Last updated on April 13th, 2024

Chocolate Eclairs, using Simple Low Carb Ingredients

If you’re on a low-carb diet and tired of making the same desserts over and over again, treat yourself once in a while and try this recipe for chocolate eclairs.

light cake texture

In this eclair pastry dough, I use almond and coconut flour instead of all-purpose flour. This simple substitution results in a light cake texture filled with a custard-style pastry cream that uses egg yolks and resembles a Boston cream.

fill with sugar-free pastry cream or whipped cream

Instead of making an elongated eclair shape, the dough can be piped and baked into profiteroles, which you can still fill with sugar-free pastry cream, or whipped cream in any flavour.

Low-carb chocolate eclairs are a delicious treat that are hard to resist and definitely worth a try when you’re craving a pastry-style dessert.

By the way, if you love the pastry cream texture in this recipe, you’ll definitely want to try my Creme Brulee recipe for another unforgettable dessert experience.

keto chocolate ganache coating

You’re in for a treat with these sugar-free and grain-free eclairs!

While they may not have the same texture as traditional bakery eclairs, these chocolate eclairs certainly taste just as good and satisfying. The chocolate ganache on top will give you the same sweet taste you’d expect from a fancy bakery.

And if you like chocolate-filled sweets, you might want to try Baileys Bounty Bars, a twist on a popular chocolate bar.

Why you will love these low-carb Chocolate Eclairs

• Try these guilt-free low carb eclairs if you’re craving a sweet treat but want to stay healthy.
• These mouth-watering treats taste like a chocolate eclair, even when they’re sugar-free and keto-friendly.
• Delicious with an afternoon beverage like tea or coffee.
• These light and airy eclairs make them a perfect snack that won’t make you feel bloated.
• With just some almond and coconut flour, make delicious eclairs that will satisfy your taste buds.
• You don’t need any prior experience to pipe the elongated eclair shapes. Don’t worry too much about making them look perfect because, at the end of the day, it’s the taste that really counts.

Carbs and Servings in this Chocolate Eclairs recipe

under 5g net carbs

This recipe yields 8 slightly large low-carb chocolate eclairs, each containing 14.1g of carbs and 9.5g of fibre. That’s only 4.6g of net carbs for each eclair! They are quite filling, so I don’t usually go for a second one immediately unless I’ve already sneaked one in earlier in the day – oops!

You can mix it up and make thin eclairs and profiteroles from one batch of pastry dough.

These eclairs are absolutely delicious and worth making when you want to try something different. If you’re tired of the usual mug cakes, these eclairs will surely satisfy your cravings.

Make Profiteroles instead of Chocolate Eclairs

Baking eclairs can be challenging, especially if you’re new to it. However, instead of attempting the classic chocolate eclairs, you can try making some delicious profiteroles with this low carb recipe.

The best part is that shaping profiteroles is actually easier than shaping eclairs, which will provide you with a more enjoyable baking experience.

What’s the difference between chocolate eclairs and profiteroles?

The main difference between the two is the shape – eclairs are long and thin, while profiteroles are round. However, the dough used to make them is essentially the same, so you can definitely use the same recipe and ingredients to make either one.

Just keep in mind that if you’re making profiteroles, you’ll need to pipe the dough into small rounds instead of long strips like you would for eclairs.

Ingredient Notes

This recipe has several ingredients, some of which are repeated. I’ve split the recipe into three parts to make things easier to follow.

Each part comes with step-by-step instructions and images to help you understand the process better. You will need to prepare all three parts before assembling the eclairs. Additionally, you will be getting three recipes in one.

Pastry Dough for Chocolate Eclairs

• Whipping Cream: 35% or heavy whipping cream helps to give the pastry an extra lift.
• Salted Butter: Keeps the pastry slightly moist and buttery
• Water: Aids in creating moisture for the dough to cook properly.
• Xanthan Gum: Will thicken the cream and butter when heated. Buy it is online or in any grocery store.
• Vanilla extract: A little essence helps to balance the taste.
• Almond flour: The perfect substitute for all-purpose flour used in traditional eclairs. It reduces the amount of carbohydrates in the recipe and provides a healthier alternative.
• Coconut flour: Helps to create a glutinous dough that stays in shape while piping.
• Psyllium Husk: Binds the dough and gives it a glutinous texture. You can find it online or at South Asian (Indian) Grocery stores.
• Whole Eggs: Help the eclairs rise.
• Sweetener: Sweetens the dough a little.

