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Perfect Classic Chocolate Eclair Recipe

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4.9 from 464 reviews

This Perfect Classic Chocolate Eclair recipe guides you through making light and airy choux pastry shells filled with rich, smooth pastry cream and topped with a glossy semi-sweet chocolate ganache. These elegant French pastries combine the delicate crispiness of baked éclairs with a luscious cream filling and shiny chocolate glaze, perfect for special occasions or indulgent treats.

Ingredients

Scale

Choux Pastry

  • 60 g Unsalted butter (82% European style butter, room temperature, in chunks)
  • 60 g Water
  • 60 g Whole milk
  • ¼ teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Granulated sugar
  • 70 g Bread flour (high protein content, e.g., 13%)
  • 110 g Egg (approx. 2 eggs at room temperature, might need slightly more or less)

Pastry Cream Filling

  • 240 g Whole milk (3% fat)
  • 50 g Granulated sugar
  • 40 g Egg yolk (approx. yolk of 2 eggs)
  • 12 g Corn starch
  • 12 g All purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 28 g Unsalted butter (82% fat, room temperature)

Chocolate Ganache Glaze

  • 170 g Semi-sweet chocolate (high quality, e.g., Callebaut or Lindt)
  • 77 g Heavy cream (36% fat)
  • 15 g Unsalted butter (82% fat, room temperature)

Instructions

  1. Prepare Dry Ingredients: Sift the bread flour (for choux) and set aside to ensure no lumps.
  2. Make Choux Dough: In a saucepan, combine butter chunks, water, milk, salt, and granulated sugar. Heat over medium until just simmering (do not boil). Remove from heat and add flour all at once. Vigorously whisk with a rubber spatula until a smooth ball forms with no flour bits visible.
  3. Cook Dough: Return to medium heat and cook dough 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Water evaporates and a thin skin forms on the pan bottom, ensuring the dough is properly cooked.
  4. Incorporate Eggs: Transfer dough to stand mixer bowl. Using paddle attachment, whisk on low to cool slightly. Gradually add lightly beaten eggs in small portions, fully incorporating each before adding more. Continue until dough is glossy, thick, pipeable, and falls in a V-shape when lifted.
  5. Chill Dough: Transfer dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 0.5 inch (1.3 cm) French star nozzle. Refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up, allowing easier piping and better structure when baked.
  6. Pipe and Freeze Eclairs: Pipe 14 equal-sized eclairs onto a perforated air baking mat or parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing apart for puffing. Smooth tips by tapping ends with a wet finger. Lightly dust with powdered sugar to prevent cracking. Freeze for at least 1 hour.
  7. Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 200°C (392°F) without fan.
  8. Bake Eclairs: Place frozen eclairs in oven, reduce temperature to 170°C (338°F). Bake for 40 minutes without opening the door for first 30 minutes. Eclairs should be golden, puffed, and not collapse. The interiors may remain slightly moist but not raw.
  9. Cool Shells: Remove eclairs from oven and cool completely on perforated mat to maintain crispness before filling.
  10. Prepare Pastry Cream: Whisk sugar and egg yolks for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Add cornstarch, flour, and vanilla, whisk until smooth. Heat milk to simmer, then gradually temper yolk mixture by whisking in hot milk slowly.
  11. Cook Pastry Cream: Return mixture to saucepan, cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thickened, about 1 minute after boiling. Whisk vigorously if lumps form. Remove from heat and strain if needed.
  12. Incorporate Butter: Gradually whisk in softened butter chunks until smooth and fully combined. Cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin formation. Chill until completely cool before filling.
  13. Make Chocolate Ganache: Semi-melt chocolate in microwave. Heat cream until just simmering. Pour cream over chocolate and stir until smooth. Mix in butter until well combined. Allow to cool to about 30°C (86°F) until smooth and pipeable.
  14. Fill Eclairs: Create three small holes in the bottom or side of each shell using a skewer or piping nozzle. Pipe chilled pastry cream into eclairs until fully filled.
  15. Glaze Eclairs: Dip tops of filled eclairs into cooled ganache to coat evenly. Tap sides gently to remove excess glaze or use fingers to clean edges for a neat finish.
  16. Set Glaze: Refrigerate dipped eclairs for 2-3 minutes to let the glaze firm up and achieve a glossy appearance.
  17. Serve and Store: Serve éclairs immediately for best crispness and texture. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to one day but will gradually lose crispness.

Notes

  • Use high-protein bread flour for choux dough to achieve proper rise and structure.
  • Egg quantity is approximate and may vary based on flour absorbency and moisture evaporation; adjust for dough consistency.
  • Do not open the oven during the first 30 minutes of baking, as this can cause éclairs to collapse.
  • If freeze time is extended, ensure dough is fully covered to prevent drying out.
  • Cover pastry cream’s surface with plastic wrap directly to prevent skin formation.
  • Use good quality chocolate for ganache to enhance flavor and texture.
  • Consume éclairs promptly after filling to enjoy optimal crispness; refrigeration softens shells over time.

Keywords: chocolate eclairs, classic eclairs, French pastry, choux pastry, pastry cream, chocolate glaze, homemade eclairs

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