Eclair Recipe

You haven’t enjoyed an eclair until you’ve tried a fresh homemade eclair filled to the brim with pastry cream and topped with chocolate ganache. Watch the video tutorial and you will master this eclairs recipe in no time.

Learn how to make classic “choux pastry” (the same pastry used for cream puffs) and a decadent vanilla bean pastry cream that will have you licking the spoon and the bowl.

Classic Eclair Recipe

You haven’t enjoyed an Eclair until you’ve tried a fresh homemade eclair! Learn how to make Eclairs with choux pastry, pastry cream and chocolate glaze.

Prep: 40min

Total: 120min

Yield: 18

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 241 kcal, Carbohydrate 20 g, Protein 4 g, Fat 15 g, Saturated Fat 9 g, Cholesterol 115 mg, Sodium 71 mg, Sugar 12 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped ((or 2 tsp vanilla extract))
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 pinch salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (*)
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Instruction:

1. Bake at 425˚F for 10 minutes. Without opening oven, reduce temp to 325˚F and, bake 30 minutes longer or until golden brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool while making pastry cream.
2. With a small pastry tip, poke 2-3 holes through the bottom of each cooled pastry. Pipe cream inside, scraping off excess. Refrigerate eclairs while making chocolate glaze.
3. Dip the top half of filled and chilled eclairs into the chocolate sauce, allowing excess to drip off.

Cream Puffs and Éclairs

The same easy choux pastry batter makes the light and airy confections we know as cream puffs, éclairs, and profiteroles. Cream puffs, round and fat, are filled with whipped cream and dusted with a blizzard of confectioners’ sugar. Pipe the choux pastry into longer ropes, you end up with log-shaped éclairs, ready to be filled with pastry cream and drizzled with chocolate icing. Or make profiteroles: fill cream puff shells with ice cream and drizzle with chocolate sauce for an elegant dessert.

Prep: 20min

Total: 1h5min

Yield: 12 cream puffs

Serving Size: 108g

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 108g, calories 310 calories, Carbohydrate 15g, Cholesterol 130mg, Fiber 1g, Protein 5g, Sodium 110mg, Sugar 5g, Fat 27g, Saturated Fat 16g, Trans Fat 1g

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (227g) water
• 8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter
• 3/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups (150g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups (454g) heavy cream or whipping cream
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar or to taste
• 1 teaspoon King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract
• Pastry Cream
• 1 cup (170g) chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate chopped
• 1/2 cup (113g) heavy cream or whipping cream

Instruction:

Before you begin: note that the pastry recipe will make 12 cream puffs OR 20 to 24 éclairs. The filling recipes (whipped cream, and pastry cream) make enough for 12 pastries each. The icing recipe is a generous amount for icing 2 dozen éclairs. If you simply want to drizzle the éclairs with icing, cut both the chocolate and cream in half., Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets., Combine the water, butter, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan, heat until the butter has melted, and bring to a rolling boil., Remove the pan from the heat, and add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously., Return the pan to the burner and cook over medium heat, stirring all the while, until the mixture smooths out and follows the spoon around the pan; this should take less than a minute., Remove the pan from the heat, and let the mixture cool for 5 to 10 minutes. It’ll still feel hot, but you should be able to hold a finger in it for a few seconds. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the temperature should be below 125°F., Transfer the mixture to a mixer, and beat in the eggs one at a time; it’ll look curdled at first, but when you add the last egg it should become smooth. Beat for at least 2 minutes after adding the last egg., For cream puffs: Using a generously filled tablespoon cookie scoop, or a level muffin scoop, drop the thick batter onto the prepared baking sheets in 3- to 4-tablespoon mounds. Space the mounds about 3″ apart, to allow for expansion. For éclairs: Using a pastry bag, pipe the batter into 5″ logs about 1/2″ to 3/4″ in diameter. If you don’t have a pastry bag, place a sandwich bag into a glass, rolling its edge over the rim to hold it in place. Spoon the batter into the bag. Cut off 1 corner of the bag, making a 1/2″ cut. Squeeze the batter onto the baking sheet through the hole in the corner., Bake the pastries for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 25 minutes, until pastries are a medium golden brown. Don’t open the oven door while the pastries are baking., Remove the pastries from the oven. Make a small slit in the top of each, and return them to the oven for 5 minutes, to allow the steam to escape. Place them on a rack to cool. When they’re cool enough to handle, split each in half to make top and bottom pieces; splitting and exposing the centers to air will help keep them from becoming soggy., To make the cream puff filling: Pour the cream into a mixing bowl, and begin to whip it on high speed (using your mixer’s whisk attachment, if you have one). Sprinkle in the sugar gradually as the cream whips. Whip until stiff, but be careful not to over-whip; cream should still look smooth. , Fill the bottom halves of the puffs with whipped cream, then replace their tops. Dust with confectioners’ sugar, and serve., To make the éclair filling: Prepare your favorite pastry cream filling; see tips below for our favorite. You’ll need about 3 cups of filling., Spoon the filling into the éclair shells., To make the icing: Place the chocolate chips or chunks and cream in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup., Heat over low heat (or in the microwave) until the cream is very hot., Remove from the heat, and stir until the chocolate melts and the icing is smooth. Spoon over the éclairs, spreading to the edges. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Eclair Recipe

Let’s make bakery-style eclairs at home! I promise, it’s really easy to make with very basic ingredients. Plus, 8 tips to perfect eclair shells every time!

Prep: 60min

Total: 180min

Yield: 24

Serving Size: 1 filled and glazed eclair

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 filled and glazed eclair, calories 153 kcal, Sugar 5 g, Sodium 83 mg, Fat 11 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Carbohydrate 11 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 3 g, Cholesterol 87 mg, Trans Fat 1 g, unSaturated Fat 4 g

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (240ml) water
• ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon (15g) granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
• 4-5 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 2 cups (500g) milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup (70g) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30g) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons (16g) cornstarch
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream (cold)
• ½ cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup (50g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)

Instruction:

1. Transfer the shells onto a wire rack and cool completely before filling.
2. Whip heavy whipping cream till hard peaks form. Fold in the whipped cream into the chilled pastry cream and gently fold until well combined. Transfer the filling into a large pastry bag fitted with a round tip.
3. Heat heavy cream until just simmer. Do not boil. Pour it over chocolate chips, and let it sit for good 2 minutes. Then stir it until smooth for couple minutes. Stir in butter to add some shine.
4. Let the eclairs set for about 1 hour in the fridge before serving.

Best Chocolate Eclair Recipe