Birthday Chocolate Eclairs are classic chocolate eclairs filled with luscious pastry cream and topped with chocolate ganache!

Chocolate eclairs on parchment paper with bite out of front eclair

It’s my birthday tomorrow, so it was necessary to share a treat with you today.  Last year I celebrated with my favorite German chocolate cake roll, but this year I decided to do something completely different and share one of my favorite treats — chocolate eclairs.

It doesn’t get much better than crisp påte å choux pastry filled with luscious pastry cream and  topped with chocolate ganache.  

Unless you add sprinkles, of course.  It is my birthday, after all. 🙂

Side view of chocolate eclair with pastry filling piped inside

How to make Chocolate Eclairs

Last week I shared my tutorial on How to Make Pate a Choux, so please refer to that for the easy step by step tutorial and recipe for the pastry dough.  

This chocolate eclair recipe covers how to make homemade pastry cream and chocolate ganache.

Overhead shot of eclair on parchment paper with bite taken out of it

I think pastry cream is one of the world’s best things, and it’s underrated.  Not only is it great in these eclairs, but it makes a fabulous filling for tarts, cupcakes, layer cakes, trifles, you name it.  Knowing how to make a great pastry cream is a lifesaver in the dessert world because it can take your dessert to the next level and above.  In fact, I made my eclairs quite dainty — about 3″ long instead of 4-5″ — and cut them in half so I could pipe in plenty of pastry cream.  

I recommend preparing your pastry cream first, because the longer it has to chill, the better.  Plus, I like to break things up into steps so I don’t feel inundated.  

How to make pastry cream process collage

First, you whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until combined.  Add the flour, and whisk it again until incorporated.

How to make pastry cream process collage 2

Next, get your milk heating on the stove top over medium heat.  This is called scalding, and you don’t want to boil it.  Once you see steam rising off the top and bubbles around the edges and a film beginning to form on the top, the milk is hot enough.

Take the hot milk and pour just a bit — about a tablespoon or two, into the egg-sugar-flour mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs.  If you add too much hot liquid at once, you’ll scramble the eggs.  Add a little at a time and keep on whisking until about half of the mixture has been incorporated, then add the rest of the milk all at once and whisk.  Place the mixture back in the saucepan.

How to make pastry cream process collage 3

Place the saucepan back over the stove top and heat over medium heat whisking constantly, and bring to a boil, about 8-10 minutes.  The mixture will thicken as it cooks, and once it comes to a boil, continue to cook and whisk one more minute.  Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla and softened butter.

How to make pastry cream process collage 4

Pour the pastry cream into a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl placed in an ice bath.  It’s a good idea to have this all set up beforehand so you can strain the pastry cream as soon as it’s done cooking to remove any lumps.  Place a sheet of buttered wax paper over the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming.  Once it’s cooled down at room temperature, remove from the ice bath and continue chilling in the fridge until set, and even over night.

That’s it!  Once you get the hang of pastry cream, it goes really quick. 🙂

Eclair before filling

See my How to Make Pate a Choux post regarding creating a template to guide you when piping the eclairs the right size.  My template for these eclairs were rectangles 1″ wide x 3″ long.  

Pipe them with a 1/2″ round tip with 2″ or so in between, which results in (2) baking sheets with 10 eclairs each.

It’s up to you whether you’d like to pipe the pastry cream inside by inserting a small round piping tip into the pastry, or cut them in half like I did here and pipe the pastry cream into the shells with a decorative tip (I used 1M).  

Just remember not to put the top on the eclair until you’ve dipped it into the ganache!  That would be really hard to do assembled, or you’ll just have to spread the ganache on top with an offset spatula.

I really enjoyed making these Birthday Chocolate Eclairs for myself (and my family) to celebrate my birthday early.  And now I get cake on my actual birthday…see how that works?  

Celebrating early definitely has its advantages. 🙂

close up of chocolate eclair with bite out of it

More påte å choux recipes:

Cream puffs by Natasha’s Kitchen

Croqembouche by Food Network

Gougeres

Profiteroles by Barefoot Contessa

Chocolate eclairs on parchment paper with bite out of front eclair

Birthday Chocolate Eclairs

Birthday Chocolate Eclairs are classic chocolate eclairs filled with a luscious pastry cream and topped with chocolate ganache!
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Ingredients

Pastry Cream:

  • 2 cups whole milk*
  • cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 4 tablespoons flour or cornstarch for gluten free
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened

Chocolate Ganache Glaze:

  • 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips I used Guittard
  • 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips I used Guittard
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon corn syrup

Instructions 

Prepare the pastry cream:

  • Fill a large bowl with ice, and enough water to fill the bowl halfway. Place a medium bowl in it with a fine mesh strainer nearby along with a piece of buttered wax paper. Set aside.
  • Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium low heat until just before it begins to boil.
  • While the milk heats, place the sugar and egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk until well incorporated. Add the flour and whisk vigorously until smooth. When the milk is hot enough, add a few tablespoons of it to the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Add 1/3 of the mixture in a slow steady stream while whisking constantly. Once 1/3 has been added, add the rest all at once while whisking constantly until combined.
  • Place the mixture back in the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, until the mixture begins to boil, about 8-10 minutes. Continue to cook for another minute until very thick. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla and softened butter, then place in the strainer over the bowl set over the ice bath and strain to remove any lumps or bits of egg. Cover the pastry cream with the buttered wax paper to prevent a skin from forming and allow to cool at room temperature. Once cooled, remove from the ice bath and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. For best results, make in advance and store in the fridge for 4-6 hours or overnight.

Prepare the ganache:

  • Place the chocolate chips, heavy cream, and corn syrup in a heat proof bowl. Set aside.
  • Fill a large sauté pan halfway full of water and heat over medium heat until the water simmers. Turn the heat down to low, then place the bowl of chocolate into the water in the sauté pan, stirring constantly with a rubber scraper until the chocolate melts and emulsifies with the cream. When the mixture is smooth, remove from heat and set aside to cool. May be made in advance and reheated until it reaches the desired consistency (a thinner consistency is best for dipping).
  • (1) batch of Pate a choux, recipe link in Notes.

Assemble the eclairs:

  • Place the pastry cream in a piping bag fitted with a round tip if inserting the cream into the eclairs, or cut the eclairs in half lengthwise and pipe into the bottom of the eclair with a decorative tip (I used Wilton 1M).
  • Heat the chocolate ganache to thin it out, if necessary, and dip the tops of the eclairs into the chocolate, gently shaking off any excess chocolate. Place on a baking sheet, sprinkle with the funfetti sprinkles, and set aside to set briefly. Repeat with all of the eclairs.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • Cook time and prep time includes making the pate a choux, pastry cream, and ganache. It does not include chilling time for the pastry cream.
  • *I added corn syrup to the ganache, which makes it nice and glossy. It can easily be omitted if you prefer not to use it.
  • Eclairs are best assembled and eaten the day they’re made, but will keep up to 2 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Nutrition

Serving: 1eclair, Calories: 157kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 24mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 11g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

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