Easy chocolate eclairs recipe

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Everything you need to know about making the perfect classic chocolate eclairs is right here! This step-by-step tutorial will walk you through the recipe and discuss eclairs troubleshooting tips for common recipe pitfalls.

Crisp, puffy, and perfect chocolate eclairs filled with chocolate or vanilla pastry cream.

Have you ever wondered why your eclairs were always flat or soggy? Or why do they have a concave-shaped bottom, or a huge crack right down the middle?

You've probably tried every recipe claiming to make perfect eclairs and still ended up with flat, depressing eclairs? So you've come to the right place! 🙂

I'm going to show you how to make the perfect classic eclairs today!

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Here's a quick rundown.

The consistency of your choux pastry dough is extremely important! For guaranteed, consistent results, always WEIGH your ingredients rather than relying on cup/volume measurements. If you do use cups, make sure to check the consistency of the dough at each step to ensure you're on the right track.

Before moving on to the next step of making choux pastry, there are some key signs to look for. The more you make choux pastry, the more you'll be able to “read” your dough and intuitively follow these signs.

Having said that, I'm going to share all of my secrets for making PERFECT eclairs that are nice and puffy, have a beautiful shell, and are free of cracks. This will assist you in making foolproof classic eclairs that appear to have come from a high-end pastry shop! So let's get started.

I'LL BEGIN WITH SOME COMMON ECLAIR FAILURES THAT YOU MAY EXPERIENCE WHILE MAKING CLASSIC ECLAIRS.

MY ECLAIRS ARE FLAT AND SOGGY.

This occurs when your choux pastry dough is too runny (with too much water, eggs, or both).

Or you opened the oven door too soon while baking, allowing steam to escape and causing the eclair shells to collapse.

SOLUTION:

Keep an eye on the dough and avoid adding too many eggs.

To avoid letting out steam from the oven, never open the oven door before the 25-minute mark.

Prick or cut the shell near the end of the baking time (or shortly after baking) to allow steam to escape as the pastry cools.

Never use raw flour to “fix” runny dough in choux pastry.

MY ECLAIRS HAVE A SUNKEN BOTTOM AND OCCASIONALLY A LARGE CRACK ON THE BOTTOM.

This occurs as a result of a combination of the aforementioned factors. However, if the pastry case isn't sturdy enough to hold its shape, your chocolate eclairs may sink to the bottom.

With profiteroles, this is less of an issue. This is due to the fact that the shape of a profiterole is inherently stronger than that of an eclair.

The contact point of the pastry with the baking sheet is wider for profiteroles, resulting in a more stable base to bake on and rise to form a nice, airy pastry shell. There's less chance of pastry shells collapsing here.

The contact point with the baking sheet is less for eclairs (in terms of the width of the pastry shell). As the pastry shell expands during baking, it becomes less stable/sturdy and tends to collapse around the base, resulting in concave-shaped collapsed bottoms on your eclair shells.

SOLUTION:

• Instead of parchment paper, use a silpat (explained in detail below).
• When piping the middle of the eclair, pipe at a 45° angle with constant pressure.
• Make certain that the center of your piped eclair is not thicker than the two ends (i.e. it should be dog bone-shaped).

Silpat vs parchment paper

This little find came about entirely by chance. I'm not sure what it is about a silpat (other than heat conduction), but eclairs baked on a silpat are always more stable and neat than those baked on parchment paper.

It's fine if you don't have a silpat; you can still use parchment paper. However, if I know I'll be baking chocolate eclairs on parchment paper, I usually add fewer eggs to my choux pastry.

Piping at a 45 degree angle, on the silpat mat

This is the best angle for piped choux pastry with constant pressure and minimal distortions. When you pipe from the top (as with profiteroles), you put too much pressure on the choux, pushing/crushing it against the tray, and your eclairs may puff up horizontally rather than vertically.

As I pipe the choux, I also make sure the piping tip makes contact with the silpat (at a 45° angle). It aids in the formation of a stable base for the eclairs while also providing some stability to pipe evenly and with consistent pressure.

Consistent piping pressure and shape

Inconsistent or varying piping pressure will result in lumpy eclairs that don't look as clean or professional as you'd like. This is especially problematic if you pipe more dough in the center than at the ends. The middle will then puff up more, resulting in oval-shaped eclairs that are more prone to collapsing.

This is why I like to pipe a small amount of extra dough at the ends (i.e. dog bone-shaped). However, you can pipe them nice and straight, with the ends only slightly larger than the middle. In either case, you will have beautiful, even, and incredibly delicious eclair shells that will never collapse or flatten!

