A recipe for perfectly light, crisp, hollow gluten free Choux pastry + gluten free eclairs. Filled with whipped cream and slathered with rich dark chocolate ganache. They are a perfect indulgent treat for Coeliacs and gluten-avoiders and can be made dairy free too.
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Gluten Free Choux Pastry + Gluten Free Eclairs – A Much Needed Recipe
This recipe for gluten free Choux pastry + gluten free eclairs is a family favourite. It was first developed for my daughter and myself back in about 2013, after we received a positive Coeliac diagnosis. Chocolate eclairs and profiteroles were one of our most missed indulgent treats. And it seems we were not alone.
Having recently put a feeler out on social media to see whether anyone else might be interested in our family recipe, I was quite overwhelmed by the positive response. I spent the next two days testing my recipe with an alternative flour blend and also dairy free, to be sure it would work for everyone who wanted it.
It is now ready to share (and I am the size of a small house) having checked its credentials for the outside world.
What is Choux Pastry?
Pronounced ‘shoe’ pastry, Choux is a pastry dough which originated in France in 1540. First created by the head chef of Catherine de Medici (a man of the name Panterelli), it was later perfected by Antoine Carême in the 19th Century.
Pâte à choux translated means ‘cabbage paste’. Of course, it has nothing to do with cabbages at all. But because it looks like crinkly cabbage balls when baked into puffs, the name stuck.
Whatever you call it, traditional Choux paste contains only 4 simple ingredients. These are flour, butter, water and eggs. But magic comes from the processes used to effectively twice cook it. The first ‘cook’ happens in the saucepan with heat and liquid enabling starch in the flour to develop, expand, gelatinize and thicken (for structure). The second ‘bake’ takes the moisture in the Choux paste and rapidly changes it into steam (no other leavening agent required), forcing the paste to rise and expand into a hollow case with a crisp outer shell.
And that is how Choux pastry should be. Whether shaped into puffs, eclairs or profiteroles, it should be light, hollow, crisp and fillable.
On its own however, baked Choux pastry is fairly non-descript and quite bland. Its decadence and deliciousness comes from being filled and coated with any number of sweet and savoury creamy additions. A marriage of texture and heavenly sumptuousness.
How do you make Choux Pastry gluten free?
Even in its glutenous form, Choux has a reputation for being difficult to make. It really isn’t! But it may require a few tries to become familiar with what it should look like and feel like at each stage of the process. The confidence that comes with experience cannot be underestimated, particularly if its reputation scares you.
When I first developed the recipe for gluten free Choux pastry + gluten free eclairs there were (of course) a couple of ‘fails’. Making the transition from flour that contains structure-giving gluten to an alternative gluten free blend was going to require a tweak or two.
Traditional Choux – Don’t break what works
My recipe for gluten free eclairs is totally based on the one my Mum used (and her Mum before her) for 100 years between them. The only difference is that it has been carefully ‘de-glutened’.
I am often bemused by gluten free Choux recipes I find on the internet. Some add sugar, some use milk, some ‘egg-wash’ the buns before baking and I’ve even found one recipe which added pectin! None of this is necessary.
Worst of all are recipes that use self-raising flour or add baking powder! Why oh why? Choux pastry should absolutely rely on steam to make it rise. If it needs baking powder, the recipe is not right and the texture will be wrong. End of.
The recipe that you will find here uses traditional Choux wisdom. The levels of fat, water and eggs alongside the blend of gluten free flours are carefully balanced to make sure these gluten free eclairs, profiteroles and buns rival their glutenous counterparts. Make them well and you will not know the difference.
Top tips for making the best gluten free Choux pastry + gluten free eclairs
1. What Flour Should I Use?
I believe that the success of this Choux pastry is partly down to the balance of the specific flour blend used alongside the other ingredients. Blending my own gluten free flours is something I have always done to ensure the best and most authentic quality of bakes… particularly when trying to replicate a favourite gluten memory. Although commercial flour blends have improved, I still find them to be very varied in results, texture and nutritional quality. The fact that I can make successful Choux with my own flour blend is testament to it being a great blend. Indeed, it remains the best flour mix to ensure consistency, a crisp outside and a hollow centre for these Choux cases. So I apologise if you are reading this thinking ‘I really don’t want to mix my own flour’.
