Here’s all you need to know about making Perfect Classic Chocolate Eclairs! This foolproof tutorial will guide you through the recipe step by step, and also discuss eclairs troubleshooting tips for common recipe pitfalls.
Deliciously crisp, puffy and perfect chocolate eclairs filled with chocolate or vanilla pastry cream.
Have you been left wondering why your eclairs always came out flat or soggy? Or why they have a concave-shaped bottom, or a huge crack right down the middle on the bottom?
You’ve probably tried all the recipes that claim to make perfect eclairs, and still ended up with flat, depressing eclairs instead? Well, then you’ve come to the right place! 🙂
Today, I’m going to show you guys how to make Foolproof, Perfect Classic Eclairs!
My classic choux pastry troubleshooting post is one of the most popular posts on my blog, and I’ve had many readers ask me for a follow up post dedicated to classic eclairs. It’s been a long time coming, but here it is! However, I do encourage you to read my choux pastry troubleshooting recipe post first for a detailed and comprehensive guide on how to make perfect choux pastry and how to fix any shortcomings with the dough. It’ll help you troubleshoot common issues that you may encounter when making eclairs or any choux pastry dessert.
Here’s a quick summary.
The consistency of your choux pastry dough is key! Always WEIGH your ingredients, rather than relying on cup/volume measurements for guaranteed, consistent results. If you do use cups however, pay extra attention to the consistency of the dough at each step to make sure you’re on the right track.
There are key signs to look for at each step of making choux pastry, before you proceed to the next step. The more you make choux pastry, the more you will be able to “read” your dough and follow these signs intuitively.
If you’re new to making choux pastry, then how about starting with profiteroles first? Profiteroles are easier and more forgiving than classic eclairs, and I’ve got an excellent recipe for making profiteroles.
Having said that, I’m going to share with you here all my tips on making PERFECT eclairs that are nice and puffy, with a beautiful shell and with no cracks. This will help you make foolproof classic eclairs that look like they came from a high-end pastry shop! 🙂 So let’s get to it.
I’ll start with some common eclair fails that you’d potentially encounter when making classic eclairs.
My eclairs are flat and soggy.
This happens if your choux pastry dough is too runny (with too much water, eggs, or both).
Or you opened the oven too early while baking, causing steam to escape, which makes the eclair shells collapse.
Or you didn’t bake them long enough.
SOLUTION
- Keep an eye on the dough, and make sure you don’t add too many eggs.
- Never open the oven door before the 25 minute mark, to avoid letting out steam from the oven.
- Prick or cut the shell towards the end of the baking time (or soon after they are baked) to let steam escape as the pastry cools down.
- Never add raw flour to your choux pastry to “fix” runny dough. See the post here to find out how to fix runny choux pastry dough.
My eclairs have a sunken bottom, and sometimes there’s a large crack on the bottom as well.
This happens due to a combination of the reasons stated above. But in addition, your chocolate eclairs can also sink in at the bottom, if the pastry case isn’t sturdy enough to hold its shape.
This is not so much of an issue with profiteroles. This is because the shape of a profiterole is inherently sturdier than that of eclairs.
For profiteroles, the contact point of the pastry with the baking sheet is wider, so it has a more stable base to bake on and rise to form a nice, airy pastry shell. There’s less risk of collapsed pastry shells here.
For eclairs, the contact point with the baking sheet is less (in terms of the width of the pastry shell). So as they pastry shell expands when baking, it becomes less stable/sturdy and tends to collapse around the base, causing your eclair shells to have a concave-shaped collapsed bottom.
SOLUTION
- Use a silpat instead of parchment paper (explained in detail below).
- Pipe at a 45° angle, while exerting constant pressure, when you’re piping the middle of the eclair.
- Make sure the middle of your piped eclair is NOT thicker than the two ends (i.e. it should be dog bone-shaped).
Silpat vs parchment paper
I came about this little discovery quite by accident. I’m not entirely sure what it is about a silpat (besides it having something to do with heat conduction), but eclairs baked on a silpat are always more stable and neat than those baked on parchment paper.
If you don’t have a silpat, that is OK, you can still use parchment paper. But I usually add fewer eggs to my choux pastry if I know I’m baking chocolate eclairs on parchment paper.
Parchment paper (top) vs Silpat (bottom)
Piping at a 45 degree angle, on the silpat mat
This is the best angle to pipe your choux pastry at constant pressure, with minimal distortions on the piped choux. If you pipe from the top (like with profiteroles), it puts too much pressure on the choux, pushing/crushing it against the tray, and this may cause your eclairs to puff up horizontally, rather than vertically.
I also like to make sure the piping tip makes contact with the silpat (at a 45° angle), as I pipe the choux. It helps form a stable base for the eclairs, while also giving you some stability to pipe evenly, with consistent pressure.
