Strawberry Shortcake Inspired Eclairs

Picture opening a bakery box to a blush of strawberry-scented steam: golden éclairs, crisp as wafers at the edges, giving way to clouds of vanilla-kissed cream studded with ruby berries, all capped in a glossy pink-white chocolate sheen.

Imagine the first bite—shell shatters delicately, the filling whispers summer, and a sweet jammy aroma lingers like a gentle hug.

This is comfort dressed in French finery, the kind of dessert that turns ordinary moments into little celebrations.

These Strawberry Shortcake Éclairs matter to me because they bridge nostalgia and elegance—shortcake flavors I grew up with, tucked inside a classic choux shell.

They’re impressive yet practical: ideal for birthdays when you need make-ahead magic, busy weeknights that deserve a sweet finish, or Sunday suppers when family gathers around the table and lingers.

When school schedules collided with a milestone dinner, this recipe saved the day—make, chill, fill, and shine.

Ready? Let’s cook!

Why You’ll Love It

• Delivers bright strawberry-shortcake flavor in an elegant French pastry
• Balances crisp shells with creamy, berry-studded diplomat filling
• Achieves bakery-quality rise with simple, step-by-step guidance
• Customizable glaze thickness for perfect sheen and drip
• Ideal make-ahead dessert; assemble day-of for maximum crispness

Ingredients

• 1 cup water — use filtered for consistency
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces — high-fat European style if possible
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar — fine white for easy dissolving
• 1/2 tsp fine salt — not flaky; measure level
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted — unbleached for better structure
• 4 large eggs, room temperature — about 50 g each without shell
• 1 cup whole milk — full-fat for richer cream
• 1/2 cup heavy cream — 36% fat preferred for stability
• 3 large egg yolks — fresh, richly colored
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar — for pastry cream base
• 2 tbsp cornstarch — guarantees thick, silky set
• 1 tsp vanilla extract — pure, not imitation
• 1/4 tsp fine salt — balances sweetness in cream
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, cold — for whipping to fold in
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar — 10x confectioners for smooth whip
• 1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and finely diced — ripe but firm
• 2 tsp lemon juice — fresh-squeezed for brightness
• 1 tsp granulated sugar — for macerating berries
• 4 oz white chocolate, chopped — good quality cocoa butter content
• 1/3 cup heavy cream, hot — just off a simmer
• 2 tbsp strawberry jam, strained — seedless for a smooth glaze
• 6 fresh strawberries, thinly sliced, for garnish — pat dry to prevent slipping
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar, for dusting — sift right before serving

Step-by-Step Method

Make the Choux Dough

Preheat to 400°F and line two sheets. Boil water, butter, sugar, and salt. Dump in flour at once. Stir vigorously until a smooth ball forms and a thin film coats the pan, 1–2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cool 5 minutes until warm. Beat in eggs one at a time until shiny and ribboning.

Pipe & Bake the Éclairs

Fit a piping bag with a large round or star tip. Pipe 4–5 inch logs, spacing 2 inches. Smooth tips with a damp finger and mist lightly with water. Bake 10 minutes at 400°F. Reduce to 350°F and bake 18–22 minutes until deeply golden and puffed. Vent, poke small holes, and dry 10 minutes in the off oven.

Cool the Shells Completely

Remove to a cooling rack. Let the shells cool fully to room temperature to set structure and preserve crispness. Avoid stacking.

If shells feel soft, return to a 300°F oven for 5–8 minutes to re-crisp. Cool again before filling to prevent condensation and soggy interiors.

Cook the Pastry Cream Base

Heat milk and 1/2 cup cream until steaming. Whisk yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until pale. Temper with the hot milk, whisking constantly. Return to the saucepan. Cook, whisking, until thick bubbles appear. Cook 30 seconds more. Off heat, whisk in vanilla. Strain, press plastic onto the surface, and chill until cold.

Lighten into Diplomat Cream

Whip 1/2 cup cold cream with powdered sugar to soft peaks. Loosen the chilled pastry cream with a quick whisk. Fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream gently until smooth and airy. Keep chilled. This creates a light diplomat cream that pipes cleanly yet holds its shape inside the shells.

Macerate & Fold the Strawberries

Dice strawberries finely. Toss with lemon juice and a teaspoon of sugar. Rest 10 minutes to draw out juices and intensify flavor. Drain thoroughly through a sieve and pat lightly dry. Fold the berries gently into the diplomat cream, keeping the mixture fluffy and not watery. Chill while preparing the glaze.

Make the Strawberry Glaze

Place chopped white chocolate in a bowl. Pour in hot cream and let sit 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth and glossy. Whisk in strained strawberry jam for color and flavor. Adjust thickness with a teaspoon of hot cream if too thick or a few white chocolate chips if too thin. Keep just warm for dipping.

Fill the Éclairs

Pierce two holes in the bottoms of each cooled shell. Fit a piping bag with a round tip and fill with strawberry diplomat cream. Pipe into each hole until the éclair feels slightly heavy and resistance increases. Avoid overfilling to prevent splitting. Wipe any excess and set filled shells on a rack.

Dip & Garnish the Tops

Dip each éclair top into the warm strawberry white chocolate glaze. Let excess drip back into the bowl for a neat finish. Return to the rack to set. Fan thin strawberry slices over the glaze. Dust lightly with powdered sugar just before serving for a fresh strawberry shortcake look.

Chill Briefly, Then Serve

Refrigerate filled éclairs 20–30 minutes to set the glaze and stabilize the filling. Serve the same day for peak crispness. If holding longer, keep refrigerated up to 24 hours. For best texture, glaze and garnish close to serving time, and avoid humid storage which softens the shells.

