Gluten Free Éclairs

Total time3 hr 20 min

Prep time45 min

Cook time35 min

A silky vanilla pastry cream, cooked slow and low until it turns thick and ribbon-smooth, fills a crisp, hollow-centered shell that puffs into that classic golden dome in the oven. Getting the dough to that glossy, pipeable stage — thick enough to hold a channel when you draw a finger through it — is the real trick here, and it's what gives these éclairs their signature light, airy crumb. Once cooled, each shell gets filled generously with the chilled pastry cream, then dipped into a glossy dark chocolate glaze made rich with cream and a touch of corn syrup for shine. The result is a bakery-style pastry with a delicate shatter on the outside and a cool, custardy center. These are a genuinely satisfying project for a gluten free kitchen, and the payoff — that first bite of crisp shell giving way to smooth cream — is worth every step. Keep them chilled until just before serving for the best texture.

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Ingredients

10 servings

For the pastry cream

1 cup whole milk
a2 Milk Whole Milk - Half Gallon Organic Valley Grassmilk Organic Whole Milk Horizon Organic Shelf Stable Whole Milk - 12-8 Fl. Oz.Horizon Organic Whole Milk - 6pk/8 fl oz Boxes Maple Hill 100% Grass fed Organic Whole Milk 59 fl oz
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½ cup heavy cream
½ cup granulated sugar, divided
4 large pasteurized egg yolks
3 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the choux pastry

½ cup water
½ cup whole milk
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp granulated sugar
½ tsp fine salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
Chef's tip
Choose a gluten-free baking blend labeled 1:1 or cup-for-cup and use the same amount. Almond and coconut flour won't work the same way.
4 large eggs, at room temperature

For the chocolate glaze

4 oz dark chocolate (60–70% cacao), finely chopped
½ cup heavy cream
1 tbsp light corn syrup

Instructions

1
Make the pastry cream: Combine the milk, heavy cream, and half the sugar (1/4 cup) in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture just begins to steam and small bubbles form around the edges, about 4–5 minutes. Do not boil.
2
In a medium bowl, whisk the pasteurized egg yolks with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until pale and slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Add the cornstarch and whisk until smooth and no lumps remain.

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