Eclairs piped in a dog bone shape, that are narrower in the middle.
Consistent piping pressure and shape
Inconsistent or varying piping pressure will result in lumpy eclairs that aren’t as clean or professional-looking as you’d like. This is especially more problematic if you pipe extra dough in the middle compared to the ends. The middle will then puff up more, and you’ll end up with oval-shaped eclairs that are more inclined to collapse as well.
This is why I prefer to pipe just a little extra dough at the ends (i.e. dog bone-shaped). But you can also pipe them nice and straight, where the ends are only slightly larger than the middle. Either way, you will end up with beautiful, even, and incredibly delicious eclair shells, that are guaranteed to never collapse or flatten!
Eclairs piped with just a little extra dough at the ends (to prevent oval shaped eclairs)
My eclairs have large cracks on top.
This often happens when the dough isn’t prepared properly, and you have undissolved salt or sugar in it.
Another reason is baking it in a high temperature oven.
You also tend to get more cracks if you pipe with a round tip instead of a star tip. This is likely because of the increased surface area that you get when piped with a star tip, which gives the choux pastry more leeway to expand.
See below for differences between eclairs piped with a round tip, open star tip, and a French star tip. You can see that the French star tip yields the neatest eclair pastry shell, and the round tip eclair has an uneven shape with more cracks.
SOLUTION
- Use a French star tip (instead of a round tip). If you only have a round tip, then you can use a fork to gently scrape/mark lines on the top of your piped dough to increase the surface area.
- Make sure the sugar and salt are completely dissolved in the water.
- Do not add raw flour to the dough.
- Lower the oven temperature (if you’re baking at 400°F or higher), and bake for longer at a lower oven temperature (375°F) instead.
Difference in eclair shells piped using different tips. The round tip (top) has the most cracks, and the French star tip (bottom) has the least cracks on the surface.
Now I will take you through a detailed, step by step guide on this classic eclair recipe.
If you’re new to making eclairs, or you’re having trouble perfecting your chocolate eclairs, please read the post carefully. These tips will help you make absolutely perfect, beautiful eclair shells every single time! 🙂
Recommended equipment
Half sheet baking trays – at least two. I prefer baking one tray at a time, to get consistently good results. If you do want to bake two trays at a time, that is fine too, but remember TO NOT OPEN THE OVEN BEFORE THE 25 MINUTE MARK.
Silpat mats – highly recommended, especially for classic eclairs (chocolate eclairs). Provides better heat conduction, and helps the eclairs rise in an even and stable way. If you don’t have silpat mats, you can use parchment paper, but be mindful of the choux pastry consistency.
French star tip (1/2 inch diameter) – the grooves in the star tip create a “raked” dough that prevents the eclair shells from cracking as they expand. You can use a round tip as well, but in that case, use a fork and drag it lightly along the surface of the piped dough to make multiple, long lines (to mimic the pattern that you’d get with a star tip). You can use an open star tip too, but a French star tip is the best option.
Choux pastry
Weigh your ingredients. I use a basic kitchen scale to weigh the wet ingredients as well. I simply place the saucepan on the kitchen scale, and weigh the water, then butter, and then add the salt and sugar.
You can either use just water, or milk, or a mixture of water and milk.
Stir while heating to make sure the salt and sugar dissolve, and the butter dissolves BEFORE the mix comes to a boil.
When the mix comes to a boil, remove the saucepan from the heat and add ALL OF THE SIFTED FLOUR in one go. Stir to bring it together and form a dough. Make sure there are no lumps in your dough, and then return the saucepan to the stove and cook the dough for about 2-3 minutes while mixing vigorously. This is important because you want the excess water to evaporate. You’ll know it’s done, when there’s a film of dough forming at the bottom of your saucepan. Plus, if you stick a spoon in the dough, it should stay upright.
Allow the choux pastry dough to cool down in a large bowl, until the temperature registers at under 160°F. I spread the choux pastry dough along the wall of the bowl when doing this, so that more steam escapes and the dough cools down faster.
Addition of eggs
This part is important. Add the eggs a little at a time, until your dough just starts to get a glossy sheen. This means you may end up using all the eggs, or only a portion of it. I usually end up adding 3 1/2 eggs, or sometimes 4 (if I had to cook the dough longer, which results in a drier dough).
As you mix in the eggs at the beginning, the dough will be a slimy mess, but as you incorporate more eggs, it’ll become smoother, and runnier, and start to get a sheen.
Stop adding eggs as soon as the dough reaches this point where it gets a sheen (or looks a little glossy), and isn’t too runny. There are 2 ways to check for the correct consistency of your glossy choux pastry dough.
- Drag your finger along the surface of the choux pastry dough to create a trough. The sides of this trough should stay upright and not collapse into the dough. If they do, it’s because the dough is too runny.
