Classic Eclair Recipe (VIDEO)
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.
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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.
We have included Amazon affiliate links for tools used to make this recipe.
Classic Eclairs Recipe:
Eclairs are best eaten the day they are made, but I do love that they can be fully assembled a day ahead.
Tools for Making Eclairs:
- Large Piping Bag
- 1/2″ round piping tip or a 16mm open star tip
- Baking Sheet
- Silicone Liner or Parchment Paper
- Bismarck tip (or a small sharp tip like Ateco #16 or #352)
Pro Tips for Making Pastry Cream:
Pastry cream relies on corn starch and egg yolks to thicken and the end result is incredibly smooth – like a decadent vanilla pudding. Mixing the softened butter is the secret to the amazing texture – don’t skip it!
- Pastry cream can be made a day ahead which is perfect for holiday entertaining.
- You can substitute the real vanilla bean for vanilla extract (see recipe notes)
Pastry Cream will thicken as it cools and to loosen it up for piping, whisk until smooth.
What is Choux Pastry?
Choux dough is a classic pastry made with super simple ingredients (milk, water, eggs, flour, butter, sugar and salt). It is a soft dough that gets piped onto a baking sheet.
Getting the baking temperature right is the key to success. Starting the oven at 425˚F allows the pastry to rise beautifully, creating a hollow center for the filling. Choux pastry is then baked at a lower temperature to dry out the center.
Learn How to Make Eclairs:
I’m so embarrassed that (due to my occasionally shaky hands), my eclairs looked mildly inappropriate when piped. I only realized it after the fact and I couldn’t stop laughing. And for those of you who never would have noticed otherwise, I am doubly embarrassed!
Watch Natasha Make Eclairs:
More French Desserts:
- Crepe Cake – the easiest 30 layer cake
- Easy Almond Croissants – French bakery copycat
- Raspberry Macarons – filled with raspberry cream
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.
Ingredients
Ingredients for Choux Pastry:
- 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
Ingredients for Pastry Cream:
- 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
For the Chocolate Glaze:
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips *
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
How to Make Choux Pastry
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In a Medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup milk, 8 Tbsp butter, 1 tsp sugar and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat then remove from heat and stir in 1 cup flour all at once with a wooden spoon.
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One flour is incorporated, place back over medium heat about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes stirring constantly (to release extra moisture and partially cook flour), or until dough comes together into a smooth ball and a thin film forms on bottom of pan.
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Transfer to a large mixing bowl and beat using an electric hand mixer on medium speed for 1 minute to cool the mixture slightly. Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, allowing each egg to fully incorporate between additions. Beat until dough is smooth and forms a thick ribbon when pulled up.
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Pipe eclairs over baking sheet lined with silicone using a 1/2” round tip. Pipe 18-20 (4” long and 3/4” wide) strips, keeping them 1 1/2" apart.
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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.
How to Make Pastry Cream:
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In a medium saucepan bring 2 cups milk, vanilla bean and scraped seeds just to a boil, stirring to prevent film from forming.
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In a separate large bowl, whisk together 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup corn starch and pinch of salt. Add 4 egg yolks and whisk until smooth, creamy and lightened in color - it takes a couple of minutes but it will get there.
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Gradually (so the eggs don't curdle), while whisking constantly, add hot milk in a steady stream until all of it is incorporated. Pour mixture back into saucepan and bring to a boil while whisking constantly then whisk another 30 seconds until mixture is thick and pudding-like in consistency.
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Transfer pastry cream to a medium bowl (whisk in 2 tsp vanilla extract if using). Cut butter into pieces and quickly whisk into the custard until fully incorporated Cover with plastic directly over the surface of the cream, let it cool slightly then refrigerate 30 minutes or until cool.
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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.
How to Make Chocolate Glaze:
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Place 4 oz of chocolate chips into a small heat-safe bowl.
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Heat 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (in a saucepan or microwave) until it is just at a simmer then remove from heat and pour over chocolate chips. Let rest 2 minutes then whisk from the center outwards until smooth sauce forms.
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Dip the top half of filled and chilled eclairs into the chocolate sauce, allowing excess to drip off.
Recipe Notes
*4 oz chocolate chips by weight or 2/3 cup by volume.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Now go forth and conquer homemade eclairs!
Natasha Kravchuk
Cream Puffs Recipe (VIDEO) 
Classic Chocolate Mousse (VIDEO) 
Easy Churros Recipe (VIDEO) 
Pavlova Recipe (VIDEO) 
Cream Cheese Danish Recipe with Lemon Glaze (VIDEO) 
Easy Crepe Recipe (VIDEO) 
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Great instructions! These were delicious–I got a ton of compliments– and here’s the kicker: I forgot to incorporate the butter into the pastry cream at the end. The pastry cream was VERY firm after refrigerating, but I softened it up with an electric hand mixer and I swear no one noticed anything amiss or
cared!
Hi Natasha. These look amazing. Can they be made the day before a party?
Hi Simone, You can make the Choux Pastry Dough ahead, just cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Pastry cream can be made 1-3 days ahead also.
Or five egg yolks
Thank you for the recipe! Was trying to bake eclairs for my husband’s BD party, but they fell after decreasing the temperature to 325 F. The second round I was gradually decreasing temperature from 425 to 375 (get the number from other recipes). The result was very good. Hope this might be helpful for others having problems with eclairs falling in oven after the temperature change. The cream is super delicious in your recipe!!!
Hi Tanya! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. We haven’t had that experience, but we found most fall due to size.
The piping tip you used for the pastry looks different then mine. What kind of tip is it, because my eclairs came out kind of weird shaped. Also mine weren’t as high as yours..ugh..what did I do wrong
Hi Darla, we used this tip here. It is a Wilton 1A.
Hey natasha ..I’ve tried this recipe a dozen times and I love it!
