• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • My Story
    • Portfolio
    • Subscribe!
    • Privacy policy
  • Recipes
    • By Diet
      • Vegetarian
      • Vegan
      • Gluten-free
    • By Series
      • 5 Ingredients or less
      • Table for two
      • BAKED not Fried
      • On-screen Food
    • By Meal
      • Breakfast
      • Appetizers
      • Lunch/Dinner
      • Desserts
      • Sauces and curry
      • Drinks & Beverages
      • Snacks
      • Dips and Sides
  • Resources
    • For Bloggers
    • Travelogue
    • Kitchen Wisdom
  • Perspective
  • Green Life
  • Shop
  • Contact

Love is in my Tummy

Plant-based flavor

February 13, 2017 By Tina Dawson 16 Comments

Low fat Chocolate Eclairs for two

Indulge without guilt in these Low fat Chocolate Eclairs for two – the vanilla custard filling is made with 2% milk! 

Find guilt-free indulgence in these Low fat Chocolate Eclairs for two - the vanilla custard filling is made with 2% milk and makes just a small batch to serve two!

Have you had one of these? Like for real? I made these for the first time almost 5 years ago, and as delicious as it was,  40 éclairs is a lot to handle and harder to give away (on account of the deliciousness!). If you haven’t had an éclair, let me break it down for you very quickly. An éclair is a classic French pastry dessert made up of three components: 1. The hollow éclair shell made of paté choux (choux pastry)  2. The vanilla custard filling 3. Chocolate covered top. Each of these components are delicious by themselves, but put them all together, and you get the exceptionally glorious dessert that is the Chocolate Eclair.

Uggghhhh! This was sooo good! I almost regret not making more, but I think that’s for the best. The original recipe from Larrouse Gastronomique makes about 40 of these, and if I had made them all, I would have inevitably eaten them all and well, no good can come of that, can it??!!!

Find guilt-free indulgence in these Low fat Chocolate Eclairs for two - the vanilla custard filling is made with 2% milk and makes just a small batch to serve two!

My version of this classic French pastry results in neither a large batch nor a sinfully decadent one. The custard that is usually made with eggs and cream, is made with 2% milk and custard powder. The cornstarch in the custard powder does the work of the eggs and cream, and the additional splash of vanilla adds to its slightly healthier decadence. And it makes just 4 éclairs, so it’s impossible for you to binge eat these. Yaay!

Indulge without guilt in these Low fat Chocolate Eclairs for two - the vanilla custard filling is made with 2% milk!

You know the custard is done when a line drawn through the back of a custard-coated spoon stays a line even when you tilt the spoon every which way. Refrigerate the custard till you need it, wrapped in cling film touching the custard to prevent an icky film from forming.

Indulge without guilt in these Low fat Chocolate Eclairs for two - the vanilla custard filling is made with 2% milk!

Once the custard is ready, and maybe on the day of serving, you make the choux pastry shells. Honestly, the name paté choux might seem a little intimidating (I always imagine a French Chef with an oily moustache everytime I hear the name), but making choux pastry is easier than it seems. When the shells come out of the oven, the insides would have expanded with steam, and this steam must be let out. Otherwise, the hot steam would condense and the shells would collapse in a watery heap. Yuck!

I made slits on the side (easier to fill, but difficult to eat). Instead, you can poke holes on either sides with a skewer and jiggle it a bit in there to let the steam escape. Cool on wire rack until ready to fill.

Indulge without guilt in these Low fat Chocolate Eclairs for two - the vanilla custard filling is made with 2% milk!

The chocolate coating is usually a ganache, but in an attempt to cut out the fat, I’ve made a simple coating of melted dark chocolate. So make the chocolate coating just before serving. If you refrigerate the chocolate coating, it will harden and ruin the silky bite of the éclair.

Find guilt-free indulgence in these Low fat Chocolate Eclairs for two - the vanilla custard filling is made with 2% milk and makes just a small batch to serve two!

