French Éclair Recipe with Crème Pâtissière
Light, airy choux pastry filled with silky crème pâtissière and finished with a chocolate ganache topping. This is the authentic French éclair recipe — step-by-step, with all the troubleshooting tips built in.
Servings: 18
Calories: 176kcal
Equipment
- 1 electric mixer
- 3 piping bags disposable or reusable
- 1 small nozzle
- 1 large nozzle
Ingredients
Choux Pastry
- ⅔ cup water
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter diced
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs room temperature
Crème Pâtissière
- 2 cups whole milk
- ⅓ cup of granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)
You can replace the creme patissiere with vanilla pudding. Make it according to the package instructions.
Assembly
- 1 portion chocolate glaze find the recipe for my 3 Ingredient Chocolate Ganache here
- Ground pistachios for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Making the Choux Pastry: Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Do not use convection/fan for this stage. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a full boil, stirring until the butter is completely melted.⅔ cup water, ⅓ cup unsalted butter, 1 pinch fine sea salt, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Remove from heat and add all the flour at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together into a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan. Mix using an electric mixer or a wooden spoon until completely smooth and set aside to chill.1 cup all-purpose flour
- Return to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. This step dries out the dough — don't skip it. The dough is ready when a thin film forms on the bottom of the pan.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. The dough needs to be warm but not so hot that it cooks the eggs when you add them.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition with a hand mixer or wooden spoon. The dough will look broken and lumpy at first — keep beating, it comes together. The finished dough should be smooth, glossy, and form a V shape when you lift the spoon.3 large eggs
- Pipe and Bake: Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 1.5 cm ½-inch French star tip (or a round tip), or to a disposable piping bag with a 1.5 cm cut off at the end. The star tip creates ridges that help the éclair bake evenly and reduces cracking.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pipe 4-inch logs, holding the bag at a 45-degree angle. Leave at least 2 inches between each one — they spread.Lightly spray the tops with water from a spray bottle. This creates extra steam in the oven and helps them puff.
- Bake at 450°F (230°C) for 15 minutes without opening the oven door. Then reduce heat to 340°F (170°C), switch to convection if you have it, and bake for another 20 minutes until deep golden brown. Remove from oven. Immediately poke a small hole in the bottom of each éclair with a skewer to let steam escape. Place on a wire rack and cool completely before filling — at least 30 minutes.
- Make the Crème Pâtissière: In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, and vanilla. Whisk everything together until smooth — no lumps.Place over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, for 7–10 minutes. The mixture will start to thicken as it heats. Keep whisking so the bottom doesn't scorch.2 cups whole milk, ⅓ cup of granulated sugar, ⅓ cup cornstarch, 2 large egg yolks, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- When it thickens to a pudding-like consistency and starts to bubble, remove from heat. Use a hand mixer or whisk vigorously for 30 seconds to make it completely smooth.
- Pour into a bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface — this prevents a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Before filling the éclairs, whisk briefly to loosen it back up to a smooth, pipeable consistency.
- Fill and Glaze: Transfer the chilled crème pâtissière to a piping bag fitted with a long, thin filling tip (or a small round tip). Poke 2–3 small holes in the bottom of each éclair shell. Insert the tip and fill each one — you'll feel it get heavier as the filling goes in. Don't overfill or the shell will crack.
- Dip the top of each filled éclair into the chocolate glaze, letting the excess drip off. Set right-side up on a wire rack. Sprinkle with ground pistachios if using. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to let the glaze set and the filling firm up.1 portion chocolate glaze, Ground pistachios
Video
Notes
- Make the crème pâtissière first — it needs at least 2 hours to chill before you can use it.
- The shells can be baked a day ahead. Store unfilled at room temperature in an airtight container and fill on the day of serving.
- Freeze unfilled shells for up to 1 month. Reheat at 300°F (150°C) for 5 minutes before filling.
- If your dough looks broken when you add the eggs, keep beating — it always comes back together.
- Filled éclairs must be refrigerated. Consume within 2 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 28mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 354IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 1mg