Pastry Cream Filling (sugar-free)

• Egg Yolks: Separate the egg yolks in a small bowl and allow them to come to room temperature (about 30 mins).
• Powdered Sweetener: It’s simply your choice of sweetener in powder form. A few pulses of granular sweetener in a spice grinder or coffee grinder will do the trick.
• Whipping Cream: Adds a creamy texture and keep the filling firm when cooled.
• Salted Butter: Keeps the filling buttery and firm while piping.
• Vanilla Extract: Just a little to enhance the taste of the eclairs.
• Xanthan Gum: Turns the pastry cream into a gel-like form. It replaces cornstarch, which is typically used in regular pastry cream.

Chocolate Ganache

• Sugar-free chocolate chips: I used the Krisda brand, but Lily’s sugar-free should also work.
• Whipping cream: Balances the texture of the melted chocolate to make it smooth and silky.

Equipment you’ll need to make these Chocolate Eclairs

Making the eclair dough

• Non-stick shallow pan
• Small Saucepan
• Electric Whisk
• Spatula
• Bowl
• Measuring spoons

Piping & Baking the eclairs

• Baking tray
• Parchment paper
• Disposable piping bags
• Pencil & ruler – to make guided lines for piping on the parchment paper.
• Cooling rack
• Round Piping nozzle – I used the Wilton 2A nozzle for piping the eclair dough, but I think the extra large round 1A would be better.
• Writing tip/nozzle – I used the Wilton round cake decorating tip 3 to fill the eclairs with pastry cream, but I think the Wilton cake filling tip #230 might be more suitable for this purpose. I’ll update this section once I try out the different tips.

For the Ganache

• Sharp Knife
• Microwaveable bowl – or a double boiler to melt the chocolate.
• Small spatula
• Baking rack or tray – to place the assembled eclairs

How to make Low-Carb Dough for Chocolate Eclairs

1). Heat water, butter and cream

• Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
• Heat the water, butter, and cream in a shallow, non-stick pan until the butter melts and steam rises. This will take about 8 minutes.
• Reduce heat, add vanilla extract, stir and sprinkle xanthan gum gradually, and whisk vigorously until the mixture thickens to a light cream custard texture.

2). Add the dry ingredients to form a dough

• Add all the dry ingredients, then combine with a wooden spoon. On medium heat, cook the mixture, stirring continuously until a soft dough forms and comes away from the sides of the pan.

3). Whisk the eggs, then add the dough

• As soon as the dough forms, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool down for about 3 minutes before adding the eggs. 
• Now, whisk the eggs in a bowl, then add the dough. Whisk everything by hand or with an electric whisk to form a slightly sticky batter. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.

4). Prepare the baking tray

• Cut a piece of parchment paper to the size of your baking tray. Then, draw eight evenly spaced lines on the paper to use as a guide for piping your eclair shells. My lines were about 6 inches in length.
• Place the parchment paper on the baking tray with the drawn lines facing down. You should still be able to see the lines on the other side.

5). Pipe the eclair pastry dough

• Transfer the pastry dough mixture into a piping bag. To create éclairs, pipe the dough mixture along each line in one continuous motion, cutting the dough with a knife at the end to start a new line. Use a little pressure while holding the piping bag at a 45-degree angle, ensuring the pastry logs are approximately 1 inch wide and 5 inches long. A round piping tip would help make the right shape for these éclairs.
• Alternatively, you can make profiteroles by holding the piping bag upright and making dollops of pastry dough about 2 inches apart from each other with a little pressure.

6). Bake and cool

• Bake the logs for 30 minutes and the profiteroles for 20 minutes or until golden.
• Cool the 10 mins on the tray, then transfer to a rack to cool down completely.
• While they are cooling, you can prepare the pastry cream and chocolate ganache.

Lets make the Pastry Cream filling

1). Whisk eggs with sweetener in a bowl, and heat the cream.