- Place a rubber spatula in the dough, upright, and then stir the dough with it a little, and slowly lift the spatula, straight up. If the dough forms a V shape at the end of the spatula (as shown in the picture in the post), then it’s also the right consistency.
Personally, I prefer the first method, but either method is effective.
Piping choux pastry dough
When the choux pastry dough is ready, transfer it into a large pastry bag (I use a 16 inch pastry bag), with a 1/2 inch wide French star tip.
If it’s easier, you can cut a 4-5 inch piece of cardboard or a wooden skewer and use that as a guide to pipe eclairs of equal length. Or you can simply eye ball it too.
Pipe 4-5 inch long choux pastry cases on the prepared baking tray (with a silpat mat), leaving 2 inches of space between each. I pipe about 8-10 eclairs on each half sheet baking tray. Remember to keep the piping bag at a 45° angle as discusses above, and maintain consistent piping pressure. Make the ends of your piped choux cases slightly larger than in the middle.
Finish off each piped case by gently twisting the piping tip. This helps prevent the entire piped choux case lifting up along with the piping tip. This will also create a pointed or jagged end. So using a damp finger, pat down those pointed ends of your choux cases.
Dust each eclair case with confectioner’s sugar. This creates a slightly caramelized exterior that not only adds a slight sweetness, but also a delightful crunch.
Baking classic eclairs
Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until the choux cases have turned light brown in color. Then quickly open the oven door, and carefully prick each eclair case on one end with a toothpick to release the air inside. The eclairs should have formed a brown crust by this point. This is important, because if you prick them before the crust has formed, the choux cases will collapse.
Close the oven door and bake for a further 5-10 minutes (I usually bake for a further 8 minutes), until the cases have turned darker brown in color (but not burnt!).
Baked eclair cases piped with slightly larger ends, so that you don’t end up with misshapen or oval-shaped eclair cases.
Remove from the oven and prick the other end of your choux cases, and let them cool down completely in a draft free area. I keep it on top of the oven or near the oven, where it’s a little warmer and draft-free. This way there’s no risk of the choux cases cooling down too fast and collapsing.
When the eclairs have cooled down, they are ready to be filled with your choice of filling. I typically use vanilla pastry cream, or chocolate pastry cream, or cream diplomat for a lighter option.
What can I fill my classic eclairs with?
Usually, classic chocolate eclairs have a creamy vanilla pastry cream filling. It’s almost like a vanilla pudding, with a prominent vanilla flavor, and not too sweet.
But you can also fill your chocolate eclairs with a delicious chocolate pastry cream too.
However, if you’d like a lighter filling than pastry cream (cream patisserie), then you can try cream diplomat or cream chantilly (sweetened whipped cream) instead.
From top to bottom: vanilla pastry cream, chocolate pastry cream, vanilla diplomat cream, chocolate diplomat cream
Here, I made FOUR different fillings for my classic chocolate eclairs.
- Vanilla pastry cream
- Chocolate pastry cream
- Vanilla diplomat cream (vanilla pastry cream + cream chantilly). This tastes like a melt in your mouth vanilla ice cream but lighter and not cold.
- Chocolate diplomat cream (chocolate pastry cream + cream Chantilly). This tastes like a light, melt in your mouth chocolate ice cream and not cold.
You have 2 ways of filling these classic eclairs.
- With a bismarck tip. Insert the tip from the ends of the eclair and fill it from both ends. Once filled, wipe the ends to remove excess filling.
- Use a star tip (small opening) and make 3 holes on the bottom of the eclair shell. Use the same small tip (or a round tip), to fill the eclair from the bottom. Wipe to remove any excess filling.
The second method is my favorite, even though I do own a bismarck tip as well.
Dipping chocolate eclairs in chocolate glaze
Once all the eclairs are filled, then it’s time to dip them in the chocolate glaze for chocolate eclairs. The chocolate glaze is really easy to make, and super delicious on its own. It’s just a mixture of chocolate, cream, butter, and a touch of corn syrup.
The simple trick to getting beautifully glazed chocolate eclairs is to DIP them in the glaze, rather than pouring the glaze over the eclairs.
Carefully and evenly dip each eclair in the warm chocolate glaze. Then gently turn it in the glaze to get an even coating. Once coated, gently shake it to allow excess chocolate glaze to drip down into the bowl again. Using a paper towel or toothpick, wipe off any excess chocolate glaze along the edges of your chocolate eclair. Then place it on a wire rack and allow the glaze to set.
For best results, serve these chocolate eclairs at room temp, or chilled, right away, OR within 12 hours of filling.
The chocolate eclairs will lose their crispiness after they’ve been filled. However, since the shells are baked till they are dark golden brown in color, they form a sturdy shell that doesn’t get soggy by the filling. But the longer you go after filling your eclairs, the softer the shells will get (but they shouldn’t get soggy even after 24 hours).