I’m trying to make some alters to the recipe for one of my old relatives..so I have a couple of questions..could i use honey in the cream instead of sugar?And wheat flour in the pastry instead of all purpose?
Hi Sofia, I have not really tried this with wheat yet to advise. If you experiment, please share with us how it goes. Also, one of my readers wrote in saying: “I have used Maple Syrup instead of sugar for the Pastry Cream by adding just 1 teaspoon extra cornstarch, and it worked perfectly well.” I hope this helps.
Hey! I tried your eclairs recipe and it came out soo perfectly and it was heavenly 😍 afterwards, the batter turn out to be soo loose. What can be the reason?
Make sure to let it release the steam on the stove and also make sure to measure ingredients correctly to get the correct proportion.
Hi Natasha! I’ve tried two recipes from your site and they have both turned out beautifully. The Instant pot is so moist and tender. It was an instant hit with my family so I have made it a few times and it turns out great every time. I’ve used your cheesecake recipe also, the one with the waterbath. The first one was great! Absolutely beautiful. The second one? Not so good. It turned out I overbaked it. So now I’m going to try your eclair recipe. Let’s see how this one works. Off to bake!
Hello Kathi, thank you for sharing that with us. Practice makes perfect, I’m sure it will be great on your next try! I hope you enjoy the recipes.
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe.
I just made them today for the first time and I can’t even believe I made them myself. It’s like pastry you buy from a french cafe. So So delicious 😋
Great job! I’m happy to know that it came out well. Thanks for your review!
Hi Natasha!!!!!!
Today I tried the eclairs recipie and they were another success! My family LOVED them!!!
Thank you for teaching such amazing recipies, watching you make something makes me feel confident that i can make it too! You make it seem so easy! 😊😊😘😘🥰🥰♥️♥️
I’m glad your family enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for sharing your great feedback with us.
Hi! Tried these out! Taste wonderful. But, I did the 10 mins on high and reduced the heat to 325. After 15 mins on 325, the buttom burnt, and they were golden. When I set the tray on the counter, most of them deflated and fell flat.
I used a conventional oven. My oven doesnt run hot and your other recipes work like a charm to the T. Any ideas what this could be from? Some are still raw from the middle. I did make medium sized batch compared to the large ones you made.
Hi Lili, it’s hard to say without being there, but it sounds like you took the correct steps process-wise. Was anything possibly altered ingredient-wise impacting the outcome? I’ve never experienced burning before; they should be just golden on the bottom. I suspected either your oven runs very hot or maybe you were doing this in a confection setting, but it sounds like neither was the case here. What a bummer! I hope you give this another try soon!
I am officially declaring you food queen. Wow! It was amazing, I will never settle for a pre frozen or soggy eclair from any bakery ever again! That custard was amazing, I wish I made a double batch. Wow so light and airy. I followed your recipe to the T!
I had difficulty piping the filling into the eclair, my bag and pipe were cheap. What piping set would you recommend? TIA!
Wow, that’s a nice title! Love it, thanks for your great comments and feedback. You can check out the kitchen tools and equipment that I use here on my Amazon Page.
Amazing recipe! I had so much fun making these and the result was delicious! The eclairs were light and airy, and not too sweet! I added 2 more tsp of vanilla extract to the cream to make it even more flavourful. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Thank you fo sharing this lovely review with me, Emma! I’m so happy you enjoyed that.
Thank you so much for this recipe. My mother-in-law made eclairs a lot. When she passed away we didn’t have the recipe and I thought we would never have a good eclair again. I made these and they turned out wonderful. My husband said they tasted just like his mothers. I couldn’t have had a higher complement.
Hi Faye, I’m so sorry for the loss of your Mother-in-law. I’m so glad you found my blog and recipe to help keep those memories alive!
Can I us 1% milk or does it have to be homo milk.?
Hi Peggy, I haven’t tested this with 1% milk to advise on an outcome. One of our readers mentioned using 2% milk successfully. I hope this helps.
Hey! These look so good one question can i add lemon zest or juice to my pastry cream? Cant wait to try these.
Hi Lucy, I haven’t tried adding lemon to this, but it sounds like a fun and fresh addition perfect for a spring dessert! It’s hard to advise when to add it without experimenting, but I bet you can add the zest to the filling and sprinkle some over the chocolate before it sets. I hope you love this recipe, and I look forward to your feedback after you experiment.
hi natasha, i would love to know how long the pastry dough and the pastry cream can last in the fridge? because i might not make the whole recipe in one go.
thanks, i love this simple recipe 🙂
Hi Hanny, You can make the Choux Pastry Dough ahead, just cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. Pastry cream can be made 1-3 days ahead also.
I tried making this 2 times, i followed the recipe exactly
But the shells stick to the parchment paper 😪 and it came out only half of the shell
Hi Var, they really should not be sticking to the parchment paper. Make sure you are not using wax paper which will stick. Also, make sure not to skip the step where you mix the batter over the heat to release the extra steam. Lastly, check out our post on how we measure ingredients to ensure that you have the right proportion of wet to dry ingredients. I hope that helps!
The pastry cream was easy to make and yummy thanks! I made the eclairs but like other reviews, they sunk pretty fast. I turned down the temp but maybe I took them out too soon. I didn’t want them to burn. Next time I make then – sooner than later – I’ll take the leap and leave them in there for the full 30. I’ll keep practicing as my toddlers keep eating them. Thank you for making these easy to make deliciousness!
Hi Rubab, I think you’re right; if they come out of the oven too early, they can go flat. Also, if they are piped too wide, they can flatten.
All of your recipes are fantastic!!! I made your baklava it came out so good I was asked to make it 2 more times. Keep the recipes coming.
That’s so great, Marilyn! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Hi Natasha! Thanks for the recipe. It looks amazing and I bet it tastes better! I have a question, for the choux pastry dough do I put the saucepan over low, medium, or high heat?
Hi Alaia, medium heat. We have it listed in step one and two. I hope that helps.