By all means make this Choux pastry recipe with other gluten free flour blends that you are familiar with. There is no reason why they categorically can’t work, but you may need to experiment with ratios if you are unhappy with the results.
Having said this and because so many of you wanted a good recipe for gluten free Choux pastry + eclairs, I have tested it with Doves/Freee plain white flour blend (a popular commercial partly rice-based mix). Whilst it required a further ½ to ¾ tablespoon egg white to reach a good pipable paste consistency, it nonetheless rose well and had a crisp shell. The centre was not quite as hollow or dry as with my own blend, but it was nonetheless a good result.
2. Do I need to use Xanthan gum for gluten free Choux?
The simple answer is yes. This is a recipe which relies on the structure that it brings to avoid a crumbly mess and I would be reluctant to ditch it. It is possible that you could substitute for ground psyllium husk if you are unable to tolerate Xanthan gum, but it is not a switch I have tested.
Bear in mind that If you choose to use an alternative flour blend that already contains Xanthan gum, you should not need to add it to the mix for this recipe.
3. When making Choux pastry, egg size is important
The use of eggs in Choux paste is important to both the texture and structure of the final Choux pastry. And size matters! This Gluten Free Alchemist recipe uses large eggs which (for each egg) weigh 65 to 70g in the shell or cracked… for each white + yolk : 58-60g. But egg sizes vary around the world, so consult my International Egg Size Comparison Chart as a start point too.
If you are unsure whether your eggs are too small or too large, weigh them. And if you use a different flour blend, know that you may need to add a little extra as explained in the recipe below. Ultimately, you only want to add as much egg as your paste will hold. Too much and the paste will be too wet and it will collapse. Too little and it will be too dry.
4. Boil your fat and water before adding the flour
Part of the science in Choux baking is the need to cook the flour before it goes into the oven. This is done by making sure you thoroughly beat it into the boiling water-fat mixture before adding the eggs. It is therefore crucial that you bring your liquid to a full rolling boil and add and beat the flour without delay and before the liquid and pan have any time to cool.
It is also important to use a good, solid non-stick saucepan, whatever its size. Whether I am making a large or small batch of Choux, I make sure that I use a good pan that I can trust.
5. Should I mix Choux paste by hand or electric beaters?
I have always made Choux by hand. And it has never failed me yet. But it does require some ‘welly’. The beating process (at both stages) is important not only in combining the ingredients into a smooth paste, but in supporting the development of layers of gas which help in the rise.
If the required arm strength is not for you, then by all means use a sturdy stand or hand beater. It should only be needed (if at all) at the egg-beating stage in order to get a smooth and silky paste. You may however, need to spend time scraping the very sticky mixture from the beaters at the end.
6. Make sure you cool your flour-dough before adding your egg
This is really really important. You do not want to cook your eggs at all before they go into the oven. If you try adding them too early when the pan is still hot, there is every chance you will end up with scrambled egg. And that is not good!
7. Make sure your oven is hot
If you look around the internet, you will find various views on how to bake your Choux pastry. Some recipes suggest using only one temperature. And some suggest three temperature changes during cooking. Who knows what is right and what is wrong…
For this recipe, I will use the wisdom passed down from my mother and grandmother. It is what has always worked for us… Start with your oven hot (at 220 C/425 F/Gas 7) to make sure the moisture quickly turns to steam and pushes up the paste before it has time to cook and ‘set’. Then turn the oven down (to 150 C/300 F/Gas 2) to help the pastry dry and crisp. Simple and also logical.
Alongside this wisdom comes another important rule however. Do NOT open the oven door until the first (hot) stage of baking is complete. If you do, the oven temperature will drop too quickly, the steam will escape and your buns will collapse.
Equally, if (at the end of the cooking time), you feel the pastry needs a bit more crisping, just leave it for a couple of extra minutes at the lower oven temperature.
