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Home » Recipes » Courses » Desserts » No Bake Desserts

Cream Puff Cake (No Bake)

Published: Feb 10, 2023 by Terri Gilson · Modified: Feb 10, 2023 · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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cream puff dessert with a piece missing

If you love cream puffs, you will LOVE this No Bake Cream Puff Cake! It's like a cream puff but in cake form. With layers of pastry, vanilla pudding and cream cheese, and whipped cream, my recipe is much easier because it's NO BAKE!

cream puff dessert in a glass dish with plates and a bowl of cream puffs in background

This Cream Puff Dessert is 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.

Jump to:
  • 🥘Ingredients
  • 🔪Instructions
  • 📖Variations & Substitutions
  • 🥗 Main Dishes
  • 🍽Equipment
  • 🌡️Storage
  • 👪 Serving Size
  • 🔢WW Points
  • 💭Top tip
  • 📋Cream Puff Cake Recipe (No Bake)

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.

a piece of cream puff dessert on a white plate with a fork and pan of cream puff dessert in the background

🥘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 mimic the texture and taste of choux pastry and are 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:

cream puff cake ingredients, in glass bowls, labelled,
  • 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

croissant cut in half, lining the bottom of a 9X13 glass dish

Cut croissants in half. Then line the bottom of a 9X13 pan with half pieces of croissant, soft side up.

cream cheese bar mixed with pudding mixture in large glass bowl with electric hand mixer

In a large mixing bowl, beat the milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes on low until it starts to thicken.

Mix cream cheese into the bowl.

cream cheese mixed with pudding mixture and beaten until smooth in large glass bowl with electric mixer

Beat cream cheese with pudding until smooth.

whipping cream beaten to soft peaks with sugar added

In a separate mixing bowl, beat whipped cream to soft peaks, then add sugar

whipped cream beaten to stiff peaks in a glass bowl

Beat whipped cream to stiff peaks

pudding cream cheese mixture dropped in spoonfuls on croissants in glass dish

Drop pudding mixture in large spoonfuls over croissants (this will prevent crumbs from getting mixed in with the pudding mixture)

pudding layer being spread evenly with a black spatula

Spread pudding layer evenly, with a black spatula

whipped cream dropped by spoonful over pudding layer

Drop whipped cream over pudding mixture.

whipped cream layer spread evenly over pudding layer

Spread whipped cream evenly over pudding layer

cream puff dessert container with a red lid on it for storage

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 cream puffs and drizzle with chocolate syrup.

You can also drizzle chocolate over each piece, as you serve.

cream puff dessert with a piece missing

Hint: Drizzle the chocolate syrup 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 or chocolate ganache

🥗 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
beef on a bun on a grey plate with coleslaw and beans


🍽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 cream puff cake recipe.

🌡️Storage

Store leftover cream puff dessert in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 4-5 days. 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.

bite of cream puff dessert being held up over a slice of cream puff dessert

🔢WW Points

Although this recipe 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! It's one of my family's favorite desserts.

cream puff dessert in a glass dish with plates and a bowl of cream puffs in background
Food Meandering Logo

📋Cream Puff Cake Recipe (No Bake)

If you love cream puffs, you are going to LOVE this No Bake Cream Puff Cake! With layers of creamy filling on a pastry crust, it's like a dreamy cream puff in cake form! And my recipe is much easier because it's NO BAKE!
Print Pin Rate
Course: desssert
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Keyword: cake, cream puff, dessert
Special Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 560kcal
Author: Terri Gilson
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Prevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

hand mixer
stand mixer
an array of colorful spatulas
spatula
mixing bowl
9X13 glass baking dish

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)
US Customary - Metric

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.
      croissant cut in half, lining the bottom of a 9X13 glass dish
    • 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.
      cream cheese bar mixed with pudding mixture in large glass bowl with electric hand mixer
    • Beat cream cheese and pudding until smooth.
      cream cheese mixed with pudding mixture and beaten until smooth in large glass bowl with electric mixer
    • In a separate mixing bowl, beat whipped cream to soft peaks, then add sugar
      whipping cream beaten to soft peaks with sugar added
    • Beat to stiff peaks
      whipped cream beaten to stiff peaks in a glass bowl
    • Drop pudding mixture in large spoonfuls over croissants (this will prevent crumbs from getting mixed in with the pudding mixture).
      pudding cream cheese mixture dropped in spoonfuls on croissants in glass dish
    • Spread pudding evenly.
      pudding layer being spread evenly with a black spatula
    • Drop whipped cream by spoonful over pudding mixture.
      whipped cream dropped by spoonful over pudding layer
    • Spread whipped cream evenly.
      whipped cream layer spread evenly over pudding layer
    • Store in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours/overnight to 24 hours *This step is important because the crust needs time to soften!*
      cream puff dessert container with a red lid on it for storage
    • Just before serving, add cream puffs and drizzle with chocolate syrup. *Add more cream puffs as garnish, to your preference, if you desire.
      cream puff dessert in a glass dish with plates and a bowl of cream puffs in background

    Notes

    💭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.
    Nutrition Facts
    📋Cream Puff Cake Recipe (No Bake)
    Amount Per Serving (1 piece)
    Calories 560 Calories from Fat 360
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 40g62%
    Saturated Fat 25g156%
    Trans Fat 0.1g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
    Monounsaturated Fat 10g
    Cholesterol 125mg42%
    Sodium 345mg15%
    Potassium 262mg7%
    Carbohydrates 43g14%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 31g34%
    Protein 8g16%
    Vitamin A 1608IU32%
    Vitamin C 1mg1%
    Calcium 179mg18%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1piece | Calories: 560kcal (28%) | Carbohydrates: 43g (14%) | Protein: 8g (16%) | Fat: 40g (62%) | Saturated Fat: 25g (156%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 125mg (42%) | Sodium: 345mg (15%) | Potassium: 262mg (7%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 31g (34%) | Vitamin A: 1608IU (32%) | Vitamin C: 1mg (1%) | Calcium: 179mg (18%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)
    Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review below!
    Rate this Recipe

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    I'm Terri, a passionate home cook and baker, an award-winning recipe developer and a busy working mom that is trying to eat healthy and fit everything into not enough hours in a day! My mission is to share not only my recipes, cooking hacks and tips with you, but also my secrets to successful weight maintenance.

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