Classic Eclair Recipe

Classic Eclair Recipe

a French patisserie classic

Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 40m
Cook Time: 40m
Total Time: 2h
Temp.: 425 °F
Servings: 18
Difficulty: Easy
5.0 (12 Reviews)
Cooking Mode
Prevents your screen from turning off while cooking

Ingredients

Adjust servings:

for the choux pastry:

for the pastry cream:

for the chocolate glaze:

Nutritional Information

241
calories
15g
fat
20g
carbohydrates
4g
protein
115mg
cholesterol
71mg
sodium
Classic Eclair Recipe

Recipe Description

I love making this Classic Eclair Recipe when I want to please a crowd. North, south, east and west of France, you will find these oblong pastries made with a light choux dough filled with pastry cream and topped with chocolate icing in any cake shop you visit. The French love them and you’ll soon see why.    

I start by making choux pastry from water, milk, butter, sugar and salt and flour which I pipe onto a baking sheet. Then I make a custard pastry cream from milk, vanilla bean sugar, corn starch, salt, egg yolks and butter. Once the eclair pastry shells are cooked and cooled, pipe the pastry cream inside and decorate with a chocolate glaze. 

To make this Classic Eclair Recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Classic Eclair Recipe

Recipe Features

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Heat oven

    5 min

    Preheat oven to 425 °F.

  2. 2

    Start making the choux pastry

    5 min
    Step 2 - Classic Eclair RecipeStep 2 - Classic Eclair Recipe

    Combine the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the flour with a wooden spoon.

  3. 3

    Return to the heat

    1 min
    Step 3 - Classic Eclair Recipe

    Return the saucepan to medium heat and cook for 1 ½ to 2 minutes more, stirring constantly until dough comes together into a smooth ball.

  4. 4

    Add eggs

    4 min
    Step 4 - Classic Eclair Recipe

    Transfer the choux to a large mixing bowl. To cool the mixture down slightly, beat with an electric mixer on medium for about 1 minute. Gradually, add 4 eggs one at a time, and beat well to incorporate each egg fully between additions. Beat until you have a smooth dough which forms a thick ribbon when you pull it up out of the bowl.

  5. 5

    Pipe eclair dough

    5 min
    Step 5 - Classic Eclair RecipeStep 5 - Classic Eclair Recipe

    Using a piping bag with a ½ inch round tip, pipe 18-20 4 inch long and ¾ inch wide eclairs onto a baking sheet lined with silicone or parchment paper.

  6. 6

    Bake

    40 min
    Step 6 - Classic Eclair RecipeStep 6 - Classic Eclair Recipe

    Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 325°F and continue to bake for 30 more minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Transfer to wire rack and leave to cool.

  7. 7

    Make pastry cream

    3 min
    Step 7 - Classic Eclair Recipe

    While the eclairs are cooling, bring the milk and vanilla just to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent a film from forming.

  8. 8

    Whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt and eggs

    2 min
    Step 8 - Classic Eclair RecipeStep 8 - Classic Eclair Recipe

    Mix the sugar, cornstarch and salt together in a large bowl. Add the egg yolks and whisk until the mixture is smooth, creamy and lightened in color. This step will take a few minutes to reach the correct color and consistency.

  9. 9

    Add hot milk

    2 min
    Step 9 - Classic Eclair RecipeStep 9 - Classic Eclair Recipe

    While whisking constantly, add hot milk to the sugar and egg mixture gradually (so the eggs don't curdle). Pour the mixture back into saucepan. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Whisk for another 30 seconds until the mixture is thick with a pudding-like consistency.

  10. 10

    Add butter

    33 min
    Step 10 - Classic Eclair RecipeStep 10 - Classic Eclair Recipe

    Transfer the pastry cream to a separate bowl and add butter cubes. Quickly whisk the butter into the custard until it is fully incorporated Cover with plastic placed directly onto the surface of the cream. Allow to cool slightly, then place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until cool.

  11. 11

    Pipe eclairs with pastry cream

    10 min
    Step 11 - Classic Eclair RecipeStep 11 - Classic Eclair Recipe

    Pipe pastry cream into each eclair. Scrape off any excess cream and place the eclairs in the refrigerator to chill.

  12. 12

    Make the chocolate glaze

    3 min
    Step 12 - Classic Eclair Recipe

    Place the chocolate chips into a small heat-safe bowl. Heat heavy whipping cream in a saucepan or microwave until it is just at a simmer. Remove from the heat and pour the cream over the chocolate chips. Allow to rest for 2 minutes then whisk from the center outwards until you have smooth glossy sauce.

  13. 13

    Decorate and serve

    2 min
    Step 13 - Classic Eclair RecipeStep 13 - Classic Eclair Recipe

    Dunk the top half of the filled eclairs into the chocolate sauce. Place on a wire rack to allow the excess sauce to drip off. Serve with coffee.

This Classic Eclair Recipe is a real crowd pleaser! Make these oblong cream-filled pastries topped with chocolate ganache soon and don’t forget to tag #cookmerecipes in your pretty baking photos!

About the author

Jelena Mardere

Jelena is an interior designer and young mom! As a busy working mom, her time is precious so she’s always looking for a quick and efficient way to get things done. Jelena is very creative, but has a strong practical side. She loves trying new things and travels a lot, especially around Europe. The kitchen is Jelena’s safe space, where she can let her creative side out and dedicate herself to her favorite hobby - cooking!

Recipe Reviews

Have you made this recipe? Share your experience and help other cooks!

★★★★★
★★★★★
5.0 out of 5 (12 reviews)
Quezada Marisol
May 12, 2025
Verified

Delicioso!

Yasmine
December 16, 2024
Verified

I made these éclairs for a friend's bday. Everyone loved them, such a hit at the party.

Fiona Smith
May 11, 2024
Verified

Delicious!

Diana
October 25, 2023
Verified

OMG! These eclairs are sooo delish! I made them for my friend's bday and they were gone in seconds! Everyone was like 'whoa, did you bake these?!' I felt like a pastry chef! Definitely a winner for any party! 🎉

Yvonne
October 15, 2023
Verified

I made these eclairs for my friends last week, and they were a hit. The recipe is so simple. I felt proud serving such a classic French dessert. Definitely a keeper.

IcedMike93
April 9, 2023
Verified

These eclairs turned my family gathering into a sweet success. Simple and delish.

Yvonne Smith
January 14, 2022
Verified

Delicious! I tried this Classic Eclair Recipe for my husband's birthday, and he loved it. Making the choux pastry was surprisingly easy. Can't wait to make them again for family gatherings.

Fiona Smith
September 25, 2021
Verified

These eclairs are the bomb! So easy to whip up and my fam loved them!

Olivia Parker
March 28, 2021
Verified

I made this Classic Eclair Recipe for my husband's birthday. He was overjoyed! The choux was light and the filling was smooth. So fun to make together and even better to eat.

Xander
July 26, 2020
Verified

Superb treat ever!

Alice
April 21, 2020
Verified

I made these eclairs for my daughter's birthday, and everyone loved them. They were so easy to make, even for a busy mom.

Athina
November 12, 2019
Verified

Amazing! Thank you! Approved!

Taste of the dish
Accuracy of stated difficulty
Instruction accuracy
Would you recommend this recipe to others?
0/1000
Add photos
Upload photos of your result. This will help others see how the dish should look.

Author Information

Email will not be displayed publicly