My mother made us chocolate eclairs starting in the 50’s as a treat. The only differences is that she used 18% cream (whipped with a little sugar and vanilla). The chocolate was made with powdered cocoa.
Sounds good too! Thanks for sharing that with us, I’m sure the recipe was delicious.
Hi Natasha! Thanks for the recipe. It looks amazing and I bet it tastes better! I have a question, for the choux pastry dough do I put the saucepan over low, medium, or high heat?
Hi Alaia, we have that written into step one and two. “One flour is incorporated, place back over medium heat about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes stirring constantly”
Absolutely perfect eclairs! Only thing was you gotta watch them in the oven because it may just be me, but I put them 10 mins at 425, but then at 325 they were completely done after 10 minutes!
Also, make sure to bake them on conventional bake mode (not convection)
I made these about a month ago and they were absolutely amazing. My whole family loved them. However, my brother recently became dairy free and his birthday is coming up and I was wondering if it would be possible to swap out the milk for a dairy free option as well as the butter with a vegan butter and still get amazing results?
Hi Nikki, I haven’t personally tested that but someone else commented and shared this “I made this dairy-free..I used almond milk and plant base butter..they turned out perfect!!” I hope this is helpful!
My eclairs did not fully puff up, so that may be an issue with the dough. However overall, they were amazing. The pastry cream was INSANE! so sweet, creamy, and velvety. i will definitely be using that recipe again.
Hi Saketh, If they come out of the oven too early, they can go flat. Also, if they are piped too wide, they can flatten.
I made these for a family gathering and everyone loved them. I thought they tasted great and recipe was so easy to follow! My only question is Can you freeze these ? Do they hold up well? Thanks!
Hi Lisa, Filled and glazed eclairs can last for up to 4 days in the freezer (maybe even longer, but the eclairs will continue to lose freshness with time). I haven’t tried this, but I read that it’s best not to freeze eclairs.
I used this recipe to bake eclairs for the very first time. I took them to a dinner party with some serious foodies and a seasoned German chef in attendance. The table fell silent as people took a bite…followed by moans of enjoyment. The chef, who always gives me constructive feedback, said he couldn’t tell me anything to improve on. He loved it!! My one problem was that I didn’t bring enough for everyone to have two. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Wow! That’s so great!! Thank you so much for sharing that wonderful review with me. I’m glad you all enjoyed it!
I made these today. I didn’t know pastry cream was so easy!!! Thank you. The video was so helpful.
Also took half the dough and made cream puffs 1/2 with vanilla and 1/2 with chocolate stabilized whipping cream. Delicious!!!! Can’t wait to try another of your wonderful deserts.
Glad you enjoyed this recipe, Honey! I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try.
These are great! So yummy 🙂
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.
Next time i will add less sugar, because in my opinion it’s a little bit too sweet. Also i ended up with lumps in my cream and since i add sifted flour in the moment when egg yolks and sugar are already combined it’s always smooth.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
The zeppole look so good, I didn’t know that it’s the same recipe fir cream puffs. Although I must say my recipe does not have butter.
Thank you I will try them
I hope you enjoyed this recipe, Anna!
Good morning my eclairs did not come out like yours but I think my pan was to got and my flour was still moist. I will give it another try. With the pudding and choc. They will be great .
I hope you give it a nother go and love it!
Hands down the best eclair I’ve had. My only comment is on the 30 mins bake at 325. My eclairs were done after only few mins of the 325 bake, maybe 5 or 6mins in. I don’t think I missed anything, but any input is appreciated.
Thank you for your awesome review and suggestion, we appreciate it!
hi . How do you avoid that soft dough inside of shells after baking?
Hi Akira, I haven’t found that to be a problem. Make sure to bake long enough and also avoid piping them too wide.
These are so good! Feel so fat tho lol
Aren’t thy irresistible. I have the same issue over here! Wait until you try our newest recipe for Zeppole that we are posting Friday. Those are even more dangerous and they use the same dough – so easy!
Hi Natasha,
I love this recipe and was wondering how I could adjust it for a savory (cheese) 🙂 application without a filling.
Thanks, Julie! I haven’t tested that yet to advise but I think it’s worth experimenting with. It could be delicious! Please share with us how it goes if you do an experiment.
My 8 year old son, Jake, helped me make this. It was fun and it came out great. Thank you!
That’s a nice bonding moment with your son. I’m glad you had fun together while making this recipe!
So sad. Mine did put puff up very much, therefore not hollow. The pastry cream is good. I will still dip in chocolate and use as a dip stick into the pastry cream.
Hi Mary Jane, I would highly suggest watching the video if you haven’t already to see where your results started to change or differ from the method I shared here. Also, the eclairs will have trouble rising if they are piped too wide so be sure to stay in size parameters listed (that was an issue I ran into while working with choux pastry and had to bake longer for the rise on wider pastries). I hope that helps! I didn’t have any issues with thickening on the cream but I highly recommend checking measurements and be sure to measure dry and wet ingredients correctly since the wrong proportions can definitely affect the setting time.
Omg these turned out delicious. And perfect.
Hi Lee, I’m glad you liked it!
the ganache was way too watery! 🙁 the recipe for everything else was great
Hi Susan, it should not be too watery, could it be that the measurements were not correctly followed? I recommend checking out my video on How to Measure Ingredients.
These came out amazing!
I’ve made these so many times now! They are a family favourite! Love love love them! Thanks for the great recipe.
That is the best when the family loves what we moms make. That’s so great!
These are fantastic!!
I made them and everyone loved these! I saved three of these for our lunches the next day and my boys were SO HAPPY!! they tasted even better the next day. Thanks Natasha!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Lynn!
I have tried these eclairs a number of times. The taste of them is magnificent however, I’ve never gotten them to rise probably. If they puff up on the top the bottoms will fold inside itself. The inside doesn’t hollow out or anything either. Any idea why this is happening?