8. Let the steam out of your baked buns
Also important if you don’t want soggy buns, is to let the steam out once baked. Do this as soon as they are out of the oven… Poke a hole or small slit into each pastry case and leave to cool. Some people recommend popping the buns back in the oven at this stage to completely dry. But I have never found it necessary.
And of course… be sure to let your Choux pastry cases go completely cold before you fill them.
What should I fill my eclairs with?
Traditionally, Chocolate Eclairs are filled with whipped cream and topped with chocolate. The recipe I have given you follows that tradition… filled with whipped vanilla cream and slathered in luxurious dark chocolate ganache.
Whilst you could just top your gluten free eclairs with melted chocolate, I always think it is too hard and somehow takes away from the decadent experience of eating them. And since making ganache is so easy, it seems little extra effort for a superior dessert.
If you prefer however, you could opt to fill your eclairs with a sumptuous Crème Pâtissière. Or alternatively cut the Choux cases in half and pack with ice cream (my favourite is a Baileys Ice Cream filling), or whipped Peanut Butter Mousse. Even piped Chocolate Mousse is perfect. They may not need any topping at all!
Can I make Gluten Free Eclairs that are also Dairy Free?
Yes! For my dairy free friends out there, I have tested this gluten free Choux pastry recipe using dairy free ‘butter’. It’s all good and the recipe works as expected. Just make sure you bring your fat and water to a full boil before adding the flour.
For the best dairy free eclair fillings use either whipped coconut cream, or make dairy free Crème Pâtissière with dairy free milk. You could even fill them with some deliciously chocolatey Chocolate-Avocado Mousse… Yum! To make a dairy free ganache, replace the double cream with coconut milk from a shaken can. Dependent on the thickness of your coconut milk, you may also need to add a little more chocolate.
CAN I MAKE GLUTEN FREE ECLAIRS THAT ARE Vegan?
Sorry guys. This is one recipe that I have not tried and doubt its success without eggs. But I am sure there are some Vegan wizards out there in cyberspace that have managed it. If you choose to go on a search, let me know what you find!
Can I make Savoury gluten free Choux pastry + gluten free savoury buns?
Absolutely. As I have followed a traditional recipe, there is no sugar added to the pastry base. That means you can fill them with anything you like. And that includes delicious savoury options like whipped cream cheese mixed with smoked salmon, savoury mousses or even patés.
Or why not go all out and try making some Gluten Free Gougères… also known as French Cheese Puffs or cheesy Choux buns. Delicious!
Can I freeze gluten free Choux Pastry?
I certainly have, so again the answer is yes. Although you can freeze the whole cream-filled eclair (I would leave the ganache until ready to eat), it is better to freeze the Choux cases while still empty. I always put them in a solid air-tight container first (to prevent them getting crushed). When you are ready to use them, defrost and refresh unfilled cases in a coolish oven for a few minutes, to help them re-crisp.
As with all Choux pastry (gluten free or not), once the buns have been filled and stored in an airtight container, they will inevitably lose any crunch from the shell. Although they will still be delicious, if you want them at their best, fill and eat them the same day.
Made this recipe for gluten free Choux Pastry + gluten free Eclairs?
So there you have it… the Gluten Free Alchemist recipe for gluten free Choux pastry + gluten free eclairs, with (hopefully) some helpful top tips and advice to help you achieve light and crisp gluten free Choux perfection.
If you do make them, I’d love to know how you got on. Leave a comment below or Take a photo and tag me on social media (Facebook; Instagram; Twitter). And if you like what you make, I’d love it if you could share with your friends and leave a recipe rating. Thank you
What I use to make gluten free Choux pastry (AD) :
Gluten Free Choux Pastry + Gluten Free Chocolate Eclairs
Key equipment
- small bowl
- small to medium non-stick saucepan
- oven + hob
- silicone or wooden mixing spoon
- fork
- piping bag(s) (& 1 to 1.5 cm open round nozzle or scissors) – I use disposable bags
- skewer/small sharp knife
- whisk
Ingredients
gluten free Choux Paste
- 65 g plain gluten free flour blend GFA Mix A. or Doves plain flour – SEE NOTES 1
- 1 tsp xanthan gum SEE NOTE 2 below
- 50 g unsalted butter or dairy free butter (firm) NOTE 3
- 175 ml/g water This is better weighed in grams for accuracy. 1 ml = 1 gram
- 2 large eggs NOTE 4 weight of each yolk + white = 58-60g
- pinch fine sea salt
Whipped Cream Filling
- 300 ml double cream SEE NOTE 5 below for dairy free filling
- 1 tbsp icing (powdered) sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla bean powder or paste optional
Chocolate Ganache
- 150 g dark chocolate – chopped dairy free if required
- 130 g/ml double cream (1 ml = 1 g) or liquid coconut cream
Instructions
- Weigh and mix the flour, xanthan gum & a pinch of salt into a bowl. Set aside.
