No-Bake Smores Icebox Cake: 5-Ingredient Picnic Dessert
A simple, crowd-pleasing no-bake dessert that layers graham crackers, whipped topping, and chocolate chips. It requires zero oven time and travels perfectly for picnics.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 box standard honey graham crackers
- 12-ounce tub frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 1 to 1.5 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Optional: 1 cup mini marshmallows
- Optional: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cooking spray or butter for greasing dish
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
- Thaw the whipped topping at room temperature for 10-15 minutes until soft but still cold.
- Pour the thawed whipped topping into a large mixing bowl and gently fold in the chocolate chips (and vanilla if using) using a spatula.
- Break graham crackers to fit the dish and lay down a single, tight layer at the bottom.
- Spread half of the chocolate-whipped cream mixture evenly over the first cracker layer.
- Add a second layer of graham crackers, ensuring no gaps.
- Spread the remaining whipped cream mixture over the second cracker layer.
- Add a final layer of graham crackers on top and press gently.
- Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over the top layer.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Slice into squares and serve cold.
Notes
Do not skip the chill time; crackers need at least 4 hours to soften. Fold the chocolate into the cream gently to avoid deflating the whipped topping. Keep the cake cold until serving to maintain structure. For picnics, let it sit out for 10-15 minutes before serving to soften the chocolate slightly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square slice
- Calories: 275
- Sugar: 20
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
Keywords: no-bake dessert, s'mores, icebox cake, picnic dessert, graham crackers, whipped cream, chocolate chips, easy dessert, summer dessert, crowd-pleaser