Chocolate Eclair
Chocolate Eclairs
This is the ultimate chocolate eclair recipe!
It’s my perfect eclair recipe, filled with a luscious chocolate crème pâtissière, and topped with a chocolate glaze and chocolate crumble.
This foolproof choux pastry recipe will prevent any nasty cracks, and I think a chocolate filling is so much more decadent than a traditional cream filling.
Follow my video and step-by-step recipe to make these stunning chocolate eclairs.
Ingredients
Method
Add the leaf gelatin into a large bowl filled with cold water and let it soak for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the chopped chocolate to a tall jug and set aside.
Into a medium saucepan add the water, cocoa powder, sugar and glucose syrup. Bring this the boil, whisking occasionally.
Once boiling, remove it from the heat, and stir in the condensed milk. Squeeze the excess water from the gelatin and add this in too.
Whisk it all to combine to ensure the gelatin has dissolved, then pour this over the chocolate.
Use a hand blender to blend until smooth, trying to avoid adding any air bubbles into the mixture - a Bamix hand blender is best for this.
Pour the glaze into a bowl and refrigerate it overnight.
The next day, start with the crème pâtissière. Add the whole milk to a medium saucepan and place it over a medium heat.
Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, salt and cornstarch/cornflour. Whisk for 30 seconds until combined.
Once the milk is steaming, slowly pour this over the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
Pour the mixture back into the pan and cook it over a medium-low heat whisking constantly. Once it starts to thicken and bubble, cook for a further minute.
Pass the mixture through a sieve, on top of a bowl that has the finely chopped chocolate and butter. Let it sit for 2 minutes before whisking together (or even better, use a hand blender). Once completely combined and there are no lumps of unmelted chocolate, cover the surface directly with cling film and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
In the meantime, start the choux pastry.
Pre-heat the oven to 160C/320F Non-Fan Assisted.
Add all the ingredients into a medium bowl and use your fingers to rub the cubed butter into the dry ingredients. Keep working it in until you can squeeze the mixture together to form a dough. Break the dough up into small crumble pieces, spread it out evenly onto a lined baking tray and into the freezer for 10 minutes.
Place the crumble into the oven for 11 minutes then remove to cool to room temperature.
Once cooled, toss the crumble in a very small amount of cocoa powder just to coat it slightly and give it a dusted cocoa effect.
Remove the chilled crème pâtissière from the fridge and use a hand whisk to whisk it up until it is smooth - about 30 seconds. Add it into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip nozzle.
Create 3 small holes on the underside of the eclairs and pipe the creme patissiere into the holes, until it the eclair feels heavy and full. Wipe away any excess crème pâtissière that might flow out. Place the eclairs onto a tray and keep them in the fridge.
Remove the chocolate glaze from the fridge, and place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir it together until it has completely melted.
Pour into a tall jug and blend again to remove any air bubbles. Stir it occasionally to prevent a skin from forming until it cools to 45-50C. Then pour it into a small container to dip the eclairs.
Remove the eclairs from the fridge as soon as the glaze is at temperature, and dunk the smooth top of the eclair into the glaze and then lift it up, letting the excess drip off. Use your finger to press off any excess, then quickly flip it over and set it to one side to set.
Try dipping your first eclair around 50C and if it seems too runny, then allow it to cool further before dipping the next.
Once you have dipped the eclairs, top with some of the crumble.
These are best served the same day so that the choux pastry is fresh.
You can also prep the eclairs ahead of time, and once baked, freeze them. Then when ready to use them, simply place them in the oven at 160C/320F for 2-3 minutes to defrost them and bring them back to their original baked texture.
Ingredients
Directions
Add the leaf gelatin into a large bowl filled with cold water and let it soak for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the chopped chocolate to a tall jug and set aside.
Into a medium saucepan add the water, cocoa powder, sugar and glucose syrup. Bring this the boil, whisking occasionally.
Once boiling, remove it from the heat, and stir in the condensed milk. Squeeze the excess water from the gelatin and add this in too.
Whisk it all to combine to ensure the gelatin has dissolved, then pour this over the chocolate.
Use a hand blender to blend until smooth, trying to avoid adding any air bubbles into the mixture - a Bamix hand blender is best for this.
Pour the glaze into a bowl and refrigerate it overnight.
The next day, start with the crème pâtissière. Add the whole milk to a medium saucepan and place it over a medium heat.
Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, salt and cornstarch/cornflour. Whisk for 30 seconds until combined.
Once the milk is steaming, slowly pour this over the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
Pour the mixture back into the pan and cook it over a medium-low heat whisking constantly. Once it starts to thicken and bubble, cook for a further minute.
