Cream puffs always feel like a little bit of magic, golden shells filled with smooth cream that melt in your mouth. They're simple to make, yet look like bakery treats.
For me, the fun of cream puffs is watching them rise in the oven. You start with this simple dough, and suddenly it puffs into golden little shells that look so delicate but are sturdy enough to hold the filling. The pastry cream is my favorite part, smooth, rich, and just sweet enough without being too heavy. Every time I pipe it in, I know the first bite is going to be something special.
I like making them for family because they always disappear fast, but sometimes I'll bake a batch just for myself with coffee. They remind me of why I enjoy baking: taking a few plain ingredients and turning them into something that feels a little bit fancy. And the best part is, once you've mastered the basic recipe, you can play with flavors and fillings to make them completely your own.
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⭐Why You'll Love These Cream Puffs
- Make-Ahead Friendly: You can bake the shells in advance and fill them later for fresh results.
- Endlessly Adaptable: Change the filling flavor for a completely new dessert every time.
🧾Cream Puffs Ingredients
You'll find the exact measurements in the recipe card, but here's a closer look at a few of the ingredients and why I use them.
- Pastry Cream: I love how the egg yolks and double cream come together to make a filling that's silky and rich; it feels like something straight from a pastry shop.
- Choux Pastry Base: Water, butter, and flour may be simple, but when cooked together, they create the light shells that make cream puffs so special.
- Eggs: I always think of them as the backbone here; they give the pastry its rise, structure, and that golden color that makes me smile when I open the oven.
- Finishing Touches: A quick brush of egg wash for shine and a dusting of sugar glass at the end; it's the part that makes them look elegant without any extra effort.
👩🏻🍳How to Make Cream Puffs
You can find the complete printable Cream Puffs recipe with measurements below, but for now, here's a quick overview of how it goes:
1. Make the Cream Filling: Whisk egg yolks, then slowly mix with warm cream and sugar. Cook gently until thickened, then cool and refrigerate.
2. Prepare the Choux Dough: Boil water, butter, sugar, and salt. Stir in flour, cook briefly, then cool. Beat in eggs one at a time until smooth.
3. Shape and Bake: Pipe dough onto a lined tray, brush with egg wash, and bake at 190°C (374°F) until puffed and golden. Cool on a wire rack.
4. Fill and Finish: Slice cooled puffs, fill with chilled cream, and dust the cream puffs with icing sugar before serving.
📖Variations
- Chocolate Cream Puffs: Add melted dark chocolate to the pastry cream for a rich, chocolatey twist.
- Lemon Cream Puffs: Mix in a few spoonfuls of lemon curd to the cream for a bright, tangy flavor.
💭Tips for Recipe Success
Start with Room-Temperature Eggs: I find they mix into the dough more smoothly and give a glossier finish.
Whisk the Cream Before Piping: I always give the chilled pastry cream a quick whisk so it's silky and easy to pipe.
Cool the Shells in the Oven: I crack the oven door slightly after baking and let the puffs sit for 5 minutes to help prevent collapse.
Storage Tip: I keep unfilled shells in an airtight container or freeze them, then reheat for a few minutes in the oven to bring back the crispness before filling.
🍰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
- 1½ tablespoon Sugar
- 120 g Flour
- 3 Eggs
- 1 Egg
- 10 ml Milk
- Sugar Glass
Instructions
- Separate the egg yolks from the whites and place the yolks in a mixing bowl.
- Whisk the egg yolks until smooth.
- In a small saucepan, heat the double cream and sugar over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the cream is warm.
- Add a little warm cream to the egg yolks and whisk to combine.
- Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the cream and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.
- Remove from heat and transfer the cream to a bowl set over ice-cold water.
- Cover with cling film, cool completely, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- In a separate saucepan, combine water, butter, salt, and sugar, and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Remove from the heat and add the flour, stirring until combined.
- Return to low-medium heat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring vigorously until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides.
- Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and let it cool slightly.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, until smooth and glossy.
- Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
- Pipe small mounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between each one.
- Dampen your finger and gently press down the pointed tips.
- Whisk the extra egg with milk to make the egg wash and brush the tops of the mounds.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 374°F (190°C) for 25 minutes or until golden and puffed.
- Remove the pastry cream from the fridge, stir until soft, and transfer to a piping bag.
- Let the cream rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Cool the cream puffs completely on a wire rack.
- Cut the cream puffs in half and fill with the pastry cream.
- Dust with sugar glass before serving.
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.