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These classic eclairs are made of crisp choux pastry, rich and creamy fillings, and silky chocolate glaze. Follow my detailed guide to make the perfect homemade chocolate eclairs every time.
This dessert has a reputation for being quite difficult. But after experimenting multiple times, I’ve found the best way to make homemade eclairs. Follow my detailed tips, and soon you will be making batches of eclairs, profiteroles, and cream puffs by the dozen! Everyone will love the flaky crisp choux pastries filled with your favorite cream and topped with delicious chocolate glaze.
Table of Contents
Watch how to make eclairs
Ingredients
To prepare this homemade eclair recipe, you need only three elements: the choux pastry buns, your filling of choice, and the glaze.
Choux Pastry: You need flour, unsalted butter, cane sugar, vanilla extract, milk, water, salt, and eggs.
The filling options: There are tons of ways to customize these classic eclairs. I love alternating between vanilla custard, chocolate pastry cream (creme patissiere), and a simple whipped cream filling. You can also use curds, jams, chocolate ganache, diplomat cream, etc.
The glaze: You need heavy cream and chocolate (baking chocolate or chocolate chips) to make this super simple glaze.
How to make eclairs: step-by-step
Step 1: Make the choux pastry for eclairs: First, add butter, water, milk, sugar, and salt to a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted and the sugar and salt are dissolved; then bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and add the flour, stirring until lump-free and incorporated.
Set the dough aside to cool for 10 minutes. In the meantime, whisk the eggs. Add one egg (1/4 cup) at a time to the dough and mix with a wooden spoon or hand mixer until smooth and glossy. For more tips, check my post on how to make choux pastry.
Step 2: Pipe the choux pastry: Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Pipe the dough into 8 eclairs on a parchment-paper-lined baking tray using a piping or pastry bag. Smooth down any peaks and brush with egg wash.
Step 3: Bake: Bake the pastry in the oven at 350ºF/180ºC for about 25-28 minutes or until light golden brown and crispy. Once ready, allow the pastries to cool on a wire rack before filling them.
Step 4: Prepare the filling: It’s best to prepare the filling the day before so it can chill in the fridge. When ready to fill the homemade eclairs, spoon the filling into a pastry bag with a small round tip.
Step 5: Fill the eclairs: Pipe the filling through the bottom. Use a small tip and make two holes in the bottom of the pastry and use to fill then wipe away any excess. Once all the eclairs are filled, set them aside.
Step 6: Make the chocolate glaze: In a small pan, heat the cream until it begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, broken into pieces. Stir well until the chocolate is completely melted and you have a smooth, glossy mixture.
Step 7: Glaze and Finish: Once ready, carefully dip each pastry into the warm glaze. Shake lightly when lifting them from the bowl to allow any excess to drip back into the bowl. Then, place them on a cooling rack to set. Use a toothpick to clean up any edges and wipe away excess glaze.
Set them aside to cool. The chocolate glaze will harden and then they are ready to serve (chilled or at room temperature). Enjoy!
How to store
To store: These homemade eclairs are best for 1-2 days. The filling will slowly make the pastry less crisp as soon as they are filled. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge.
To freeze: Freeze the filled eclairs by laying them out in a single layer on a baking sheet until frozen, then placing them in a freezer-safe bag/container. Keep in the freezer for 1-2 months. Thaw at room temperature for around an hour.
The empty choux buns/eclairs can also be frozen. Freeze in a single layer on a tray before transferring to a ziplock bag for up to three months. To use them, allow the pastry to thaw in the fridge, bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes at 300°F/150°C to crisp up again, then fill.
More French desserts
If you try this eclairs recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
The Perfect Classic Eclairs
Equipment
- Silpat or parchment paper
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
Choux pastry
- 1 ⅓ cup white flour sifted
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup butter unsalted
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tsp cane sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
- 1 egg to use as egg wash
Filling options
- 1 cup vanilla custard -OR-
- chocolate pastry cream -OR-
- whipped cream – OR your favorite filling
Chocolate Glaze
- 4 oz dark chocolate (1 tablet) or chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
The Choux Pastry
- In a large saucepan, add butter, water, milk, sugar, and salt. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the sugar and salt dissolve. Then bring to a boil over high heat.
- Remove from the heat and add the flour, stirring until lump-free and incorporated. Then, set the dough aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- Whisk the eggs. Add about one egg (1/4 cup) at a time to the dough and mix with a wooden spoon or hand mixer until smooth and glossy. Once ready, let it chill briefly, then transfer it to a pastry bag.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper or Silpat lightly sprayed with water.
- Use a round or star-shaped nozzle (such as the Wilton 1A or 2A) and hold the pastry bag at a 45-degree angle. Be steady and press with constant pressure when piping 10cm long logs, leaving 2 inches between them.
- You need to make sure that the eclair doesn't become thicker in the middle than the two ends. You can pipe the eclair shapes more like a dog bone (with slightly larger ends and a thinner middle) or a straight shape (with just ever so slightly larger ends), but never pipe the middle to be larger than the ends.
- Once piped, smooth down any peaks on the dough with a water covered finger and then brush with egg wash.
- Bake the pastry in the oven at 350ºF/180ºC until light golden brown and crispy. For me, this takes around 28 minutes. Make sure NEVER to open the oven door during baking, or you will release the steam inside and cause the dough to collapse.
- Once ready, transfer the pastries to a cooling rack and let them fully cool down before filling.
The Filling
- Prepare the custard and chocolate pastry cream the day before and let them chill in the fridge overnight. Spoon the filling into a pastry bag with a small round tip.
- There are three ways to fill these eclairs:Slice the pastry in half, lengthwise, and fill. This way, you can pipe the filling onto the bottom half of the shell decoratively and, optionally, top with fresh fruit such as raspberries, etc.Pipe the filling inside the pastry shells from the ends. Use a filling tip like a Bismarck tip on the piping bag and insert it in both ends of the eclair. Fill the pastry with the filling before wiping the ends to remove any excess.Pipe the filling through the bottom. If you want to create some sort of fancy decoration over the top of the eclairs, then you can fill the pastry shells through the bottom. Use a small tip, make two holes in the bottom of the pastry, fill it, and then wipe away any excess.
- Repeat the process with all of the choux shells. Then set them aside.
The Chocolate Glaze
- In a small pan, heat the cream until it begins to simmer, then remove from the heat and add the chocolate, broken into pieces. Stir well until the chocolate is completely melted and you have a smooth, glossy glaze.
- Once ready, carefully dip each pastry into the warm glaze. When lifting them from the bowl, shake lightly to allow any excess to drip back into the bowl and then place on a cooling rack to set. You can use a toothpick to clean up any edges and wipe away excess glaze.
- Allow the chocolate glaze to set. Then serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
You are amazing
Thank you so much, Aurora. I hope you give this recipe a try. Eclairs are so easy to make 🙂