Can I make chocolate eclairs ahead of time?
You can make the shells, filling, and glaze separately, and store them separately until needed.
The best way to store eclairs is as unfilled shells. Unfilled baked eclair shells can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 1 month in the freezer. When you’re ready, simply thaw them out at room temp., fill, glaze, and they are ready to be devoured!
Can I store filled eclairs?
You can, but I’m a little reluctant to say that. It’s not ideal. But understandable. You made eclairs and have leftovers. You want to know how to store them right?
Keep these filled eclairs on a parchment paper lined tray, in a single layer. Do not stack them. Let them freeze for about one hour. Once frozen, place them in an air-tight container, in layers if needed, separating each layer with parchment paper. Then put them back in the freezer. Filled eclairs can be kept for about 4 days like this. But they do lose their freshness with time.
To defrost, keep the eclairs at room temp. for about 1 hour until they thaw out, and then they are ready to be served.
Unfilled eclair shells – can be frozen in an air-tight container for up to 1 month.
Pastry cream – can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Make sure it’s in an air-tight container, with a plastic wrap touching the surface of the custard.
Chocolate glaze – can be stored for up to 1 week in the fridge.
Filled and glazed eclairs – for up to 4 days in the freezer (maybe even longer, but the eclairs will continue to lose freshness with time).
Timeline for making these classic chocolate eclairs
The day before:
Make 1 1/2 batches of the vanilla pastry cream or chocolate pastry cream. OR make 1 batch of each, if you’d like a mix of vanilla and chocolate.
You can also make the choux pastry dough on the day before as well, and store it in a pastry bag, inside an air-tight plastic container.
On the day you’re serving the chocolate eclairs:
Bake the eclairs (or you can bake them ahead of time and freeze as well).
While the eclairs are cooling, prepare the pastry cream by transferring it into pastry bags. Also, prepare the chocolate glaze and keep it warm.
Fill the eclairs, and dip each one in the chocolate glaze as you go. Let the chocolate glaze set. Chill for a few hours if needed, and serve.
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Other recipes you may like to check out
Craquelin Choux Pastry with Salted Caramel filling
EQUIPMENT I USED FOR THIS RECIPE
Piping bags – 16 inch piping bags for the choux pastry dough
French star pastry tip with 1/2 inch opening – to pipe the eclair cases.
Whisks – A good set of whisks is a must for all of your baking needs.
Hand mixer or Stand Mixer – I currently use KitchenAid
2 x Silpat baking mats – highly recommended for foolrpoof
2 x Half Sheet pans – Having two makes it easier to bake the craquelin choux pastry. While one is baking, the other tray can cool down and be ready to pipe dough on, and then bake as soon as the other tray is out.
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Classic Chocolate Eclairs
What You Need:
- See the post for a list of recommended tools & equipment
Ingredients:
Choux Pastry for the Eclairs
- 8 fl oz water
- 4 oz unsalted butter
- ½ tsp kosher salt use less, if you’re using fine salt or table salt
- 1 tbsp granulated white sugar
- 5 oz bread flour sifted (or AP flour, I prefer bread flour for eclairs)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
- 8 oz eggs about 4 large eggs
Filling for the Eclairs
Chocolate Glaze
- 12 oz semisweet chocolate
- 6 fl oz whipping cream ¾ cup
- A generous pinch of kosher salt
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp corn syrup optional
Instructions:
Choux Pastry
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Place the water, butter, salt and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan and heat over medium heat while stirring occasionally. (Make sure the salt and sugar dissolve completely in the warm water, and the butter melts BEFORE the water comes to a boil).
- As soon as the water comes to a boil (with a few bubbles breaking through the surface), move the pot away from the stove and add all of the sifted flour into the boiling liquid. Using a wooden spoon or a heat-proof silicone spatula, stir the mixture vigorously to allow the flour to absorb all the water and form a ball of dough, and remove any flour clumps in the dough.
- After about 45 - 60 seconds of mixing, return the saucepan to the stove (with medium heat), and let the dough cook for a further 2 - 3 minutes while stirring and mixing. Do this until you see a film of dough forming on the bottom of your saucepan (please note that this only occurs with stainless steel saucepans, not in non-stick saucepans).
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the dough into a large mixing bowl. Mix the dough gently, for about 2 - 3 minutes, to release the steam and to let it cool down (lower than 160°F). Alternatively, you can flatten the dough along the wall of the mixing bowl and let it cool down for a few minutes.
- Crack all the eggs into a jug and whisk well to combine.
- When the dough has cooled down, mix in the vanilla (I don’t use vanilla, but you can if you like). Next add the eggs in 5 - 6 additions, mixing each addition well into the dough before adding more. You can use a stand mixer or a spatula to mix in the eggs. Stop adding eggs when the dough starts to get a sheen, and looks glossy. Please read the post for more details. Then check for the right dough consistency with the choux pastry test (detailed in the post).
