Cream Puffs Recipe (VIDEO) (2024)

Cream Puffs are a classic French dessert filled with sweet cream and dusted with powdered sugar. You haven’t enjoyed a cream puff until you’ve tried one freshly baked. The Choux pastry dough is easier than you think; just watch the video tutorial.

If you have made our Classic Eclairs, then you already know how to make these. The dough is the same and this cream puff recipe has an even easier filling.

Cream Puffs Recipe (VIDEO) (1)

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Cream Puff Recipe:

Cream puffs are an iconic and well loved pastry that can be found in French bakeries, but they are surprisingly easy to master at home. They require simple, inexpensive ingredients, about 1 hour of your time and basic kitchen tools:

Cream Puffs Recipe (VIDEO) (2)

What is Choux Pastry?

Choux Pastry (also known as Pâte à Choux) is a French pastry dough. It is pronounced “shoo pastry.” It sounds fancy but it is surprisingly easy to make and requires simple ingredients. Choux pastry is also used to make:

  • Eclairs filled with custard and dipped in chocolate
  • Profiteroles (like cream puffs but filled with ice cream, drizzled with chocolate ganache and frozen)
  • Churros which are deep fried and rolled in cinnamon sugar

Cream Puffs Recipe (VIDEO) (3)

Can I Store the Cream Puffs Before Filling?

The shells can be made a day or 2 ahead. Let them cool to room temperature, cover lightly and store at room temperature. They tend to soften if made ahead.

To re-crisp the shell: bake uncovered in a preheated oven at 300˚F for about 5 minutes. Once cream puffs are filled, they are best enjoyed the same day or frozen.

Can I Freeze Cream Puffs?

When freezing filled cream puffs, be sure to fill the cream into the center of the cream puffs, or cut off tops and add just enough cream so it is completely covered and hidden with the lid. You want to have the cream contained.

To thaw frozen cream puffs: leave them for 2 hours in the refrigerator, or 30 minutes at room temperature then dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Cream Puffs Recipe (VIDEO) (4)

Why do Cream Puffs Deflate?

There are 2 reasons cream puffs can deflate and go flat:

  1. Opening the oven early – the loss of heat hinders their ability to rise
  2. Under-baking – causes collapse shortly after removing from oven

Note: If making larger 2″ wide cream puffs, you will get 18 cream puffs which need to be baked longer (10 min at 425˚F then 25 minutes at 325˚F).

To test for doneness: The color is the best indicator of color and they should be deeply golden. You can take 1 cream puff out at the recommended time and break it open, the center should be mostly hollowed out. If the dough inside seems very moist and spongy, continue baking another 2 minutes.

Cream Puffs Recipe (VIDEO) (5)

More French Desserts to Try:

The French are known for their incredible dessert and pastries. These French desserts are simple and will make you feel like a pro!

  • Easy Almond Croissants – perfect for company!
  • Apple Rose Tart – beautiful and delicious
  • Cranberry Orange Scones and Strawberry Scones
  • Raspberry Macarons with a raspberry cream filling
  • Crepe Cake – the simplest layered cake

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Watch How to Make Cream Puffs:

Homemade cream puffs are the ultimate treat. When you realize how easy they are to make, you’ll make them over and over! Have fun and let me know if you get creative and experiment with different fillings or toppings.

Cream Puffs Recipe

4.97 from 478 votes

Author: Natasha Kravchuk

Cream Puffs Recipe (VIDEO) (8)

Homemade Cream Puffs filled with sweet cream and raspberries. Learn how to make a bakery quality, buttery Choux pastry dough.

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Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

Ingredients

Servings: 28 cream puffs

Ingredients for Choux Pastry:

  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, measured correctly
  • 4 eggs, (large), room temperature

Ingredients for Cream Filling and Garnish:

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
  • 4 Tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 28 raspberries, optional
  • 1 Tbsp powdered sugar, to garnish

Instructions

How to Make Cream Puffs:

  • Preheat oven to 425˚F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper.

  • In a Medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup milk, 8 Tbsp butter, 1 tsp sugar and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring just to a boil over medium heat then remove from heat and stir in 1 cup flour all at once with a wooden spoon.

  • One flour is incorporated, place back over medium heat stirring constantly for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes to release extra moisture and partially cook flour. A thin film will form on the bottom of the pan and dough will come together into a smooth ball.

  • Transfer dough to a large mixing bowl and beat using an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute to cool mixture slightly. Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, allowing to fully incorporate between additions. Beat another minute until dough is smooth and forms a thick ribbon when pulled up.

  • Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2" round tip. Pipe 28 puffs, each 1 1/2” diameter and 1/2” tall rounds. Keep them 1" apart and avoid making peaks* but if you do get peaks, wet finger tips lightly with water and smooth them out.