Ingredient Swaps

• Dairy-free: Use plant butter for choux; swap whole milk/heavy cream with full-fat canned coconut milk (pastry cream) and coconut whipping cream; use dairy-free white chocolate.
• Gluten-free: Replace all-purpose flour in choux with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend with xanthan; add 1–2 tsp extra egg white if batter seems stiff. Thicken pastry cream with 1 extra tsp cornstarch.
• Egg-free: Use an eggless choux is unreliable; instead make store-bought or homemade dairy-free puff pastry shells.

For pastry cream, use 2 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp custard powder with plant milk; fold in whipped coconut cream.

• Lower sugar: Reduce sugar in pastry cream by 1–2 tbsp; skip powdered sugar in whipped cream and rely on strawberry sweetness; use no-sugar-added jam.
• Budget: Swap fresh berries for frozen (thaw, drain very well); use semi-sweet chocolate ganache tinted with a touch of jam instead of white chocolate.
• Regional availability: If strawberries are out of season, use raspberries or diced peaches; replace heavy cream with shelf-stable UHT cream; substitute lemon with lime or a splash of vinegar.
• Flavor twists: Add 1–2 tsp freeze-dried strawberry powder to glaze for stronger flavor; swap vanilla for almond or lemon extract in pastry cream.

You Must Know

• Doneness • If shells look puffed but feel soft when lightly tapped, leave them in the turned-off oven 10–15 minutes longer with the door cracked; they should sound hollow and feel firm to the touch—this finish-dry prevents collapse and soggy interiors.
• Troubleshoot • When piping, if ridges slump and logs spread wider than ~1 inch, beat in 1–2 teaspoons of beaten egg’s white only to tighten structure; spreading indicates paste too loose—aim for a thick “V” ribbon that slowly breaks off the spoon.
• Make-Ahead • For crisp shells on serving day, keep baked, unfilled shells at room temp in an airtight container up to 24 hours, then re-crisp at 300°F for 6–8 minutes; cool 10 minutes before filling so steam doesn’t soften them.
• Flavor Boost • For shortcake vibes, fold 1–2 teaspoons freeze‑dried strawberry powder into the diplomat cream and a tiny pinch (1/16 tsp) of salt; it intensifies berry flavor without extra moisture—taste for a bright, jammy note.
• Scale • For minis (party bites), pipe 2–2.5 inch logs and reduce the second bake segment by 4–6 minutes, looking for deep golden color; each will take ~20–25 g filling, and a half‑batch glaze is sufficient for 24 minis.

Serving Tips

• Plate two éclairs with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.
• Add a spoonful of macerated strawberries and a sprig of mint.
• Drizzle plates with reduced strawberry jam or balsamic glaze for contrast.
• Serve alongside vanilla bean ice cream or strawberry sorbet.
• Finish with toasted almond slivers for crunch and nutty aroma.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Refrigerate filled éclairs in an airtight container up to 24 hours.

Garnish just before serving for best texture.

Make ahead by baking shells 1–2 days in advance: cool, pierce, and store airtight at room temperature, or freeze shells up to 1 month.

Fill and glaze the day of serving for maximum crispness.

Reheating

Reheat unfilled shells: oven 300°F, 5–8 minutes to re-crisp.

Filled éclairs: brief microwave bursts (5–8 seconds) just to take the chill off.

Stovetop? Not recommended—steam softens shells.

Serve immediately.

State Fair Nostalgia

Somewhere between the scent of funnel cakes and the gleam of prize ribbons, these strawberry shortcake éclairs feel right at home.

I taste childhood in every bite: crisp shells like fairground waffle cones, blushing filling that whispers of berry booths, and a glossy pink glaze that shines like a carousel mirror.

You don’t need a Ferris wheel to summon that magic. Pipe generous logs, bake until deeply golden, and let the shells dry so they stay whisper-crisp.

Fold macerated strawberries into cool diplomat cream; it’s the strawberry shortcake you remember, tidier and lighter.

Dip the tops, crown with thin slices, dust with sugar—like fresh straw on a show stall.

Serve them outdoors if you can. Close your eyes. Hear the distant brass band.

Final Thoughts

Ready to bake a little joy? Give these Strawberry Shortcake Éclairs a try, and feel free to tweak the filling with your favorite berries or a splash of citrus to make them your own!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make the Éclair Shells Gluten-Free Without Sacrificing Structure?

Yes—you can. I swap in a quality 1:1 gluten‑free blend with xanthan, cook the panade extra dry, add an extra egg white for strength, and bake longer. You’ll get crisp, hollow shells that sing.

What’s the Best Way to Transport Glazed Éclairs Safely?

Chill them firm, then box in a snug bakery box with nonstick liners, single layer. I wedge rolled towels around the box in the car, keep it flat, cool, shaded, and drive like I’m carrying glass.

How Do Altitude Changes Affect Choux Pastry Baking Times?

Altitude lowers air pressure, so choux needs longer baking and slightly higher temps. I’d add 5–10°F, bake a bit more, dry shells longer, and reduce moisture: less egg, a touch more flour, and thorough panade cooking.

Can I Freeze Unbaked Piped Choux and Bake From Frozen?

Yes—you can. I pipe, freeze on a lined tray until solid, then bag airtight. Bake from frozen at 400°F, adding 2–4 minutes. Don’t thaw. For gloss and lift, mist lightly and vent to dry.

Which Piping Tip Shapes Create the Most Even Rise?

Use a large round tip for the most even rise; it bakes uniformly without ridges. I also love a wide French star—its shallow grooves prevent cracks and promote lift. Pipe confidently, steady pressure, finish with a clean swipe.