Emma walked past the French bakery window last Saturday, pressed her nose against the glass, and announced "Mom, I need one of those chocolate stick things immediately." After explaining that "chocolate stick things" are actually chocolate eclairs and they cost eight dollars each, I promised we'd make them at home. That Sunday afternoon, watching her bite into her first homemade eclair with chocolate ganache dripping down her chin, I knew we'd created something special.
Back twenty years of making French pastry desserts that actually impress instead of intimidate, I can promise you this: classic French chocolate eclairs aren't as scary as pastry chefs want you to believe. This homemade Chocolate Eclairs recipe uses simple techniques and ingredients you already have, and the result tastes like you trained in Paris instead of just Googling "choux pastry" on a Sunday morning. The bakery-style chocolate eclairs are crispy, creamy, chocolatey perfection that make people think you're a pastry genius.
Why You'll Love This Chocolate Eclairs
These chocolate cream-filled pastries are pure weekend baking magic. The pâte à choux éclair shells are surprisingly simple - just eggs, butter, flour, and water that transform into crispy, airy pastries through the power of steam. Emma's pickiest friend Sophia actually ate two whole eclairs and asked if we could teach her mom how to make them. The custard-filled eclairs with Chocolate Eclairs glaze on top deliver that perfect combination of textures - crispy shell, silky vanilla pastry cream filling, and rich chocolate ganache topping that makes every bite interesting. It's the kind of decadent chocolate eclairs that make you close your eyes and sigh with happiness.
This easy chocolate eclairs recipe is more forgiving than you think. Yes, there are steps, but none of them are particularly difficult - just different from regular baking. The choux pastry desserts technique works for cream puffs, profiteroles, and countless other French pastries once you master it. And because you can make the components ahead and assemble them the day you're serving, you can spread the work out and still wow everyone with French bakery Chocolate Eclairs that look like they came from an expensive patisserie.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Chocolate Eclairs
- Ingredients You Need for Chocolate Eclairs
- How To Make Chocolate Eclairs Step By Step
- Smart Swaps for Chocolate Eclairs
- Chocolate Eclairs Variations
- Equipment For Chocolate Eclairs
- Storing Your Chocolate Eclairs
- Top Tip
- The Recipe That My Friend and I Still Argue Over
- FAQ
- French Pastry Magic Made Simple!
- Related
- Pairing
- Chocolate Eclairs
Ingredients You Need for Chocolate Eclairs
Choux Pastry (Pâte à Choux):
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
Vanilla Pastry Cream Filling:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 6 large egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Chocolate Ganache Topping:
- 6 oz dark chocolate (60-70% cacao), chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon butter
Optional:
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Pearl sugar for sprinkling
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Chocolate Eclairs Step By Step
Make the Choux Pastry
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then bring the water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil until the butter fully melts. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the pan, then cook it for another minute or two to dry it out slightly. Let the dough cool for a few minutes before adding the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the dough becomes smooth, glossy, and falls slowly in a thick ribbon.
Pipe and Bake the Eclairs
Transfer the choux dough to a piping bag with a large round tip and pipe 4-inch strips onto the baking sheet, leaving space between them. Smooth any peaks with a wet finger, then bake at 400°F for 15 minutes without opening the oven. Lower the temperature to 350°F and continue baking 15–20 minutes until the shells are deeply golden, crisp, and feel light and hollow. Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let them dry for 10 minutes, then poke a small hole in each to release steam. Cool completely on a wire rack for perfect, hollow éclair shells.
Make the Vanilla Pastry Cream
While the shells cool, heat the milk until steaming. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until thick, then slowly temper with half the hot milk. Return everything to the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture suddenly thickens and bubbles. Let it bubble for 1 minute, then remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla until smooth. Strain the pastry cream, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and chill for at least 2 hours until fully cold though it’s tempting to eat warm, it’s even better once set.
Make Chocolate Ganache and Fill
Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl, heat the cream until it just simmers, then pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute, whisk until smooth and glossy, and stir in corn syrup and butter for extra shine. Let the ganache cool until thick but pourable. Once the pastry cream is fully chilled and the shells are cool, pipe the cream into each éclair by inserting a small round tip into one end and filling until the pastry feels heavy and a bit of cream appears at the other side. You can also slice the shells and spoon in the filling, but piping keeps them tidier and more traditional.
Glaze and Serve
Dip the top of each filled eclair into your chocolate ganache, letting excess drip off. Place on a wire rack and let the chocolate set for about 15 minutes in the fridge. The ganache should be shiny and smooth. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve - they're best eaten within 4-6 hours of filling for maximum crispiness. The shells will soften as they sit, but they're still delicious even when slightly soft. Grand-mère always said "éclair is best eaten the same day you fill it - this is not food for waiting." Emma tries to eat them before the chocolate even sets, which results in chocolate all over her face every single time.