Hi Hailey, it may be that you are piping them too large/ wide. I had that happen before when I tried making them too big.
I did this and the obly thing that didn’t go well was them rising but they taste great!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this, Aiyana. If they come out of the oven too early, they can go flat. Also, if they are piped too wide, they can flatten.
great recipe! i had a little extra pastry cream left over. i was wondering how long i can keep it if its in a airtight container i the fridge
Hi Olive, I haven’t tried storing the cream for more than 2 days.
Yes 2% milk works, that all I use
Hi Natasha , hope you are well . Made these eclairs today and they turned out excellent ! Only change i made is that i filled them with whipped cream and they were decadent . Love all your recipes !! Thank you for the amazing recipes
You’re welcome, Zaib! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Hi Natasha, I tried making Eclairs with your recipe couple times now! So tasty and yum! But for the outer/top layer is crinkled when it comes out of the oven for some reason, in your photos it looks so smooth, any tips on achieving that kind of result? Thanks in advance!
Hi Remya, it’s hard to say what happened without being there. I would double-check nothing was missed in both the ingredient and recipe steps. This post on measuring has come in hand many times.
Hello, Natasha, I want to make those eclairs, can you please give me in grams?
and if e eclairs are refrigerated for a day, won’t the eclir be soft? do you advise me to make a day in advance or not? thinks
If you scroll down to our printable recipe card, most of our recipes have a metric conversion option on the printable recipe card. We are currently working on adding metric measurements to all of our recipes, but it is taking some time to add them one at a time. Thank you so much for being patient! In the meantime, check out our post on measuring which should help.
i used google to convert to grams, if you refrigerate it for a day it will be a little softer. they’re always better fresh out of the oven
Yum- I want a dozen of those eclairs to go… Just have a question for you- do you use a fan forced or convection oven- if so what are the temperatures for a fan forced oven to make these eclairs?
Hi Lexie, I have only tested these in a conventional electric oven. I haven’t tested these in a convection oven so I can’t advise.
Hi Natasha! I’ve just tried this recipe and I’m sooo happy with how the eclairs turned out🥰 it’s my first time making eclairs so I wasn’t too confident with how the pastry was gonna come out, since I’ve read about how it might deflate, but mine rose really nicely😊 the pastry cream wasn’t enough though, so I recommend doubling it :)) my family loved the eclairs so much, it’s definitely a family favourite now, thanks Natasha❤️
I’m so happy you loved this recipe! Thank you so much for the fantastic review and your encouraging words, Sabrina. I am smiling big reading your comment
Hi Natasha! I’ve just tried this recipe and I’m sooooo happy with how the eclairs turned out🥰 It’s my first time making eclairs so I wasn’t too confident with how the pastry was gonna come out, since I’ve read about how it might deflate, but mine rose really nicely😊 the pastry cream wasn’t enough though, so I recommend doubling it :)) my family loved the eclairs so much, it’s definitely a family favourite now, thanks Natasha❤️
These came out sooo well! Perfect recipe, thank you so much!
I’m glad to hear that, Daphne. Thanks for sharing that with me!
Hi Natasha!
Love the recipe- just have a few questions:
Do you use a 15 ml or 20 ml tbs for your recipes?
Can I add some heavy whipped cream to the pastry cream to lighten it up a bit? Is that a good idea??
Hi Lacey, 15ml = 1 Tbsp and 5 ml = 1 tsp. The heavy whipping cream might more likely loosen the cream and make it a little runny. The flavor of it is pretty light and not overly sweet or heavy. It’s a very balanced pastry cream.
LOVE your recipes- however a little confused… In the recipe video, did you put 5 egg yolks in the pastry cream or 4? Thanks!!
Hi Katerina, I recommend following the recipe as we can update that but the video cannot be updated.
Hi Natasha!!!
With the pastry cream, can I add some whipped heavy cream to loosen it up a bit? Just interested to know.
Hi Lacey, I honestly haven’t tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Hi natasha, can I use 2 percent milk instead of whole milk. If not what wud happen. I’m making them tmmrw and I need to know if I can make them with two percent or not!
Thank you so much love all your recipies!!
Hi Moi, I haven’t tried that yet to advise but I imagine that will work too. If you do try it, please share with us how it goes.
Yes 2% milk works, that all I use
Those were a huge success and I’m wondering if i wish to make the pastry chocolate cream how much cocoa should i add without altering the smooth texture
Hi Serena, that is a great question and I haven’t tested that to advise. I imagine some cocoa in the cream would work but baking being a science I don’t know what you would need to change. If you experiment, please let me know how you like that.
Hello! Mine deflated for some reason. Any tips? Thank!!!
Hi Veronica, if they come out of the oven too early, they can go flat. Also, if they are piped too wide they can flatten.
Yup that’s just happened to mine but it didn’t matter to my husband they were awesome just like you, I was tired of making same old same old eclairs yours were much better. Thanks for sharing your hard work.
Wow Natasha. Just wow. THESE ARE AMAZING!!! I made them today for a second time and they were delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipes with us. 😊
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
these were amazing! i used gluten-free flour and they still worked perfectly. the recipe didn’t make quite enough pastry cream, so i recommend doubling that. delicious!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Perfect recipe
Hi! How long will just the cream filling last in the freezer?
Hi Beth, Filled and glazed eclairs can last for up to 4 days in the freezer (maybe even longer, but the eclairs will continue to lose freshness with time). I haven’t tried this but I read that it’s best not to freeze eclairs.
How long will the eclairs last in the fridge or freezer?
Filled and glazed eclairs can last for up to 4 days in the freezer (maybe even longer, but the eclairs will continue to lose freshness with time)
Can I make the eclair dairy-free? Will it still work??
Hello there N, I haven’t personally tested that but someone else commented and shared this “I made this dairy-free..I used almond milk and plant base butter..they turned out perfect!!”
You could omit the milk and use only water.
