Vegan Eclairs And Cream Puffs

Finally! An eggless, dairy free recipe for choux pastry that truly works! I have tested around 10 different versions in the past few months and I am happy to share with you the winning recipe. I almost gave up, thinking eggless eclairs were only a dream, but I persisted and voilà! Success. These vegan eclairs/cream puffs aren’t quite as fluffy and light as their egg filled original, but they are pretty dang close and I think you will love them.

What is choux pastry?

Choux pastry, or pâte à choux, is the classic French pastry batter used for making all sorts of delicious things, like eclairs, cream puffs, profiteroles and more. It’s unique because the the dough is actually cooked on the stovetop, then usually mixed with many eggs before baking. The difficult part of making vegan choux pastry is replacing the eggs, and is where I struggled. I tried store bought egg replacers, aquafaba beat with stiff peaks, Just Egg, and a few other ingredients. Nothing worked well, until I made my own and mixed it with a little aquafaba. Don’t worry, it’s very simple!

Ingredients needed

Vegan butter – Necessary, and there is no replacement unfortunately. I have used Country Crock and Earth Balance with success. Water Unsweetened soy milk – I’ve also used almond and cashew milk, they worked just fine. Salt Sugar All purpose flour – I haven’t tried a gluten free mix, if you do let me know how it goes! Potato starch Tapioca starch Baking powder Xantham gum Aquafaba – Liquid from a can of chickpeas. Vegan Custard – I use this when making eclairs. Coconut Whipped Cream – For cream puffs, or you could use custard for puffs as well. Chocolate sauce – Simply vegan chocolate chips and more soy milk. Powdered sugar – For dusting the tops of cream puffs, optional.

How to make vegan choux pastry

Vegan choux pastry is really not that hard to make, but it might be unlike anything else you’ve ever made. Follow the instructions exactly for best results and don’t make any substitutes. (Scroll down for the complete, printable recipe, this is simply an overview with photos.)

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush lightly with water. Transfer the dough to a piping bag with a large tip. For cream puffs, pipe mounds about 2 inches tall, a few inches apart on the baking sheet. For eclairs, make them mini, about 3 inches long and 1 inch tall. Brush gently with a little egg replacer, then bake for 20 minutes at 375℉. After 20 minutes, reduce the heat to 350℉ and bake for 10 more minutes, without opening the oven door at all. You can use the oven light to check on them. Remove and let cool completely before filling.

For vegan cream puffs or profiteroles

For cream puffs, slice the smaller pastries in half and fill with coconut whipped cream (or custard, I prefer whipped cream in my cream puffs). Place the top half back on, then dust with powdered sugar. For profiteroles, fill with either custard, coconut whip or even vegan ice cream! Place the top back on, dipped in chocolate sauce if desired.

For vegan eclairs

This recipe does work better for mini eclairs, and I don’t recommend making them very large. Slice in half, then fill with a generous amount of vegan custard (pastry cream). Dip the tops in chocolate sauce (recipe below), then place back on the custard.

Tips for success

Don’t make ANY substitutions! Unlike other recipes, this one is quite picky, and changing one thing could completely ruin the pastry. Use a quality non-stick pan so your pastry doesn’t stick when you cook it. Use parchment paper that is lightly brushed with water. The moisture helps them rise a bit and not dry out too much. Make sure you use baking powder that is fresh, no old, and that works, or they won’t rise at all.

How to store

You can store eclairs and cream puffs in the refrigerator for 2-3 days in a covered container. They actually taste amazing once chilled, even better than fresh! They can also be frozen if needed. The cooked pastry freezes very well.