Smart Swaps for Chocolate Eclairs
Filling Options:
- Whipped cream → Pastry cream (lighter, less stable)
- Chocolate pastry cream → Vanilla (double chocolate version)
- Coffee pastry cream → Vanilla (mocha flavor)
- Vegan pastry cream → Regular (use coconut milk, cornstarch)
Chocolate Topping:
- Milk chocolate → Dark chocolate (sweeter, less bitter)
- White chocolate → Dark (completely different flavor)
- Chocolate buttercream → Ganache (different texture)
- Simple chocolate glaze → Ganache (easier, thinner)
Dietary Adaptations:
- Gluten-free flour blend → AP flour (use 1:1 ratio with xanthan gum)
- Dairy-free butter → Regular butter (vegan eclairs)
- Aquafaba → Eggs (vegan choux - tricky but possible)
Size Variations:
- Profiteroles → Eclairs (small rounds, ice cream filling)
- Mini eclairs (2-inch) → Regular (bite-sized appetizer)
- Cream puffs (round) → Eclairs (same dough, different shape)
Chocolate Eclairs Variations
Coffee Eclairs:
- Add 2 tablespoons instant espresso to pastry cream
- Coffee chocolate ganache topping
- Sophisticated flavor
- Adult version
Strawberry Eclairs:
- Add strawberry puree to cream
- Top with pink glaze
- Fresh berries on top
- Beautiful and fruity
Salted Caramel:
- Caramel pastry cream filling
- Salted caramel glaze instead of chocolate
- Flaky sea salt on top
- Trendy and delicious
Chocolate Eclair Cake:
- Layer graham crackers with pastry cream
- Top with chocolate ganache
- No-bake version
- Makes éclair cake recette
Matcha Green Tea:
- Add matcha powder to pastry cream
- White chocolate ganache
- Dust with matcha
- Modern twist on classic
Equipment For Chocolate Eclairs
- Pastry bags and tips (or freezer bags)
- Large baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Wire cooling racks
- Medium saucepans
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Wooden spoon
Storing Your Chocolate Eclairs
Unfilled Shells (3 days room temp, 1 month frozen):
- Cool completely before storing
- Keep in airtight container at room temp
- Freeze for longer storage
- Crisp in 300°F oven for 5 minutes before filling
Pastry Cream (3 days in fridge):
- Always keep refrigerated
- Press plastic wrap on surface
- Whisk smooth before using
- Never freeze (texture changes)
Filled Eclairs (4-6 hours ideal, 1 day max):
- Best eaten same day
- Refrigerate if storing
- Shells soften as they sit
- Still delicious but less crispy
Ganache (2 weeks in fridge):
- Whisk smooth after reheating
- Store in airtight container
- Reheat gently to use
- Can freeze up to 3 months
Top Tip
- The biggest mistake people make is not cooking the flour paste long enough in that initial step, resulting in choux pastry that doesn't puff properly in the oven. After you dump the flour into the boiling water and it forms a ball, you must continue cooking it over heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. This step - called "drying out the panade" - is crucial because it evaporates excess moisture and gelatinizes the starch, which allows the dough to absorb more eggs later. You'll see a thin film form on the bottom of your pan - that's exactly what you want.
- Opening the oven door during the first 15 minutes of baking is absolutely fatal to your Chocolate Eclairs. When choux pastry bakes, it relies entirely on steam to puff up and create that hollow interior. If you open the door - even for a quick peek - you release that crucial steam and the temperature drops, causing your eclairs to deflate and never recover. They need that initial blast of high heat (400°F) to get maximum lift, then the lower temperature (350°F) to dry out and crisp up.
- Not drying your eclairs sufficiently after baking results in shells that collapse or go soggy within hours. Even after they're golden and beautiful, they need that 10-minute rest in the turned-off oven with the door cracked open. This allows remaining moisture to escape and the structure to set completely. Then poking small holes in each end releases any trapped steam that could make them soggy from the inside.
The Recipe That My Friend and I Still Argue Over
My best friend and I have been making Chocolate Eclairs for special occasions for years, and we have this ongoing debate about whether to split them horizontally or fill them from the ends. She insists that slicing them in half horizontally is easier and lets you see the beautiful layers, plus it's how many bakeries do it. I maintain that piping from the ends is more traditional, keeps the shells intact, and prevents them from getting soggy from exposed cream. We actually did a side-by-side comparison at Emma's birthday party - her version split and layered, mine piped from the ends - and asked ten people which they preferred.