MY ECLAIRS HAVE LARGE CRACKS ON TOP.

This is common when the dough isn't properly prepared and contains undissolved salt or sugar.

Another reason is that it is baked in a high-temperature oven.

You'll also get more cracks if you pipe with a round tip rather than a star tip. This is most likely due to the increased surface area obtained when using a star tip, which allows the choux pastry to expand more.

The differences between eclairs piped with a round tip, an open star tip, and a French star tip are detailed below. The French star tip produces the neatest eclair pastry shell, whereas the round tip eclair has an uneven shape with more cracks.

SOLUTION:

• Make use of a French star tip (instead of a round tip). If you only have a round tip, you can increase the surface area by gently scraping/marking lines on the top of your piped dough with a fork.
• Ascertain that the sugar and salt have been completely dissolved in the water.
• Do not incorporate raw flour into the dough.
• Reduce the oven temperature (if baking at 400°F or higher) and bake for longer at a lower oven temperature (375°F).

I'M GOING TO TAKE YOU THROUGH A DETAILED, STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO THIS CLASSIC ECLAIR RECIPE RIGHT NOW.

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Please read the post carefully if you're new to making eclairs or if you're having trouble perfecting your chocolate eclairs. These tips will assist you in making absolutely perfect, beautiful eclair shells every time! 🙂

CHOUX PASTRY :

Weigh all of your ingredients. I also weigh the wet ingredients with a basic kitchen scale. I simply place the saucepan on the kitchen scale and weigh the water, butter, salt, and sugar.

You can use either water, milk, or a combination of the two.

Stir constantly while heating to ensure that the salt and sugar dissolve and the butter melts BEFORE the mixture comes to a boil.

When the mixture begins to boil, remove it from the heat and add ALL OF THE SIFTED FLOUR AT ONCE. Stir it all together to form a dough. Check for lumps in your dough, then return the saucepan to the stove and cook the dough for about 2-3 minutes while vigorously mixing. This is critical because you want any excess water to evaporate. When a film of dough forms at the bottom of your saucepan, you'll know it's done. Furthermore, if you stick a spoon in the dough, it should remain upright.

Allow the choux pastry dough to cool in a large mixing bowl until it registers a temperature of less than 160°F. When I do this, I spread the choux pastry dough along the wall of the bowl to allow more steam to escape and the dough to cool faster.

ADDITION OF EGGS

This is an important part. Add the eggs one at a time, until the dough begins to get a glossy sheen. As a result, you may end up using all of the eggs or only a portion of them. I usually end up using 3 1/2 eggs, but sometimes 4 eggs (if I had to cook the dough longer, which results in a drier dough).

The dough will be a slimy mess as you mix in the eggs at first, but as you incorporate more eggs, it will become smoother, runnier, and start to get a sheen.

Stop adding eggs as soon as the dough has a sheen (or appears to be a little glossy) and isn't too runny. There are two methods for determining the correct consistency of your glossy choux pastry dough.

1. To make a trough, drag your finger along the surface of the choux pastry dough. This trough's sides should remain upright and not collapse into the dough. If they do, it's due to the dough being too runny.
2. Place an upright rubber spatula in the dough, stir it a little, and then slowly lift the spatula straight up. If the dough forms a V shape at the end of the spatula (as shown in the post's image), it is also of the proper consistency.

Personally, I favor the first method, but both are effective.

PIPING CHOUX PASTRY DOUGH

When the choux pastry dough is finished, place it in a large pastry bag (I use a 16-inch pastry bag) fitted with a 1/2-inch wide French star tip.

If it's easier, cut a 4-5 inch piece of cardboard or a wooden skewer and use it as a guide to pipe equal length eclairs. You can also simply eyeball it.

Pipe 4-5 inch long choux pastry cases on a baking tray lined with a silpat mat, leaving 2 inches between each. On each half sheet baking tray, I pipe about 8-10 eclairs. Keep the piping bag at a 45° angle, as discussed above, and maintain consistent piping pressure. Make the ends of your piped choux cases a little bigger than the center.

Finish each piped case by twisting the piping tip gently. This prevents the entire piped choux case from lifting up with the piping tip. This will result in a pointed or jagged end. Pat down the pointed ends of your choux cases with a damp finger.

Confectioner's sugar should be sprinkled over each eclair case. This results in a slightly caramelized exterior that adds a slight sweetness as well as a delightful crunch.

