What is your absolute favorite dessert? Something you could eat anytime of day (or in the middle of the night...no judgement)? I love eclairs and these Gluten Free Eclairs with Dairy Free Pastry Cream are sure to become your favorite too.
There's something about that combination of airy pastry filled with luxurious cream. The hug of chocolate crowning it takes it totally over the top. These decadent treats give you all of the flavor and texture you expect in an éclair. You won't even know they're both Gluten Free and Dairy Free.
Patisserie Oh La La
The body of these Gluten Free Eclairs with Dairy Free Pastry Cream starts with a pâte à choux dough. This dough is used to create many different kinds of pastries including cream puffs and churros.
Unlike many doughs, there is no yeast in pâte à choux. Instead the high moisture content creates steam which causes the dough to puff and rise, creating the unique airy interior perfect for filling.
If the shell of the éclair is the body the pastry cream is the heart. Melt in your mouth creamy, the texture immediately makes you close your eyes in bliss. Keeping this dairy free I am using oat milk to help build that texture. Egg yolks build richness, and pure vanilla beans add the unmistakable sweet kiss that can only come from those magical little flecks of the vanilla caviar.
The crowning glory of these Gluten Free Eclairs with Dairy Free pastry cream is the coat of chocolate flavored with tiramisu flavoring. The combination of cappuccino and sweet mascarpone enhance the Dairy Free dark chocolate as well as the pastry cream.
I use Amoretti Cappuccino-Tiramisu Extract in this recipe. Amoretti doesn't only make a wide range of concentrates and extracts, they create over 3,000 products. From artisanal nut flours and flavorings to seed butters and food color they cover all of your pastry needs.
Creating Your Gluten Free Eclairs with Dairy Free Pastry Cream
There are several steps to this recipe, but I am going to guide you through each one. We'll begin with the dough.
The Dairy Free butter and water in this recipe are brought to a rapid boil. Once the butter is melted and the mixture is boiling, you're going to add in your dry ingredients, continually stirring. This will allow a ball to form. You will begin to see the mixture pull away from the pot. At this point add it to your mixing bowl with your mixer.
Next, eggs get added to the dough mixture. Only add one egg at a time as the mixer is running. Because the dough is still warm at this point make sure you work quickly and continue to have the mixer running.
From there you're going to pipe your eclairs onto a parchment paper lined tray. You want to keep them as uniform as possible, 5" long. This will allow them to all bake evenly.
Towards the end of the baking you're going to cut a slit in the top of the éclair shells and then place them back in the oven for five more minutes. Once they are cooled you can scoop out the insides to make room for the pastry cream.
Pastry Cream 101
Think of creating your pastry cream as making a custard. Bring your oat milk and vanilla beans to a boil. In a seperate bowl combine the eggs, sugar, and cornstarch. Once the oat milk mixture is boiling add a ladle or cup full of the hot liquid to the egg mixture. This is called tempering. It brings the eggs closer to the same temperature as the oat milk.
When you temper the eggs, this will allow you to add them into the hot liquid without scrambling them. Just continually stir as you introduce the egg mixture into the hot oat milk. The cornstarch will help thicken everything and give you that luscious texture.
When it comes to making Gluten Free Eclairs with Dairy Free Pastry Cream, it's best to just take it one step at a time. Each step is easy and naturally leads to the next. Before you know it you will be biting into a patisserie masterpiece. And the best part is you don't even have to share.
Are you looking for more baking inspiration? Make sure you check out my recipe for Gluten Free Banana Cake with German Chocolate Frosting. Now let's get baking!
Gluten Free Eclairs with Dairy Free Pastry Cream
Equipment
- saucepan
- Mixing Bowl
- Mixer
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Pastry Shells
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup Dairy Free butter
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp arrowroot powder
- 1 cup Gluten Free 1.1 flour
- 4 eggs, room temp large
Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream
- 2 cups oat milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 vanilla beans, split
- pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
Chocolate Topping
- 1 cup Dairy Free dark chocolate
- 1 tsp tiramisu flavoring
Instructions
Pastry Shells
- Preheat an oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl mix together the flour, salt, and arrowroot powder. Set aside.
- Bring the water and Dairy Free butter to a boil. Once boiling pour in the flour mixture, continually stirring with a wooden spoon.
- When the dough pulls away from the pot and starts to form a ball, place the ball into a mixing bowl with your mixer on medium speed.
- With the mixer running, add one egg at a time, allowing it to fully incorporate before adding the next.
- Once all of the eggs have been fully incorporated transfer your dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
- Pipe out 5" strips onto the parchment paper.
- Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350. Do not open the oven.
- Bake for an additional 25 minutes.
- Remove the cookie sheet from the oven. Cut a slit on top of each pastry shell and place back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire wrack.
- Slice the pastry shell in half and then scoop out the interior to make room for the pastry cream.
Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream
- Add the oat milk and vanilla beans to a pot and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce the heat to low.
- In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, sugar, salt, and cornstarch.
- Add one cup or ladle full of the hot oat milk mixture to the egg mixture, continually stirring, to temper the eggs.
- Pour the warm egg mixture into the hot oat milk mixture, constantly stirring.
- Whisking constantly turn the heat up to medium/low. Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens, and then become thick. It should firmly hug the back of a wood spoon.
- Pour into an air tight container and allow to refrigerate until it is fully cooled.
- Once cooled pipe into the hollowed out pastry shells.
Chocolate Topping
- Gently melt the chocolate. Stir in the tiramisu flavoring.
- Dip the tops of the eclairs into the chocolate.
- Bon Appetit!
Jess
Very excited to try this recipe, my first time making pâte à choux!
For the pastry shells, the flour type and amount isn't listed on the recipe card. Please advise.
Thanks so much!
thesaltycooker
Love this! Keep me posted what you think. I used 1.1 Gluten Free Flour by Bobs Red Mill. Happy baking!