Easter Eclairs
These Easter Eclairs feature a light, crispy shell filled with pastry cream and glazed with pink icing. They’re a fun (and tasty!) way to celebrate the season!
Pâte à Choux (also known as choux pastry) is a unique type of dough. It’s used to make eclairs, cream puffs, profiteroles and a number of other classic European pastries.
But get this – pâte à choux (pronounced paht-a-shoo) is actually French for “cabbage paste.” The name supposedly comes from the fact that cream puffs resemble little cabbages. The paste part comes from the fact that this dough is closer to a batter than a traditional dough. In fact, pâte à choux is actually piped out of a pastry bag onto a parchment paper-lined sheet pan.
Don’t let that scare you, though! While pâte à choux is definitely a different kind of dough recipe, it’s actually not difficult to make. If you enjoy baking at home, then give this Easter Eclairs recipe a shot – it’s a fun recipe that’s sure to impress family and friends. And it’s a great way to celebrate Easter, too!
Easter Eclairs
Eclair means “flash of lightning” in French. Some say it’s because eclairs are eaten as fast as lightning while others say the icing on top resembles a lightning bolt. I have no idea which is accurate, but I do know these eclairs are seriously delicious!
Eclairs are traditionally filled with pastry cream and then topped with a chocolate glaze. However, I put a fun seasonal spin on this Easter Eclairs by using a pink icing rather than chocolate. I also added some white sprinkles on top just for a fun appearance. These Easter Eclairs are a great way to celebrate Easter!
The one downside to eclairs is that they really need to be filled shortly before they are served. The pastry cream will soften the shells and leave you with a soggy eclair. No one wants a soggy eclair!
Don’t fret, though – you can still make these Easter Eclairs in advance. The trick is to go ahead and slice the shells and then leave them covered lightly at room temperature. The pastry cream can be made 1-2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Then you just need to fill and glaze the eclairs before serving – totally doable! And think of the look on your friends’ and families’ faces when you bring a tray of these Easter Eclairs out of the kitchen!
If you enjoy a traditional eclair, then I highly recommend making a batch of these Easter Eclairs! They’re a fun and festive way to celebrate the season. Happy baking!
Did you make a batch of these Easter Eclairs at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Easter Eclairs
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
For the Filling
- 5 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups whole milk divided
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Glaze
- 1½ cups confectioner’s sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp milk
- pink food coloring gel
- {optional} white sprinkles
Instructions
For the Dough
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper; set pan aside.
- Using a medium saucepan, add the water, butter and salt.
- Place over medium heat until mixture begins to boil rapidly. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously to combine.
- Place the saucepan back over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes, or until mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Transfer mixture into the bowl of a countertop mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed for 3-4 minutes to allow mixture to cool before adding the eggs.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until well combined. Once all the eggs have been added, continue mixing for 2-3 more minutes on medium speed.
- Transfer the dough into a large pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. (Or in a pinch, you can use a sandwich bag with a large corner snipped off.) The ideal width of the tip of the bag is ¾”.
- Pipe the dough into 5” long strips onto prepared sheet pan. (Tip: Leave 2-3” between each strip.)
- Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue baking for another 15 minutes.
- Turn the oven off and open the door slightly. Allow the baked shells to cool in the oven for 30 minutes, and then transfer to a countertop to cool completely.
For the Filling
- Using a medium heatproof bowl, add egg yolks, flour and sugar; whisk until well combined.
- Add ¼ cup of milk; whisk until well combined. Set mixture aside.
- Pour remaining milk (1¾ cups) until small saucepan. Add vanilla extract and stir until well combined.
- Place saucepan over medium-low heat and bring to a simmer, stirring often.
- Once simmering, slowly pour the hot milk into the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking constantly while you pour.
- Return mixture to saucepan and place over low heat. Cook, stirring often, until mixture thickens and begins to boil. Continue cooking for 1 more minute, stirring constantly.
- Pour/press mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl; press plastic wrap to the surface of the filling. Let filling cool to room temperature.