BAKING CLASSIC ECLAIRS

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the choux cases are light brown in color, in a preheated oven. Then, quickly open the oven door and carefully prick each eclair case with a toothpick on one end to release the air inside. By this point, the eclairs should have developed a brown crust. This is important because pricking them before the crust has formed will cause the choux cases to collapse.

Close the oven door and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes (I usually bake for an additional 8 minutes), or until the cases are a darker brown color (but not burnt!).

Remove from the oven and prick the other end of your choux cases before allowing them to cool completely in a draft-free area. I keep it near or on top of the oven, where it's a little warmer and draft-free. This prevents the choux cases from cooling too quickly and collapsing.

When the eclairs have cooled, they are ready to be filled with the filling of your choice. For a lighter option, I usually use vanilla pastry cream, chocolate pastry cream, or cream diplomat.

WHAT CAN I FILL MY CLASSIC ECLAIRS WITH?

Classic chocolate eclairs are typically filled with a creamy vanilla pastry cream. It's almost like vanilla pudding, with a strong vanilla flavor that isn't overly sweet.

However, you can fill your chocolate eclairs with a delectable chocolate pastry cream as well.

If you prefer a lighter filling than pastry cream (cream patisserie), try cream diplomat or cream chantilly (sweetened whipped cream).

I made FOUR different fillings for my classic chocolate eclairs in this post.

1. Pastry cream with vanilla extract
2. Pastry cream with chocolate
3. Vanilla diplomat cream (vanilla pastry cream + chantilly cream) This tastes like a melt-in-your-mouth treat. Vanilla ice cream, but lighter and warmer.
4. Diplomatic chocolate cream (chocolate pastry cream + Chantilly cream). This tastes like a light, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate ice cream, rather than cold ice cream.

You have 2 ways of filling these classic eclairs.

1. Finished with a Bismarck tip. Insert the tip from the eclair's ends and fill it from both ends. When finished, wipe the ends to remove any excess filling.
2. Make three holes in the bottom of the eclair shell with a star tip (small opening). Fill the eclair from the bottom with the same small tip (or a round tip). Wipe away any excess filling.

Even though I have a Bismarck tip, the second method is my favorite.

DIPPING CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS IN CHOCOLATE GLAZE

When all of the eclairs have been filled, it's time to dip them in the chocolate glaze to make chocolate eclairs. The chocolate glaze is simple to make and delicious on its own. It's just chocolate, cream, butter, and a hint of corn syrup.

The key to getting beautifully glazed chocolate eclairs is to DIP them in the glaze rather than pouring it over the eclairs.

Dip each eclair carefully and evenly in the warm chocolate glaze. Then, to ensure an even coating, gently turn it in the glaze. Once coated, gently shake it to allow any remaining chocolate glaze to drip back into the bowl. Wipe away any excess chocolate glaze from the edges of your chocolate eclair with a paper towel or toothpick. Place it on a wire rack to cool and allow the glaze to set.

Serve these chocolate eclairs at room temperature or chilled right away, or within 12 hours of filling, for the best results.

After being filled, the chocolate eclairs will lose their crispiness. However, because the shells are baked until dark golden brown in color, they form a sturdy shell that does not become soggy from the filling. However, the longer you wait after filling your eclairs, the softer the shells will become (although they should not become soggy even after 24 hours).

TEXAS CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE

Perfect Chocolate Profiteroles (with Pastry Cream)

Classic Chocolate Eclairs

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• Total Time: 6 hours

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Description

Classic Chocolate Eclairs – A foolproof recipe for crisp and puffy eclairs filled with chocolate or vanilla pastry cream.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Choux Pastry for the Eclairs

• 8 oz. water
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt (use less if using fine or table salt)
• 4 oz unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp white granulated sugar
• 5 oz sifted bread flour (or AP flour, I prefer bread flour for eclairs)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
• 8 oz eggs (approximately 4 large eggs)

Filling for the Eclairs

• 1 ½ batches of Vanilla Pastry Cream
• OR
• 1 ½ batches of Chocolate Pastry Cream

Chocolate Glaze

• 12 oz semisweet chocolate
• 6 fl oz whipping cream ¾ cup
• kosher salt, generously sprinkled
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp corn syrup optional