- Place the dough in a 16 inch pastry bag and secure the bag opening, and set it aside until you get the baking trays ready. Line a baking tray with a silpat mat. Also have a bowl of water and a bowl of confectioner’s sugar with a small mesh strainer ready as well.
- Fit a different pastry bag with a ½ inch French star tip. Then snip the end off of the choux pastry bag from the previous step, and place that in the bag with the French star tip.
- Hold the pastry bag at a 45° angle, with the French star tip touching the silpat. Pipe 8 - 10 eclairs (4 - 5 inches in length) on the silpat lined baking tray. When piping, make sure the ends are a little larger than the middle portion of the eclairs. Twist the piping tip at the end so that you end with a slightly pointed/jagged end.
- Dip your finger in water and pat the ends of the eclairs to flatten the pointed ends. Sift some confectioner’s sugar over the eclairs.
- Place the baking tray in the middle rack of your oven, and set the timer to 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, check if the eclairs have turned golden brown. If they have, then open the oven door and quickly prick each of the eclairs with a sharp toothpick or skewer on one end.
- Close the oven door and let the eclairs bake for a further 5 - 10 minutes until they turn a darker golden color. You want the eclairs to be baked a little longer so that they hold their shape better.
- Remove them from the oven, and immediately prick the eclair cases on the other end. Let them cool down for about 10 minutes on the baking tray and then transfer them onto a wire rack.
- Pipe more eclairs on the second silpat lined baking tray and bake. Repeat until you have used up all of your choux pastry.
- Once the eclairs have cooled down, they are ready to be filled. If you’re filling them later, place the unfilled shells in an air-tight container and freeze for later.
Filling
- Make vanilla pastry cream or chocolate pastry cream according to the linked recipes, the day before, and let it chill in the fridge overnight.
- Place the filling of your choice in a 16 inch pastry bag, with a small round tip (5 - 10mm in diameter).
- Use a French star tip or the round tip to carefully make 3 holes on the bottom of your eclair shells. Fill the eclair shells with with pastry cream through these holes.
- Wipe off any excess pastry cream. Repeat with all the eclair shells.
Chocolate Glaze
- Place the chocolate chips in a large, microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat the cream and salt in a separate bowl in the microwave or a saucepan. When the cream starts to simmer, immediately pour it over the chocolate chips. Add the corn syrup and butter. Stir the chocolate chips until they have completely melted and you have a glossy chocolate glaze. If the chocolate isn’t completely melted after stirring, microwave for 10 - 20 second bursts to melt the chocolate completely.
- Dip each filled eclair in the chocolate glaze (read the post for more details on how to cleanly glaze your chocolate eclairs).
- Place the glazed eclairs on a wire rack and allow the chocolate glaze to set.
- Serve at room temperature, or chilled.
Tips & Tricks
Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Thoshanka says
Thank you so much for the tips and tricks and crystal clear instructions Dini highly appreciate it. I used another recipe and my dough wasn’t puffy and light after baking. So today I tried your recipe and read your instructions carefully and my eclairs turned out so perfect my kids and mom loved them. I can’t thank you enough as it made my day…
Keep posting new recipes and all your tips it goes a long way. All the best!
Dini says
Thank you for letting me know Thoshanka, I’m so happy to hear that and so glad everyone enjoyed the eclairs! 🙂
Shrinkhla says
Loved the recipe and the detailed tips and essentials for baking.
Nastya says
I took time and read your whole article on the science of making eclairs. I have never made the choux pastry before, but following every step very closely I ended up with delicious, crispy and beautiful eclairs that everyone loved! Using a silpat definitely helps, and overall it took me 4 hours to make the filling, the pastry, bake the eclairs, fill and glaze them. Also, it was a bit hard at first to squeeze the dough onto the silpat, so my first bunch ended up a bit too tiny and didn’t raise so much, but as I gained more confidence, the eclairs became bigger and closer to the classic look :))
Mk says
Do the eggs need to room temperature? Salam
Dini says
Hi Mk
Yes, it would be better if the eggs are at room temperature.
Hope that helps!
Robert Henry Garcia says
Can you post the recipe in grams please
Dini says
Hi Robert
The grams are already provided as noted in the recipe card. The metric measurements can be accessed via the toggle button below the ingredient list.
Lori Clapp says
Dini!
I used your wonderful, absolutely helpful instructions, last year to make three kinds of eclairs (traditional vanilla bean, almond cream with cherry compote, and lemon cream with lemon compote) for our large family Thanksgiving. Um, well now it’s a new tradition lol, they absolutely loved them!!! Thank you for providing such helpful info! Did learn to do thing in stages, made the creams one day, the shells the next, and assembled (with my husband and sons help) Thanksgiving morning.
