Cream Puffs are pastries made with choux pastry. You can fill them with pastry cream, whipped cream, or custard. It starts with a crispy shell, but the real magic happens when you get to the filling. They are mini desserts that always seem to disappear quickly whenever it’s around.
Cream Puff Recipe
Cream puffs have been around for ages! They're also called profiteroles or choux à la crème. People think they started in French royal courts long ago. Even now, people all over the world love these tasty treats!
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⭐Why You'll Love This Cream Puffs Recipe
Here are a few reasons to fall in love with this recipe:
- Easy to Make: Despite their elegant appearance, Cream Puffs are surprisingly easy to make at home with just a few simple ingredients and basic baking techniques.
- Light and Airy Pastry: The choux pastry used in this recipe creates Cream Puffs with a light and airy texture that practically melt in your mouth.
- Versatile Filling Options: Whether you prefer classic pastry cream, whipped cream, or flavored fillings, this dessert provides endless opportunities for customization to suit your taste.
- Make-Ahead Option: You can prepare the choux pastry and cream filling in advance, making it a convenient make-ahead dessert for busy schedules or special occasions.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: Whether you're hosting a fancy dinner party or simply craving a sweet treat, these Cream Puffs are perfect for any occasion and are sure to impress your guests.
If you want more desserts you should check out Cream Cheese Brownies and No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Dessert.
🧾Cream Puffs Ingredients
Here is a list of everything you need:
For the Pastry Cream:
- Egg Yolks: Provide richness, creaminess, and a smooth texture to the pastry cream filling. They also contribute to the yellow color of the cream.
- Double Cream: Also known as heavy cream, adds richness and a velvety texture to the cream. It helps create a thick filling for the cream puffs.
- Sugar: Sweetens the pastry cream, balancing out the richness of the egg yolks and cream. It also helps to stabilize the pastry cream and improve its texture.
Choux Pastry:
- Water: Forms the base of the choux pastry dough. It creates steam when heated, which helps the pastry puff up and become light and airy in texture.
- Butter: Adds flavor and richness to the choux pastry, enhancing its taste and texture. It also contributes to the flakiness of the pastry.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor of the choux pastry, balancing out the sweetness of the sugar and richness of the butter. It also helps to strengthen the gluten structure of the dough.
- Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness to the choux pastry, complementing the other flavors in the cream puffs. It also helps to promote browning and caramelization during baking.
- Flour: Provides structure and stability to the choux pastry. When mixed with the water and butter mixture, the flour forms a paste that creates the hollow interior and crisp exterior of the cream puffs.
- Eggs: Act as a leavening agent in the choux pastry, helping it to rise and puff up during baking. They also contribute to the structure and richness of the pastry.
For the Egg Wash:
- Egg: Helps to create a shiny and golden crust on the cream puffs during baking. It adds color and visual appeal to the finished pastries.
- Milk: Is added to the egg wash to thin it out slightly and improve its consistency. It helps the egg wash to spread evenly over the surface of the cream puffs.
Garnish:
- Icing Sugar: Is a decorative element that can be sprinkled over the cream puffs for added sweetness and visual appeal.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
👩🏻🍳How to Make Cream Puffs
These step-by-step instructions and photos will help you to visualize how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for a printable version of this recipe.
1. Divide the egg yolks from the whites and whisk until smooth.
2. In a small saucepan, combine double cream and sugar, then heat over medium heat until the sugar completely dissolves and the cream reaches a gentle warmth.
3. Pour a small amount of the warm cream into the egg yolks and thoroughly blend until fully incorporated.
4. Gradually incorporate the egg yolk mixture into the warm cream, then cook over gentle heat, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens.
5. Take the mixture off the heat and transfer it into a bowl set over a bowl of ice-cold water. Cover the cream with plastic wrap, allowing it to cool completely, then place it in the refrigerator for one hour.
6. In a saucepan, mix water, butter, salt, and sugar, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat.
7. After the mixture comes to a boil, take it off the heat and add flour, stirring thoroughly until fully blended.
8. Put the saucepan back on the heat and cook over low to medium heat for about 2 minutes. Stir until it forms a dough and detaches from the sides of the pan.
9. Take the dough off the heat, transfer it into a mixing bowl, and allow it to cool down.
10. Incorporate the eggs, one by one, ensuring thorough mixing after each addition, until the dough achieves a smooth and glossy consistency, then transfer the dough into a piping bag.
11. Using the piping bag, squeeze out small portions of dough onto the lined baking sheet, ensuring there's ample space between each mound.
12. Use a pastry brush to coat the tops of the pastry mounds with the egg wash.
13. Bake in the preheated oven at 190°C (374°F) for approximately 25 minutes, or until they turn a golden brown. Take the cream puffs out of the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack.
