Valentines Day Strawberry Éclairs (Printable)

Light choux pastry filled with luscious strawberry cream and finished with a glossy pink glaze.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Choux Pastry

01 - 1/2 cup water
02 - 1/2 cup whole milk
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
04 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
05 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
06 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 4 large eggs

→ Strawberry Cream Filling

08 - 1 cup heavy cream, cold
09 - 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, cold
10 - 1/3 cup powdered sugar
11 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and finely diced

→ Strawberry Glaze

13 - 1 cup powdered sugar
14 - 2 to 3 tablespoons strawberry purée
15 - 1 to 2 drops pink or red food coloring, optional

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
03 - Add flour all at once and stir vigorously until the mixture forms a cohesive ball and pulls away from the sides, approximately 2 minutes.
04 - Remove from heat and allow to cool for 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition, until the dough achieves a glossy, pipeable consistency.
05 - Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe 10 strips, each approximately 4 inches long, onto the prepared baking sheet.
06 - Bake for 10 minutes at 400°F, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until golden and puffed. Cool completely.
07 - In a large bowl, whip heavy cream, mascarpone, powdered sugar, and vanilla to stiff peaks. Gently fold in diced strawberries.
08 - Slice each éclair in half lengthwise. Pipe or spoon strawberry cream onto the bottom halves. Replace the tops.
09 - Whisk powdered sugar with strawberry purée and food coloring, if using, until smooth and spreadable.
10 - Spread glaze on top of each éclair. Allow to set for 10 minutes before serving.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • The choux pastry is forgiving once you understand the one trick that makes it work every time.
  • Fresh strawberries folded into mascarpone cream taste like springtime captured in a bite, and honestly, that's worth the effort alone.
  • You'll have a dessert that looks like it came from a Parisian patisserie but tastes like home.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling step after adding flour—if the dough is still steaming hot when you add eggs, you'll scramble them and end up with an unusable mess.
  • The strawberries must be finely diced, not chunked, or they'll puncture the filling and make it weep liquid before you're ready to serve.
  • Éclairs are best the same day but will hold in the refrigerator for 24 hours if stored in an airtight container—the glaze protects them from drying out.
03 -
  • If you're nervous about piping, practice on parchment first with the piping bag empty—the muscle memory helps more than you'd think.
  • Make the choux dough an hour ahead if you want, let it cool completely, and pipe when you're ready to bake—this takes pressure off timing.
  • A tiny pinch of strawberry extract in the filling amplifies the flavor without making anything taste artificial or overwhelming.
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