Just wanted you to know your happiness is spreading to another family. This year it will be traditional vanilla bean, pistachio, and peach one
Norsham Shamsuddin says
I followed to the T and they came out great! My first attempt to eclairs and all your tips were very helpful, thank you!
Thank god I didn’t just jumped to recipe
Eva says
Wow! PERFECTO! My eclairs came out perfect. I had tried another recipe and just couldn’t get it right. I had given up until I found your recipe. Thank you sooo much for all the detailed info. It was worth reading every bit of it. My family loved them. I will make these over and over. Can’t wait to look at your other recipes!
Pilar says
Great recipe, I’m going to do them today, and my doubt is bread flour is strong flour or just plain flour?
Many thanks in advance, I hope my éclairs looks like yours!!
Dini says
Hi Pilar
Bread flour and strong flour are usually the same thing (Higher protein content than AP Flour – 11- 13%)
I hope that helps!
Isabela says
🙁 did not turn out the way we wanted, I tried this recipe 3 times reading the recipe over and over again and checking my amounts but they will never rise! I added more eggs, like mentioned in previous replies but it only expands to the side. Please tell me what the trick is!
Dini says
Hi Isabela
If the dough is the right consistency, then the piping method and piping tip size an also play a part.
I always use a piping tip that is about 1/2 inch width, and only pipe pastry that is 1/2 inch width. If I try to pipe the pastry larger than than the width of the tip, I find that it expands side ways. Piping the dough without forcing too much out of it can take some practice.
I hope that helps
Mawaddah says
Thank you so much for this great recipe. Should I open the oven’s fan while baking or no please ? .
Dini says
Hi Mawaddah
The instructions in the recipe are for a standard conventional oven. If you have a fan oven or convection oven, then you will need to reduce the temperature by 25 F.
I hope that helps!
Ayesha says
So much of details, thank u so much for all ur effort u have put in to bring out the best recipe!
Span says
Have you ever made these using an alternative flour such as a free from flour?
Dini says
Hi Span
I’m not sure what free from flour is. But if it’s gluten free flour, I haven’t tried to make choux pastry with gluten free flour.
Some readers have tried a 1:1 ratio GF flour mix, but the texture would still be a little different.
Charlie kerr says
This is wonderful! So so much detail and effort, it’s a long post, but I appreciate every single aspect! You covered everything I could have ever questioned. The eclairs turned out beautifully, and the flavour of them!! Oh my gosh! I’ve just been eating the shells, they have so much flavour to them!
Thankyou! Thankyou for all your time taken, this is a great recipe, even for a skilled baker! LOVE IT!
Taylor Kendra says
Their chocolate is setting on the wire rack as we speak! Thanks so much!
This recipe made 20 four-inch eclairs I was a bit skimpy with my piping.
It was my second time making choux, and I wish I had your recipe the first time!
Taste-tested an uglier one, they are delicious!! Only modification is they were not golden brown enough using the time on the recipe. I needed to keep them in an extra 10 minutes, and the second batch seems like it could have used even longer to get crispier. But ovens vary! Thanks so much!
Kathleen says
Triple WOW!!!! Easy and foolproof and delicious Thanks so much for your recipy
Sarah says
Thank you for all the tips! I’m going to be trying this today. I’ve made eclairs before, however, I do have the problem of them not being consistent. I actually prefer the blogs at times because that’s what helps you learn and get better tasting/looking product!
Samantha says
Seriously? You needed to write like twelve pages of BS? You good blog people are insufferable. We just want the recipe. Not your life story. 0 stars. It’s also clear you don’t actually bake.
Dini says
Hi Samantha,
Thank you for taking the time to spread your positive energy on the internet today. I don’t think I need to even dignify this comment with a reply, but I’ll just say that sometimes it helps to read. This post contains 0% life story and 100% information about the recipe. Along with a clearly indicated Jump to Recipe button right at the top.
But since a free recipe and all the tips to perfect the recipe were not what you were looking for, would you instead like me to direct you to a subscription service of just $10/month where you can “just have the recipe”? Do let me know. Cheers! 🙂
RC Olivier says
There’s always one in every crowd! I think some people get their kicks out of being negative and ..DUMB!!!
Thought your instructions were on point and very informative. Well done
Jenna says
Hi! I don’t know where to find corn syrup in the uk, would golden syrup be a suitable substitute? thank you!
Dini says
Hi Jenna
The corn syrup is optional, but you can also use golden syrup instead (or glucose syrup).
I hope that helps!
Julie says
Can I make the shells the day before and store in airtight container but not frozen and just fill the next day? I’m sorry if I missed this in your post!
Dini says
Hi Julie
You can keep them in an air tight container overnight. However the puffs will become more soggy. I usually prefer to crisp them up again before filling, just like I would if I had stored them in the freezer.
