I found this recipe for chocolate eclairs (French pastry) in my old order Amish grandmother’s recipe collection and they did not disappoint! Making eclairs may be a little more extensive than a simple chocolate chip cookie or skillet cookie, but the time and effort is definitely worth it!! If you would like detailed instructions keep scrolling below the recipe card for photos of the choux pastry and a video that I found helpful.
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Chocolate eclairs
Ingredients
For the choux pastry:
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
For the filling:
- 5.1 oz. instant vanilla pudding
- 2 1/2 cups cold whole milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the chocolate ganache:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups chocolate melting wafers (roughly 10 oz.)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Make the filling first (to allow adequate time for it to set in the refrigerator), whisk instant pudding and cold milk together for around two minutes or until set. Set aside for now. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream with a hand mixer for 5-10 minutes until soft peaks form. Add vanilla and confectioners sugar and mix until sugar is well incorporated and no longer lumpy. Fold the whipped cream mixture into the pudding until well combined. Refrigerate for at least an hour until set.
- To make the choux pastry; Place butter, water and sugar in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently until butter has melted into the water. Remove from heat and add flour and salt. Stir well until flour is fully incorporated (around 30 seconds), then return to medium heat and stir some more until the dough starts to form a ball and no longer sticks to the pan (another 30 seconds or so).
- Transfer the dough to a stand mixer with a dough paddle attached, then mix the dough for 40-60 seconds to allow it to cool just slightly. Add 1 egg and mix on medium speed until well combined. Continue adding one egg at a time until the dough is smooth and silky and drips very slowly from the paddle *see note and photo below.
- Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, then using a piping bag with a large 3/4 inch pastry tip (the bag can also be cut at 1 inch across), pipe the choux pastry onto the lined cookie sheets creating strips 1 1/4 inch wide(roughly) and 4 inches long. Bake the choux on the center racks in the oven at 450 for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 and bake for another 20 minutes until the pastry shells are golden brown and hollow *see note. Allow to cool.
- For the chocolate ganache: Heat one cup heavy whipping cream and then whisk in the chocolate wafers until they have melted and the ganache is smooth. Allow the ganache to cool and harden slightly *see note.
- Fill the cooled pastry shells with filling by using a piping bag fitted with a pastry syringe and inserting the tip into one end of the choux pastry. Fill until the choux pastry feels heavy. You can also simply slice the pastries in half length-wise and fill them similar to a sandwich cookie/whoopie pie. Dip the filled eclairs into the chocolate ganache, then refrigerate for several hours until set. Enjoy!!
Notes
If you wish to watch a video tutorial on making Chocolate Eclairs, one that I found very helpful was Preppy kitchen’s Best chocolate Eclair recipe on YouTube. Scroll on down if you wish to see some photos of the Choux Pastry shells. If you enjoy Instagram reels you can also find my short reel of making these chocolate eclairs on Instagram.


The dough should adhere to the paddle, only dripping off slowly, and should be smooth and silky.
Disclaimer: The Amish did not invent Eclairs (they are technically a French pastry).


If you wish you can add a few circular choux, I find these the perfect bite size for myself. 🙂 Note* circular Choux bake faster so reduce the cooking time to ten minutes at 425 and 10 to 15 minutes at 325 or until the Choux feels hollow.


Pastry shells are done once they are an even golden color and feel hollow.


Feel free to pin for later and let me know your thoughts on this recipe in the comments below. Thank you!
[…] to bake and love sweets in general, try Chunky m&m Cookies Grandmas Amish Recipe Collection, Chocolate Eclairs Gramma’s Amish recipe collection or Creamy Cheesecake […]
I have made these 3 times now, every time they disappear as soon as they are finished and ready to eat! So delicious.
That’s great! Glad they are turning out well for you!