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Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375°F.
2. In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the water, butter, salt, and sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally. (Ensure that the salt and sugar have completely dissolved in the warm water and that the butter has melted BEFORE the water comes to a boil.)
3. As soon as the water begins to boil (with a few bubbles breaking through the surface), remove the pot from the heat and stir in all of the sifted flour. Stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon or a heat-resistant silicone spatula to allow the flour to absorb all of the water and form a ball of dough, and to remove any flour clumps in the dough.
4. Return the saucepan to the stove (on medium heat) after about 45 – 60 seconds of mixing, and let the dough cook for another 2 – 3 minutes while stirring and mixing. Continue until a film of dough forms on the bottom of your saucepan (please note that this only occurs with stainless steel saucepans, not in non-stick saucepans).
5. Remove the dough from the saucepan and place it in a large mixing bowl. Gently mix the dough for 2 – 3 minutes to release the steam and allow it to cool (to less than 160°F). Alternatively, flatten the dough along the side of the mixing bowl and set it aside to cool for a few minutes.
6. Pour all of the eggs into a jug and whisk to combine.
7. When the dough has cooled, add the vanilla extract (I don't use vanilla, but you can if you want). Next, add the eggs in 5 – 6 additions, mixing well after each addition before adding more. To incorporate the eggs, use a stand mixer or a spatula. When the dough starts to get a sheen and looks glossy, stop adding eggs. Please read the post for more information. Then, using the choux pastry test, ensure that the dough is of the proper consistency (detailed in the post).
8. Place the dough in a 16-inch pastry bag, seal the opening, and set aside until the baking trays are ready. Using a silpat mat, line a baking sheet. Prepare a bowl of water and a bowl of confectioner's sugar, as well as a small mesh strainer.
9. Fit a 1/2 inch French star tip to a different pastry bag. Then, snip the end of the previous step's choux pastry bag and insert it into the bag with the French star tip.
10. Place the pastry bag at a 45° angle on the silpat, with the French star tip touching it. Pipe 8 – 10 eclairs (4 – 5 inches long) onto a silpat-lined baking sheet. When piping, make sure the ends are slightly larger than the eclairs' middles. Twist the piping tip at the end to create a slightly pointed/jagged edge.
11. Dip your finger in water and pat the pointed ends of the eclairs to flatten them. Sift confectioner's sugar on top of the eclairs.
12. Set the timer for 25 minutes and place the baking tray in the middle rack of your oven. Check the eclairs after 25 minutes to see if they have turned golden brown. If they have, quickly open the oven door and prick each eclair on one end with a sharp toothpick or skewer.
13. Close the oven door and bake the eclairs for 5 – 10 minutes more, or until they turn a darker golden color. You want to bake the eclairs for a little longer so that they hold their shape better.
14. Remove from the oven and immediately prick the other end of the eclair cases. Allow them to cool for about 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.
15. Bake more eclairs on the second silpat-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all of your choux pastry is gone.
16. The eclairs are ready to be filled once they have cooled. If you're going to fill them later, store the unfilled shells in an airtight container in the freezer.

Filling

1. Make the vanilla or chocolate pastry cream according to the linked recipes the day before and chill it in the fridge overnight.
2. Fill a 16-inch pastry bag fitted with a small round tip with the filling of your choice (5 – 10mm in diameter).
3. Make 3 holes on the bottom of your eclair shells with a French star tip or a round tip. Fill the eclair shells with pastry cream and pipe it through the holes.
4. Remove any excess pastry cream with a damp cloth. Repeat with the remaining eclair shells.

Chocolate Glaze

1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips.
2. In a separate bowl, heat the cream and salt in the microwave or a saucepan. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips as soon as it begins to simmer. Combine the corn syrup and butter in a mixing bowl. Stir in the chocolate chips until completely melted and a glossy chocolate glaze forms. If the chocolate isn't completely melted after stirring, microwave in 10- to 20-second bursts to melt it completely.
3. Each filled eclair should be dipped in the chocolate glaze (read the post for more details on how to cleanly glaze your chocolate eclairs).
4. Allow the chocolate glaze to set on the glazed eclairs on a wire rack.
5. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Notes

1 eclair per person 246 kilocalories (12 percent ) 11g Carbohydrates (4 percent ) 2g protein (4 percent ) 11g fat (17 percent ) 6g Saturated Fat (38 percent ) Cholesterol level: 62mg (21 percent ) 20mg sodium (1 percent ) 74mg potassium (2 percent ) 4g sugar (4 percent ) 290 IU of vitamin A (6 percent ) 17mg calcium (2 percent ) 0.8mg iron (4 percent )

• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Cuisine: French

Nutrition

• Calories: 246

Keywords: chocolate eclair easy, chocolate eclair no bake cake, How to make eclairs, Pastry Cream