- Weigh the butter straight into a small to medium non-stick saucepan and melt over a low heat.
- Once the butter has melted, add the water and bring to a full boil.
- Remove from the heat, IMMEDIATELY add the flour mix and beat vigorously with a wooden/silicone spoon until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. This requires some 'elbow-grease'. The mixture will start to look a little 'scrambled', but will then clump into a ball. Keep beating until even and smooth.
- Allow the mixture and pan to cool until about hand-warm. This is important to avoid cooking the egg when you add it.
- While cooling, pre-heat the oven to 220 C/425 F/Gas 7. Base line a couple of baking trays with baking paper.
- While the mixture is cooling, break the eggs into a small bowl and beat well with a fork.
- Once the mixture has cooled, add the beaten egg a little at a time. Beat vigorously with a firm wooden/silicone spoon between each addition. The mixture will initially look like it won't amalgamate, but persevere until it thoroughly combines. Repeat this process until all the egg has been added and then beat for a couple of minutes more to ensure the paste is smooth and even. The texture should be silky and sticky so that it sticks to the sides of the pan. It almost wants to drop off the spoon, but is struggling to do so. If it drops off easily, it is too dry and needs perhaps half a tablespoon more egg/egg white.
- Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with either a 1 to 1.5 cm open round nozzle, or simply cut the end to about the same size.
- Pipe the mixture onto the lined baking trays leaving a gap between each for expansion. Pipe into sausage shapes about 10 cm/4 inches long for eclairs (or if you want profiteroles, small walnut-sized balls or for Choux buns, larger balls).
- Bake for 20 minutes in the pre-heated oven. Do NOT open the oven door during this stage.
- After 20 minutes, turn the oven down to 150 C/300 F/Gas 2 (open the oven door for a few seconds to allow a little heat to escape) and bake for a further 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown, hollow, crisp and firm on the outside. If not crisp and firm, leave in the oven for a couple of minutes more.
- Remove from the oven and make a small hole or slit in the side, end or base of each Choux case (using a skewer or small sharp knife) to allow the steam to escape. Allow to cool COMPLETELY on the trays.
Whipped Cream Filling
- Put the cream, icing sugar and vanilla powder/paste in a large bowl.
- Whisk together until the cream starts to thicken and hold its shape as soft peaks. Be careful not to over-whisk or your cream will start to curdle.
- Transfer the cream into a piping bag with a 1 cm round nozzle.
- Use the hole point that you made earlier to insert the piping nozzle. Fill each Choux case with cream. Set aside.
Chocolate Ganache
- Weigh your chopped chocolate into a medium sized heat-proof glass bowl and set aside.
- Pour the cream into a small saucepan and heat on the hob over a low heat. Once the cream is just beginning to simmer remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. (Watch carefully as you do NOT want your cream to boil. Remove from the hob as soon as the edges start to simmer.)
- Let the chocolate and cream stand for a couple of minutes and then stir until all the chocolate has melted and you have an even chocolate ganache liquid. (If you have any remaining chocolate pieces that haven't melted, give a quick 10 second burst in the microwave and stir again).
- Leave the ganache to cool, stirring intermittently until it has reached a thickish dipping consistency.
- Dip the top of each of the filled Choux eclairs/buns into the ganache (or spoon and spread over each) and place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper to set. Place in the fridge to stay cool while they set.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
For more dessert pastry ideas, be inspired by our dedicated Gluten Free Sweet Pastries Index.
