Delicious "no-bake" dessert with COOL WHIP Whipped Topping...

Thank you COOL WHIP for sponsoring this post. Join us on Facebook for inspiration and recipes for everyday treats. What you add makes it. #coolwhipmoms
 

If you're like me, I have certain dishes that I only make during the summer and others that I only make during the cooler months.  I LOVE to bake but, unfortunately, summer is often full of "no bake" desserts because let's face it...it's hot out and I don't want to turn the oven on! 

I'm always on the lookout for a refreshing summer dessert and this No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake doesn't disappoint!  It’s a deliciously creamy dessert that’s sure to be a hit with the crowd…who doesn’t like chocolate and COOL WHIP? It's the perfect dessert to bring to a cookout or for a summer birthday and has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember.

This No-Bake Chocolate Éclair Cake is definitely going to be in the summer rotation a lot this summer!  It's no bake, but is certainly delicious!

For this No-Bake Chocolate Éclair Cake, you start with graham crackers, vanilla pudding (or French vanilla pudding), and COOL WHIP…all ingredients that I almost always have in my pantry and refrigerator/freezer.

You start by mixing the pre-made pudding and COOL WHIP together.  Just a little taste of that mixture alone is worth making the No-Bake Chocolate Éclair Cake!   

 

Layer graham crackers in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish...you will have to break some up to fill up the bottom of the dish.
 

Then layer this fluffy pudding/COOL WHIP mixture on top of the graham crackers and repeat.  
 

 

 Top all of those layers with a delicious chocolate topping, almost like a ganache, and you have one wonderful, creamy, delicious summer dessert!

No- Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake

Filling:

2  boxes vanilla (or french vanilla) instant pudding

3 c. milk

1 (8 oz) container COOL WHIP

1 box of graham crackers

Topping:

1/3 c. cocoa

1 c. sugar

1/4 c. milk

1 stick butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix pudding and milk.  (My pudding called for 2 cups of milk per box, but I cut it down to 3 cups total...I like the pudding/COOL WHIP mixture to be a little thicker.) Stir in COOL WHIP. 

 

Place a layer of graham crackers in the bottom of a 9x13" dish. Spread half of the pudding/COOL WHIP mixture over the graham crackers. Repeat with another layer of graham crackers and pudding/COOL WHIP mixture; then top with a final layer of graham crackers.

For the topping, bring cocoa, milk, and sugar to a boil.  Boil about 1 minute, stirring very frequently. Remove from heat and cool one minute. Add butter and vanilla; stir until butter is melted. Pour over the top layer of graham crackers. Refrigerate over night.

Do you have a special dessert you'd like to share? Enter COOL WHIP's Fan Dessert of the Month Contest for a chance to win $500! Simply make a COOL WHIP dessert, take a photo, and upload it here. Enter now!

Sponsored posts are purely editorial content that I am pleased to have presented by a participating sponsor. Advertisers do not produce the content. I was compensated for this post as a member of Clever Girls Collective, but the content and opinions are all my own.

 

baseball, mashed potatoes, and country crock...

 

This post is sponsored by Country Crock. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

We LOVE baseball in our house!  My husband played baseball from the time he could play tee ball until he got the opportunity to travel to Cuba (twice!) to play the game with a USA team.  So, from the time we found out we were expecting a baby boy, almost 5 years ago, I knew that baseball would be a big part of our family. Grayson has been “playing” baseball since he was big enough to hold a bat.   

 Grayson, age 2

Naturally,  when I saw this “Out of the Park Baseballs” recipe in the Clare Crespo Cookbook, I knew it would be a great way to encourage my non-veggie-loving boy to try some vegetables.

 
The recipe is super simple, probably similar to most of the mashed potato recipes that you’re used to using, except it includes Country Crock spread and a small bit of sour cream!  I don't know about you, but I'm sure to love any recipe that includes sour cream!

Once you cook and mash the potato mixture, you simply scoop it out using an ice cream scoop and add the bell pepper "laces".  Wouldn’t these “Out of the Park Baseballs” be fun to serve for a family dinner or summer barbecue with friends?

I have to admit that I felt a little like a food stylist while arranging the potatoes on the plate and placing the bell pepper "laces" on the potato "baseballs." :)  Served alongside some chicken tenders, this a great kid-friendly meal.

Clare Crespo’s cookbook, A Very Veggie World: A Delicious Rainbow of 25 Recipes Your Family Will Love, is filled with other fun recipes that help parents to incorporate more vegetables in their kids’ diet, but in a fun way.   I love what Clare says in the introduction to this free cookbook:

“Now that I’m a mom, I know the importance of nutritious meals, but I also still believe nutritious food should be fun to eat. That’s why I’ve partnered with Country Crock® to create this quirky collection of good-for-you dishes spotlighting the colorful and delicious world of vegetables. They found out that eight out of ten kids think that vegetables with Country Crock® are delicious.”

Many of the recipes in Clare Crespo’s book would be great for your kids to help you fix! In the book you’ll find Pizza Flags, Veggie Pets, Mt. Veggie Volcanoes, and Hash Brains.  Some of the recipes are a little more entailed, but there are at least a few steps in each recipe that your kiddo can help you with…starting with picking out the veggies at the grocery store!

What tips or tricks do you have for encouraging your kiddos to eat vegetables or for serving balanced, nutritious meals to your family?  Please share in the comments!

Are you looking for quick and simple tips and recipes to make serving veggies more fun? Download the free Clare Crespo Cookbook here for fun and whimsical recipes your family is sure to love!