Learn how to make a classic chocolate dipped eclair.
Chocolate Dipped Eclairs
Have you ever made eclairs before? They are one of those things that feel a little intimidating from the start, but they actually are not that hard and the WOW factor you’ll receive from family and friends who try them will make it all worth it! You can make them the traditional way, or you can make them cute for holidays…like mummies for Halloween.
Follow the visual step by step with the full recipe below. The recipe for the chocolate ganache is pretty amazing! Warning, you’ll be tempted to eat it with a spoon.
How to make the whipped cream filling for eclairs
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 4 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a chilled mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream and add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
Once the cream is whipped, place it in a piping bag or a gallon sized plastic bag and pipe into the middle of the eclair case. Please note, do not whip the cream the night before as the cream will go flat (we learned this the hard way). Place the cream filled pastries on a tray and put into the fridge to chill while you make the chocolate sauce.
You can make the cream filling like sweetened whipped cream (recipe above) or you can make a classic French cream pastry filling. Both are delicious. One is a little easier than the other.
What you need to make a classic french cream pastry filling:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 pinch of salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
How to make a French Cream Pastry Filling
- In a medium saucepan bring 2 cups milk to a boil. Stir constantly to prevent a film from forming. Remove from heat.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the sugar, corn starch and pinch of salt. Add 4 egg yolks and whisk until smooth and the color lightens up a little, it takes a few minutes to lighten up.
- Whisking constantly so the eggs don’t curdle, gradually add the hot milk in a steady stream into the egg mixture. Once added, pour this mixture back into saucepan and bring to a boil while whisking constantly (another 30 seconds) until mixture is thick and pudding-like in consistency.
- Transfer pastry cream to a medium bowl and whisk in the vanilla extract. Cut the butter into pieces and quickly whisk the custard until fully combined. Cover with plastic directly over the surface of the cream (to prevent a film from forming), let it cool slightly for 30 minutes in the fridge or until cool.
- Add the pastry cream to each eclair. You can either make a vertical cut along the side to add the cream filling, or with a small pastry tip, poke 2-3 holes through the bottom of each cooled pastry. Pipe the cream into the pastry shell, scraping off any excess on the bottom. Refrigerate eclairs while making the chocolate glaze.
Now for the best part, the delicious chocolate sauce. This recipe is from my sweet friend Marie Kimber who is known for her eclairs. She’s an excellent baker. I will be first in line when she opens up a bakery.
What you need to make Chocolate Ganache for eclairs
- 1/2 stick butter (not margarine) (1/4 cup)
- 2 tablespoons Cocoa Powder
- 2-4 tablespoons Sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk (to mix cocoa powder into a paste)
- Powdered Sugar (to desired thickness)
How to make chocolate ganache for eclairs:
- Melt the butter and sugar on a low heat.
- Take butter/sugar mix off the heat and mix in the cocoa to a paste. Add powdered sugar to desired thickness. If you feel like you haven’t made enough, just add a little milk and then more powdered sugar. If it starts to thicken up after sitting for a while, just place it on the stove again and reheat on a low heat.
- Using a regular spoon, spoon the chocolate sauce along the top of the pastry case. Place the eclairs back in the fridge and chill for at least an hour before serving.
Can you freeze eclairs?
Yes you can freeze eclairs! You can freeze them fully assembled with the cream filling and the chocolate ganache. They freeze really well if you want to be prepared and make these a day early. Just take the eclairs out of the freezer and put into the fridge an hour before you want to eat them.
In the fridge, Do not place these eclairs in a plastic container with a lid on, this will make the chocolate sauce slip off the eclairs. They are completely fine being refrigerated uncovered. To transport them, put them in a cardboard bakery box.
Chocolate Dipped Eclairs
Learn how to make the classic French pastry dough: Pate a Choux, the Eclair case to make the most delicious eclairs.
Ingredients
For the Eclair dough:
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) (not margarine)
- 4 eggs beaten
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Cream Filling:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 tablespoons powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Ganache:
- 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) (not margarine)
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2-4 tablespoons sugar
- tablespoon milk (more or less if needed)
Instructions
For the Eclair Case:
-
Put water, butter and salt into a pan and bring to boil. Once at boiling point, take off the heat and add the flour. Mix in the flour with a WOODEN SPOON until the mixture becomes like a dough. Leave it to cool for a few minutes - do not let it cool completely as the dough will be lumpy.
-
Whisk the eggs and vanilla together. Once the dough has cooled for a few minutes, slowly add the egg mixture using an ELECTRIC BEATER. The mixture will be a thick, almost sticky texture.
-
Place the mixture in a piping bag or gallon sized plastic bag. Cut a small corner off of the bag. The cut will depend on how big you want your eclairs. Pipe the mixture into 2-3 inch strips onto a greased baking sheet. You can make the eclair cases as large as you like, just allow extra baking time for the larger eclairs.
-
Bake at 400 for 15-17 minutes until the eclair cases are a golden brown. Let the pastries cool for only a minute and slice along one side while they are still quite hot. If you let them cool too long the eclair cases will fall flat. Let the pastries cool COMPLETELY before filling.
For the Cream Filling:
-
In a chilled metal mixing bowl whip the heavy cream. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and whip until it reaches the soft peak stage.
Once the cream is whipped, move the whipped cream to gallon sized plastic bag and snip a corner off the plastic bag to pipe the cream into the middle of each eclair case. Place the cream filled pastries on a tray and put into the fridge to chill while you make the chocolate sauce.
For the Chocolate Ganache:
-
Melt the butter and sugar on a low heat. Take butter/sugar mix off the heat and mix in the cocoa powder to a paste. Add powdered sugar to desired thickness. If you feel like you haven’t made enough, just add a little milk and then more powdered sugar. If it starts to thicken up after sitting for a while, just place it on the stove again and reheat on a low heat.
-
Dip each eclair into the warm chocolate letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Or you can spoon the chocolate sauce along the top of each pastry case. Place the eclairs back in the fridge and chill for at least an hour before serving.
Recipe Notes
Do not whip the cream the night before as the cream will go flat (we learned this the hard way).
Eclairs freeze really well if you want make ahead. Just take the eclairs out of the freezer and put into the fridge an hour before you want to eat them.
Making This Recipe? Tag us on Instagram: @NoBiggie using the hashtag #NoBiggieRecipes, so we can see what you are making in the kitchen!
How to make Mummy Eclairs for Halloween
To make these classic eclairs look like Mummies for Halloween, melt some white chocolate in a double boiler. Place the melted white chocolate into a snack sized plastic bag and cut a tiny corner off the bag. Pipe across the eclair to look like white mummy bandages. Add white chocolate chips for eyes and dot a tiny bit of the milk chocolate sauce for the center of the eyes.
Do you love eclairs too? Have you ever made them at home?