Well done! I had to increase my baking time because the flour blend I had already made seemed to absorb slightly more water, but my eclairs puffed up beautifully, with a hard shell and hollow inside to be filled with yummy pastry cream. Winner winner!
Thank you so much Naelle for the lovely feedback.
Sometimes a bit of ‘baker’s instinct’ on timing is exactly what you need, so I’m glad you left them in the oven that little while longer. So pleased they worked and you enjoyed them too xx
I am a professional pastry chef and I make gluten-full choux nearly every day. I’m also gluten free and have made gluten free choux at home before using a recipe from CIA that calls for specialized gluten free ingredients. So, finding myself at the in-laws for Thanksgiving without any of my ingredients on hand, I went looking for a simpler recipe that I could do on the fly and I am super happy with the results! I’ll be honest, I tried “my own way” to start (classic) and found that you definitely should not use an electric mixer for this recipe. The starch and protein does not hold up to excessive mixing like it does with regular flour. Went back to the recipe and made it exactly how it is written and they turned out great!! I added the “crosta” (crust) to these too and was super happy with the results.
Bigne con crosta:
80g almond flour,
80g sugar
60g butter
Mix by hand or mixer, wrap and chill. Roll out and cut into 1-3 inch diameter coins. Place dough coins on top of each choux puff before baking
Hi Jacob
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback. It’s really appreciated and great to have the thumbs up from a professional pastry chef.
Thank you too for the Crosta recipe ingredients. It’s something I’ve been wanting to try for ages, so really helpful to know what I should be doing!
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and all the best for Christmas.
I’ve got to say, at first I wasn’t so sure. I had read an entire blog on how to make Choux pastry, only to realize half way through making it that it wasn’t specifically a gluten free recipe. So I quickly found this recipe which I had briefed over before. Then I started again. When I got to the step where you cook the flour and then take it off the heat, that’s when I began to have my doubts. It ended up being just like the last recipe, where the butter seemed to separate from the dough, this just wasn’t as bad I believe because the ingredient ratio was slightly different. I decided to continue on because I didn’t want to waste a second batch of ingredients and I had nothing else to lose. I’m glad I did, because they worked out. They weren’t the prettiest, as it was my first time making them, but they were good enough to make my coeliac mum happy. Thank you for coming up with a gluten free version 🙂
You are very welcome Chrissy.
Thank you for persevering and for seeing the recipe through to the end. I know that some people find choux tricky… But with the right recipe, it’s really not that hard. So thank you for placing your trust in this one. And for making your Coeliac mum happy xxx
Just shout if you ever need anything
Kate x
I would like to say a big thank you for sharing your recipe for gluten free chocolate eclairs.
I made them yesterday following your recipe and your recipe for the gluten free flower mix. I have to say both were amazing and so easy to follow your instructions my wife tried the eclairs last night who is not gluten intolerant and she could not tell the difference between normal and gluten free they were amazing thank you so much.
I will be using your flower mix In the future and definitely making your eclairs again.
Lots of love Linda.
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback Linda. I am so glad that you liked both the eclairs and the mix. Even better that your wife couldn’t tell the difference.
Just shout if you need anything
Kate x
Thank you in advance! I am looking forward to the day I make these for our friends at our church cafe.
You’re very welcome. Enjoy xx
I have to say I went into this recipe without much expectations. And they were perfect first time! No one could tell they were gluten free, they tasted like regular eclairs. The directions were flawlessly clear. Thank you so much for sharing. And totally share your sentiment about not changing what works. The method with the old school wooden spoon mixing technique, right down to the oven temperatures is how we have been making choux for years!
To anyone having doubts… try it you won’t be disappointed!
Thank you SO much for your amazing feedback. I am so glad that the recipe exceeded expectations and that they came out so well. I always think that if a recipe has been made the same way for years, then there’s a reason for it… So why change what works?! 😂
Just ate our first batch. Amazing! We cut the recipe in half (super helpful tool that did that math for us thank you) to test them out. They turned out perfect. Used ghee since I didn’t have any other butter and I don’t quite like the ghee flavor but my wife loves it. We’re trying not to eat the rest of the batch! Thank you so much – it’s been so many years since we’ve gotten to eat Eclairs!
