Learn how to make chocolate éclairs—the timeless French pastry—using a clear, step-by-step recipe, practical tips, and a video class to guide you.
Éclairs have returned to the spotlight. Defined by classic references as “a small elongated choux pastry filled with cream and glazed,” éclairs have enjoyed renewed popularity. Long a pastry-shop staple in flavors like chocolate, caramel, and coffee, the éclair has recently evolved into a canvas for creative flavor combinations and striking presentations. While colorful confections such as macarons once dominated conversations, talented pastry chefs have pushed éclairs back into the limelight with inventive variations and elegant finishes.
One influential figure in this resurgence is French pastry chef Christophe Adam, whose work at Fauchon showcased éclairs as true showpieces. At Fauchon’s annual Éclair Week and later at his own shop, L’Éclair de Génie, he introduced an array of sweet and savory éclairs that treated the pastry like jewelry—bright, bold, and imaginative. Today, specialty shops in Paris and around the world continue to explore new textures, fillings, and toppings, while classic recipes like Stohrer’s chocolate éclair remain benchmarks of technique and flavor.
A selection of couture éclairs at Fauchon.
A lime and white-chocolate éclair that caught the author’s eye.
Despite the surge of modern variations, many home bakers and pastry lovers still prefer traditional chocolate éclairs. One celebrated example is Stohrer’s chocolate éclair in Paris, praised for its slender profile, rich dark chocolate cream, and ideal pastry-to-filling balance. Recreating a great chocolate éclair at home is rewarding and more approachable than it may seem: once you master pâte à choux and pastry cream, the rest is mostly careful piping, glazing, and finishing.
Stohrer’s elegant éclair display.
Stohrer’s classic chocolate éclair.
Practical tips help ensure success. Make the pastry cream ahead of time so it cools completely before filling shells. You can bake and store pastry shells in airtight containers for a couple of days or freeze them for up to a month. Éclairs are best eaten the day they’re filled, though they’ll keep for a day or two. The filling and toppings offer endless room for creativity—flavor the pastry cream with different chocolates, vanilla, coffee, caramel, or fruit and top the éclairs with nuts, fresh fruit, or decorative sugars.
Key tips before you begin:
- Always make the pastry cream first so it has time to cool completely.
- Pastry shells can be baked in advance; store them carefully to avoid crushing, or freeze for longer storage.
- Filled éclairs are best the same day but remain fine for a day or two refrigerated.
- Experiment with flavors and toppings—chocolate, vanilla, coffee, nuts, fruit, and edible decorations all work beautifully.
Video Class
All About Choux: Sweet and Savory Puffed Treats, from Éclairs to Gougères
If you’ve never made pâte à choux, a focused video class can take you through the fundamentals: choux dough preparation, shaping, and how to turn one dough into chouquettes, cream puffs, profiteroles, éclairs, and savory gougères. Clear demonstrations and helpful tips will make the first attempts much easier and give you ideas for variations and finishes.
Check out the class trailer:
How to Make Chocolate Éclairs
Tools you’ll need:
- Electric mixer (handheld or stand)
- Mixing bowls, saucepans, and measuring tools
- Whisk and silicone spatulas
- Glass measuring cup, plastic wrap, and parchment paper
- Large baking sheets and large pastry bags
- Pastry tips: plain or star-shaped size 6 (½-inch) and plain size 2 (¼-inch)
Step 1: Make the Pastry Cream
Chocolate Pastry Cream (Crème pâtissière au chocolat)
Makes about 2 cups [500 ml].
Ingredients:
1/3 cup [80 ml] sugar
2 tbsp [30 ml] all-purpose flour
2 tbsp [30 ml] cornstarch
4 large egg yolks
1 1/3 cups [330 ml] milk
1/3 cup [80 ml] sugar
1/3 cup [80 ml] good-quality cocoa powder, sifted
1 oz [28 g] dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp [15 ml] unsalted or lightly salted butter
Beat the sugar, flour, cornstarch, and egg yolks in an electric mixer bowl until thick and pale, about two minutes. Meanwhile, combine milk, sugar, and cocoa in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, ladle out about a cup, and slowly temper the egg mixture by whisking in the hot milk. Return the tempered egg mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly and scraping the pan’s bottom and corners until the custard thickens and bubbles. Work quickly and carefully to avoid curdling or scorching.
Remove from heat, stir in the chopped chocolate and butter until smooth. Press plastic wrap directly onto the custard surface to prevent a skin and refrigerate until completely cold.
Step 2: Make Choux Pastry
Choux Pastry Ingredients
Makes about 16 large éclairs.
1 cup [250 ml] all-purpose flour
½ cup [125 ml] water
½ cup [125 ml] whole milk
8 tbsp (1 stick) [113 g] unsalted butter, cubed
½ tsp [2.5 ml] salt
4 large eggs (add a fifth if needed)
Preheat oven to 400°F [200°C] with a rack in the lower third. Measure the flour and set aside. In a saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, and salt and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously until the dough pulls away from the pan. Cook and stir for about 1 minute to remove excess moisture, then transfer the dough to the mixer bowl and let cool five minutes.
With the mixer at medium speed, beat in eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. The dough will separate and then come back together; continue until the dough is smooth, elastic, and thick. If the dough remains dry and crumbly after four eggs, add a fifth. The finished choux should be thick, sticky, and glossy. Cover and refrigerate up to half a day if needed.
Step 3: Shaping Éclairs
Line large baking sheets with parchment paper and, if desired, place éclair templates underneath as a guide. Fit a large pastry bag with a ½-inch tip, fold the top of the bag into a cuff, and fill the bag two-thirds full. Hold the bag at a 45-degree angle and pipe 5-inch [12.5-cm] logs, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Release pressure at the end of each pipe and quickly lift to avoid tails. Smooth any peaks with a wet finger.
Step 4: Baking Éclairs
Bake at 400°F [200°C] for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350°F [175°C] and continue baking until golden and firm—about 10 more minutes for small éclairs or 20 more for large ones. Remove from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool. Pierce the bottom of each éclair with a skewer or pointed knife to allow steam to escape and ensure they dry out inside.
Step 5: Filling Chocolate Éclairs
Fit a pastry bag with a ¼-inch tip and fill it with chilled pastry cream. Insert the tip into the drying hole and pipe until each éclair is filled. Alternatively, slice off the top third of each éclair, fill the bottom half by spooning or piping the cream, and replace the lid.
Step 6: Glazing and Decorating Chocolate Éclairs
Dark Chocolate Ganache Glaze
¾ cup [175 ml] heavy cream
8 oz [226 g] semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Optional: 1 tbsp [15 ml] liqueur of your choice
Bring the cream to a boil, remove from heat, add the chopped chocolate, and whisk until mostly melted. Cover and let sit 10 minutes, then whisk smooth and stir in the liqueur if using. Pour the glaze into a shallow bowl. Dip the tops of filled éclairs into the glaze and set on a clean tray to finish. While the glaze is wet, add toppings such as toasted hazelnuts, chopped pistachios, shaved chocolate, sifted cocoa, fresh raspberries, or decorative sugars.
Refrigerate until the glaze is set and serve chilled or at cool room temperature.
Recipe notes: The chocolate pastry cream and choux elements are classic preparations that can be adapted to many flavor variations. Test and adjust baking and egg quantities as needed for consistent dough texture. Enjoy exploring both traditional and modern takes on this classic French treat.