For the Glaze
- Using a small bowl, add confectioner’s sugar, milk and pink food coloring gel; stir until well combined. (Note: If glaze is too thick, add ~1 tsp of additional milk. If glaze is too thin, add ~¼ cup of additional confectioner’s sugar.)
To Assemble
- Using a serrated knife, slice the top half off of each shell.
- Using a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip, add the filling and pipe filling into the bottom half of each éclair.
- Place the tops on the éclairs.
- Spoon glaze on top of each éclair and spread to coat the top.
- If desired, sprinkle tops of éclairs with white sprinkles.
- Let glaze set (~20 minutes) before serving.
Looking for more tasty pâte à choux recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
cant wait to make this soon for me for the dough can i use vegan butter and for the filling and glaze can i use oat milk i never had easter eclairs before perfect for my after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work
I’m not sure how vegan butter would work in the dough as I haven’t tried it yet. However, I can definitely say that oat milk would be a fine substitute for the glaze. I hope you enjoy this recipe, Ramya!
Who doesn’t love some (Not soggy!) eclairs – I do! And thank you for this info on the origin of this word; I didn’t know that. Needless to say the pink looks super stylish making the eclairs so beautiful (Almost too beautiful to eat them…which won’t stop me anyway haha.)
I hear ya, Ben! A soggy eclair is just terrible. I worked at a bakery for a hot minute about 10 years ago…and they pre-filled their eclairs when they put them in the case. They were soggy and terrible! I was craving eclairs the other day, and the pink topping was a fun way to incorporate Spring/Easter here. 🙂
For some reason this reminds me of Homers donuts 😁 but defintiely better than that, I love the lightness of the eclairs like your amazing recipe plus the creamy custard, yum!!!!
Hahaha – this does indeed look like Homer’s donuts! I should post that recipe. 🙂 I do really enjoy eclairs, and this was a fun way to bring a spring/Easter vibe! Thanks, Raymund!
these look so pretty in pink and so deliciously delightfully decadent.
Thanks so much, Sherry! I had fun making these eclairs with an Easter twist…and of course we all had fun eating them! 🙂
That’s quite a feat! I haven’t made eclairs since I lived at home. And brioche and croissant dough. That’s why I left home not even knowing how to cook an egg!!!!! But I know how hard these are, and the filling is a bit testy as well. Beautiful. Love the pink.
So that’s the thing, Mimi – eclairs are a bit “fussier” that other recipes/doughs…but they aren’t that difficult. Heck, if I can learn how to make ’em, then anyone can! 🙂 Plus, they are super impressive to make for friends/family since folks don’t make eclairs very often.
These are perfect for Easter! I love the pink color and the sprinkles. I’ve used choux dough before, but I’ve never made eclairs. Time to give them a try!
Yes – you should definitely make eclairs at home sometime, Kathy! They’re not all that difficult to make, and they’re really impressive to serve. 🙂
Happy Easter, David! These look perfect for the occasion. (By the way, no one is stopping me from eating leftover eclairs!)
Haha – leftovers are the best! Thanks, Jeff…Happy Easter right back at ya, sir!
“Flash of lightning.” didn’t know that! And, do you know, that I’ve never made eclairs. I’ve certainly eaten my fair share of them but have never made them. I think it’s about time, especially with Easter approaching. These look so fun and I just love the pretty pink hue. I can only imagine how delicious these are freshly made with a big cuppa coffee! I wouldn’t have to worry about them getting soggy (they’d be gone way too fast before that, LOL).
Oh, you should totally make a batch of eclairs, Dawn! It’s one of those things that you think “No way – I can’t make those.” But guess what? You can! For a more traditional approach, you can go with chocolate on top, but I thought the pink was fun for Easter/Spring. 🙂 Cheers!
How cute are these Easter eclairs! Love the addition of those white sprinkles too — the perfect dessert!
Thanks so much, Michelle! We had a lot of fun making – and eating – these! 🙂
I’ve never made an eclair, I can’t even remember the last time I had one. I love your pink Easter ones, I think I’m doing without.
So eclairs are really not that difficult to make at home, Karen. If I can do it, you can do it! The dough is definitely different than other doughs you might have made, but it’s not all that hard. And then you can make cream puffs, too! 🙂