Hi Natasha,
I followed your chocolate eclair recipe, the eclairs did rise in the oven . But, they are flat and not hollow. What might have gone wrong?
Thanks
Hi Archana, sorry to hear these didn’t work out; if they come out of the oven too early, they can go flat. Also, if they are piped too wide, they can flatten.
Your oven has to be 450 degrees initially, or eclair puffs will not rise. Also, we’re your eggs jumbo….if so, too much egg would cause them to flatten
Can I make the eclair dairy-free?
Hi there, I haven’t personally tested that but someone else commented and shared this “I made this dairy-free..I used almond milk and plant base butter..they turned out perfect!!”
Thanks so much
I made this twice already. Absolutely amazing! My parents both loooooved it! That’s because they love whipped cream haha. It was so good that we couldn’t stop eating them!
We refrigerated them and were just as good the next day. (Not that we had many leftovers)
Thank you so much for this recipe, Natasha!
Would you mind doing a recipe on chocolate tarts?
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review and suggestion, Arielle!
When I popped these baddies out of the oven, they were very soft and spongy. Do you happen to know why the outer shell was not hard and crispy?
Hi, could you be in a high humidity area? If not, they normally should dry as they cool and rest.
Hi Natasha, I tried making the pastry filling yesterday but it turned out really runny and just oozed out of the pastry. Not sure what went wrong. Any thoughts?
Thank you for sharing that with me. We have tips in the recipe and comments that should help with the filling being runny. I’m also more than happy to troubleshoot.
Tried it, made it and loved it. Thankyou for the recipe. I only had to add one extra egg to get the consistency you mentioned and it turned out perfect.
I’m so happy that worked out, Tanaya! That’s so great!
Greetings from Poland! This is a great recipe! My boys and I love watching your videos and making your recipes!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review & for watching, Jenn!
Hello!Can I use this eclair filling to your donut recipe? would it be close to boston cream donuts? or should I use different filling,?
Hi Justyna! I bet this would work great as a donut filling! If you experiment, I would love to know how you like that.
The pastries turned out great however there was not enough filling. Only enough to fill half. I had to make a second batch of filling.?? I’m 76 and.enjoy your recipes.
I’m glad you’re enjoying my recipes, thanks for sharing!
Would it also be good to substitute shortening for butter when making the chouex pastry
Hi Jason, I have not tested this with shortening, and with baking being such a science, I can’t advise that would work.
Hey Natasha. Is it possible to substitute whipped cream to fill the eclairs?
I think the custard really elevates this recipe but if more whipped options are desired I may recommend trying this cream recipe here. I hope you love it! 🙂
Most of my Claire’s went flat when I took them out of the oven, do you know why does that? Is it my oven? Or the the High altitude?
Hi Sarajane, if they come out of the oven too early, they can go flat so moving them may be the culprit. Also, if they are piped too wide they can flatten.
Try leaving in the turned off oven to cool slightly before removing. This allows them to dry inside a little more
Leaving the door slightly open. Then remove to wire rack
Hi Natasha
can I use whole wheat flour? it’s the only flour I have.
Hello Cass, I have not really tried that yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Hello Natasha, thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes including this one. My daughter is a great fan of your chocolate chip cookies and now knows how to do them (almost) without my help, and I prefer these amazing eclairs. I have a question. I just purchased a silicone mat with piping patterns for eclairs: regular size (5″ long) on one side and mini size (3″ long) on the other. I wonder if I need to correct baking temperature and/or time when using it, since your recipe calls for 4″ eclairs. Going to try the mat tomorrow. :o) Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
HI Luba, I don’t think it should change by much but that’s great you found one with a form! That’s just awesome!
can i use heavy whipping cream instead of whole milk?
Hi there, I have not tested this with just cream, so I cannot advise on this working with that. If you experiment I would love to know how you liked that.
Hi Natasha, 18-20 Choux Pastry shells are a bit much for me. Can I half all of the ingredients for 9-10 pastry shells & get the same results?
Hi Frank, that should still work fine to cut everything in half and make half the recipe.
I would be curious how to adapt the pastry cream recipe to use ground tapioca as the thickener instead of corn starch, or even arrow root.
The eclairs turned out beautifully, even though I didn’t that “ribbon” as my choux remained quite thick in the end, they still puffed up beautifully, and where flakey tender.
Hi Natasha! Do you think that I can add diced strawberries to the pastry cream? Trying out a new pop of flavor! 🙂
Hello Audrey, I have not really tried that yet to advise but I think it’s worth experimenting with. If you try it, please share with us how it goes as we would also love to know.
Hi Natasha,
Can I make these eclairs smaller in size? Will I need to decrease baking time?
Thanks so much for all your recipes! Enjoying them a lot😋
Hello Olesea, I imagine that should work just fine however I have not tried it personally to advise of the baking time. You might have to do an experiment on that one.
Can I sub whole milk with regular milk or half and half in the eclairs and cream? I know I can use half and half for the ganache..Thanks!
Hi Katherine, I always recommend using the same ingredients as written in the recipe without modifications, especially if making it for the first time. The ganache will not form properly with half and half.
hey im going to make this for the 1st time in my life. would teflon be ok? also if i dont have vanilla beans do i boil the vanilla too?
Hi Valerie, a non-stick would be ok as long as you are not using a metal utensil to stir so you don’t scratch the pan. Vanilla extract will work. I have notes on that in the recipe card. I hope you love the eclairs recipe.
Hi Natasha! 🙂
It’s sad for me to say that i ended up with lumps in cream 🙁 even tho i sieved it before adding butter, still lumps has formed again.. Could you tell me also how to make this cream a bit thicker? Thank You for an answer!
Hi Geneva, I highly recommend watching the video to see if something was different in your process or ingredients.
Hello Natasha, thank you so much for all your beautiful recipes 😊.
I tried the chocolate eclairs tonight and I got 2 trays of 12 but 1 tray was beautiful baked and the other one was flat.
