk
½ cup sour cream
8 ounces Cool Whip thawed

For the layers:

21 whole cinnamon graham crackers
16 ounces caramel apple dip

Instructions

*Plan ahead because the apples have to cool before making the dessert.*

Make the apples:

In a large saucepan, combine the diced apples, sugar and cinnamon over medium low heat. Cook and stir until the apples are tender. If the apples have a lot of juice, sprinkle two tablespoons of flour lightly over the apples and stir it in. Stir the mixture over medium low heat until it has thickened.
Remove from the heat and allow the apples to cool to room temperature.

Make the filling:

In a large bowl, whisk together the pudding and the milk.
Stir in the sour cream and Cool Whip.

Assemble the cake:

Line the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan with 7 cinnamon graham crackers.
Top with ½ of the apple mixture.
Spoon ½ of the pudding mix over the apples.
Add another layer of graham crackers on top of the pudding.
Spread the remaining apples over the graham crackers.
Spoon the rest of the pudding mix over the crackers.
Add one last layer of graham crackers on top.
Heat the caramel dip for 30 seconds in the microwave. Use a knife to mix the caramel. Heat for another 20-30 seconds or until the caramel is softened.This is so that the caramel is easier to spread. You don’t want it hot and totally melted, just softened so you can easily spread it.
Spread the caramel evenly over the graham crackers.Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Notes

The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**