Eclairs: Your Ultimate Guide to Making This Classic Delight
Light and airy choux pastry eclairs filled with silky vanilla pastry cream and topped with a glossy chocolate glaze. A classic French patisserie treat that’s surprisingly achievable at home!
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 3 hrs (includes chilling)
- Yield: 12 eclairs 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- Choux Pastry:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
- Pastry Cream:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 vanilla bean (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- Chocolate Glaze:
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp corn syrup (optional, for shine)
Instructions
- Make choux: In a saucepan, bring water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil. Remove from heat, add flour all at once, and stir vigorously until a ball forms. Cook 2 mins over medium heat to dry slightly. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add eggs: Beat in eggs one at a time until smooth, glossy paste forms (dough should ribbon off spoon).
- Pipe & bake: Pipe 4-inch logs onto parchment-lined sheets. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30-35 mins until golden. Cool completely.
- Prepare cream: Heat milk with vanilla. Whisk yolks, sugar, and cornstarch. Temper eggs with hot milk, return to pan, and cook until thick. Off heat, stir in butter. Chill covered with plastic touching surface.
- Make glaze: Heat cream until steaming. Pour over chopped chocolate and corn syrup. Let sit 2 mins, then stir until smooth.
- Assemble: Pierce eclair bottoms with a piping tip. Fill with pastry cream. Dip tops in glaze. Chill 30 mins to set.
Notes
- For crisp shells: Bake until deeply golden and let cool in turned-off oven with door ajar
- Make ahead: Unfilled shells freeze for 1 month; pastry cream keeps 3 days refrigerated
- Troubleshooting: If shells collapse, they needed longer baking
- Flavor variations: Add 1 tbsp instant coffee to glaze or citrus zest to cream
- Storage: Keep refrigerated up to 2 days (texture best same day)
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 eclair
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 75mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 150mg
Find it online: https://us.recipesfood.org/eclairs/
