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 these French eclairs in no time.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
Classic Eclairs Recipe
Learn how to make classic and easy “choux pastry” dough (the same pastry used for Cream Puffs as well as Churros and even Zeppole Italian Donuts) and a decadent homemade vanilla bean pastry cream that will have you licking the spoon and the bowl.
Eclairs are best eaten the day they are made, but I do love that they can be fully assembled a day ahead.
Video: How to Make Eclairs
I’ll show you how to make the easy dough (don’t worry, it only sounds fancy, but it’s actually simple to make), the custard filling, and the easy chocolate ganache to give your eclairs that classic French look and taste.
Also, 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!
Tools for Making Eclairs
- Large Piping Bag – reuseable or disposable works fine.
- 1/2″ round piping tip or a 16mm open star tip – you need a large tip to pipe the eclair dough into strips.
- Baking Sheet – a half sheet works great
- Silicone Liner or Parchment Paper
- Bismarck tip (or a small sharp tip like Ateco #16 or #352) – you could use a number of tips to pipe the frosting into the eclair.
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 3 days ahead which is perfect for holiday entertaining.
- If making ahead, cover the surface directly with a sheet of plastic wrap so it doesn’t form a film.
- You can substitute the real vanilla bean for vanilla extract. I love seeing those little vanilla flecks in the eclairs (see recipe notes)
Pro Tip:
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). The key is to continue mixing the dough in the saucepan to release excess moisture until a thin film forms on the bottom of the pan. Choux pastry 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.
Make-Ahead
- Eclair Shells – can be baked a day ahead and stored covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. Shells can also be frozen in an airtight conatiner up to a month then thawed at room temp for 30 minutes. To re-crisp shells, bake thawed shwells at 300˚F for 5-10 minutes then cool completely before filling.
- Filling (Pasty Cream) – can be made a day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap directly over the surface and refrigerate. Re-whisk before piping.
- Glaze – I find it’s best to make the glaze when assembling the eclairs since you’ll need to reheat it to loosen it up again which won’t save you any time.
How to Store Eclairs
Filled Eclairs are best enjoyed fresh or eaten the day of assembling since they will start to soften once you pipe the cream in and add the glaze, but you can store in the refrigerator in an airtght container for up to a day.
More French Desserts and Pastries
My husband and I were able to visit France this year, and we spent a fair amount of time visiting the boulangerie (bakeries that sell bread) and pâtisseries (that sell sweet treats), where we sampled the best French pastries and baked goods. It’s such a treat to recreate our favorites that remind me of our time in Paris.
- Homemade Croissants – I finally nailed it!
- Cherry Clafoutis – breakfast or dessert
- Easy Crepes – our go-to crepes
- Fruit Tart – with the best crust
- Peach Galette – the easiest ‘pie’
- Chocolate Souffle – restaurant copycat
- Easy Almond Croissants – French bakery copycat
- Raspberry Macarons – filled with raspberry cream
Now go forth and conquer homemade eclairs!
Classic Eclair Recipe
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 corn starch
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- In a medium saucepan bring 2 cups milk, vanilla bean and scraped seeds just to a boil, stirring to prevent film from forming.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- Place 4 oz of chocolate chips into a small heat-safe bowl.
- 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.
- Dip the top half of filled and chilled eclairs into the chocolate sauce, allowing excess to drip off.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
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.