No Added Sugar Homemade Eclairs

What makes Homemade Eclairs so good?

Homemade Eclairs have the perfect combination of a slightly chewy pastry with a creamy filling all topped with a delicious chocolatey ganache topping.

I like being able to make a classic pastry such as this one without the added sugar.

Have you tried my Sugar Free Molten Chocolate Cakes?

Those tasty cakes, served while still warm, feature a chocolate cake exterior and a gooey molten chocolate center.
Both this recipe for eclairs and that recipe for chocolate cakes are tasty no added sugar recipes that are inspired by favorite desserts.

To make this recipe you will need a piping bag, 1A tip,and a Bismark Tip. You can find a selection of piping bags and accessories here.

Why you will love this recipe for Éclairs.

These beautiful Éclairs feature choux dough that is piped into shape and then baked until light and crisp in that classic French way. They have plenty of flavor in every bite/

Here is what else you will like about this recipe.

• The true magic of éclairs is the gorgeous and smooth pastry cream with a hint of vanilla that fills these pastries.
• Once filled, these eclaries are then dipped in a rich and glossy chocolate ganache.
• You can makes this recipe with no added sugar or blend sugar with a sugar alternative to make this recipe.
• Personalizing this recipe is as easy as using a another flavor of extract, such as maple extract, for the filling or using sugar free powdered sugar instead of the ganache for the topping.

Ingredients you will need to make eclairs.

Pastry Cream.

• Milk. Use whole milk for a creamier texture. Unsweetened coconut milk or heavy cream could work if you make adjustments as needed in the cornstarch for texture.
• Vanilla Extract. Gives a nice flavor balance to the eclairs as a whole.
• Cornstarch Added to help make the texture creamy.
• Sugar Alternative. Use a granular sugar alternative that measures like sugar that can be cooked with.
• Egg Yolks. For moisture and texture.

Choux Pastry

• Egg Wash. You will need water.
• Butter. Salted or unsalted as long as it is butter and not a substitute.
• Flour. All purpose flour is recommended.
• Eggs. Large eggs at room temperature.

Ganache.

• Sugar Free Chocolate Chips for Baking. While semi-sweet works best for texture, you can use the chips of your choice.
• Heavy Cream. Blended with the chocolate to make that perfect creamy topping for eclairs.

Expert Tip 👉 Your eggs should be at room temperature before adding them to this recipe for optimal blending with the other ingredients.

How to make No Added Sugar Homemade Eclairs

Prep Time 45 minutes plus setting time .
Bake Time 30 minutes, cook time 3-5 minutes .
Servings 15, depending on how the pastry logs are.
How to Serve: Serve your eclairs when freshly made for optimal enjoyment as the pastry can soften over time.
Notes: To make this recipe you will need 2 x medium mixing bowls, 2 x medium saucepans (or wash between uses), a whisk, plastic wrap, a shallow bowl for dipping, piping bag with 1A tip and Bismarck tip, a pastry brush, a baking sheet, and parchment paper .

Filling

1. Yolks. Start by whisking together a half cup of milk with the egg yolks, sugar alternative, and cornstarch in a medium bowl until the cornstarch is completely dissolved.
2. Heat. In a medium saucepan on medium heat, combine together the remaining milk (1 ½ cups)and the vanilla extract, stirring every 10-20 seconds, until it is heated through and bubbles start to form.
3. Combine. Carefully and very slowly pour the heated ingredients from the last step into the medium bowl from the first step, whisking the ingredients quickly and continuously to temper the eggs and keep them from “scrambling” (very important).
4. Heat Again. Pour the mixture from the last step back into your saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until it starts to thicken and boil. Cook for one more minute before removing the saucepan from heat.
5. Transfer. Carefully transfer these ingredients into a clean medium sized bowl. Doing this through a strainer, if possible, to remove any clumpy bits of egg that may have formed.
6. Cool. Cover your cream mixture with plastic wrap immediately after transferring it to the bowl to help prevent a skin forming on top. Then cool the cream to room temperature before transferring it to your refrigerator to set (about two hours).

Pastry.

1. Prepare. Start by preheating your oven to 400 and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Heat. In a medium saucepan, heat the water and butter together on medium-high heat until it begins to boil. Then remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the flour until it is the consistency of a thick paste.
3. Eggs. Add the first two eggs one at a time, completely stirring in the first egg before adding the second one. Stir the ingredients together until your have a shiny and pipe-able dough.
4. Pipe. Pipe your dough in four inch long logs using your 1A piping tip, leaving about three inches between each log.
5. Egg Wash. Beat the remaining egg with a tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Then use a pastry brush to brush the mixture on to your pastry logs.
6. Bake. Bake your logs for 20 minutes (400f) and then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Allow the logs to cool completely on the pan before transferring.

Ganache.

1. Chips. Place your sugar free chocolate baking chips into a shallow bowl.
2. Melt. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the heavy cream for one minute or until it is 'steamy'.
3. Combine. Carefully pour the melted heavy cream over your chocolate chips so that the chocolate chips are completely submerged.
4. Finish. Let the heavy cream and chocolate chips stand for five minutes and then whisk the ingredients until smooth.

Assemble.

1. Pastry Cream. Whisk your pastry cream until smooth and then transfer it to a piping bag.
2. Pipe. Use your Bismark tip to pipe the cream into the each of the pastries until full. You can pipe from both sides of the pastry if you need to.
3. Dip. To apply the ganache topping, dip the tops of each filled eclair in the creamy ganache. After dipping each of the pastries, place them back on to the baking sheet.
4. Set. Transfer the baking sheet with the assembled eclairs into your refrigerate and refrigerate until the ganache has set (about 15 minutes).

Tips for making the best Eclairs

When measuring out the ingredients for the pastry, it is important that the ingredients are fresh and that they are accurately measured out. Ingredients that are not accurately measured out can affect the consistency or texture of the dough.

More helpful tips for you.

1. When baking the pastry, do not open the oven door as doing so can cause them to collapse.
2. Pastry that has not fully cooled before adding the filling can melt the filling. It can also cause the pastry to collapse when adding the filling.
3. If your piping does not go all the way through your pastry simply pipe from both ends of the pastry.

How to store eclairs.

Once they have fully set, leftover eclairs should be stored in an airtight container. When properly stored, they should keep for up to four days when refrigerated or frozen for up to a few months. Eclairs should be stored in a single layer.

You may also be interested in these no added sugar recipes.

• 10 minute Sugar Free Chocolate Mousse
• Sugar Free Cream Cheese Pound Cake
• Sugar Free Island Cookies
• Sugar Free Vanilla Ice Cream
• Sugar Free Microwave Peanut Butter Fudge
• Sugar Free Chocolate Crumb Bars