You are so welcome Dave. Really glad you enjoyed them. It’s always exciting to get to eat favourite foods again after years… So, thank you for using my recipe.
I’ve never used ghee as a general butter substitute before, although we always use it when cooking curry. Either way, I’m really happy that it worked!
I used the Cup4Cup gluten free flour, and while maybe they didn’t rise as much as the regular- double batch, first time success, they were AMAZING! We ended up making them into puffs because I couldn’t find a big enough tip- thank goodness because they were so delicious and the perfect size, if they were bigger eclairs I would have eaten sooo much more! I didn’t have enough leftover to freeze them because everyone loved them so much. Next time I will have to make a quadruple batch!!!
Yay! Thank you so much for your lovely feedback. I’m so pleased they worked well.
I just checked the Cup4Cup ingredients and (if I’m looking at the right one), I see it already contains xanthan gum (I’m assuming that you left that out of the recipe?), but also that it is weighted toward cornflour and also contains milk. Those differences may or may not make a difference to the rise (the milk would presumably add a little extra fat).
But if you’re happy that they rose well enough… I’m happy too xxx
Loved these. They were unbelievable, even for the gluten and dairy lovers in my family.
Yay! Brilliant! I’m so pleased.
And thank you so much for popping by to let me know. It really does make my day when a recipe works well and is enjoyed xxx
Didn’t have 2 types of rice flour and IT WORKED!! This thing worked a 100% on the first try! I love you😂 keep up the good work!!😍😍
Yay! I am SO pleased. And thank you so much for taking the time to pop by and leave such a lovely comment. It really makes me happy to know that my recipes are working for other people too and are making happy kitchens xx
Hello! I tried making these with King Arthur 1 to 1( it has xanthum gum) but they did not rise and hollow out. Hmmm. What do you think went wrong? I cooled the choux before adding the eggs. I even weighed eggs to get 120g. In fact, I weighed all ingredients on food scale. The taste and consistency of the choux were perfect though. I just didn’t get a rise/hollow so I split the bun and spooned on the creme patisserie. Your dairy free recipe was superb! Please help re choux. I want to try it again. I don’t have Doves flour in my area. I have Trader Joe’s, King Arthur, Bobs Red Mill and Cup for Cup available.
Hi Ann
I’m so sorry the recipe didn’t work for you. I had a quick look at the King Arthur flour ingredients as it’s not one I know. There shouldn’t be anything significant in there (although I don’t know what effect cellulose or added vitamins would have or how much xanthan gum is in there). But GF flours can completely shift results, not least because of the different weights of individual flours, absorbency and protein contents.
I know from comments left below that the Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 was successful for another reader though, so that appears to be a good recommendation.
I’m assuming that you didn’t let the paste go completely cold before adding the eggs? And that the oven was at full temperature before popping them in? And that you didn’t open the oven door?
If you followed the recipe exactly, then it’s hard to know what may have gone wrong, other than the flour or an unlucky batch. Choux (even for seasoned wheat bakers) can sometimes go awry, for all sorts of reasons. But I know that this recipe has been successful for many, so I am confident the recipe per se is sound.
I would test the flour theory and see if that helps. If you have a fan oven… still set at the full temperature for the first 20 minutes at least to give the heat boost that they need to rise.
I hope that helps. I have my fingers crossed for you. xxx
Thank you so much! I will try the Bobs Red Mill Flour. I didn’t let the choux go completely cold. It was lukewarm to the touch. I didn’t open the oven though I wanted to many times 😂. I stared through the oven window like a hawk waiting for them to puff up! This is bad because I have no clue what my oven is but I feel like I hear a fan running when it is on. I heated it for 15 mins after it hit the required temp. I will try again this weekend and report back!
Fingers crossed for you xx
I guess your B blend wouldn’t work? I’m guessing you didn’t even try it. Lol! Thank you!
