What Are Eclairs?

I do declare, eclairs are delicious! There’s plenty of delicious French pastries out there—macarons, canneles, profiteroles, and, of course, croissants. But I’m here to remind you that eclairs rock. What are eclairs? What are eclairs filled with? Are eclairs donuts? Let’s declare the truth about eclairs!

What are eclairs?

An eclair is a long, French choux pastry, filled with cream or custard, and topped or dipped with fondant icing. The most common type of eclair is the chocolate eclair. They’re those oblong pastries filled with tasty cream and topped with a streak of chocolate. That all sounds well and good, but what the heck is choux dough? Well choux dough is a delicate dough made with butter, water, flour, and eggs. A lot of dough has a raising agent like yeast. But choux dough’s high moisture content creates steam that makes it rise. Choux is also the type of dough used in other french pastries like profiteroles. 

Are eclairs French?

So are eclairs French? In a word: Oui. Eclairs are more French than a beret-wearing mime eating a baguette while falling off the Eiffel Tower. Eclairs have been around in France since at least 1860. The history is a little murky, but they may have been invented by French chef Antonin Carême, the same dude that is credited with inventing the charlotte russe.

What are eclairs filled with?

One of the best things about eclairs is the sweet filling. But what is that stuff? What are eclairs filled with? There can actually be several different types of filling. Eclairs can be filled with cream, whipped cream, or custard. If you want to be fancy, you can call that custard crème pâtissière. Chiboust cream is another option. That’s a custard that’s been lightened with meringue.

Are eclairs donuts?

Are eclairs just fancy french donuts? Nope. How dare you ask such an uncouth question. While eclairs are similar to some common donut varieties, like a Boston cream, they are not the same thing. Donuts are usually made with yeast dough or cake batter while eclairs have that fancy choux dough.

Do eclairs need to be refrigerated?

If you stop by the local French bakery on the way home and grab a couple of eclairs, be sure to throw any that you don’t eat into the refrigerator. That’s right, eclairs should be refrigerated. It will keep them fresher longer. Of course, I keep my whole house refrigerator temperature, so I can leave all of my food out. Genius.