14. After they have cooled down, slice the cream puffs in half. Fill each cream puff with the prepared cream.
15. Dust the filled cream puffs with icing sugar and enjoy!
📖Variations
- Chocolate Cream Puffs: Add cocoa powder to the choux pastry dough for a chocolatey twist. Fill the cream puffs with chocolate pastry cream or whipped chocolate ganache for a rich and indulgent treat.
- Coffee Cream Puffs: Add instant espresso powder or brewed coffee to the choux pastry dough for a hint of coffee flavor. Fill the cream puffs with coffee-flavored whipped cream or coffee cream for a delicious caffeine kick.
- Caramel Cream Puffs: Drizzle caramel sauce over the filled cream puffs or mix caramel sauce into the whipped cream filling for a sweet and indulgent treat.
- Lemon Meringue Cream Puffs: Fill the cream puffs with lemon curd or lemon pastry cream and top with a swirl of toasted meringue for a refreshing and tangy dessert.
🍽 How to Serve
- Presentation: Arrange them neatly on the serving platter, ensuring they are evenly spaced and visually appealing.
- Enjoy: Cream puffs are best enjoyed fresh, so serve them immediately after filling and garnishing for the best flavor and texture.
- Serve with Beverages: Cream puffs pair well with a variety of beverages such as coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.
💭Tips for Recipe Success
Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Bring ingredients like eggs and butter to room temperature before using them in the recipe. Room temperature ingredients blend more easily, resulting in a smoother batter.
Prepare Ingredients in Advance: Prepare all your ingredients and equipment in advance before starting the recipe. This includes measuring out ingredients, lining baking sheets with parchment paper, and preheating the oven.
Make the Choux Pastry Correctly: When making the choux pastry dough, cook it over medium heat until it forms a smooth ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. This ensures the dough has the right consistency for puffing up in the oven.
Use Piping Bag for Uniform Shapes: Use a piping bag fitted with a large round tip to pipe the choux pastry onto the baking sheet. This ensures uniform shapes and sizes, resulting in evenly baked cream puffs.
Cool Completely Before Filling: Allow the baked cream puffs to cool completely on a wire rack before filling them. Filling warm cream puffs can cause the filling to melt and make the pastry soggy.
Storage: Store leftover cream puffs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 to 3 days.
❓Frequently Asked Questions for Cream Puffs
Cream puff filling is typically made of pastry cream, a rich creamy mixture consisting of milk, egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch (or flour), and vanilla extract.
Profiteroles and cream puffs are essentially the same pastry, both made from choux pastry dough, but they differ slightly in size and shape, with profiteroles being smaller and rounder while cream puffs are larger and more oval-shaped.
Éclairs and cream puffs are similar in that they both use choux pastry dough as their base, but they differ in shape and filling.
Yes, you can freeze cream puffs. Place unfilled cream puffs in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw them at room temperature before filling and serving.
🍛More Dessert Recipes!
Here are more of my favorite dessert recipes! Try these:
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📖 Recipe
Cream Puffs
Ingredients
For the Pastry Cream:
- 4 Egg Yolks
- 500 ml Double Cream
- 100 g Sugar
For the Choux Pastry:
- 240 ml Water
- 113 g Butter
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 ½ tablespoon Sugar
- 120 g Flour
- 3 Eggs
- 1 Egg
- 10 ml Milk
- Sugar Glass
Instructions
- Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and place them in a mixing bowl.
- Whisk the egg yolks.
- In a small saucepan, add double cream and sugar and heat over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, and the cream is warm.
- Add a little warm cream to the egg yolks and mix well until combined.
- Pour the egg yolk mixture into the warm cream and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thick.
- Remove from heat and pour the cream into a bowl placed over ice-cold water.
- Cover the cream with cling film. Let it cool down completely and then refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Now, prepare the choux pastry. In a separate saucepan, combine water, butter, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Once the mixture reaches a rolling boil, remove from the heat.
- Add the flour to the butter mixture and mix well until combined.
- Return the saucepan to the heat and cook over low-medium heat for 2 minutes. Stir vigorously with a spatula until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Remove the dough from the heat, place it in a mixing bowl and let it cool down.
- Gradually add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, until the dough is smooth and glossy.
- Transfer the choux pastry dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
- Pipe small mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving space between each one.
- Dampen your finger slightly and gently press down on the pointed tip on top.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk to make the egg wash.
- Brush the tops of the pastry mounds with the egg wash.
- Bake the cream puffs in the preheated oven at 190°C (374°F) for 25 minutes or until they are golden brown and puffed up.
- Remove the pastry cream from the fridge and mix well until soft.
- Transfer the cream to a piping bag. Let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Remove the cream puffs from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
- Once cooled, cut in half the cream puffs.
- Fill each cream puff with the prepared pastry cream.
- Sprinkle sugar glass over the filled cream puffs for decoration.
- Serve and enjoy cream puffs!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
John says
Love how versatile cream puffs are! I like vanilla pastry cream and a drizzle of chocolate ganache the perfect combo.