Chocolate Eclairs in a Jar

One of my fondest memories growing up has to do with food- Shocker! From hoarding the snacks so my brother wouldn’t eat them all to begging and pleading with my Aunt Rhonda (Nana) to make her famous chocolate eclair dessert I guess I was meant to be in or at least near a kitchen for the rest of my life.

The melt in your mouth chocolate, the rich creamy pudding, the crunchy graham bites and the cold glass of milk alongside makes this dessert rather extraordinary even though it could not be easier. DON”T HATE- typically one would not try to make things harder on themselves than it has to be but as we have already addressed here on Kitchen Belleicious, yours truly is anything but typical when it comes to cooking. Not that there was any need to make the vanilla pudding from scratch for the eclairs but I couldn’t resist using my new vanilla sugar to make homemade vanilla pudding with its thick creamy goodness to not only reside in the eclairs but to also set aside a little something sweet for me late at night.

Question- Did the homemade vanilla pudding measure up or prove better than using the store bought vanilla pudding mix? WELL NO! I mean not really. I liked the fact there was a little more vanilla flavor and the extra thickness (although slight) was nice but honestly if you weigh the pros and cons the CONS stack up nicely in a little pile called TOO MUCH TIME! Way to much time to make your own pudding from scratch for this overly simple dessert. Honestly it kinda took the fun out of making this dessert that I can just see my Nana putting together in a matter of minutes. Moral of the story- go simple go store-bought and create the desserts in a jar like I did. It is the perfect way to dress up the presentation and a great way to present and devour them! It is simply the perfect summer dessert.

Be sure to check out my latest post on Belleicious Kids- Carrot Cake Banana Breakfast Cookies! Cookies for Breakfast? Yes, dreams do come true!

And if you are interested in baby food- my latest post for Sweet Green Peas and Apples is YUMMY!

Eclairs in a Jar
 
Ingredients
  • 1-2 sleeves Graham crackers
  • 1 tub chocolate frosting
  • For the Pudding:
  • 2⅔ cups whole milk
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp vanilla sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 8 ounces of whipped cream
Instructions
  1. 1. Break graham crackers into small pieces and line the bottom of jars with them.
  2. 2. Mix up the cream.
  3. Bring 2 cups of the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan. While it is heating, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and vanilla sugar in the bottom of a medium, heatproof bowl. Gradually whisk in the remaining ⅔ cup whole milk, a little at a time so lumps do not form, then whisk in the egg. Once milk is boiling, very gradually add it to the cornstarch mixture in the bowl, whisking the whole time.
  4. Return the mixture back to the saucepan, stirring constantly with a silicon spatula or wooden spoon. Once it comes to a simmer, cook it for one minute longer (which will cook the cornstarch and egg fully). Stir in vanilla extract and whipping cream. Divide cream mixture among jars. Fill about ⅔ to ¾ full.
  5. 3. Top with another layer of grahams. Break up here and cover entire surface as well as possible.
  6. 4. Finish off with a thick layer of frosting spread across the top like a lid.
  7. 5. Refrigerate for 8 hours with no lid then cover with lid for another 10 hours.
Notes
eclair recipe from my Nana
pudding recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Photobucket

53 comments

  1. Baker Street

    What a fabulous idea! Absolutely genius! I would totally want to sneak this to work for an after lunch treat! 🙂

  2. Mary

    You’ve done it again! These sound great!

  3. vianney

    so cute and sooooo tasty!!

  4. Kelli H

    Yum, I love the idea of puttingit into a jar. How cute is that! This will be fun for the kids to make.

    1. kbelleicious

      Yes! The kids will love to help you. I let G do it but the ones he did were not suitable to photo for the blog:) LOL! He did good just messy!

  5. Torrie @ a place to share...

    gorgeous pictures in this post jessica!!!

  6. sara@domesticallychallenged

    No way. These look amazing. They are on my to-make list now!

    1. kbelleicious

      I am holding you to that! You must make them!

  7. Marina@ Picnic at Marina

    What a cute looking and great tasting dessert! I love the idea, 🙂

  8. balvinder ( Neetu)

    Wow! What a fantastic way to serve chocolate eclairs. It does sound easy.

  9. yummychunklet

    What a cute idea! Love the raffia ribbon decoration.

    1. kbelleicious

      ha- thanks! The rafta was a little something extra- I am trying to food style the only way I know how to in the 3 seconds I have to take a pic before the boys need me:)

  10. Allison @ Alli 'n Son

    It’s like you are in my head with your recipes lately. I’ve been dreaming of eclair recipes for my husband. He loves eclairs. And nutter butters. 🙂

  11. Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking

    Oh this not only sounds delicious but looks adorable. I have made our own chocolate and vanilla pudding for years now so this will be a breeze for me to make. Thanks . I plan on making this tomorrow!!

  12. Marina {YummyMummyKitchen.com}

    Ohmygosh – amazing! I love eclairs but haven’t had them since I was a little girl. Will have to make this.