But here's what neither of us wanted to admit: we'd been stealing techniques from each other without saying anything. She finally confessed she'd been piping filling into the ends first to stabilize them before slicing them open - "to prevent them from cracking awkwardly," she claimed. I sheepishly admitted I'd started doing a shallow slice on top (not cutting all the way through) to create a little window where you could see the cream - combining both methods. Emma watched this whole confession laughing because she'd been eating both versions and thought they were exactly the same.
FAQ
What are some common éclair mistakes?
The most common mistakes are: opening the oven door during the first 15 minutes of baking (causes deflation), not cooking the flour paste long enough before adding eggs (results in dense pastry), adding eggs too quickly without fully incorporating each one (makes loose batter), and not drying the baked shells enough (they go soggy quickly when filled). Other errors include using eggs straight from the fridge (they don't incorporate well - let them come to room temperature first), overfilling the eclairs until they burst, and using chocolate that's too hot for glazing (it runs off instead of setting).
Should a chocolate eclair be heated or refrigerated?
Chocolate eclairs should be refrigerated if storing them for more than an hour, but they're actually best served at cool room temperature rather than cold from the fridge. Make them, fill them, and let them sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes before serving - this allows the pastry cream to soften slightly and the flavors to come forward. Cold pastry cream is less flavorful and the Chocolate Eclairs ganache gets hard when cold. However, you must refrigerate them because pastry cream contains eggs and dairy that can spoil at room temperature.
What are some interesting facts about eclairs?
Eclairs were invented in France in the 19th century, with some sources crediting pastry chef Antonin Carême. The word "éclair" means "lightning" in French, possibly because they're eaten so quickly (in a flash of lightning) or because the glazed Chocolate Eclairs reflects light. Traditional French eclairs are filled with vanilla pastry cream and topped with chocolate, but modern variations include coffee, caramel, fruit, and even savory versions. In France, buying eclairs from a patisserie is a weekend tradition.
What is the secret to crispy eclairs?
The secret to crispy eclairs is threefold: First, bake them at high heat initially (400°F) to create maximum steam and puff, then reduce heat to dry them out thoroughly. Second, don't open the oven door during the first 15 minutes - steam is what creates the hollow interior and crispy shell. Third, after baking, turn off the oven, crack the door open, and let them dry for 10 extra minutes, then poke holes in the ends to release trapped moisture. The shells should feel incredibly light and sound hollow when tapped.
French Pastry Magic Made Simple!
You've just learned how to create bakery-quality chocolate eclairs that will make everyone think you trained in a Parisian patisserie. This isn't just another baking project that looks impressive but tastes mediocre - these are genuinely spectacular pastries that deliver on every level. From Grand-mère Colette's Lyon patisserie wisdom to my ongoing split-versus-whole debate with my best friend, you now have all the secrets to make classic French chocolate eclairs that rival anything from an expensive bakery.
Want more French pastry recipes? Try our Best Passion Fruit Mousse Recipe for buttery, flaky perfection (yes, they're possible at home!). Our Best Cheesecake Fudge Recipe delivers that iconic custard and caramelized sugar. Need more chocolate desserts? Our Easy Cinnamon Roll Cupcakes Recipe is easier than you think. And for another choux pastry creation, our Cream Puffs Recipe uses the same technique!
Share your eclair creations with us! We absolutely love seeing your piped shells, creative fillings, and chocolate-covered masterpieces.
Rate this Chocolate Eclairs and let us know your results!
Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Chocolate Eclairs
Chocolate Eclairs
Equipment
- 1 Large saucepan (For choux pastry)
- 1 Medium saucepan (For pastry cream)
- 1 Heatproof bowl (For ganache)
- 2 Large Baking Sheets (Lined with parchment)
- 1 Wire cooling rack (For choux shells and ganache)
- 1 Wooden spoon (For mixing dough)
- 1 Fine mesh strainer (For pastry cream)
- 1 Pastry bag (For piping dough and cream)
- 1 Large round piping tip (Optional: can use zip-top bag)
Ingredients
Choux Pastry Pâte à Choux
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup unsalted butter - 1 stick
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs - room temperature
Vanilla Pastry Cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 6 large egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Chocolate Ganache
- 6 oz dark chocolate - chopped 60–70% cacao
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup - optional for shine
- 1 tablespoon butter - optional for shine
Optional
- as desired powdered sugar - for dusting
- as desired pearl sugar - for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F to prepare for baking the eclairs
- Bring water, butter, sugar, and salt to a full boil in a saucepan
- Stir in all-purpose flour at once and cook until a smooth dough forms
- Cook dough for 1–2 minutes to remove excess moisture before adding eggs
- Let the dough cool slightly so the eggs don’t scramble when incorporated
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