I cooked them for 15min and then I swap them around. The one that was on the top tray and then I put it on the bottom it went flat!!😔
Hi Maricela, if they come out of the oven too early, they can go flat so moving them may be the culprit. Also, if they are piped too wide they can flatten.
This is a great recipe! The choux pastry is light and doesn’t get soggy when you add the pastry cream. The pastry cream is decadent and smooth as well. I find that I need to make extra pastry cream because this recipe makes a lot of choux shells. I also add a little less heavy cream to the ganache because it turns out quite thin and doesn’t leave a opaque layer of chocolate on the eclair. Otherwise, this recipe is a complete success! Thank you for sharing this Natasha!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me Chloe! I’m happy you’re enjoying this recipe!
HI Natasha! I will make try this recipe today. I saw people use only water for the dough. Is it a big difference ? Thank you
Love your videos
Hi Mili, I haven’t tested it that way so I can’t speak to that.
Hi Natasha,
I made them following your recipe Best Eclairs ever!!!! I will make them again Saturday for a French night dinner.
Thank you so much
Hi Mili, I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
These were absolutely perfect! I will never use another recipe again! Also, a fabulous tutorial video. All around incredible!
Fantastic! I’m so happy to know that you loved this recipe, Zoe. Thanks for your good comments!
Hi, i was wondering whether all the ingredients have to be at room temperature? Also, do i have to use the silicone liner, or can i just use baking paper?
Hi Nardine, the ingredients we listed as (at room temperate) are required to be at room temp to make this work. I hope that helps. The Baking paper should work! I recommend reading through the full recipe post.
Hi Nardine, I will always specify in the recipe card if specific ingredients need to be at room temperature. Also, parchment paper will work well.
Do you have any suggestions on how to alter the recipe when making/baking them in higher elevation? I’ve tried them a couple of times and the shells come out soft and sponge like with little puffing at all. Thanks!
Hi Janice, I hope this High-Altitude baking post can help.
Thank you so much! I will give it a try again this week making the suggested adjustments for baking in higher elevations.
We look forward to your feedback Janice!
Just made these, and they smell delicious! (Waiting patiently for them to cool). The only problem is that they are flat 🙁 so I hope I am able to fill them somehow. I made no substitutions, and my oven is conventional. They puffed up beautifully during the first 10 minutes at 425, and when I checked on them after 15 minutes at 325, they had already gone flat. When you mention in the comments that this may be due to piping them too large, do you mean too wide, or too long? I don’t think the issue is underbaking since they deflated while baking and did not rise again once they had deflated. Thanks in advance for any advice for next time!
Hi Itzel, if they come out of the oven too early, they can go flat. Also, if they are piped too wide they can flatten.
why aren’t getting any volume (lift) made the recipe twice
Hi Kathryn, Flat eclairs are usually due to either piping them too large or underbaking. Some ovens run a little cooler so you might bake an extra 2 minutes next time. I hope that helps!
My pastry came out flat from the oven. Where did I go wrong?
After filling with the cream and topping with the chocolate they tasted delicious.
Didn’t look like yours though!
Hi Indra, I’m glad it tasted well. Flat eclairs are usually due to either piping them too large or underbaking. Some ovens run a little cooler so you might bake an extra 2 minutes next time. I hope that helps!
These are so fun to make and super delicious too!! My batch made 15 eclairs, although I couldn’t just been a bit generous with my sizes. Four of mine fell so I couldn’t fill them- does anyone know the cause of that? Also, how do you store these? Otherwise- so AMAZING!! Thank you!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Shelby! Flat eclairs are usually due to either piping them too large or underbaking. Some ovens run a little cooler so you might bake an extra 2 minutes next time. I hope that helps!
Hi Natasha! Do you think using skim milk instead of whole would work for these eclairs? Thanks!
Hi Samantha, I haven’t tested that with skim milk to advise. If you experiment, please let me know how you like that.
Used skim milk and they turned out AMAZING. That custard cream is seriously heavenly.
Love your short but sweet feedback. Thank you, Samantha!
I used almond milk and turned out perfectly fine! Best pastry cream
Hi Natasha! Can you please recommend to me a Couple of dairy free desserts??
Hi Ava, we have quite a few and others that can be modified. We don’t have a specific dairy-free category at this time, just the general dessert classifications. Our Chocolate cake is dairy-free but would need a different frosting.
Best eclairs I’ve ever made, or tasted. Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Sounds like you found a new favorite, Corbin! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
Thank you for your videos and tutorials. You rock! I have been cooking for 60 years and I still learn things from you.
I love your avocado salads and homemade dressings.
Joyce
I’m so inspired reading your review. Thank you!
can u plz tell me what i can replace cornstarch with i dont have cornstarch or all purpose flour plz suggest natasha
Hi Amy, I haven’t tried any other substitute to advise sorry about that. If you do an experiment and try something else please share with us how it goes.
My boyfriend and I made these today and while they don’t look as pretty as yours, they taste amazing. Thank you for the great recipe and the video tutorial. The video helped a lot!
You’re welcome, Holly! I’m so glad our video was helpful!
i made this but i cut the original pastry in half after they had cooled and then i dipped one half in the chocolate and piped swirls on the other half i thought it looked pretty neat.
So great to hear that you enjoyed making the eclair!
Hi there
What size tip do you use? I know you mentioned 1/2 inch but do you have the number for the tip?
Hi Jessica, it should be a Wilton 1A.
hii Natasha,
Yseterday i tried making your wonderful eclair recipe and it turned out delicious. It was so tasty and I LOVE IT THANK YOU SO MUCH………
You’re welcome Amirah! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
Hii Natasha
Can I use salted butter instead?
Hi Ally, we prefer it with unsalted butter but it may still work with salted. I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Yes, you can use salted butter instead. You just have to omit the salt from the recipe because for every stick of butter, you take out 1/4 of a teaspoon. This actually works perfectly with the recipe. It’s even a bit easier too.