Pass the mixture through a sieve, on top of a bowl that has the finely chopped chocolate and butter. Let it sit for 2 minutes before whisking together (or even better, use a hand blender). Once completely combined and there are no lumps of unmelted chocolate, cover the surface directly with cling film and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
In the meantime, start the choux pastry.
Pre-heat the oven to 160C/320F Non-Fan Assisted.
Add all the ingredients into a medium bowl and use your fingers to rub the cubed butter into the dry ingredients. Keep working it in until you can squeeze the mixture together to form a dough. Break the dough up into small crumble pieces, spread it out evenly onto a lined baking tray and into the freezer for 10 minutes.
Place the crumble into the oven for 11 minutes then remove to cool to room temperature.
Once cooled, toss the crumble in a very small amount of cocoa powder just to coat it slightly and give it a dusted cocoa effect.
Remove the chilled crème pâtissière from the fridge and use a hand whisk to whisk it up until it is smooth - about 30 seconds. Add it into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip nozzle.
Create 3 small holes on the underside of the eclairs and pipe the creme patissiere into the holes, until it the eclair feels heavy and full. Wipe away any excess crème pâtissière that might flow out. Place the eclairs onto a tray and keep them in the fridge.
Remove the chocolate glaze from the fridge, and place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir it together until it has completely melted.
Pour into a tall jug and blend again to remove any air bubbles. Stir it occasionally to prevent a skin from forming until it cools to 45-50C. Then pour it into a small container to dip the eclairs.
Remove the eclairs from the fridge as soon as the glaze is at temperature, and dunk the smooth top of the eclair into the glaze and then lift it up, letting the excess drip off. Use your finger to press off any excess, then quickly flip it over and set it to one side to set.
Try dipping your first eclair around 50C and if it seems too runny, then allow it to cool further before dipping the next.
Once you have dipped the eclairs, top with some of the crumble.
These are best served the same day so that the choux pastry is fresh.
You can also prep the eclairs ahead of time, and once baked, freeze them. Then when ready to use them, simply place them in the oven at 160C/320F for 2-3 minutes to defrost them and bring them back to their original baked texture.
How many does this recipe make?
12-14 depending on your eclair piping 🙂
Hello, great recipe… Thanks so much.
Any tips for storage?
Once they are filled and glazed they really need to be served the same day. The eclairs can be frozen once baked though. Check the recipe notes at the bottom 🙂
Just rebaked your basque cheesecake , and it’s really tasteful ! 😍
I think trying to rebake this Eclaire also 😆
Thanks chef ,
From Indonesia
So glad!
Is it possible yo use margarine instead of butter to make choux pastry…butter is not readily accessible where I am …
thanks
Indi
Hey! I’m afraid I wouldn’t recommend this. Hopefully you can get your hands on some butter!
Heyy
Can I know replacement for eggs?
Hey! I wouldn’t be able to give you one I’m afraid as I’ve not tried this with anything other than eggs.
Hi Matt, thanks for the recipe and advice, I’ve been looking for a perfect eclairs recipe for a long time and I want to try this one. In the chocolate icing recipe you talk about 6 sheets of gelatine, but how many grams are each? of 2 g? thanks again, and good sweet work! Luis.
Hey! All gelatin sheets regardless of grade are equal. So buy any grade of gelatin and just use 6 sheets 🙂 hope this helps and I hope these turn out perfect for you!
Hi there! Can’t wait to try this! Would you happen to have a good recipe for non-chocolatw glaze for the eclairs?
Hey! No I’m afraid I’ve not tried another type of glaze. You could try piping some of the ganache from Whipped Ganache 101 on top instead?
ty
Hi Matt! Can’t wait to try this recipe! Do you have a glaze recipe with white chocolate you can share?
Thanks!
Hey! No I’m afraid I’ve not tried this – sorry!
Hi Matt, kindly advise if I can substitute the gelatin sheets with gelatin powder, and wha quantities.
This is the rough conversion I use! 1 tbsp of powdered gelatin, equates to 9g, which is the same as 3 sheets of leaf gelatin (any bloom)
How many grams of powdered gelatine can we use instead of the leaf gelatin
1 sheet is roughly 2.5g powdered gelatin
Is it possible to make the glaze with white chocolate? Would you just change the temperatures around?
I’m afraid not
Hi! Condensed milk in your recipe is sweetened or unsweetened?
Sweetened 🙂
Great recipe! These went down a treat. Thank you, Matt
Great!!
So so so so good! 🤤 please create more flavors for us? 🙏
Heya! Why does the glaze need to be refrigerated over night? Thanks!
It allows the gelatin enough time to fully hydrate so the glaze is a bit more stable. But you could pour it onto a large tray covered with clingfilm (to spread it out nice and thin) then refrigerate for 3-4 hours before re-heating!