This cream puffs recipe yields delicate pastries with a crisp exterior and a light, airy interior, perfect for filling with whipped cream or your favorite filling. The choux pastry is made with a combination of water, milk, sugar, salt, butter, flour, and eggs, resulting in a versatile dough that can be shaped and filled in a variety of ways. Whether served as a delightful dessert or a sweet snack, these cream puffs are sure to please with their classic flavor and elegant presentation.
Cream puffs are delightful pastries with a light, airy texture and a crispy exterior. They are made from choux pastry, a versatile dough that puffs up when baked. The dough is typically made from water, butter, flour, and eggs, which creates a hollow shell perfect for filling.
Cream puffs are believed to have originated in France and are often associated with French cuisine. The exact origin is unclear, but they have been enjoyed in France since at least the 16th century. Today, they are popular around the world and can be found in many bakeries and dessert shops.
The most traditional filling for cream puffs is whipped cream, but they can also be filled with pastry cream, custard, or ice cream. They are often topped with powdered sugar or a chocolate glaze for added sweetness. Cream puffs are a delicious and elegant dessert that is sure to impress!
Why is this the best recipe?
- Perfect Texture: This recipe produces cream puffs with a light and airy interior and a crispy exterior, achieving the ideal texture that makes cream puffs so irresistible.
- Ease of Preparation: Despite their elegant appearance, cream puffs are surprisingly easy to make with this recipe, making them a great dessert option for both novice and experienced bakers.
- Classic Flavor: The combination of the buttery choux pastry and the creamy filling results in a classic flavor profile that is both comforting and delicious.
- Impressive Presentation: Cream puffs are not only delicious but also visually appealing, making them a perfect dessert to serve at dinner parties or special occasions.
- Time-tested Technique: This recipe uses a time-tested technique for making choux pastry, ensuring consistent and reliable results every time you bake it.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Water and Milk: Provide the liquid base for the choux pastry, helping to create steam that puffs up the pastry in the oven. You can also use non-dairy milk for a dairy-free option.
- Sugar: Adds sweetness to the choux pastry and helps with browning. You can also substitute with honey, maple syrup, or other sweeteners.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor of the pastry and balances the sweetness. No direct substitute, but you can omit it if necessary.
- Butter: Adds richness and flavor to the choux pastry. You can also use margarine or oil for a dairy-free option, but the flavor and texture may be slightly different.
- Flour: Provides structure to the choux pastry. Use all-purpose flour for this recipe; avoid using gluten-free flour blends, as they may not work well in choux pastry.
- Eggs: Add structure, moisture, and richness to the choux pastry. No direct substitute, as eggs play a crucial role in the texture of the pastry.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Used for the whipped cream filling. You can also substitute with non-dairy whipped topping for a dairy-free option.
- Powdered Sugar: Used for dusting the cream puffs. You can also substitute it with granulated sugar, but the texture will be different.
Step-by-step: Cream Puffs Recipe
- Preheat your oven to 400°F /200°C/ Gas mark 6 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, sugar, salt, and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove the saucepan from heat and quickly stir in the flour until the mixture forms a ball. Return the saucepan to low heat and cook the dough for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, to dry it out.
- 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 you have a smooth, thick paste.
- Spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe small mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between them.
- Bake the cream puffs for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and quickly prick the bottom of each puff with a toothpick to release steam. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the cream puffs are deep golden brown and crisp.
- Remove the cream puffs from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
- Whipped cream filling – In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until stiff peaks form.
Pro tip – The cream cheese will help stabilize the whipped cream, but it can be omitted. - Assemble – Cut the tops off the cooled cream puffs and fill them with the whipped cream. Replace the tops and dust the cream puffs with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!
Troubleshooting
- Flat or Deflated Puffs: This could be due to underbaking or opening the oven door too early. Ensure the puffs are baked until golden brown and avoid opening the oven door until they are fully baked.
- Soggy Bottoms: Pricking the bottoms of the puffs after the initial baking time and returning them to the oven to dry out can help prevent soggy bottoms.
- Gummy Texture: Overmixing the dough or not baking the puffs long enough can result in a gummy texture. Mix the dough just until it comes together and bake until golden brown and crisp.
- Uneven Puffs: Piping the dough onto the baking sheet in uneven sizes can result in unevenly baked puffs. Try to pipe the dough into evenly sized mounds for consistent baking.
- Dry or Hollow Puffs: If the puffs turn out dry or hollow inside, they may have been baked at too high a temperature. Try lowering the oven temperature and baking for a longer time to achieve a moist interior.
- Filling Leakage: If the filling is leaking out of the cream puffs, make sure they are completely cool before filling them. Overfilling can also cause leakage, so use a moderate amount of filling.
- Cracked Tops: Cracks on the tops of the puffs can be caused by too much steam escaping. Pricking the bottoms of the puffs after baking can help release steam and prevent cracking.
- Flat Whipped Cream: Make sure the heavy whipping cream is cold before whipping, and whip it just until stiff peaks form. Overwhipping can cause the cream to become flat and grainy.
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Frequently asked questions
Store leftover cream puffs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. They may soften slightly in the fridge, so you can reheat them in a 300°F (150°C) oven for a few minutes to crisp them up before serving.
Yes, you can make the choux pastry ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 2 days before baking. Alternatively, you can freeze the piped pastry on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag and store for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.
