Whipped Cream Éclairs: the simple and fluffy recipe for a classic French dessert

Cream éclairs are a classic, but easy French dessert. These éclairs look like profiteroles and cream puffs, but are different from traditional chocolate éclairs because of the filling. Basically, it’s a pillowy dough filled with cream and covered with chocolate—it doesn’t get better than that! The texture of the choux pastry is fluffy and light, while the filling is creamy and the ganache topping is like a chocolate overload!

Create your own whipped cream éclairs by making a French choux pastry, fill it with whipped cream, and topped with melted chocolate ganache. It looks fancy and complicated, but don’t think this dessert is expensive—with only flour, butter, eggs, and chocolate (and lots of it!)—you can make this dessert in no time.

How To Make Whipped Cream Eclair

You first start off by making the choux pastry. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the water, sugar, and salt and stir, and bring to a boil. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously until a dough starts to form and you no longer see visible specks of flour. Stirring vigorously at this point helps to develop the gluten which will help the éclairs to puff up. Add the eggs, mixing after each addition.

Fill the piping bag with the choux pastry and form éclairs on a parchment-covered baking sheet. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can also use a Ziploc bag with one corner snipped off. Bake until golden and puffed up. The color should be dark brown. Fill the éclairs with the whipped cream, cover with the chocolate ganache and drizzle with more chocolate.

Pro Tips

If the éclairs happen to be soggy or flat, it means they’re underbaked. Make sure to bake them until they’re a dark golden-brown color.

To prevent cracks on your éclairs, make sure you add salt to the dough. The more you add, the fewer cracks your éclairs will have. But don’t add too much!

If you have leftover éclairs, use them to make bread pudding, tiramisu, or even a delicious trifle!

Eclair Filling Ideas

Think whipped cream is too plain of a filling? Try any of these delicious ideas!

• Hazelnut spread like homemade Nutella
• Nut butter (peanut butter, macadamia butter, cashew butter, etc.)
• Prepared boxed pudding mix (vanilla, caramel, banana, or chocolate pudding).
• Vanilla custard
• Pastry cream
• Chocolate cream

You can also try different toppings:

• Vanilla or chocolate frosting
• Dulce de leche

How To Store Cream Eclair

The éclairs can be stored (covered) in the fridge for 3 days, but they will lose their crispiness. The whipped cream and ganache can be stored separately in the fridge, for up to 3 days.

Baked, unfilled shells can be stored in an airtight container, in the freezer, for up to 1 month.

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Instructions

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Add water, salt, and sugar, and bring to a boil.

Add flour and stir until dough comes together.

Pour the dough into a bowl, allow it to cool slightly, then add the eggs, beating with a mixer after each addition.

Pour the mixture into a piping bag and make an opening of about ¾ of an inch. Line a baking sheet with baking paper and make flat shapes 6-7 cm long.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake the éclairs for 20-25 minutes. Whip the vanilla whipped cream and melt the dark chocolate. Slice the baked éclairs in half.

Fill the éclairs with cream then leave briefly in the fridge to cool.

Dip the surface of each cookie in the chocolate. Melt the dark chocolate and decorate the cookies.

Notes

It’s important to keep the piped dough at the same size to ensure even cooking.