Easy No-Bake Chocolate Pudding Cake Recipe

A chocolate pudding cake recipe is something that’s super easy to make. Yet will have your guests or party goers loving this simple recipe! Only three ingredients are needed, so it’s a budget-friendly treat too! No bake desserts are not only delicious but fun and easy to whip up as well!

One of the great things about no bake recipes is that they don’t require you to turn on the oven. You can make these types of desserts from start to finish without having to cook or bake the ingredients to get them ready for eating!

During the summer months especially I really enjoy desserts like this chocolate pudding cake recipe. It’s easy to make, doesn’t require me to heat up the house with the oven, and it’s a chilled refreshing treat when it is ready to eat.

For a chilled summer treat try out this Easy No Bake Key Lime Pie!

This post contains links to products I like and think will be useful to you. If you click through and make a purchase I make a commission.

Is this a no bake dessert recipe?

It is! Chocolate pudding cake requires no baking. How awesome is that?! This pudding cake recipe comes together in just a few minutes and it’s perfect for those times when you need a dessert that is quick and easy.

I love making this recipe for family dinners or even picnics and BBQ’s because it’s easy but it’s also indulgent and very satisfying. Who doesn’t love pudding, right?!

No-Bake Chocolate Pudding Cake

One of the best things about any no bake recipe is that you can have them ready in very short amount of time.

I love a delicious cake or cheesecake as much as the next person but it can be overwhelming to have to spend an hour or more in the kitchen for a dessert recipe.

This is a quick and easy dessert recipe that you can whip up on a whim without very little work involved.

I usually have most of the ingredients on hand (hello, I keep extra frozen whipped topping on hand for moments just like this) so I can make this delicious and indulgent dessert when the mood strikes me.

What do I need to make a chocolate pudding cake? 

For this recipe we will be using some pretty standard ingreidents that are easy to find. You’ll need instant pudding and the ingredients to prepare it according to the box, whipped topping, graham crackers (you can use regular, gluten free, chocolate ones, whatever you like), and whatever kind of syrup you want on top.

We have used chocolate syrup in the past, fudge sauce, caramel, and even salted caramel or mocha syrup would be great to top things off!

You can find the full amounts and ingredients in the recipe card at the bottom of the post!

Kitchen essentials for tasty recipes like this:

When you head into the kitchen to make some of these great recipes (like no bake chocolate pudding cake) you’ll want to have the best tools on hand. We’ll be using a casserole style baking dish for this recipe and here are some of my other favorite kitchen tools for baking!

I like half sheet baking pans that are quality (hello no noisy pops or sloshed cookie dough from twisting), I line my cookie sheets with silicone baking mats. These are a must when doing cake mix recipes which can settle and become thin at lot easier than traditional cookie dough. 

Of course mixing bowls, a mixer, spatula, and some whisks should be on your list if you don’t have ones that you love. I also like to have a set of cooling racks so that my recipes can properly cool before they’re scarfed down by my family!

How do I make this no bake cake recipe? 

This one is really simple. I’ll show you step by step how we prepare this chocolate pudding cake recipe. Once you try it out you’ll never want to go back to baking cakes. This indulgent and chocolatey dessert is always a hit so make sure you save some to share!

Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray

Prepare the pudding according to the box directions.

Lay out half of the graham crackers in the pan (You may have to break some of the graham crackers up to make sure you fit in as many as you can to make a bottom crust.)

Cover the graham crackers with half of the pudding. Smooth it out so it is good and even.

Layer the remaining graham crackers over the pudding layer.

Cover the graham cracker layer with the remaining pudding. Top with the whipped topping. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours.

Drizzle the chocolate syrup diagonally over the cake. Next drizzle the caramel syrup diagonally going in the opposite direction. Finally sprinkle a bit of salt. Enjoy!

How do I serve this pudding cake?

It is really going to depend on how the cake comes out. There are sometimes when I make this that it is just like cutting a cake. Other times when I make it I need to use a spoon to serve.

It’ll depend how well your pudding sets up and also how long you give it to rest in the refrigerator.

One tip I can give is that a good metal spatula makes the cutting and serving aspects a lot easier!

What should I use to top my quick and easy pudding cake?

There are so many great ways to top this delicious cake recipe. Caramel or chocolate drizzle are two of the easiest and most obvious answers here but I think it would delicious to branch out and add some cherries, strawberries, or other fruit on top of each piece as well.

I haven’t tried this yet but I think it would be pretty easy to layer the fruit in before the cool whip topping as well.

I’ll have to give it a try and update you on how that works out, I think it’ll be delicious with some fresh strawberries this summer!

Have you ever had a chocolate pudding cake? What other pudding flavors would you like to use?

I think my  next one needs to be made with banana pudding and sliced bananas. Would make for such a delicious banana pudding cake with no actual baking involved! Hooray for easy dessert recipes!

Where can I find other easy and delicious dessert recipes?

Right here of course! Here are some of my other favorites that you should definitely try out and see for yourself why we love making no bake desserts!

• Easy Apple Fritters Recipe
• Easy No Bake Eclair Cake
• No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Bites
• No Bake Christmas Cookies
• Easy No Bake Cracker Candy Treats
• No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
• No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake

Printable No Bake Pudding Cake Recipe: