Coffee Éclairs
Crispy choux pastry shells filled with coffee-infused whipped cream and topped with a glossy coffee glaze. A classic French pastry that looks elegant but requires just seven ingredients and no special skills.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 8
- Calories
- 285
- Protein
- 5g
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup butter
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons instant coffee powder (or finely ground espresso)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- 1
Set the oven to 400°F and let it preheat for 10 minutes until the indicator light turns off, signaling it is fully heated.
- 2
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper by laying the sheet flat on the baking sheet so nothing sticks.
- 3
Pour 0.5 cup water and 0.25 cup butter into a medium saucepan, place it on the stovetop over medium-high heat, and wait until the butter melts and the water comes to a rolling boil, about 3 minutes.
- 4
Remove the pan from heat and immediately stir in 0.75 cup flour with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan into a ball, about 30 seconds of stirring.
- 5
Let the dough cool for 2 minutes, then add the 2 eggs one at a time, stirring hard after each egg until it disappears completely into the dough before adding the next.
- 6
Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (or use a gallon-sized zip-top bag with one corner snipped off).
- 7
Pipe the dough onto the parchment paper in strips about 4 inches long and 1 inch wide, spacing them 2 inches apart so they have room to puff without touching.
- 8
Slide the baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 25–30 minutes until the éclairs are golden brown and feel completely firm when tapped with your finger.
- 9
Remove the sheet from the oven and let the éclairs cool on the parchment for 10 minutes until they are warm to the touch but not hot.
- 10
While the éclairs cool, pour 1 cup heavy cream into a medium bowl and add 1.5 tablespoons of instant coffee powder (half of the total), whisking hard until soft peaks form, about 2–3 minutes of steady whisking.
- 11
Sift 0.75 cup powdered sugar into a separate small bowl, then whisk in the remaining 1.5 tablespoons instant coffee powder and 2–3 tablespoons of water, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is smooth and pourable like honey.
- 12
Once the éclairs are cool enough to handle, use a small sharp knife to cut a horizontal slit along the length of each éclair, halfway between top and bottom, cutting about halfway through the depth.
- 13
Spoon the whipped coffee cream into a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip (or a small zip-top bag with the corner snipped).
- 14
Pipe the whipped cream into the slit of each éclair until gently full, about the thickness of your pinky finger inside.
- 15
Drizzle the coffee glaze over the top of each filled éclair, letting it run down the sides; let it set for 5 minutes until the glaze feels firm to the touch.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch baking sheet
- parchment paper
- medium saucepan
- wooden spoon
- piping bag with large round tip
- gallon-sized zip-top bag (optional, as piping bag alternative)
- oven thermometer (optional, for accuracy)
- medium mixing bowl
- whisk
- small bowl
- sifter or fine-mesh strainer
- small sharp knife
- pastry bag with medium round tip
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