I honestly have no idea Alene. And you’re right… I haven’t tried. But do let me know if you give it a go and let me know what happens xx
I am trying them out tomorrow. I am planning to make profiteroles for Thanksgiving. I have a divine recipe with pumpkin pastry cream. But I am making them for everyone else with regular flour. They can be frozen, and that works for me on Thanksgiving! So I am making a small batch for me. I plan to try blend B when I make them. I’ll let you know what happens. I am the only person who has to be gluten and rice free, so it’s okay if they are not great. I’m used to that by now! Hope you are having a lovely day!
Hi! I made them last night. They were not bad. However, I should have made them bigger, plus I halved the recipe. So the small ones are really tiny. And they are definitely not sweet enough for me. But they tasted fine. I may make a half batch tonight and try to make them bigger. I believe I used the recipe for the entire dish. Just to be certain that everything tastes the same. Thank you so much for everything.
Hi Alene.
Sounds like it was a helpful test run!
I’m not sure whether you are referring to the sweetness of the choux or the fillings you use… But the sweetness for choux buns and profiteroles comes from the sweetness in the fillings and sauces/toppings. The pastry itself is fairly plain in flavour.
Fingers crossed and have a great Thanksgiving xx
Hi Kate. I hope you are well! Just wanted to ask regarding the oven temperatures stated in your recipe. Do you use a conventional oven or a fan forced one? I currently have a fan forced oven so not sure if I would need to use a lower temperature when making my eclairs.
Hi there
I have a fan oven . But I have always cooked them at the same temperature regardless. It never seemed to make that much difference strangely. If your oven is particularly efficient, you may want to turn it down a few (max 10) degrees, but for those first 20 minutes I would probably leave as is to get the heat boost they need to rise.
If after 20 mins you feel they are browning quicker than expected, then adjust timings for the period of bake at a lower temperature.
I hope that helps
Best wishes
Kate
Made these for Christmas due to recently went gluten free due to stomach issue. I always LOVE to bake to relax and now learning to bake gluten free. This recipe was so easy even for American baker. I’m going to make more this weekend to give to a friend and family member who is gluten free also! Thanks so much! FYI even non gluten free people Loved them!
You are SO welcome Michele and it’s great to hear that the recipe translated well across the Atlantic too. Thank you for the feedback.
I’m thrilled that you have found a recipe you can enjoy. Just shout if you need anything x
I’ve not had eclairs or profiteroles since my coeliac diagnosis a couple of years ago, over the holidays my aim was to find a good choux pastry recipe. This was the first I tried and I need look no further! Really good pastry and I’ll definitely be checking out your other recipes.
For reference – I used doves farm white bread flour and added an extra 1/3 of an egg (ish) as the dough seemed too stiff. Baked as suggested and came out basically perfect! And after all the vigorous mixing I feel like I’ve earned the calories 🙂
Thank you so much Ellen. I am SO glad you enjoyed them.
Good call adding some extra egg to the Doves. The difficulty with GF baking is that different flour blends will have different absorbency… So you do need to use a little intuition if switching things round.
Just shout if you need anything xx
Used Doves Farm flour and it turned out great. I made coffee creme patissiere to fill some eclairs and choux buns, and topped with coffee icing. They were delicious, delighted to have found this recipe! Thank you!
Thank you for the lovely feedback Emilie. That’s fantastic! I am so pleased you enjoyed the eclairs and buns and that the recipe worked well for you.
Happy New Year xx
Hello, thank you for your recipes. I found myself here after a search for GF Gourgeres & then was linked to your original recipe. My question is why is the temperature difference between the 2 recipes? Here it is 220 C, then reduce to 150 C but the other recipe is to cook only at 200 C. I adore the tips you have given on this recipe & wanted to use some of them on the Gourgeres recipe. Should I try to cook the Gourgeres using the same temperature process as here or follow the other recipe as written?
Hi Lisa
So glad you are finding the website helpful.
The temperature difference is a good question. The difference however relates to the quite different ingredients used. The Gougeres contain cheese and have slightly different liquid ratios. It is a slightly ‘heavier’ paste and requires slightly different cooking.
I would use the temperatures as stated in the Gougeres recipe as that is how the recipe was developed. But I’m all for experimentation… so if you want to shake things up, that’s fine with me.
