Mary Berry’s Chocolate eclairs

This simple recipe for Mary Berry’s chocolate eclairs is so easy even kids can make it.

I’ve wanted to make chocolate eclairs for a while but kind of assumed they would be too difficult – or certainly too complicated for the kids to get involved. I came across a recipe in Mary Berry’s baking bible last week though and saw that they were actually simpler than you might think. I also figured that there weren’t too many ingredients in them so if it went pear shaped we wouldn’t be wasting too much!

As it turned out, they were much easier to make than I had first thought and Hannah really enjoyed making (and trying them). Ours might look a little wonky, but they tasted good and that’s what counts!

How can kids help make Mary Berry’s eclairs?

Your kids should be able to help make the choux pastry. From measuring the ingredients, to cracking the eggs and mixing the dough until it comes together, they’re all jobs most young chefs can do.

If you’ve never made choux pastry before, don’t assume they’re too difficult. They really are simpler than you think.

I let the kids pipe their own eclairs. Children might need a bit of help with this especially if they’ve never done piping before, but they’re quite easy to do as long as you’re happy for them to be a but wonky! (you’re unlikely to get perfect eclairs if your kids are helping to make them, but they’ll still taste good!) If your kids find piping the choux out too difficult, you can get them to practice their piping skills filling each eclair with the cream.

How long do chocolate eclairs keep?

Unfilled chocolate eclairs can be kept for up to 2-3 days. Once filled, they’ll start to go soggy though, so I wouldn’t recommend filling them too far in advance of when you want to serve them.

What pastry are eclairs made from?

Eclairs are made from a light and crispy choux pastry, filled with cream and topped with a chocolate ganache.

Choux pastry is made from only four ingredients: butter, water, eggs and flour, and is simpler than you would think to make. They’re all mixed together then baked where they puff up into these light fluffy, crispy fingers ready to be filled.

Similar recipes

If you liked these chocolate eclairs you’ll love some of our other pastries and desserts:

Profiteroles
Lemon tartlets
No bake mini chocolate tarts
Millionaires cheesecake
Chocolates Swiss roll
Meringue nests
White chocolate and raspberry cheesecake
Chocolate pots
Mary Berry’s baked chocolate ripple cheesecake
3 ingredient chocolate mousse

Useful equipment

You might need the following baking tools/gadgets to make these chocolate eclairs

Digital scales
Sauce pan
Wooden spoons
Sieve
Freestanding mixer
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Piping bag
Wire rack

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Difficulty: A wee bit harder

Time:30 minutes + 30 baking

Serves: 12

Ingredients

For the choux pastry
50g (1/4 cup) butter, diced
150ml (¼ pint) water
65g plain (2/3 cup) (all-purpose) flour, sifted
2 large eggs, beaten

For the filling
300ml double (heavy) cream

For the icing
50g plain chocolate, chopped
15g (1 tbsp) butter
2 tbsp water
75g (3/4 cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted

how to make chocolate eclairs

Preheat the oven to 200C / 180C Fan / 400F and grease 2 baking trays or line with baking paper. Get a piping bag with at least a 1cm (1/2 inch) tip ready.

Make the choux pastry

Get your kids to help you measure the butter (50g) and water (150ml) and add to a small pan. Melt the butter over a low heat then slowly bring it to the boil.

Meanwhile measure the flour into a small bowl.

Once the butter/water mixture is boiling, remove it from the heat and add the flour. Add the flour all in one go, then beat it with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a soft ball and leaves the side of the pan. Leave to cool slightly. Leaving it to cool is important so you don’t end up cooking the eggs when you add them.

Add the eggs

Get your kids to break the eggs into a small bowl and give them a little whisk. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating really thoroughly between each addition so you have a lovely smooth shiny paste.

Make the eclairs

Spoon the mixture into your piping bag. Pipe the éclair mixture onto your baking trays in straight lines about 15cm or 6 inches long. Leave space between them to allow for spreading. Hannah enjoyed helping with this although not all her éclairs were particularly straight or even. We found it worked best if I still squeezed the piping bag while she just helped guide it.

