In this post I’ll show you 7 Quick, Easy & Elegant Éclair Glazes. I’m using a basic chocolate ganache as the base, which is made with just two ingredients. Then, oil-based food colouring and various toppings (coconut, golden chocolate, raspberry powder) are used to make five out of the seven different glazes. 

If you’re looking for a recipe for éclairs – the choux pastry and filling – check out my other Éclairs post. 

Ensure that your freshly baked éclairs have completely cooled before dipping them in the glaze. Warm éclairs may cause the glaze to become too runny or melt off.

Note that in order to successfully make a good ganache, you should use a good-quality baking or couverture chocolate. Also, the whipping cream used should have a minimum of 32% fat content. 

So let’s get started! 

Simple & Traditional Chocolate Glaze 

A simple chocolate ganache made out of semi-sweet / dark chocolate can give you the look of a traditional éclair. You can also use this ganache to make other glaze variations that look fancier but are super easy to make.

To make this ganache you will need chocolate and whipping cream in equal parts:

• 240 g (1 1/2 cups) dark (semi-sweet) chocolate callets/chips
• 240 ml (1 cup) whipping cream

To make the ganache, heat the whipping cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan (or in a bowl over a pot of boiling water) until it almost comes to a boil. Pour this over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes before stirring it with a spoon or spatula. Then, stir slowly until all the chocolate is melted. 

Let it cool slightly, but make sure it remains pourable. Then, hold the cooled éclair horizontally and gently dip the top portion into the ganache. Allow any excess ganache to drip off. You can also use your finger to remove the excess glaze.

Brown & Black Chocolate Glaze with a Marbled / Swirled Effect 

Make the dark chocolate ganache as indicated above. 

Once the chocolate ganache has cooled off and you’re ready to dip the éclairs, add three to five drops of black oil-based food colouring. 

Use a teaspoon to gently swirl the black food colouring into the dark chocolate ganache, creating a marbled effect. Be careful not to mix it too much, as you want distinct swirls to appear.

Dip the top of each éclair in the glaze. Once dipped, lift the éclair slightly and allow any excess glaze to drip off back into the bowl.

Dark Chocolate Glaze Topped with Golden Shredded Chocolate

To make golden shredded chocolate, start by shaving or grating dark chocolate using a sharp knife or a grater.

Add the shaved or grated chocolate to a plastic container with a lid. Then, dip the tip of a brush in edible golden luster dust and add this little dust over the chocolate. The quantity will depend on how much grated chocolate you have and how intense you want the golden effect to be. Always start with a small amount as you can always add more later. 

Close the plastic container and gently shake it until all the chocolate is coated in the the golden dust.

Make the dark chocolate glaze or the brown & black chocolate glaze as indicated above. Then, hold the cooled éclair horizontally and gently dip the top portion into the ganache. Allow any excess ganache to drip off. 

Lastly, sprinkle golden shaved or grated chocolate on top.

White Chocolate Glaze

Éclairs can also be dipped in a simple white chocolate ganache. Or, you can drizzle this over the éclairs that were covered in the simple & traditional semi-sweet chocolate glaze presented above. Or, you can create many other variations from this base, some of which we will cover later in the post.

To make the white chocolate ganache, you will need a chocolate to whipping cream ratio of 1.5 to 1. For example:

• 270 g (1 1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp) white chocolate callets/chips 
• 180 ml (3/4 cup) whipping cream

To make the ganache, heat the whipping cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan (or in a bowl over a pot of boiling water) until it almost comes to a boil. Pour this over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes before stirring it with a spoon or spatula. Then, stir slowly until all the chocolate is melted. 

Note that adding white and very little blue oil-based food colouring to white chocolate ganache can help enhance its whiteness and give it a brighter appearance. By adding a small amount of white food colouring, you can lighten the colour of the ganache, while the blue food colouring can help counteract any yellowish tones, making it appear whiter overall.

Let the ganache cool slightly, but make sure it remains pourable. Then,  hold the cooled éclair horizontally and gently dip the top portion into the ganache. Allow any excess ganache to drip off.

White Chocolate Glaze Topped with Shredded Coconut 

Make the white chocolate glaze as indicated above. Then, hold the cooled éclair horizontally and gently dip the top portion into the ganache. Allow any excess ganache to drip off. Let the chocolate glaze set for 1 minute. 

While the glaze is still wet, immediately dip the top of the éclair into shredded coconut. Roll it gently to ensure even coverage and press lightly to help the coconut adhere.

White & Red Chocolate Glaze with a Marbled / Swirled Effect 

Make the white chocolate ganache as indicated above. 

Once the chocolate ganache has cooled off and you’re ready to dip the eclairs, add three to five drops of red oil-based food colouring. 

Use a teaspoon to gently swirl the red food colouring into the white ganache, creating a marbled effect. Be careful not to mix it too much, as you want distinct swirls to appear.

Dip the top of each éclair in the glaze. Once dipped, lift the eclair slightly and allow any excess glaze to drip off back into the bowl.

White & Red Chocolate Glaze Topped with Raspberry Powder 

Make white chocolate ganache with the marbled/swirled effect as in the prior section. You can use other colours too but I recommend to use a lighter shade so that the raspberry powder stands out. 

Firstly, glaze your éclairs by following similar steps as above.

You will need a squeeze bottle, a knife and raspberry powder. You can always just sprinkle the raspberry powder on top of the glazed eclair. However, using a squeeze bottle to blow air and disperse the raspberry powder from the tip of the knife provides a delicate and controlled technique for decorating your éclairs with the powder.

To decorate the éclairs with raspberry powder this way, take a small amount of raspberry powder on the tip of a knife. 

Place the glazed éclair on a clean surface or wire rack, ready for decoration.

Take the squeeze bottle in one hand, making sure the cap is securely closed.

With the squeeze bottle held close to the éclair, position the tip of the knife just above the éclair’s surface. Use the squeeze bottle to blow a controlled stream of air towards the raspberry powder on the knife’s tip. The airflow will disperse the powder onto the éclair.

Adjust the intensity of the air blown through the squeeze bottle to control the dispersion of the raspberry powder. Move the tip of the knife in different directions to create the desired pattern or coverage on the éclair.

Let the raspberry powder settle onto the glazed éclair. The glaze will help the powder adhere.