Shout if you need anything else x
I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gf flour and it worked great!!! I’m so happy with the results!
Brilliant!!! I am SO pleased. I love when a recipe is versatile enough to work with what people are used to.
So happy 😁 x
I made your eclairs today, and they turned out DIVINE! I used a dairy-free pudding for the cream (coffee, vanilla and chocolate flavor). Until the very end, I did not believe that they would rise so nicely and fluffy in the oven, without yeast or anything. THANK YOU, you are a culinary genius! And your detailed explanations and warnings were super useful. Thank you, thank you! All my family got to enjoy a healthy goodie thanks to you.
YES!!!! I am so happy for you.
Thank you for the lovely feedback. And I’m glad the explanations helped too. I think it’s so important to explain things properly.
Enjoy. xx
My adult daughter has been gluten free and dairy free for over a year, and she has really missed eclairs. I made these today for her birthday, filled them with custard made with coconut milk and almond milk, and topped them with chocolate ganache made with coconut milk. They came out great, especially the pastry! I can’t believe how good they tasted… crisp, and perfectly hollow. For the flour, I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. I was worried it wouldn’t come out as well as yours, but it worked! My daughter was thrilled, thank you for the recipe. I can’t wait to explore your site further.
Thank you so much for letting me know Cynthia. I am so thrilled that they worked well for you and that your daughter got to eat gluten free eclairs. They were one of the things I missed most when I went GF. It was a priority to make a genuinely comparable recipe! xx
I made these using the flour blend that was recommended and they were really fantastic, thank you for the recipe!
Yay! Thank you for letting me know Kirstin. SO glad you enjoyed them xx
Oooow-la-la!! I am so excited to make these!! I am lactose intolerant & have not eaten elcairs IN YEARS!
Question:: I do not have rice flour, but I do have cassava flour. Do you think that will work?
Merci!
There is something very exciting about a sweet treat you haven’t eaten in years isn’t there?!
I have no idea whether they would work with cassava flour as I have never tried, but when you are gluten free, everything is worth trying! Maybe try making half a batch to see? That way you won’t waste many ingredients if it doesn’t. But if it does… please let me know!!
Best wishes
Kate x
I wouldn’t have thought these could be done gluten free! Marvelous and they look to die for!
Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday!
Mollie
Thank You so much Mollie. I work on the basis that if anyone can tell it’s gluten free, then I’m doing it wrong! xx
Epic in one word! What a belter of a recipe and what a depth of knowledge and research. I love the fact that this is so educational to standard and gluten free bakers alike. I learnt a lot and I have baked a fair bit with choux pastry. To top it off these babies look stunning!! Thank you so much for linking this outstanding recipe to #BakingCrumbs
Aww thanks Jenny. I’ll take ‘epic’! I am always unsure why people get scared of Choux. Follow a few simple rules and the results are amazing! x
Wow – these look AMAZING. I would never guess they are gluten free! Eb x
Thanks Eb. That’s what we aim for!! x
These look fantastic. Really interested in learning more about gluten free. Thanks for sharing #cookblogshare
Thank you Louise. Gluten Free is definitely a different process, but it has been my kitchen for so long now, I am not sure I would know what to do with a bag of wheat flour! x
These look so good. If I couldnt eat gluten I would miss eclairs a lot too.
Thank Jacqui. Eclairs were probably one of my first GF developments…. Couldn’t not have them. But we have a rule in our house and that is that if it’s not as good or better than its wheat counterpart, it’s not good enough!! x
These look amazing! And gluten free too! I’m not gluten free but wouldn’t say no to these! Thanks for linking up with #CookBlogShare. Michelle
Thanks Michelle. I’m not sure you would know the difference. They are just fab eclairs! x
Oh my word my mouth is watering – these are my absolute favorite pastries! Thanks for sharing at last week’s What’s for Dinner party. Hope to see you this week – and have a fabulous day!
Ha ha! Sorry! Eclairs are the best aren’t they?! x
These look absolutely amazing!
Thanks Chloe x
These look absolutely delicious. I love eclairs and these look perfect.
Thank you Cat. Eclairs are always so tempting aren’t they? x