We also found it better to do it really slowly to make sure the right amount of choux pastry was coming out the bag. If you do it too fast, the eclairs will end up really thin.

Bake the éclairs

Pop the eclairs in oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 170C/150C Fan/325F and bake for a further 15-20 minutes. They’re ready when they are well risen, crisp and golden brown.

Remove the éclairs from the oven and split them with a sharp knife down the side to let the steam escape. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Fill the chocolate éclairs

Get your little one to help whip the cream with a hand held electric whisk or freestanding mixer with the whisk attachment. It needs to be just firm enough to pipe.

Fill each éclair with the whipped cream with a piping bag with a plain nozzle.

Only fill each éclair when you are ready to eat them. If they sit for too long with the cream inside they’ll go a little soggy.

Decorate the chocolate eclairs

Make the icing

Melt the chocolate (50g), either in the microwave or a bowl set over a pan of hot water (making sure the bowl isn’t touching the water).

Add the butter (15g) and water (2 tbsp) to the chocolate and continue to cook on a low heat until everything has melted. Stir occasionally.

Add the icing sugar and mix well until it’s smooth.

Spoon the chocolate mixture over the top of each éclair and leave to set.

Serve and enjoy!

Chocolate eclairs

This simple recipe for chocolate eclairs is so easy even kids can make it.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Servings 12

Calories 210 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 50 g (1/4 cup butter), diced
• 150 ml (¼ pint) water
• 65 g (2/3 cup) plain/all-purpose flour sifted
• 2 large eggs beaten
• For the filling
• 300 ml double heavy cream
• For the icing
• 50 g plain chocolate chopped
• 15 g (1 tbsp) butter
• 2 tbsp water
• 75 g (3/4 cup) icing (confectioners’) sugar, sifted

Instructions

 

Preheat the oven to 200C / 180C Fan / 400F and grease 2 baking trays or line with baking paper. Get a piping bag with at least a 1cm (1/2 inch) tip ready.

Make the choux pastry

• Measure the butter and water and add to a small pan. Melt the butter over a low heat then slowly bring it to the boil.
• Meanwhile measure the flour into a small bowl.
• Once the butter/water mixture is boiling, remove it from the heat and add the flour. Beat it until the mixture forms a soft ball and leaves the side of the pan. Leave to cool slightly.

Add the eggs

• Break the eggs into a small bowl and give them a little whisk. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating really thoroughly between each addition so you have a lovely smooth shiny paste.

Make the eclairs

• Spoon the mixture into your piping bag. Pipe the éclair mixture onto your baking trays in straight lines about 15cm or 6 inches long. Leave space between them to allow for spreading.
  

Bake the éclairs

• Pop the eclairs in oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 170C/150C Fan/325F and bake for a further 15-20 minutes. They’re ready when they are well risen, crisp and golden brown.
• Remove the éclairs from the oven and split them with a sharp knife down the side to let the steam escape. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Fill the éclairs

• Whip the cream with a hand held electric whisk or freestanding mixer with the whisk attachment. It needs to be just firm enough to pipe.
• Fill each éclair with the whipped cream with a piping bag with a plain nozzle. Only fill each éclair when you are ready to eat them. If they sit for too long with the cream inside they’ll go a little soggy.

Decorate the chocolate eclairs

Make the icing

• Melt the chocolate, either in the microwave or a bowl set over a pan of hot water (making sure the bowl isn’t touching the water).
• Add the butter and water to the chocolate and continue to cook on a low heat until everything has melted. Stir occasionally.
• Add the icing sugar and mix well until it’s smooth.
• Spoon the chocolate mixture over the top of each éclair and leave to set.

Keyword chocolate, dessert, pastry

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Similar recipes

If you liked these chocolate eclairs, why not check out some of our other tasty pastry recipes and our easy bakes for kids.

I’ve linked these chocolate eclairs up to #CookBlogShare:

This post was originally published in December 2017, and updated in May 2020.