These homemade Nutella Eclairs are easy and delicious! Sweet, puffed pastry filled with a Nutella Cream Cheese Filling and finished off with a powdered sugar and vanilla glaze.
I am no stranger to eclairs. As a matter of fact, I can say that I grew up on them. If they weren’t in my Mom’s kitchen, they definitely were at the nearest pastry shop in my hometown of Bitola, in Macedonia.
Therefore, when I saw that these were a menu item for FFwD, I was super excited. I have only made eclairs a handful of times so I was just a tad bit nervous, but once I got started I could not wait to finish – I ate four of the pastries (plain) while they were cooling.
Don’t judge – I was hungry. Due to the three different parts to this recipe, lunch was pushed back, Ana’s nap was pushed forward, but dessert was served on time!
Eclairs are long, puffed, and cream-filled pastries. The dough, which is made of milk, butter, sugar, and flour, is piped onto a baking sheet with a pastry bag and then baked until golden brown. Once cooled, the pastry is filled with a crème pâtissière, or pastry cream, and finished off with a powdered sugar glaze which is spread over the top of the éclair.
Dorie’s recipe calls for a vanilla pastry cream to be piped inside the éclair, but I went a different way and filled the eclairs with a Nutella Cream Cheese filling – I heart Nutella. Besides, I thought that the flavors of the Nutella and the flavors of the glaze would really complement each other. And they did. Oh boy did they ever! It really was a delicious dessert.
ENJOY!
Nutella Eclairs
Ingredients
FOR THE ECLAIRS
- 1/2- cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 stick unsalted butter , cut into 4 pieces
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs , room temperature
FOR THE FILLING
- 3/4 cup Nutella
- 1/4 cup cream cheese , softened (light cream cheese is okay)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- about 3 tablespoons cream or milk or as needed , adjust to desired filling consistency
FOR THE GLAZE
- 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- squeeze of lemon juice
Instructions
FOR THE ECLAIRS
- Preheat oven to 425F.
- Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.
- Combine milk, water, butter, sugar and salt in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan; set over high heat and bring to a rapid boil.
- Add the flour, lower heat to medium-low and immediately start stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon or heavy whisk. The dough will come together, and a crust will form on the bottom of the pan.
- Keep stirring for another minute or two, or until dough is dry and smooth.
- Turn the dough into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or into a bowl you can use to mix with a hand mixer or a wooden spoon and elbow grease.
- Let dough sit for 1 minute; add the eggs one by one and beat until the dough is thick and shiny.
- Using about 1 tablespoon dough for each puff, drop the dough from a spoon onto the previously prepared sheets, leaving 2 inches of space between the mounds of dough.
- Lower oven temperature to 375 and bake for 12 minutes, then rotate the pans from front to back and top to bottom; continue to bake for another 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden and puffed.
- Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheets.
In the meantime, prepare the Filling.
- Add Nutella, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined.
- With the mixer running, slowly add the cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until filling combines and desired consistency is achieved.
- Using a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, you can simply cut off the top quarter or third of each puff, fill the puffs with the Nutella Filling, and top them with the caps. Set aside.
Make the Glaze
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; whisk gently to combine. If the glaze seems too thick, add more milk; if too thin, add more sugar.
- Using a small icing spatula or a butter knife, glaze the tops of the eclairs, then settle the tops gently of the filled bases.
- Refrigerate the eclairs for at least 1 hour (or up to 8 hours) before serving.
Notes
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Ok, totally just stalked your blog for a few minutes.
My parents are from BITOLA!!
Pozdrav!!! I’m so glad you found my blog!
Kate, these are exactly my kind of eclairs!!! OMG 🙂 I desperately want that book :))!! And the cream cheese nutella filling id really fabulous!!!!
Oh wow, I would definitely want desert first with these beauties!
Lol, you grew up on eclairs! Love your Nutella twist and the fact that you rearranged the day so dessert was served on time 🙂 Priorities, babe.
i just received my copy of FFwD and still having a hard time deciding which recipe I should try first.
these eclairs looks so dangerously tempting. would have a hard time stopping after just 1 or 2. love the nutella twist.
thanks for sharing Kate
Glad to know I wasn’t the only one growing up on eclairs 🙂 In Nice, we have so many bakery shops full of amazing pastries and yet, one of the most tempting desserts for me has always been the eclair. The chocolate version, as well as the coffee one. Yum! Now I must absolutely try this Nutella version 🙂
It really looks like everyone did a beautiful job with this weeks FFwD. I love everyones twist on it too! The nutella filling sounds great!
Nutella! Genius!
Ooooo….a Nutella filling…I am soooo going to remember this when I unleash my next eclair making spree. 😉 Wonderful idea.
Oh my……fabulous!!!! I love eclairs. I could eat a million of them. Job well done on these. They look incredible.
Love, love, love seeing everybody`s eclairs!! They look so lovely and inviting!! I don`t blame you for the quality control checks on the cooling pastries!!
That glaze is killing me! Looks so good 🙂
Oh Lordy… Those look so perfect! I tell you what, you make those, and I’ll make my Krispy treats and we’ll have a party! hehe!
