If you love cream puffs, you will LOVE this No Bake Cream Puff Dessert! It's like a cream puff but in a layered dessert form. It has layers of pastry and a delicious filling made with vanilla pudding cream cheese, then it's topped with whipped cream and cream puffs. But the best part is my recipe is much easier because it's NO BAKE!
This Cream Puff Dessert is like eating a cream puff in cake form. It's a fun and decadent dessert that's great for game day, potlucks, BBQ's or anytime you are craving cream puffs! And it's popular any time of the year. This recipe was inspired by my Cheater Eclairs and pairs well with my Slow Cooker Beef on a Bun.
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I discovered cream puffs years ago at a daycare Christmas party for my kids and couldn't get enough! We always buy them as a special treat.
🥘Ingredients
Most cream puff cakes require baking a choux pastry layer, but that is a lot of unnecessary work (and choux pastry is a pain to make)! I use store-bought croissants, which mimics the texture and taste of a crispy choux pastry base and serves as the cream puff crust. The vanilla pudding, with cream cheese and whipping cream, mimics the cream filling (pastry cream).
For this cream puff dessert recipe, you'll need the following simple ingredients:
- 4 large croissants
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 ½ cups cold milk
- 6.8 ounces -packages of vanilla instant pudding mix (2 -3.4 ounce packages)
- 3 cups whipping cream (heavy cream)
- 2 tbsp white granulated sugar
- Garnish: cream puffs (optional) and chocolate syrup
*See recipe card for more details
🔪Instructions
Cut croissants in half. Then line the bottom of a 9X13 pan with half pieces of croissant, soft side up. This will be your cream puff crust.
In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes on low until it starts to thicken.
Mix cream cheese into the bowl with the creamy pudding.
Beat cream cheese with pudding until smooth.
In a separate mixing bowl, beat whipped cream to soft peaks, then add sugar
Beat whipped cream to stiff peaks with wire whisk attachment or regular beaters
Drop pudding mixture in large spoonfuls over croissants (this will prevent crumbs from getting mixed in with the pudding mixture)
Spread pudding layer evenly, with a black spatula
Drop whipped cream over pudding mixture.
Spread whipped cream evenly over pudding layer
Store in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap or a lid, for at least 8 hours/overnight (and up to 24 hours) before serving *This step is important, as the crust needs time to soften!
Just before serving, add individual cream puffs and drizzle with chocolate syrup.
You can also drizzle chocolate over each piece, as you serve.
Serve it with fresh fruit or a fruit salad, if desired.
Hint: Drizzle chocolate syrup straight from the bottle in a quick back-and-forth motion. Alternatively, you could put it in a ziplock, cut off a corner, and drizzle it that way.
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Whipped cream - you can use Cool Whip instead of whipped cream or another type of whipped topping.
- Milk - You can use whatever milk you have on hand (1%, 2%, or whole). * If you use skim milk, only use 3 cups
- Chocolate syrup - you could use a different kind of chocolate sauce, chocolate ganache or a drizzle of rich hot fudge sauce, or melt chocolate chips to drizzle (just be sure to melt them on ½ power if using the microwave or they will seize)
🥗 Main Dishes
This layered cream puff cake is great for game day, a party, BBQ, or potluck and goes well with so many dishes including:
- Slow Cooker Beef on a Bun (shown)
- Pork & Beef Stovetop Chili
- Healthy Pizza Casserole Recipe
- Smoky Mesquite BBQ Slow Cooker Beer Ribs
🍽Equipment
You will need an electric mixer (a stand mixer or a hand mixer), a 9X13 pan (I like to use my glass baking dish with lid), spatulas, and mixing bowls (affiliate links) for this easy make-ahead dessert.
🌡️Storage
Store leftover cream puff dessert in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 4-5 days. If you're just storing it overnight, you can cover it with plastic wrap. These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
👪 Serving Size
This recipe makes 12 servings. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the blue serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🔢WW Points
Although this Easy Cream Puff Dessert is very indulgent, it can be made Weight Watchers friendlier if you don't mind using sugar-free products. You can use sugar-free vanilla pudding and sugar-free chocolate syrup. You can also use fat-free/sugar-free Cool Whip, as well as fat-free cream cheese.
💭Top tip
It's critical that this dessert sits overnight (at least) and even better if you make it a day in advance (24 hours) The pastry needs a chance to soften, so if you try to eat it earlier, the pastry will be tougher.
If you are looking for an easy dessert recipe, or a no bake dessert that will be loved by all, make this yummy easy Cream Puff Cake! You get the flavors of a cream puff all in one easy dessert. It's one of my family's favorite desserts!
📋Cream Puff Dessert Recipe (No Bake)
Ingredients
- 4 large croissants
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 3 ½ cups cold milk
- 6.8 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix (2 -3.4 ounce packages)
- 3 cups whipping cream (heavy cream)
- 2 tablespoon white granulated sugar
Garnish
- Chocolate sundae syrup
- cream puffs (optional)
Instructions
*By default, the instruction photos will NOT print. If you want them to print, you need to select instruction images box.
HEADS UP! This recipe needs to be refrigerated at least 8 hours (up to 24 hrs, ideally) before serving.
- Cut croissants in half. Then line the bottom of a 9X13 pan with ½ pieces of croissant, soft side up.
- In a large bowl, beat the milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes on low until it starts to thicken.Beat in softened cream cheese.
- Beat cream cheese and pudding until smooth.
- In a separate mixing bowl, beat whipped cream to soft peaks, then add sugar
- Beat to stiff peaks
- Drop pudding mixture in large spoonfuls over croissants (this will prevent crumbs from getting mixed in with the pudding mixture).
- Spread pudding evenly.
- Drop whipped cream by spoonful over pudding mixture.
- Spread whipped cream evenly.
- Store in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours/overnight to 24 hours *This step is important because the crust needs time to soften!*
- Just before serving, add cream puffs and drizzle with chocolate syrup. *Add more cream puffs as garnish, to your preference, if you desire.
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