Éclairs & Cream Puffs Recipe

Preheat and prepare pans

Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Fit a pastry bag with a 1/2" open round tip for éclairs or use a 1/2" plain tip for small rounds (cream puffs).

Make the choux paste

In a medium saucepan combine water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring so butter melts and mixture is uniform.

Incorporate the flour

Remove saucepan from heat. Immediately add all the flour at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until incorporated and the dough pulls away from the sides and forms a smooth ball (about 20–30 seconds). Return to low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for another 30–60 seconds to dry the dough slightly. This step helps structure.

Cool and add eggs

Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl. Let cool for 3–5 minutes so it’s warm but not hot (steam still ok). Beat in eggs one at a time (by hand with a wooden spoon or with paddle/whisk on medium) until each is fully incorporated. The final dough should be smooth, glossy and fall from the spoon in a thick ribbon. If desired, stir in vanilla extract with the last egg.

Pipe shapes

Fill pastry bag. For small éclairs pipe 3–3.5" logs; for cream puffs pipe 1–1.5" rounds about 1" apart. Use a damp finger to smooth any peaks. Brush lightly with egg wash for a deeper golden color (optional).

Bake

Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes, then immediately reduce oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake another 12–18 minutes until puffed and deep golden and surface looks dry. Avoid opening the oven during baking.

Dry out

Turn oven off, prop oven door open slightly with a wooden spoon and leave the shells inside 10 minutes to dry. Then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Pierce each shell with a knife or make a small hole to release steam if they look soft; this prevents sogginess.

Heat the milk

In a medium saucepan warm the 2 cups milk with 1/4 cup of the sugar over medium heat until just simmering and small bubbles form at the edge. Do not boil.

Whisk yolks and dry starch

While milk heats, whisk together the egg yolks, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and cornstarch until pale and smooth with no lumps.

Temper and thicken

Slowly pour about 1/3 of the hot milk into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper. Then pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining hot milk, whisking. Return to medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a gentle boil (about 1–2 minutes). Boil for 30 seconds while stirring to cook out the starch taste.

Finish and cool

Remove from heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve into a clean bowl to ensure silky texture. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours (or speed-chill over an ice bath, then refrigerate).

Make the chocolate glaze

Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until just simmering and pour over the chocolate. Let sit 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Stir in the 1 tsp butter for extra shine if using. Cool slightly until glaze thickens but is still pourable (about 5–10 minutes).

Alternative: powdered sugar dusting

If making cream puffs, sift powdered sugar into a bowl. Hold cooled puffs over the bowl and lightly dust, or dust on a tray just before serving.

Fill the shells

Transfer chilled pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a 1/4" round tip. For éclairs: Turn each éclair over or make two small holes underneath; pipe the cream into two or three points along the length until filled (you’ll feel slight resistance when full). For cream puffs: either split the top and spoon/pipe filling inside or insert the tip into the bottom and pipe until filled.

Glaze éclairs

Dip the top of each filled éclair into the warm chocolate glaze, letting excess drip off, or spoon glaze over the top. Place on a rack until glaze sets (about 10–15 minutes).

Finish cream puffs

If making cream puffs, dust the filled tops lightly with powdered sugar just before serving to keep sugar from dissolving.

Storage & serving

Assembled éclairs and cream puffs are best eaten the same day. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 48 hours. Bring to cool room temperature 10–15 minutes before serving for best texture. Unfilled shells can be frozen in a sealed bag for up to 1 month; thaw and re-crisp in a 300°F oven for 5–8 minutes before filling.