It’s best to freeze unfilled cream puffs. Once baked and cooled, you can freeze them in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature before filling and serving.
Yes, you can fill cream puffs with a variety of fillings such as pastry cream, custard, ice cream, or flavored whipped cream. Just make sure the filling is thick enough to hold its shape when piped into the puffs.
To prevent your cream puffs from collapsing, make sure they are baked until they are fully set and golden brown. Avoid opening the oven door during baking, as this can cause the puffs to collapse. Additionally, make sure to prick the bottoms of the puffs with a toothpick after baking to release any steam and prevent sogginess.
Cream Puffs from Scratch
This cream puff recipe yields delicate pastries with a crisp exterior and a light, airy interior, perfect for filling with whipped cream or your favorite filling. The choux pastry is made with a combination of water, milk, sugar, salt, butter, flour, and eggs, resulting in a versatile dough that can be shaped and filled in various ways. Whether served as a delightful dessert or a sweet snack, these cream puffs are sure to please with their classic flavor and elegant presentation.
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Ingredients
- ½ cup (120 ml) Water
- ½ cup (120 ml) Milk
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 4 oz (113 g) Butter
- 1 cup (125 g) All-purpose flour
- 4 large Eggs
- 1 cup (250 ml) Whipping cream 38% and above
- 2 tbsp Cream cheese 38% fat (optional for stabilizing whipped cream)
- 2 tbsp Powdered sugar confectioners or icing sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Method
- Preheat your oven to 400°F /200°C/ Gas mark 6 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, sugar, salt, and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat and quickly stir in the flour until the mixture forms a ball. Return the saucepan to low heat and cook the dough for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, to dry it out.½ cup Water, ½ cup Milk, ¼ tsp Salt, 2 tbsp Sugar, 4 oz Butter, 1 cup All-purpose flour
- 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 you have a smooth, thick paste.4 large Eggs
- Spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe small mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between them.
- Bake the cream puffs for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and quickly prick the bottom of each puff with a toothpick to release steam. Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the cream puffs are deep golden brown and crisp.
- Remove the cream puffs from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
- Whipped cream filling – In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until stiff peaks form.1 cup Whipping cream, 2 tbsp Cream cheese, 2 tbsp Powdered sugar, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Assemble – Cut the tops off the cooled cream puffs and fill them with the whipped cream. Replace the tops and dust the cream puffs with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Measure Ingredients Accurately: Use a kitchen scale to measure ingredients accurately, especially flour and butter, for the best results.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Eggs and other dairy ingredients should be at room temperature before being used in the recipe. This helps them blend better into the dough.
- Don’t Overmix the Dough: Mix the dough just until it comes together. Overmixing can lead to a tough pastry.
- Preheat the Oven: Make sure your oven is fully preheated before baking the cream puffs to ensure they rise properly.
- Pipe Evenly Sized Puffs: Pipe the dough onto the baking sheet in evenly sized mounds to ensure even baking.
- Avoid Opening the Oven Door: While baking, avoid opening the oven door as this can cause the cream puffs to collapse.
- Prick the Bottoms: After the initial baking time, prick the bottoms of the cream puffs with a toothpick to allow steam to escape. This helps prevent them from becoming soggy.
- Cool Completely Before Filling: Make sure the cream puffs are completely cool before filling them with whipped cream or any other filling to avoid a melted or soggy pastry.
- Store Properly: Store filled cream puffs in the refrigerator if not serving immediately. Unfilled cream puffs can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Enjoy Fresh: Cream puffs are best enjoyed fresh, so try to make them on the day you plan to serve them for the best taste and texture.
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Hi, I’m Veena
I’m the recipe developer, baker, and food photographer behind Veena Azmanov Kitchen.
I’ve spent years developing and testing recipes, from everyday meals and homemade breads to cakes and desserts.
I share the practical tips and little details I’ve learned along the way so you can get great results in your own kitchen.
day 18 done
I made Pate Choux hundreds of times as a kid???- I didn’t know that it or custard filling was supposed to be anything special. When I had them with whipped cream the first time I was blown away! I was quite the pastry chef and still make a better pie crust and pate sucre than almost any other I’ve had. It’s been a long time though- as part of alienating my children from me my husband shoved me out of the kitchen. I could cook anything: old-school Russian cakes, fruit cakes as they should be, vegetarian meals to die for, risotto, oxtails, Ciopinno … now I cry.
Thanks for the recipe – I should have Ötker’s somewhere as well as plenty of pastry books [and books that run the gamut from Moosewood {became vegetarian in 1982}, Laurel’s Kitchen {hardcore vegetarian}, “normal” vegetarian, NYTimes, CIA, Fanny Farmer, every trend, the entire Time-Life collection … ]. Ötker’s (or Oetker’s!) app is(are) supposed to be German & English but last I looked were all German. Translation apps may be better able to handle recipes by now. ?? All that and no one to cook for.
Pastry day 18 Done
PASTRY DAY 18 DONE
Pastry week #18 done.
Day 18 pastry – done
Pastry day 18 done!
Hi Veena. May I call you Veena?
I made my first cream puffs today and would like to upload an image, but where do I attach it?
Yes, Janeen. Please feel free to call me Veena.
I would love to see pictures of your cream puffs. Please share them in our Facebook Group. Or if you share on any social media tag me and I will see it. Thanks