Ahhh! Now doesn’t that look indulgent without a drop of cream in it! Serve it to your beau/belle this Valentine’s day for the perfect ending to a perfect evening!

When you make these (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here and will share it with pride on my social media feeds.

Chocolate Eclairs for two

Created by Tina Dawson on February 10, 2017

Find guilt-free indulgence in these Low fat Chocolate Eclairs for two - the vanilla custard filling is made with 2% milk and makes just a small batch to serve two!

  • Prep Time:20m
  • Cook Time:30m
  • Total Time:50m
  • Serves: 2
  • Yield: 4 eclairs

Ingredients

For the Pate Choux

  • 32 g all-purpose flour
  • 17 g butter
  • pinch of salt
  • 62 mL water
  • 1 egg (52g), beaten

For the Vanilla Custard

  • 200 mL 2% milk
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. Vanilla Custard powder (I use Brown n Polsen brand)
  • 3 tbsp. sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

Chocolate topping

  • 1/2 c bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao)

Instructions

Make the custard

  1. Dissolve the custard powder in a few tablespoons of milk.
  2. Combine the remaining milk with sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil, stirring continuously.
  3. Add the vanilla bean paste and the dissolved custard powder to the boiling milk and keep stirring as the custard thickens.
  4. You'll know the custard is ready when it coats the back of a spoon evenly and a line drawn through the spoon stays clean. (see image above)
  5. Transfer to a small bowl, and cover with cling-film, making sure it touches the surface of the custard. This will prevent a film forming as it cools.
  6. Refrigerate until you are ready to fill the eclair shells.

Make the Paté Choux

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C. Line a small baking tray with parchment paper.
  2. In a small saucepan combine water, butter and salt. Place over gentle heat till the butter melts, then increase heat and let it come to a boil.
  3. Remove from heat, add all the flour at once and using a spoon, mix it all together. Return back to the stove and stir (pressing down) till the dough separates from the sides and lumps together in a ball.
  4. Remove from heat, and add the beaten egg in 4 additions, stirring between each addition until you get a smooth, soft, creamy dough.
  5. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle. Pipe 4 lines of dough about the length of a finger each on the prepared baking tray. Space them out well, because they do rise a lot.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven at 375°F/190°C for 20 minutes. The eclair shells must have risen and sound hollow.
  7. Make a slit on the side of the eclair shells for the steam to escape and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Melt the chocolate for topping

  1. Over a double boiler, melt the chocolate until it is molten. Let cool.

Assemble

  1. Spoon the custard through the slit you made in the eclair. If you made a hole, you'll need to pipe the custard using a round nozzle. Use a spoon to drizzle the molten chocolate on top of the filled eclair. Repeat with the remaining eclairs.
  2. Serve immediately. Unfilled shells can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for upto 3 days. You may refrigerate filled (but not chocolate coated) éclairs for 1-2 hours. Do not refrigerate after coating with chocolate, as the coating will harden when cooled.
Source: Adapted from Larrouse Gastronomique
  • Print

You might also like

  • Vegan Custard PieVegan Custard Pie
  • No Bake VEGAN Creme BruleeNo Bake VEGAN Creme Brulee
  • The best (spicy) 5 minute Pizza sauce ever!The best (spicy) 5 minute Pizza sauce ever!
  • Mini Vegan Chocolate CakeMini Vegan Chocolate Cake
  • Oven Roasted Moong Dal | Mung BeansOven Roasted Moong Dal | Mung Beans
  • VEGAN Mac n Cheese [low fat]VEGAN Mac n Cheese [low fat]

Filed Under: All Recipes, Chocolate, Cuisines, Desserts, French, Table for two, Vegetarian Tagged With: choux pastry, custard, éclairs, low fat, paté choux, vanilla custard

Previous Post: « VEGAN Banana Muffins (V + GF)
Next Post: Get Healthy to keep up with your New Year resolutions »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Joseph Gregory says

    December 26, 2019 at 7:39 am

    Please consider using wholemeal flour for recipes! Wholegrains are richer in fiber, antioxidants and nutrients compared to white flour

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      January 6, 2020 at 9:47 am

      I’m totally with you Joseph on whole grains (my biscotti is made with teff and millet flours), but an Eclair is an indulgence, and trying to make it healthy is impractical. The choux pastry is extremely finicky and changing flours will alter the texture of the finished product.