I hope that helps!
Antonet Kruger says
good day
what do you mean by “crisp them up’??
thank you
Dini says
Hi Antonet
Crisp them up, is to reheat the eclairs. They should have almost the same crispness as when they were baked fresh.
Ellie says
Hi I followed this recipe step by step and also weigh in all my ingredients im wondering why my eclairs did not puff up at all? Wondering where I went wrong haha thanks for your help.
Dini says
Hi Ellie
It’s important to look for the signs in the dough for the right consistency. How many eggs you add will depend on the dough.
If it didnt puff up, its usually because the dough was too stiff and needs more eggs in the mixture.
I hope that helps!
Joe says
The ULTIMATE guide to eclairs and cream puffs. Thank you so much for putting this together! It is an A+ recipe guide!
Macy Layer says
Omg!!!! BEST recipe ever! If you pay attention to each step you can do this! I had to read the recipe a few times before I started. That’s just me. I’m slow. Seriously this is foolproof. Thank you so much for putting your time, energy & effort into these step by step instructions!
Dini says
Thank you so much Macy, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, and the instructions were helpful! 🙂
Shaleha says
Tq for sharing this awesome recipe! The trick n tips. A very vivid explanation!
Snejana says
Thank you for recipe, I’m love it , they are so good
Tanaya says
The best recipe ever
Miss Barakah says
Hey Dini! Omg how can I thank you???? I am beyond grateful for this full proof recipe. I hope you many blessings!!!
P.s fist batch came out flat and I lost hope, but was determined to not waste the rest of the dough, so I added the rest of the egg mixture and threw them in the oven completely disheartened.
I went on to tidy my kitchen and had a peep at the oven around half hour later and boy of boy was I surprised to see the eclair shales beautifully puffed up. I then went on and followed the rest of the instructions.
In the first batch I only put in around half of the egg mixture then stopped after seeing the sheen….maybe you can explain to us further? Because the sheen from fist batch and second batch looked identical but first batch I used less eggs?
Many many thanks
Dini says
Hi Miss Barakah
I’m glad that you found the post helpful! 🙂
There can be a few reasons why this happened.
Because this dough is cooked first, it brings in alot of variation to the dough. If the dough wasn’t cooked long enough, then it would have more moisture and you would add fewer eggs. If you cooked the dough longer, it would have less water (more evaporation), and will need more eggs to achieve the same consistency. They both should puff up, but there can be some variation due to the amount of eggs added.
Hope that helps!
David Lum says
Love making puffs, eclairs and classic swans. What are your thoughts on coating the exterior of the eclair with with baking spray dusting with confectioner’s sugar? Sorry, no rating yet as I haven’t tried the recipe yet.
Dini says
Hi David
In this post, I do dust the eclairs with confectioner’s sugar for a slightly caramelized exterior. I’m not sure what the purpose of spraying these with baking spray would do though.
Hope that helps
Corey says
Hello Dini! Great turtorial with explicit instructions. My dough was to the consistency that you have pictured, however I have big cracks along the tops not the bottoms. Any suggestions? I used a french star tip and a silpat. Thanks!
lola frajman says
hello i wanted to ask that when i put that i wanted 12 eclairs it said 0.6 tbsp sugar and i’m not sure how to do that and it doesn’t seem enough, same with the vanilla i will try the 0.6 but 1 seems easier and it might make it too brown.(not to be rude but can you explain the precise measurements please)
Dini says
Hi Lola
For more accurate measurements, I recommend following metric measurements. I also recommend adjusting the recipe according to the number of eggs needed. The best way to make sure you will get at least 12 eclairs, is make 75% of this recipe (with 3 eggs).
Hope that helps
Toni says
Such precise instructions! A new family favourite.
Henry H says
Followed it exactly and they turned out perfectly! A bit challenging for me as I’m not a baker, so really surprised how good they ended up being! Safe to say they went a lot quicker than they took to make 🙂
James says
I loved this so much
Maria Firlej says
I made today and thank you for the recipe.
Julie S says
I have read it and re-read it, it sounds just the perfect recipe for me to try. Before I do so, I have a question. What is the reason some eclair shells grow so much? I have tried another recipe which end result should have been just like yours and they have doubled in size, became really wide 🙁 tasted amazing, retained their shape even after being filled but they were so so wide…
Dini says
Hi Julie
With choux pastry, the more liquid content in the dough – the more it puffs up. So if the dough has a little more eggs and is runnier, it will expand more.
When it comes to eclairs I prefer my pastry to not puff up too much, so I make sure my dough is a little thicker. The way you pipe the dough will also impact the way it puffs up while baking as well.
Sometimes it just takes a little practice to figure out how to get the right consistency of the dough and how to pipe it properly.
