Caramel Eclairs

I had so much fun whipping up these Caramel Eclairs last week. And while it’s certainly not the quickest dessert, you’ll be super satisfied with the finished product!

To start, I used my Cream Puff recipe to serve as the eclair base and filled it with a rich, velvety, homemade vanilla custard. And if it couldn’t get any better, I topped it off with a decadent caramel glaze and chocolate drizzle. YUM!

I found that these were best served shortly after filling and topping, as eclairs can get soggy after refrigeration - so if you’re looking to impress a crowd and have the time, these Caramel Eclairs are a great option. Now, keep on scrolling for the details!

eclair Ingredients

• Butter

• Salt

• Flour

• Eggs

Custard Ingredients

• Sugar

• Milk

• Eggs

• Cornstarch

• Butter

• Vanilla

Caramel Glaze Ingredients

• Brown sugar

• Milk

• Butter

• Salt

• Vanilla

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Making the caramel eclairs

prepare the custard

• In a saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the milk and bring to a gentle boil

• Beat the egg yolks and whole eggs in a mixer

• Sift cornstarch and sugar into eggs and beat until perfectly smooth

• Next, temper the egg mixture by slowly beating in the hot milk

• Return mixture to heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally

• Once mixture thickens, remove from the heat and stir in butter and vanilla

• Once butter is completely melted and blended in, pour custard into a container, sprinkle with sugar, and cool

• Cover and refrigerate immediately upon cooling until chilled and ready to use

prepare the eclair

• Follow the steps in my Cream Puff Recipe and then proceed with piping instructions below (scroll through the photos for guidance!)

• Once eclair dough is prepared, pipe a generous strip about 4-5” long on a parchment-lined baking sheet

• Bake at 400-degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350-degrees and bake for another 20 minutes

• After baking, set aside and allow to cool

Prepare The Caramel Glaze

• Combine brown sugar and milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar

• Pour mixture into a mixer and add butter and salt

• Once combined, turn off mixer and let caramel cool

• Add vanilla and turn mixer on low speed to combine

• Beat until mixture has thickened slightly

Assembling the Caramel Eclairs

• After custard has chilled, you’ll want to re-whip it in your mixer until smooth

• Then, fill a pastry bag (or a freezer bag) with a narrow round tip with the custard

• Fill each side of the eclair with custard (you may need to use a straw to help with this process)

• Dunk each eclair in the caramel glaze, tapping the sides to remove any excess (I dunked each eclair twice after setting a few minutes to ensure I had a nice layer)

• If desired, melt chocolate and drizzle on top for a pretty decorative touch

Serve & Enjoy!

And that’s it! Serve shortly after topping your Caramel Eclairs for best results. If you do have extra, I recommend storing in the refrigerator up 1-2 days, otherwise they may get soggy.

Preparing eclairs ahead

To prepare your Caramel Eclairs ahead of time, simply store the eclair shells in an air-tight container and leave on the counter for 2-3 for maximum freshness. The caramel glaze and custard may also be stored in the fridge for a couple days, but if you don’t plan on using immediately, I would freeze them (shells included).

Eclair Variations

The possibilities for your eclairs are endless! Don’t want a caramel glaze, but still want to capture the richness of it? Then, fold the caramel into your custard for a caramel custard filling!

Want a lighter filling? Then, fold in some fresh whipped cream for a pastry-cream texture!

Want to add fruit? Then, slice your eclairs lengthwise and top the custard with berries!

This is the first of many eclair flavor combos I’ll be trying, so be sure to follow along and see what I come up with :)

Caramel Eclairs

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Yield: 8

Author: Shauna Contois

Prep time: 3 HourInactive time: 3 MinTotal time: 3 H & 3 M

Buttery eclair shell filled with a velvety, homemade vanilla custard and topped with a decadent caramel glaze. Yum!

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Ingredients

Eclairs

• 1 c. water
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 c. flour
• 4 eggs

Custard

• 8 oz. sugar
• 1 qt. milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 whole eggs
• 2.5 oz. cornstarch
• 2 oz. butter
• 1/2 fluid oz. vanilla

Caramel Glaze

• 1 lb. brown sugar
• 1/2 pt. milk
• 4 oz. butter
• Dash of salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

Prepare the custard

1. In a saucepan, dissolve half the sugar in the milk and bring to a gentle boil
2. Beat the egg yolks and whole eggs in a mixer
3. Sift cornstarch and remaining sugar into eggs and beat until perfectly smooth
4. Next, temper the egg mixture by slowly beating in the hot milk
5. Return mixture to heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally
6. Once mixture thickens, remove from the heat and stir in butter and vanilla
7. Once butter is completely melted and blended in, pour custard into a container, sprinkle with sugar, and cool
8. Cover and refrigerate immediately upon cooling until chilled and ready to use

Prepare the eclair shells

1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees
2. Bring water, butter, and salt to a boil
3. Turn down heat and quickly stir in flour until a ball forms
4. Remove from heat and beat in eggs one at a time
5. Pipe a generous strip about 4-5” long on a parchment-lined baking sheet
6. Bake at 400-degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350-degrees and bake for another 20 minutes
7. After baking, set aside and allow to cool

Prepare the caramel glaze

1. Combine brown sugar and milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar
2. Pour mixture into a mixer and add butter and salt
3. Once combined, turn off mixer and let caramel cool
4. Add vanilla and turn mixer on low speed to combine
5. Beat until mixture has thickened slightly

Assembling the eclairs

1. After custard has chilled, you’ll want to re-whip it in your mixer until smooth
2. Then, fill a pastry bag (or a freezer bag) with a narrow round tip with the custard
3. Fill each side of the eclair with custard (you may need to use a straw to help with this process)
4. Dunk each eclair in the caramel glaze, tapping the sides to remove any excess (I dunked each eclair twice after setting a few minutes to ensure I had a nice layer)
5. If desired, melt chocolate and drizzle on top for a pretty decorative touch
6. Allow to set and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @garnishedroots on instagram and hashtag it #garnishedroots

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P.S. Enjoy this recipe? Then, be sure to pin it to Pinterest for next time!

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