Hii Natasha,
can i use a medium size star tip to pipe the eclaires?
Hi Amirah, the medium-sized star would make them quite a bit smaller and they would fry faster. The large star works better but it’s worth experimenting if that is what you have on hand. I have even piped them out of a ziploc bag with the corner cut off and they still tasted great (although not pretty).
Hi! Just wanted to say my name is also Amirah. ( it is pronounced uh- mere-ah) 🙂
Lovely name, Amirah!
Hello! I was wondering How I can heat the heavy whipping ? If I heat it in the microwave I am afraid it will turn into butter. Please help!
Hi Sandra, there is no heavy whipping cream in this recipe.
I think Sandra is asking about the cream in the ganache? Sandra, I make ganache on the stove top. Good luck!
I love these eclairs!!!
That’s so awesome! I’m happy you enjoyed that!
I tried making these today. They tasted really nice however, my eclairs were hollow for the bottom. Some of them.
What could be the reason?
Also, they were nice & soft but not crunchy enough on the outside.
Hi Ranya, could it be that they were piped wider or larger? In that case, they would need more baking time.
I don’t have whole milk, just almond milk and heavy cream. Can I substitute the heavy cream for all instances of whole milk in this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Karen, I haven’t personally tested that but someone else commented and shared this “I made this dairy-free..I used almond milk and plant base butter..they turned out perfect!!”
Well I made them I had a hard time making the E Claire’s I had a hard time with the piping bag, my first time using one they came out small. I will try making them again with the proper piping bag so they will come out bigger
Sounds good Kelly. I hope you love it!
I made these last week, and I have to say, these babies taste like heaven! It has been a while since I have eaten fresh and yummy Éclairs like these. I used to adore the ones made by Le pain Quotidien in Dubai and these ones taste equally yummy. In addition, I was able to make them lactose-free by using all lactose-free dairy products. Thank you so much Natasha for this great recipe!
You’re welcome Pascale! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi Νatasha! Sorry if this is a silly question, but I only have buttermilk at home as opposed to whole milk, do you think I could use that in the pastry dough and cream instead? Thanks!
Hi Daisy, I have not tested this with buttermilk so I cannot advise on this working with that. If you experiment I would love to know how you liked that.
Hello, is there a substitute I could use instead of cornstarch, because while shopping at my local grocery shop, I couldn’t find any, sadly.
Hi Jessica, I haven’t tried any other substitute to advise sorry about that. If you do an experiment and try something else please share with us how it goes.
yes u could use gelatine or agar agar
Hi Natasha, can i store the pastry cream overnight or will it get too thick due to the cornstarch?
Hi Anjali, yes you can make the pastry cream a day ahead.
First time making eclairs and they turned out great! We made them using dairy-free ingredients (allergy) and everything was perfect. Haven’t had one in years and I had forgotten how good they are!
That’s just awesome Meg! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hello! I heard that you could refrigerate the Choux pastry batter a few days in advance. Would you recommend this? Thanks!
Hi Angelina, You can make the shells inadvance and store in an airtight container. Ours haven’t lasted long enough to try that but I imagine a couple of days is fine in the fridge.
Hi! I haven’t made eclairs before and this recipe was my first attempt at them. 30 minutes at 325 was WAY too long. I had them in for about 10 and they were already brown and a few had started to flatten. Do you know why that could be?
Hi Ellie, make sure you are baking on conventional mode and not convection.
I just tried your recipe. The flavor of the choux was delicious. I used large eggs like stated on your recipe but it made the dough too runny and they eclairs turned out flat. I’m thinking the egg to flour proportions were off. Would recommend medium eggs or more flour.
We didn’t have that problem. Are you certain you used a large eggs and not extra-large eggs? Also, our post on measuring can help if you think dry ingredient measurements are off.
i think the idea is to use enough eggs to make a silky dough
Hi Natasha.
If I only want to make half the amount of eclairs (9), can I just divide all of the ingredients by 2?
Hi Rebekka, I haven’t tried that yet to advise but I imagine that should work. Please share with us how it goes if you give it a try!
Hi, I want to make these, I have everything except for unsalted butter. I only have salted, will that be a problem?
Hi Genevieve, we prefer it with unsalted butter but it may still work with salted. I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi! I tried your recipe today and it was absolutely delicious, received some positive comments from friends and fam.
Thank You xx
That’s just awesome! Thank you for that great feedback Dinuki!
I lovedddd making these eclairs. It was my first time but I had fun with them and they turned out so good!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Hello, Natasha! May I ask how I could turn the pastry cream into a chocolate-flavored one? My husband is a super choco lover and requested for me to make these but with chocolate pastry cream. Can I just add melted chocolate at the end? Thank you!
Hello Ace, I honestly haven’t tried doing that yet to advise but I imagine that should work. Please share with us how it goes if you do an experiment.
I have tried Choux pastries several times in the past with no real success. I get they were underbaked as they never had any rise. I made these eclairs for my own Mother’s Day gift to me today! This time I overbooked them a bit! But that hardly mattered once they were filled with the delicious pastry cream and covered with chocolate ganache. They were YUM! I served with fresh strawberries. My husband and sons loved them!
Yay that is so great to hear, Kristin. I am so happy to know that it was successful and that everyone loved it!
Hi natasha, i am solo eater and i dont want to make them so many (in case they will not be good so it will be so much wastage)
So can you please tell me proportions for smaller quantity? Thank you! I love your recipes!! I cant wait to try this one too.
Totally understand. While at the recipe you may click on “Jump to recipe” and click the number of serving to adjust the ingredients. I hope that helps.
Where do you get your vanilla beans? or how can I order some?
Hi Wendy, we have notes in our recipe with a link to the exact vanilla beans. We use these beans here. I hope that helps.