I hope that helps
Jen says
PERFECT recipe! This was my first time making a choux pastry and creme pat and it was delicious! I loved how the creme pat wasn’t too sweet. The very detailed instructions were spot on – I particularly love how you share tips as well as common mistakes to look out for. VERY helpful! I had some leftover and used them for crepes in the morning (with blueberries, raspberries and nutella). THANK YOU! Will definitely make this recipe again!
Aya hesham says
Made this for my husband who loves eclairs and it was a massive success. i’m a novice cook who rarely baked, that was my first time making eclairs and i gotta say this recipe is definitely fool proof
Dini says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe Aya! 🙂 Thanks so much for letting me know!
Ms. Carroll Thomas says
Oh my goodness, perfection!
Dini says
Thank you so much Carroll, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Katy says
Very helpful and the details can turn anyone to a gifted “chef”
Many thanks
Gianmaria says
Question: is it okay to split the measurements to make half portions of eclairs? Btw I love this recipe!
Dini says
Hi Gianmaria
It is absolutely ok to make half the amount. The cook times will vary because it’s not proportional to the amount of dough, so go by consistency rather than time.
I hope that helps!
Barbara says
I so want to make these but cannot locate read flour. We are in a small town in Mexico. The flour is not all purpose it is spring wheat flour. Any suggestions
Sarah says
Your post was HUGELY helpful. I was having one of those days and tried making eclairs (I’ve made profiteroles before so thought it’d be no big deal) and they all collapsed. Luckily I found your post, went to the store and got more eggs, made them again and they are beautiful. Thanks for helping to turn a day around and for your many many helpful tips. If this recipe doesn’t work out for someone I don’t think they took the time to read it all through. Thanks!
Dakota says
This choux recipe did not work out for me. I’ve made eclairs and profiteroles several times before with different recipes and without issue but this attempt resulted in overcooked and not entirely hollow shells. When I went to insert a hole in the bottom to pipe in filling, half of the shells shattered. I appreciate the detailed directions but I’ll stick with other recipes in the future.
Dini says
Hi Dakota,
I’m sorry the recipe didn’t work out for you. It sounds to me like the dough was too heavy (because they didn’t rise), and the bake time was too long or the shells were too small (because they shattered).
However, I can guarantee that this recipe works because I’ve made this many many 100s of times over decades, and just used it yesterday to make Christmas eclairs. Once you’re familiar with the right consistency of the dough, the recipe is quite straightforward. I hope that helps!
Liz says
I will be using this recipe to make eclairs,Is it o.k. to use the 869 French Star tip.Thank you.
Madison D says
This recipe was a HUGE hit. Absolutely delicious and even though we were slightly intimidated to make the choux, it turned out great for our first time. Thank you!!!!! We can’t wait to make them over and over again.
Sarah gluck says
I will be making the eclairs tonight with my 13 yr old I love baking so does my daughter please send me your weekly recipe e mails thanx so much
Riana says
By far the best recipe! Thank you cod sharing
Laura B says
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I finally managed to make perfect eclairs, with a sturdy shell and empty inside. I cannot tell how frustrated I had become with various recipes, having botched eclairs over and over again… It’s probably the best, most detailed explanation for making this tricky type of dessert!
Dini says
I’m so happy your eclairs came out perfectly Laura, thank you so much for letting me know! 🙂
Lynn Rutan says
How much does 5oz of flour equate to in cups? I’ve never seen flour measured like this before. Thank you.
Dini says
Hi Lynn
5 oz of flour is 142 g which is about 1.1 cups (measured by spoon and leveled method).
I do highly recommend using weight measurements, as it will give more consistent, accurate results. Volume measurements of dry ingredients can vary depending on how you measure the ingredients. A kitchen scale is very inexpensive now, and will make baking much easier and more consistent.
I hope that helps!
Steph George says
This recipe is hands down THE BEST!. Thank you for sharing this.
I want to trial different flavours but for now I’m just super impressed with the final product.
Adrie says
They baked up nicely but the powdered sugar burnt all over the bottom of my choux and ruined it. If I make this again, I’ll skip that step and use egg wash instead like I usually do. I also only got 11 choux, but that could be because I used a different piping tip.
Dini says
Hi Adrie!
I’m glad that they came out well!
It sounds like you used a much larger tip than I used in the recipe, which means you may have had to bake it for longer in the oven too.
If that is the case, then the sugar that is fallen on the baking tray can burn and stick onto the cases. I recommend skipping the sugar if you’re making large shells that require a longer baking time.
I hope that helps for next time!
cisca van wyk says
hi, is the egg measured with or without shells
Dini says
Hi Cisca
I use large eggs that are about 2 oz in weight (each) with the shell on. But as mentioned in the recipe, the amount of egg added can vary to get the right consistency.
I hope that helps.