Let’s make bakery-style eclairs at home! I promise, it’s really easy to make with very basic ingredients. Plus, full video tutorial and 8 tips to perfect eclair shells every time!
Classic eclairs are made of choux pastry (aka pate a choux), pastry cream filling and chocolate ganache glaze.
Chocolate éclairs bring so many childhood memories for me. Growing up, eclairs were my mom’s specialties, which means I’ve got a time-tested recipe with years of experience and tips for perfection!
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Chocolate Eclair Ingredient Notes
When I say you need basic ingredients, I mean basics!
- Flour – Although all-purpose flour works fine, bread flour works better for choux pastry.
- Water – A lot of choux pastry recipes call for equal parts of water and milk. For eclairs, I prefer all water, as I feel like it yields crispier shells.
- Butter – I prefer unsalted butter. If you opt for salted butter, omit the salt.
- Sugar – A little bit of sugar not only adds flavor, but it also helps with browning.
- Eggs play crucial part in this recipe, as it’s a main leavening agent that gives eclairs light and airy texture! The reason I’ve listed 4-5 eggs is because you may not need all of the eggs. In my video tutorial, I showed you what consistency we’re looking for when making the dough.
How to fill Eclairs:
There’re 2 ways you can fill those puffy eclair shells. But before filling the shells, I highly recommend drying the shells a little more.
- Once the shells are baked, cool until safe to handle, cut out 2 wholes on the bottom using a round piping tip, or simply make a small slit on the side of shells, using a small sharp paring knife.
- Arrange the shells back on the baking sheet with the holes facing up. And bake them again for another 5 minutes. This dries out the inside of pastry shells and make them extra crisp.
- Transfer the shells onto a wire rack and cool completely before filling.
- Then choose one of the two options below to fill the eclairs.
Make a small slit with a sharp paring knife on the side of pastry shells, and fill the eclairs through that.
Or you can make 2 holes on the bottom of the shells, using a round piping tip, and fill eclairs through those holes. I like this method better, because it produces cleaner presentation!
Best Chocolate Eclair Recipe
FAQ
What is eclairs chocolate made of?
What is the filling of an éclair called?
What is a chocolate eclair called in French?
What’s the difference between an éclair and a French éclair?
What is a chocolate éclair?
An éclair is a long French pastry made from choux pastry, filled with pastry cream or custard and dipped in fondant icing. The most popular éclair is probably the chocolate éclair, which is topped with chocolate fondant and filled with chocolate custard or pastry cream. You can try your hand at making them with a chocolate éclair recipe.
What are Chocolate Eclairs made of?
These chocolate eclairs are made up of a flaky, crisp choux pastry stuffed with three fillings, including vanilla custard, chocolate pastry cream, and whipped cream, then topped with a simple chocolate glaze. This recipe can easily be modified to make delicious chocolate profiteroles too!
What is the filling for Chocolate Eclairs?
The standard filling for chocolate eclairs is a pastry cream. It is a rich custard made on the stovetop with milk, eggs, starch, sugar, and flavoring. The problem is that pastry cream can take hours to set up and can be tricky to make for beginners. This recipe uses instant vanilla pudding instead!
What makes a good chocolate eclair?
The dark chocolate glaze gives an elegant shine and balanced flavor. The foundation of the perfect chocolate eclair is a light and airy classic French dough. Pâte à choux is a basic recipe that is the base for many delicious French pastries: cream puffs, savory gougères, churros, cruller donuts, beignets, gnocchi, profiteroles, and more.