• Warm the whipping cream in a saucepan until bubbles form, but avoid boiling it. If the cream is too hot, the eggs will scramble during the tempering process.
• Whisk the egg yolks and sweetener together in a medium-sized bowl.

2). Pour warm cream into yolks and sweetener

• Gradually pour the warm cream into the bowl with the eggs to temper them. This step stabilizes the eggs and helps them mix with hot liquid, creating a silky smooth texture.
• Whisk both together until combined smoothly.

3). Combine, then return mixture to pan

• Transfer it back into the saucepan and heat on low, whisking by hand continuously, until it thickens slightly, and becomes like runny custard.

4). Remove from heat, add butter, vanilla extract and xanthan gum

• Remove the pan from the heat, add butter & vanilla extract, then stir to melt butter.
• Once the butter is melted an dwhile the pan is hot, gradually sprinkle xanthan gum into the hot cream base and whisk vigorously by hand or with an electric whisk to thicken the cream. 
• Once thickened, cool the pastry cream and transfer it into a jug. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until you are ready to fill the pastry shells. The cream will continue to thicken as it cools.

Make the Chocolate Ganache

1). Combine chocolate chips and cream

• Make the ganache when you are ready to assemble the eclairs. 
• In a microwaveable bowl, melt the chocolate chips and cream in the microwave for 30 seconds. Alternatively, you can warm the mixture in a double boiler by placing the bowl over a pan of hot water.
• Useful Tip: I find it easier to use a rectangular bowl that can be microwaved so that the eclairs can be easily dipped into the chocolate. 
• Stir the mixture until smooth and silky in texture. If there are still some visible chips, heat the mixture for another 30 seconds. Then, stir until it becomes fully smooth and silky.

Assembling the Chocolate Eclairs (or Profiteroles)

1). Fill the Eclairs

• Transfer the pastry cream into a piping bag with a filling or writing tip. Lay out the cooled eclairs and ganache before you for easy assembly. 
• Using a small sharp knife, make 3 small criss-cross cuts on the bottom side of each eclair – one on either side and one in the middle. These holes are where you’ll fill the eclairs with pastry cream. Alternatively, carefully poke each end the the eclair with a kebab stick, until it’s inserted an inch or two into the pastry then carefully slide it back out. Then fill each end with the pastry cream.
• Fill the eclairs gently into the holes until a slight bulge appears on the top. In case of overfilling, wipe away the mess.

2). Dip in Chocolate Ganache

• To make chocolate eclairs, start by dipping each pastry shell into the chocolate ganache, top side down, and then place them on a rack or parchment paper, bottom side down. 
• If the ganache cools down, heat it again. 
• Refrigerate the eclairs until the chocolate is hardened for the best experience. They can be eaten on the same day or stored for a few days, but I recommend eating them cold or slightly bringing them to room temperature before serving.

Recipe Notes & Tips

• Sprinkle the xanthan gum gradually to thicken the dough batter.
• Allow the dough to cool down slightly before adding it to the eggs.
• Make sure the batter is sticky with an elastic consistency that springs back.
• Allow the batter to rest before piping.
• Use parchment paper with marked lines for easy piping.
• Pipe the pastry shells at a 45-degree angle.
• Avoid opening the oven door for at least 20 minutes to prevent sinking.
• Allow the eclairs to cool before filling them with chilled pastry cream.
• Pipe pastry cream into the eclair using a filling or writing tip first, then dip it in chocolate.
• If you are new to piping, try making profiteroles instead.
• Store unfilled eclairs in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. You can also freeze the unfilled shells for up to a month. Thaw them at room temperature or in the refrigerator before filling them.
• Once you have assembled the eclairs, store them in the fridge for up to 4 days. However, I do not recommend freezing them.
• Alternatively, prepare all three components of the eclairs separately in advance, then assemble them on the day you plan to serve them.

How to store Chocolate Eclairs

Store unbaked and unfilled shells in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. You can also freeze the unfilled shells for up to a month. Thaw them at room temperature or in the refrigerator before filling them.

Once you have assembled the shells, store them in the fridge for up to 4 days. However, we do not recommend freezing the assembled eclairs.

You can also prepare all three components in advance and assemble them on the day you plan to serve them.

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