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe, my family and I enjoyed these Éclairs. Was my first time making it and I must say they are the bomb dot-com.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review Gugu!
My French boyfriend wanted eclairs for his birthday and we were both very pleased with how they turned out. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Thanks for giving this recipe a try! So great to hear that you both enjoyed it.
Natasha,
I’m really struggling with the pastry. We are a gluten free family and I have attempted this recipe twice using two different types of GF flour. Using your piping measurements they still come out flat and under cooked. I am at a loss. Any chance you can try making some GF eclairs and see if it works on your end? Would love to hear any recommendations you may have. Thank you
Hi Katherin, I haven’t tested this with gluten-free flour. With baking being such a science it is hard to say what the culprit is when it comes to substitutions. Thank you for that suggestion, I’ll add it to my to-do list.
Tried out this recipe, and choux pastry for the first time and it turned out absolutely delicious! The recipe is super easy to follow and it’s so quick and easy to make. Love your recipes cs they’re so easy to follow!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Hi Katherine,
Try making them as cream puff size instead. GF flour is so dense sometimes it is just too heavy to rise. I am in Canada and am also GF. I have had amazing success with Natasha’s cream puff recipe using both Kinnikinnick flour (available online) and President’s Choice GF flour (only available in Canada I believe). Good luck!
Hi, why did my shells deflate. Any tips to make them fluffy ?
Hi Ayesha, flat eclairs are usually due to either piping them too large or underbaking. Some ovens run a little cooler so you might bake an extra 2 minutes next time. I hope that helps!
When I bake my eclairs they do not puff up very much and they fall flat when I take them out of the oven. I baked two pans at one time one above the other could that be the problem ?this is the second time making them the first time I baked one pan at a time the first pan baked perfect but I piped them to skinny so they were small.
The second pan came out flat not sure if it was because they sat while the first pan was baking.
Hi Theresa, Flat eclairs are usually due to either piping them too large or underbaking. Some ovens run a little cooler so you might bake an extra 2 minutes next time. I hope that helps!
Omg! First time for making Choux pastry and out of all the recipes and instructions on the net – these are the clearest and best I have found! Thanks so much and mine came out 👍🏼
So great to hear that you loved the end result!
These are THE BEST eclairs I have ever tasted! And instructions are easy and clear! Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi Natasha, Thanks for great recipe. Just wondering how many grams are 8 tbs butter?
Hi Seva, there are 113.4 gram in 8 Tbsp of butter
This was my first time making eclairs and they were really good! My filling was a bit runny though so I added some more cornstarch, apart from that they were delishh!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us! We have tips in the recipe and comments that should help with the filling being runny. I’m also more than happy to troubleshoot.
It was the best thing just one thing on the nutrition facts you forgot energy
Thanks for your feedback and suggestion!
i was a bit reluctant to make it again after the 1st one failing miserably…but this was just perfect and tastes so good…. i was super excited when the dough turned out good… all in all loved it…thanks for the recipe 🙂
Yay great job! So glad that you’re happy with the end result.
Absolutely delicious! I mean every part–the shell, the pastry cream and even the chocolate glaze (which I’m not a big chocolate fan) was INCREDIBLE! I seriously can’t stop eating them. This will be my go to recipe for eclairs. Watching the video first was very helpful. Thank you sharing your recipes!
What an awesome review! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us, Britney. I’m so happy that you’re very satisfied with the end result!
Hi Natasha,
You present such appetizing dishes and desserts which i try (with a sense of humor). Yesterday i followed your eclair recipe. They came out soo tasty!!. They tasted like the ones I buy from a fancy bakery! The only concern i had is that the pastery parts did not puff up enough so we ended up making eclair sandwiches!!!!:) and put the custard between 2 of the pasteries.
How can i prevent them from flattening or rising more.
Hi Natalie, Flat eclairs are usually due to either piping them too large or underbaking. Some ovens run a little cooler so you might bake an extra 2 minutes next time. I hope that helps!
Help! Step 2 for the pastry cream is not going right. We’ve been whisking for a very long time and it’s still crumbly.
We figured it out! There was too much cornstarch in our first try. Got it right the second try. Thank you!
Hi Jen, I would highly suggest watching the video if you haven’t already to see where your results started to change or differ from the method I shared here. I didn’t have any issues with thickening on the cream but I highly recommend checking measurements and be sure to measure dry and wet ingredients correctly since the wrong proportions can definitely affect the setting time.
I made these last night and they are amazing!! One question: do I put the eclairs in the fridge after I put the chocolate on? Like if you are not eating them right then, should they be in the fridge?
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Noelle! You can make the shells in advance and store them in an airtight container. Ours haven’t lasted long enough to try that but our readers have tried freezing them. I imagine a couple of days is fine in the fridge. I haven’t tried this but I read that it’s best not to freeze eclairs.
My batter is chunky and runny! I stood and mixed at the stove on medium heat after I added the flour but it was never the same consistency. Any thought why?
Hi Annie, I have not had that experience but I’d love to troubleshoot. Was anything altered in the recipe?
I made these and they were delicious and really fun to make! I made a ton of mistakes but they came out well! I really love your recipes!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
Made these for the first time but I made them small creampuffs (round) instead of eclairs. I’ll never buy frozen creampuffs again. SO delicious! One suggestion; add “if using extract, wait until the last step to add”. I don’t know if it makes that much difference but I added the extract in step one. It was still amazing!
Correction…add vanilla in step 4
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
These are delicious! I made them last night and they were way better than I expected!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Crystal!
I love eclairs, but my son is allergic to cocoa Are there any other type of ganches that I could try?? He can have some white chocolate.
Hi Marcia, honestly, the sky is the limit with your ganache of choice. You can really get creative with toppings.
hi can I use goat milk ? cows milk and I do not agree
Hi Joseph, I’ve looked through the comments and don’t see anyone trying it with goat milk. I have not either to advise. If you experiment however I would love to know how you like it.