• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Whipped
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About Me
    • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Choux Pastries

    How to Make the Best Coffee Eclair at Home

    Published: Sep 9, 2023 · Modified: Sep 25, 2023 by Sandrine Pearson · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe

    Craving a sweet treat with a coffee kick? You'll love this Coffee Eclair recipe. Quick to make, tasty, and perfect for dessert or a snack. Stick around, you don't want to miss this!

    Two coffee Éclair with chocolate on a cutting board.

    Coffee Eclairs are great all year but especially hit the spot in the winter. They're a perfect match with our Profiteroles, Chouquettes and Strawberry Filled Donuts

    Jump to:
    • PREFER TO WATCH INSTEAD OF READ?
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Variations
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Top tip
    • FAQ
    • How to Make the Best Coffee Eclair at Home
    • Related

    PREFER TO WATCH INSTEAD OF READ?

    Ingredients

    • Water
    • Butter
    • Salt
    • Sugar
    • Flour
    • Eggs
    • Milk
    • Espresso
    • Cornstarch
    • Egg yolks
    • Dark chocolate
    • Cream

    See recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    Mixing flour and eggs into boiling water and butter mixture.

    Make the Dough
    To make the choux pastry, boil water, butter, sugar, and salt in a pot. Take the pot off the heat and add flour. Cook the mixture on the stove until it becomes a shiny paste, which takes about 3 to 4 minutes. Move the paste to a bowl and add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one.

    Eclairs on a baking sheet ready to go into the oven.

    Bake the Dough
    On a baking sheet, pipe 11cm éclairs with a pastry bag fitted with a round tip. Bake at 410F for 20 min. Lower the heat to 375F. Bake 15 more minutes until the éclairs are golden.

    Move the cream to a bowl, add butter, and chill it in the fridge.

    Make Pastry Cream
    To make the pastry cream, first boil milk and coffee together. In another bowl, mix cornstarch, sugar, and one egg. Slowly add some of the hot milk to this egg mixture and mix it well. Put everything back on the stove and boil while continuously whisking. Move the cream to a bowl, add butter, and chill it in the fridge.

    Mixing hot cream into dark chocolate for ganache.

    Make Ganache + Dip in
    For the ganache, boil some cream and pour it over chocolate. Mix these together until the mixture is smooth. Dip the tops of the éclairs into this ganache and let it set.

    Filling Éclairs with a piping bag

    Fill The Éclairs

    Finally, to fill the éclairs, cut them in half. Use a piping bag with a star tip to fill them with the chilled pastry cream.

    Élcair on a table top.

    Ready To Be Enjoyed

    Your éclairs are now ready to enjoy! Share them with friends or family, and if there are any leftovers, store them in an airtight container.

    Hint: Make sure the pastry cream is fully cooled. This ensures a better texture and flavor.

    Substitutions

    For a dairy-free version, use almond milk and vegan butter.

    Variations

    Add a sprinkle of crushed hazelnuts for a nutty twist.

    Equipment

    Use a piping bag for both dough and filling. If not, a zip-lock bag with a cut corner works too.

    Storage

    Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. Freezing is not recommended.

    Top tip

    Don't overmix the dough; it should be shiny but not oily.

    FAQ

    What type of flour is best?

    Use all-purpose flour.

    How to store Coffee Eclair?

    In the fridge for up to 3 days.

    Can I freeze it?

    No, texture will change.

    Dairy-free alternative?

    Use almond milk and vegan butter.

    Can I use instant coffee?

    Yes, but espresso is better.

    What's ganache?

    A mix of cream and chocolate.

    Can I add nuts?

    Yes, hazelnuts work well.

    Why is pastry cream runny?

    Didn't cook long enough.

    Can I make it less sweet?

    Reduce sugar in pastry cream.

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    Two coffee Éclair with chocolate on a cutting board.

    How to Make the Best Coffee Eclair at Home

    ★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

    No reviews

    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Make irresistible Coffee Eclairs with our easy-to-follow recipe! Perfect for dessert or holiday treats.

    • Total Time: 75 minutes
    • Yield: 12 Eclairs 1x

    Ingredients

    Scale

    Choux Pastry

    250ml Water

    100g Butter

    2g Salt

    5g Sugar

    150g Flour

    200g Eggs

    Coffee Pastry Cream

    400ml Milk

    100ml Espresso

    100g Sugar

    45g Cornstarch

    5 Egg yolks

    25g Butter

    Dark Chocolate Ganache

    100g Dark chocolate

    150ml Cream

    Instructions

    Step 1 - Choux Pastry

    1. Boil water, butter, sugar, salt.
    2. Off heat, add flour.
    3. Cook on stove until it becomes a shiny paste (3-4 min).
    4. Move to the bowl.
    5. Add eggs one by one. Mix each time.

    Step 2 - Baking

    1. On baking sheet, pipe 11cm éclairs using piping bag.
    2. Bake at 410F for 20 min.
    3. Lower heat to 375F. Bake 15 more min until golden.

    Step 3 - Pastry Cream

    1. Boil milk and coffee.
    2. Mix cornstarch, sugar, egg in another bowl.
    3. Add some hot milk to the egg mixture. Mix.
    4. Boil everything. Keep whisking.
    5. Move to a bowl. Add butter.
    6. Chill in the fridge.

    Step 4 - Ganache

    1. Boil cream.
    2. Pour on chocolate.
    3. Mix until smooth.
    4. Dip éclair tops in ganache.
    5. Let it set.

    Step 5 - Fill Éclairs

    1. Cut éclairs in half.
    2. Use piping bag with star tip.
    3. Fill with pastry cream.
    4. Enjoy!
    • Author: Sandrine Pearson
    • Prep Time: 40 minutes
    • Cook Time: 35 minutes
    • Category: Dessert
    • Method: Baking
    • Cuisine: French
    • Diet: Vegetarian

    Related

    Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

    • a white plate topped with a slice of cheesecake.
      How to Make the Perfect Cheesecake Every Time
    • two white plates topped with slices of Double Chocolate Cheesecake.
      How to Make Double Chocolate Cheesecake with Oreo Crust
    • there are some Snickerdoodle Cookies stacked on top of each other.
      How to Make Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies
    • Pecan Caramel Cheesecake slice on a white plate.
      How to Make Pecan Caramel Cheesecake in Easy Steps

    More Choux Pastries Recipes

    • a plate full of Chouquettes on the wooden surface.
      How to Make Perfect Chouquettes Every Time
    • a small pile of Profiterole that are on top of a plate with chocolate ganache on top.
      How to Make Easy and Delicious Profiteroles

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi there, I'm Sandrine!

    I'm a professionally-trained pastry chef, and here at Whipped, I share unique dessert recipes and baking tips to help you bake with confidence. If you looking for me, I'm always in the kitchen (even in my dreams!)

    More about me →

    • YouTube
    • Pinterest

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Info

    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    Follow Us

    • YouTube
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram

    Food

    • Recipes

    Copyright © 2023 Whipped on the All rights reserved.