This sound great, I am hosting a linky party called Sunday Buffet, Your welcome to add these to the Buffet line! http://deedeesdelights.blogspot.com/p/sunday-buffet.html
I love that you switched it up using Nutella … and I LOVE that dessert was on time 😀
Eclairs are a special treat for me, and I haven’t had one in so long. Yours look fantastic…and I love the use of Nutella!
Love your blog and I wanted to pass something along… An award is waiting for you here http://cookingitalianinthemidwest.blogspot.com/2011/04/awards-galore.html. Hope you enjoy it!
Kate, these are just gorgeous. So wicked, too with the nutella. How could you eat 4 while they were cooling, though? ;-)) Lol.
very carefully!! I was blowing on them and popping them in my mouth! 🙂
Your eclairs look great!
I have many memories of visiting cake shops in Bitola with my grandmother!
And I too love love love Nutella.
Doesn’t Bitola have some of the greatest pastry shops you’ve ever seen? I especially love, “Ајчо”…his pastry shop and his restaurant right next door are amazing!
I’ve always liked the chocolate eclairs the best, but Nutella eclairs top even those!
Smile. I LOVE ecalirs too, but I never make them at home. I need to change that! I love the nutty twist you made on this classic recipe. Nutella is always a good decision! Thank you for sharing your sweet self with me tonight. I always know I can find something delicious and uplifting when I visit. I hope you have a safe and happy Sunday.
These look so yummy!! I have this cook book, so I have no excuse… I have to make some… like, right now. 🙂
YUM! Fabulous eclairs, Kate…your glaze alone is making my mouth water!!!
Nutella cream cheese filling sounds wonderful – thanks for sharing your variation!
This is my type of dessert and the fact that it has nutella….i love it even more!!!!!
These turned out so beautifully! Great job:)
Oh, Kate Kate Kate… mmm mmm mmm!!!! I’ve always wanted to make caramel eclairs. I’ve never made eclairs before but man, I want some so bad right now!
How pretty! Love the nutella filling.
Wow they look amazing, and I like you they bring back childhood memories too. It was my go to pastry when I was a child and we went to nicer restaurants.
Nutella and cream cheese filling sounds ripe for a patent! These look fantastic, Kate, especially the glace.
Never tried baking eclairs… maybe is time to start!
What a brilliant idea Kate with your filling cream… Love it! ^_^ and the picture also looks scrumptious …..
When I was making my eclairs I thought nutella would be so good in these, but didn’t think about the addition of cream cheese…Mmmmm! Yours look so inviting and wonderful!
Good idea to use nutella! I heart nutella as well. Looks great!
Nutella and cream cheese in an eclair, pure genius. These look so amazing.
I want one now!
Wow, I really should pay more attention to the FFwD schedule. I’ve been wanting to make eclairs and this would have been the perfect opportunity. Darn. I already have the book, too. It would be a great reason to use it.
Yours look wonderful, though. I can only imagine how awesome the Vanilla-Nutella combination tastes. 🙂
Beautiful photos, great recipe and presentation! Thanks for sharing Kate!
The look super tasty .. I would probably done what you did .. eat even before they cooled enough 😛 😀
Happy weekend XOXO
I want all that is on the third picture LOL they look so good. I love eclairs and with Nutella, oh yum!
Oh my goodness, Nutella. Great idea. You did a great job. I loved making these; it was fun!
It’s great that you had fun with creating your own Nutella filling:-)
They look beautiful with the contrasting colors of the glaze and the delicious filling, what a fun dessert to serve and I’m sure it was appreciated;-)
Nutella eclairs! Must be so good!
No judging here. I’d eat at least 4 too ;).
this looks awesome!~ wow I want a dozen or two please!
Very nice. I think if you put all the work in to them, you deserve to nibble on as many as you would like!
they look gorgeous. i always buy them from a nearby patisserie but i didn’t know how to make them. thanks for sharing your amazing recipe.:-)
Wow my mouth is literally watering!! The Nutella addition is so creative and looks amazing. Nice job Kate!
Nutella filling. Holy smokes that’s hot. Loving these little beauties.
Wow Kate, they’re so pretty! Sounds like you had fun making them too, and I think dessert should always be first. Hope Ana didn’t mind the schedule change. 🙂
Nutella inside? You had me at hello.
Nutella filling oh my. These look delicious. Each Friday I think about getting that cookbook and joining the fun!
No judgment here….I would have eaten well more than four! YUM!!!
These look terrific!
gorgeous! I would be a thousand pounds if i made these they are just beautiful. lovely photo kate!
I just received the book, I was wondering is this one from it, or one of your creations. I was just trying to narrow down what to try first. Thanks.
-Gina-
You will love the book!! I hope you can join FFwD!
The filling is all mine, but I did follow Dorie’s recipe for the eclair pastry and the glaze.
These look like delicious little chocolate sandwiches 🙂 Great work!
Very yummy looking and and too tempting
Kate, that nutella cream cheese filling stopped me in my tracks….how genius of you! Your white glaze looks so smooth and perfect too :-).
They look fabulous Kate! I love the idea of the cream cheese nutella filling too.
Your eclairs look great, and the nutella filling sounds delicious! I’m glad that you pushed your schedule around in order to serve dessert on time…it’s important to prioritize the important things in life, like eclairs!
Oh dear, I think these would be dangerous to keep around! I think I would have eaten more than 4–I can just imagine how good they smell.