Eclairs (Éclairs) and cream puffs are French pastries made of choux dough, filled with custard and topped with chocolate ganache. I was inspired to make eclairs after watching an episode of Master Chef where the contestants were challenged to make eclairs during the infamous pressure test. The process for me was smooth since I’ve made choux dough before (when making churros!).
What is eclair filling made of?
I once thought eclairs were filled with chantilly cream but later figured out chantilly cream is just vanilla whipped cream. Eclairs contain vanilla pastry cream or vanilla custard. Custard is much thicker than whipped cream and the main difference is that it contains eggs.
Are eclairs and cream puffs the same?
Both eclairs and cream puffs (profiteroles in French) are made from choux dough. The difference between the two is their shape and their filling. An eclair is oblong and filled with vanilla custard and topped with chocolate ganache. A cream puff is round and filled with chantilly cream.
Is eclair filling the same as Boston cream?
Yes! Boston cream pie and donuts contain vanilla custard. It is the same custard you will find in eclairs.
How to make eclair filling?
Eclairs require some time and effort but are totally worth the work! There are 3 main components: dough, filling and topping. Once you have those down, it’s just a matter of assembling everything. Tip: make the custard a day in advance and store it in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
To make the custard, warm the milk and vanilla extract in a saucepan. Then, whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until thickened. Sift the cornstarch in and whisk until everything is smooth and well combined. Add 1/4 cup of the warm milk into the mixture and whisk. Add the remaining milk slowly while whisking.
Return pan to medium-high heat, whisking constantly until mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.
Let the custard cool and cover it with plastic wrap. Press the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming on top. Chill for at least 2 hours if serving same day or store in the refrigerator overnight.
How long do cream puffs last?
Cream puffs can last overnight, if refrigerated. I wouldn’t store them for longer than one day. If you need to make them further in advance, just bake the puffs and freeze them. You can make the custard filling a day in advance and store in the refrigerator.
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Eclairs and Cream Puffs Recipe
Ingredients
Custard
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 egg yolks
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 tbsp cold unsalted butter
Pastry
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup flour
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar
- 3 eggs
Egg wash
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp water
Chocolate ganache
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Custard
- Warm the milk and vanilla extract in a saucepan. Then, whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl until thickened. Sift the cornstarch in and whisk until everything is smooth and well combined. Add 1/4 cup of the warm milk into the mixture and whisk. Add the remaining milk slowly while whisking.
- Return pan to medium-high heat, whisking constantly until mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.
- Let the custard cool and cover it with plastic wrap. Press the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming on top. Chill for at least 2 hours if serving same day or store in the refrigerator overnight.
Pastry
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, add water, butter, sugar, vanilla and salt. Bring to a boil. Then turn off heat, add flour and stir with a wooden spoon until thickened. Allow dough to cool for 10 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, beat in with hand mixer or whisk. The texture of the dough should be smooth and fall slowly from the whisk when lifted out of the bowl. Transfer dough to a piping bag with a large star tip.
- Pipe the dough onto a lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches of space in between each one. Make lines about the size of hot dogs for eclairs and big dots for cream puffs.
- Egg Wash: In a bowl, whisk egg and water together. Brush the surface of each eclair with the egg wash. This will smooth out any imperfections so that they can look beautiful once baked.
- Bake 12-15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake until puffed up and light golden brown, about 18-25 minutes more, depending on your oven and size of your pastries.
- Allow pastries to cool on a cooling rack.
- Use a thin piping tip like Ateco 230 to poke 3 holes in the bottom of each eclair and fill with custard. The eclair should feel heavy when full.
- For the cream puffs, just poke 1 hole in the bottom and fill with the custard or make a chantilly cream by combining vanilla extract and whipped cream. Sprinkle the cream puffs with powdered sugar.
Chocolate ganache
- In a small sauce pan, bring the cream to a boil. Turn off heat.
- Put the chocolate in a medium size bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth.
- Dip the tops of the eclairs in the warm chocolate glaze and set on a sheet pan or cooling rack.
Video
Notes
- Refrigerate leftover eclairs and cream puffs in an air tight container.
- You can make the pastries and custard a few days in advance and keep them in an air tight container at room temperature then fill and dip them before serving.
- The pastries can be frozen and kept for 2 months before being thawed and filled.
English 
Spanish 
These Eclairs are delightful
Thank you! I hope you enjoy!