  13. Mandy - The Complete Cook Book

    What a fantastic and fun idea. I bet the little ones would enjoy putting this one together too. Perfect to take a long on a picnic, especially in the little jars.
    🙂 Mandy

    1. kbelleicious

      Yes friend- perfect for a picnic or outdoor party!

  14. Nami | Just One Cookbook

    This is a brilliant idea! I love how delicious this looks. You always come up with irresistible desserts…. 🙂

  15. Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen

    These are precious in the jar. Children of all ages will love these. Thanks for the advice about the pudding.
    Sam

  16. Lena

    yum, they look irresistible! i feel like licking it off from my computer screen and i like your little jars! have a nice day! Hugs!

  17. val

    I grew up eating eclairs and they were a huge weakness of mine. I loved them so much. I love your presentation of them. Outstanding my friend.

    1. kbelleicious

      blushing again!

  18. Eva

    Too bad the pudding turned out to be not enough bang for the buck. I always have custard powder at home (a trick my Mom always used) which makes a delicious vanilla ‘pudding’ in a pinch and it’s not the fake vanilla flavours of the boxed puddings out there. This dessert looks absolutely decadent, Jessica and I just love the presentation.

  19. daphne

    oh my.. give me that jar right now!! I want that sugar now!

  20. Karen (Back Road Journal)

    Cute dessert. Simple is perfect for summer desserts. You don’t need to be spending time in the kitchen on a lovely summer day.

  21. Bree

    These would make the cutest gifts!

  22. Sweetflours

    Omg! My kids would go nuts for these. I actually have a tub of frosting and instant pudding but, no graham crackers. These will be the perfect treat for an afternoon at the beach. I can’t wait!

  23. Joanne

    I’ve always wanted to try my hand at eclairs but this looks way easier and more delicious than whipping up a batch of pate a choux! Delicious!

    1. kbelleicious

      yes why go to the trouble of making the pastry when yo can do this in less than 30 minutes. Although if you do end up making the real thing- I will need a dozen please!

  24. Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen

    What a fun idea and such a fun twist on a classic!

  25. Veronica's Kitchen

    This dessert is amazing! It may not keep for long in a jar at my fridge!

  26. chocolate shavings

    Those look perfect – and love that theres in a jar!

  27. kankana

    Now see I was a horrible eater as a kid. Mom had to always run behind me!
    This not only sounds yum but also looks gorgeous.. LOVE the presentation.

  28. Katerina

    I love your presentation but also I love the flavors of this pudding! This wouldn’t last for a second day at my house!

    1. kbelleicious

      they didn’t last much longer than a second at mine! Thanks so much for stopping by!

  29. sonia

    Hi there, Its always fun to see ur lovely recipes. And this one is looking amazing. I am a big fan of Eclairs and used to relish it sooo much as a kid. I am so tempted to make it on my isle some day pretty soon. Enjoy your weekend.
    Thank you so much for stopping by my space and the warm words. Best Regards, Sonia

  30. Jane Kirn

    Oh Lisa, you hit a nerve here, a good one!! You must lay awake thinking about recipes. Or your kids give you ideas. What a keeper. Do you think using chocolate syrup in place of chocolate frosting would work for this one? Great comfort gifts. I am back…

    1. kbelleicious

      How did you know? I think about new recipes all day long- even when I should be focusing on something or someone else:)

  31. Geni

    This one looks like it would certainly satisfy a late night chocolate craving! YUM!

    1. kbelleicious

      Late night, early morning and afternoon craving! Lol!

  32. Mary

    This is just SO perfect! so delicious and so pretty!
    Mary x

    1. kbelleicious

      thanks Mary!

  33. 2sistersrecipes.com

    HI Jessica! I love to see what you’re cooking every week! Thank you for your lovely comments, I have been MIA for a while. We ‘re moving to Charleston, South Carolina in 2 weeks and its been so busy, you can imagine! Love the jar idea! : ) Anna

    1. kbelleicious

      Oh I hope the move goes well! Will be thinking of you and thanks for taking time to stop by when your so busy

  34. Baking Serendipity

    I love desserts in jars…and eclairs are so creative!

  35. Sawsan (Chef in disguise)

    This is a brilliant idea! My kids will call me a hero if I made this!

    1. kbelleicious

      oh i think you are already a hero- you amaze me in the kitchen! So glad you stopped by

  36. Nancy

    love that you did this dessert in a jar. I am coming from FB where I saw your post and all the comment and just had to come see your site for myself! I love it

  37. kbelleicious

    i feel the same way when I visit your site. Next on my list is your homemade vanilla sugar

  38. kbelleicious

    i feel the same way when I visit your site. Next on my list is your homemade vanilla sugar

  39. Sook

    Wow. Eclairs in a jar! How cool is that? I love eclairs. And I really like the idea of making it in a jar. Looks much easier!

  40. Laura

    HI, just wondering what size and type of jars you use for this desert ? I’m trying to buy some online and getting confused between 1 pint and 1/2 pint wide mouth jars ?? I’m in Australia and we don’t measure by pints… thanks

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