      Reply
  2. Emily says

    February 23, 2017 at 4:22 am

    This is genius! Since there is only two of us in our house 40 eclairs would be dangerous haha. I love that I can make a small batch now, they look delicious!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      February 23, 2017 at 12:03 pm

      Perfect, isn’t it Emily! Enjoy!

      Reply
  3. Sushmitha says

    February 14, 2017 at 12:15 am

    Hie Tina,

    I tried the recipe. Just wanted to know how shud be the texture of the shell? I mean it should be crisp like puff pastry or like a doughnut? Mine have become like a doughnut.

    Sushmitha

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      February 14, 2017 at 9:37 am

      It’s not crispy like a puff pastry. It does get slightly soft when it comes out of the oven, but if you let the steam out as soon as it comes out, it should still stay hollow and solid. A filled donut texture is what you are going for when you take the bite. 🙂 I hope you liked it Sushmitha!

      Reply
  4. Annemarie @ justalittlebitofbacon says

    February 13, 2017 at 1:54 pm

    My daughter loves making paté choux with me, but the recipes always make so much! I love that this recipe only makes 4 eclairs. Even with a richer pastry creme, they would still be not so bad. 🙂 With the low-fat milk, I’d barely have to justify them.

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      February 13, 2017 at 1:59 pm

      Amen to that Annemarie! Enjoy your eclairs! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Brian Dow says

    February 13, 2017 at 1:54 pm

    We are huge fans of homemade eclairs. These look so magnificent and very easy to make. .

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      February 13, 2017 at 1:59 pm

      So true Brian! Enjoy your low-fat Eclairs!

      Reply
  6. Diana says

    February 13, 2017 at 12:43 pm

    These eclairs look so perfect. I love the fact that they’re low fat too.

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      February 21, 2017 at 9:18 am

      Thanks Diana!

      Reply
  7. Luci's Morsels says

    February 13, 2017 at 12:29 pm

    These look delicious and I love that they are low fat!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      February 21, 2017 at 9:18 am

      Thanks Luci!

      Reply
  8. Karen @ Seasonal Cravings says

    February 13, 2017 at 11:10 am

    What a super cute idea to make eclairs for two. I’ve never made them but your directions are very clear and I’ll bet even I could do it. I know hubby would love me for whipping this up for him tomorrow. Happy Valentine’s Day to you!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      February 13, 2017 at 12:36 pm

      Awww Happy Valentine’s day to you too Karen! Hope you have a wonderful day, filled with love!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Tina Dawson Profile Picture

Hi! I'm Tina - the human behind all the content you see on this blog. Welcome to my little corner of the internet where I create flavorful and unique plant-based recipes.

Read More…

Let’s Connect!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe to Email Newsletter

5 Ingredients or Less Ebook Cover

The Blank Canvas Store - Food Photography Backgrounds and Props Store

BUY CUSTOM FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY BACKGROUNDS + PROPS

Don’t Miss These!

VEGAN Pumpkin Shaped Rolls

VEGAN Pumpkin Shaped Rolls

Caramelised Onions in a plate

Caramelized Onions

VEGAN Iced Mocha Latte on wooden plate with coffee beans strewn on table

VEGAN Iced Mocha Latte

Raspberry Iced Tea

Raspberry Iced Tea

Dairy-free Mocha Hazelnut Cappuccino

[V] Mocha Hazelnut Cappuccino

Puff Pastry Voodoo dolls on a table with Halloween things

Puff pastry Voodoo Dolls

Copyright © 2023 · LOVEISINMYTUMMY · PRIVACY POLICY · CONTACT · StudioPress Themes

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptReject Learn More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT