Classic Chocolate Eclairs Recipe

I perfected a Chocolate Eclairs Recipe featuring cloudlike choux pastry cradling silky custard beneath a glossy chocolate glaze, and I’ll reveal the simple secrets behind its airy, tender texture.

I still get a little giddy thinking about this Classic Chocolate Eclairs Recipe. Crisp, hollow puffs hiding a silky Custard Pastry that makes you pause, and a glossy chocolate top that cracks just enough.

I like to sneak unsalted butter into the warm Custard Pastry, it smooths everything and makes it sing; a splash of whole milk brings that lush, old fashioned richness. There’s something about biting into one that feels wrong and right at the same time, like finding a secret you can eat.

Try one and you wont forget the first time it melts.

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter, rich in fat and calories, gives tenderness and flavor, use sparingly if watching calories.
• All purpose flour, mostly carbohydrates, gives structure and chew, not much fiber or vitamins.
• Eggs, good source of protein and fat, help bind and leaven, add extra richness.
• Whole milk, adds protein, fat and calcium, makes pastry cream creamy and slightly sweet.
• Granulated sugar, pure carbohydrate, makes filling and glaze sweet, adds moisture and balance.
• Semisweet chocolate, gives cocoa flavor and bittersweet depth, contains fats and some antioxidants.
• Cornstarch, mostly carbs, thickens pastry cream quickly, not much nutrition besides calories.

Ingredient Quantities

• For the choux pastry: 1 cup (240 ml) water
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour, sifted
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• For the pastry cream: 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (30 g) cornstarch
• pinch fine salt
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• For the chocolate glaze: 4 oz (115 g) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup or 1 tbsp unsalted butter (optional, for shine)
• Optional finishing: powdered sugar for dusting
• Optional: 1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp water for egg wash

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup water, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1 tbsp sugar and 1/4 tsp salt and bring to a rolling boil.

2. Remove from heat, add 1 cup sifted flour all at once and stir vigorously until dough pulls away from the sides and forms a smooth ball, cook it on the heat about 1 minute more to dry it out. Let the dough cool 3 to 5 minutes so it does not cook the eggs.

3. Beat in 4 large room temperature eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. The dough should become glossy and pipeable but not runny. If it looks too stiff add a tiny bit of beaten egg, if it’s too loose add a touch more flour but rarely needed.

4. Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip and pipe 3 to 4 inch logs about 1 to
1.5 inches apart on the prepared sheet. If you want a shiny crust brush lightly with the optional egg wash. Smooth any peaks with a wet finger.

5. Bake at 425 F for 10 minutes uncovered and without opening the door, then lower the oven to 375 F (190 C) and bake 20 to 25 minutes more until deeply golden and hollow sounding when tapped. Turn the oven off, crack the door and let shells dry for 5 minutes if they seem soft. Cool completely on a rack.

6. While shells bake make the pastry cream. Whisk 4 egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup cornstarch and a pinch of salt until smooth and pale. Heat 2 cups whole milk to a simmer, then slowly temper about a third into the yolk mix while whisking, return mixture to the pan and cook over medium heat whisking constantly until it thickens and just comes to a boil. Boil 20 to 30 seconds while whisking, then remove from heat and stir in 2 tbsp softened butter and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface and chill until firm.

7. Fill the cooled eclair shells by slicing them lengthwise or by poking two small holes in the bottom and piping the pastry cream in with a tip until filled. Don’t overfill or they will squirt out when you bite.

8. Make the chocolate glaze by placing 4 oz finely chopped semisweet chocolate in a bowl. Heat 1/2 cup heavy cream to just simmering, pour over the chocolate, wait a minute, then stir until smooth. Stir in 1 tbsp light corn syrup or 1 tbsp unsalted butter if you want extra shine.

9. Dip the tops of the filled eclairs into the glaze or spoon it over, set on a rack to let excess drip off and glaze set. Dust with powdered sugar if desired and serve within a day for best texture.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven and a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper
2. Medium saucepan for the choux dough
3. Wooden spoon or heatproof rubber spatula to stir and dry the dough
4. Measuring cups and spoons plus a flour sifter or fine mesh sieve
5. Mixing bowl and a whisk
6. Piping bag fitted with a large round tip (or a sturdy zip top bag with the corner snipped)
7. Wire cooling rack
8. Heatproof bowl and a small saucepan for the chocolate glaze (or a microwave safe bowl)
9. Pastry brush for egg wash and a small knife or offset spatula to slice shells

FAQ

Classic Chocolate Eclairs Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Unsalted butter (choux): if you only have salted butter no biggie, just omit the recipe’s 1/4 tsp salt (or cut it to 1/8 tsp), or use European-style butter for a richer flavor.
• Whole milk (pastry cream): swap with 2% milk 1:1 for a slightly lighter cream, or use full-fat canned coconut milk 1:1 for a dairy-free version, note it will add a mild coconut taste.
• Cornstarch (pastry cream): use all-purpose flour at about double the volume (use 1/2 cup flour instead of 1/4 cup cornstarch), whisk smooth and cook a bit longer to remove raw flour taste, texture will be less glossy.
• Heavy cream (chocolate glaze): substitute with 1/2 cup whole milk plus 2 tbsp melted butter to mimic the fat, or use half-and-half 1:1 for a slightly lighter glaze, both work fine for melting the chocolate.

Pro Tips

1) Use room temp eggs and watch the dough, not the clock. Beat eggs in one at a time until the dough is glossy and just pipeable. If it looks too stiff, add a teaspoon of beaten egg, if it runs, stop adding; you want a thick ribbon that holds shape.

2) Drying is everything. After you stir the flour in, cook the paste a little longer to evaporate extra moisture, and after baking let the oven crack open so shells dry out. If they feel soft, give them another 3 to 5 minutes of low heat or they will collapse when filled.

3) Fill and glaze smart. Strain cooled pastry cream for silky texture, press plastic directly onto the surface so no skin forms, and chill until firm. When glazing, pour hot cream over chocolate and let it sit 30–60 seconds before stirring so it emulsifies; add the corn syrup or butter for shine, then dip quickly and let excess drip off.

4) Small handling hacks that save you grief. Pipe logs with consistent pressure so all shells bake evenly, smooth peaks with a wet finger, and fill by poking small holes in the bottom if you want to keep tops crisp. Dont overfill or theyll squirt, and store filled eclairs in one layer so the glaze doesnt get ruined.