  • Bake at 425˚F for 10 minutes in the center of the oven. Without opening oven, reduce temp to 325˚F and, bake 20-22 min longer or until golden brown on top. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

How to Make Whipped Cream:

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups heavy cream, 4 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy with stiff peaks (2 min). Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip.

  • Once cream puffs are completely cooled, fill them with cream. There are 2 ways to fill them: (#1) pipe the cream into the puffs by pushing the pastry tip into the side and piping until cream pushes back, or (#2) Cut off tops of puffs and pipe cream inside using a pastry bag, push a raspberry down into the center if desired, then cover with the tops. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Notes

*To prevent a peak: stop piping and release pressure from the bag before lifting up then quickly swirl the tip around the side to end without a tip.

Nutrition Per Serving

125kcal Calories6g Carbs1g Protein10g Fat6g Saturated Fat55mg Cholesterol38mg Sodium34mg Potassium2g Sugar390IU Vitamin A0.7mg Vitamin C22mg Calcium0.3mg Iron

  • Full Nutrition Label
  • Nutrition Disclosure

Nutrition Facts

Cream Puffs Recipe

Amount per Serving

Calories

125

% Daily Value*

Fat

10

g

15

%

Saturated Fat

6

g

38

%

Cholesterol

55

mg

18

%

Potassium

34

mg

1

%

Carbohydrates

6

g

2

%

Sugar

2

g

2

%

Protein

1

g

2

%

Vitamin A

390

IU

8

%

Vitamin C

0.7

mg

1

%

Calcium

22

mg

2

%

Iron

0.3

mg

2

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: cream puffs

Skill Level: Medium

Cost to Make: $

Calories: 125

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen

Natasha Kravchuk

Cream Puffs Recipe (VIDEO) (9)

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

Read more posts by Natasha

Cream Puffs Recipe (VIDEO) (2024)

FAQs

What is the common problem in making cream puffs? ›

Why did my cream puffs collapse? If the puffs collapse it means there was too much moisture in them. So either you did not dry the dough enough, or they were not cooked enough. To avoid this I recommend drying the dough really well (see below) and cracking the door of the oven open when the choux are baked.

How to know if cream puffs are done? ›

Bake until puffs rise and are golden brown, about 30 minutes.

What are the mistakes when making choux pastry? ›

Pate a choux troubleshooting
  1. Dry ingredients haven't been dissolved/incorporated completely. ...
  2. Dough may have been beaten for too long, or at high speed before adding the eggs, causing the fat to separate from dough. ...
  3. Pastry shells may have been baked at too high temperature, making the dough rise at a rapid speed.

Why didn't my cream puffs rise? ›

The biggest culprits: Not incorporating the eggs enough, or dough that's too wet or too dry, or dough that was too cool when you added the eggs, or too hot when you piped it. That might sound intimidating, but there are easy markers to know you're on the right track.

Why is my cream puff batter so runny? ›

If your batter ended up being too runny, possibly you have added a little too much eggs. To fix this, cook a paste using roughly half the choux recipe (water, milk, flour, butter similar to how you started).

Is milk or water better for cream puffs? ›

Using only water and no milk would result in a rather pale cream puff shell. Conversely, only using milk gives a very brown cream puff shell. I like that, so I prefer the only-milk version. ? If you suffer from a strong lactose intolerance, you can use water instead of milk for the cream puff shell.

Why are my cream puffs doughy inside? ›

If your cream puffs are moist inside after baking, this is because they did not bake long enough. In addition, the puffs need to dry out on the inside after baking. To help the pâte à choux dry out properly, turn the cream puffs upside down and use a toothpick to poke a hole in each one.

What is the most important ingredient in choux pastry? ›

The essential ingredients are butter, water, flour and eggs. Instead of a raising agent, choux pastry employs its high moisture content to create steam, as the water in the dough evaporates when baked, puffing the pastry.

Can you overmix the choux dough? ›

Second, it is important to cook the flour for a few minutes before adding the eggs. This will help to develop the gluten in the flour, which will give the dough its structure. Finally, it is important to not overmix the dough after the eggs are added. Overmixing can make the dough tough.

Why does choux pastry fail? ›

Too much moisture causes the choux pastry to sink. The other important reason is your oven was not preheated enough. The oven must be very hot the moment you put your choux pastry dough in to bake. The last reason your pastry collapsed is because you baked with uneven heat.

Why are my cream puffs heavy? ›

In fact, if you don't use enough eggs the dough will remain heavy and gluey. You should add as many eggs to your dough as possible! Make these (amazing) cream puffs and picture the lakes of Minnesota when you do.

Should I refrigerate unfilled cream puffs? ›

Do the cream puffs needs to be refrigerated? Yes they do. They can stay out for about 4 hours but then need to be refrigerated.

Why is my cream puff dough sticky? ›

Leaving the puff pastry at room temperature too long.

This leaves the dough sticky and really hard to work with, and may result in the pastry not holding its shape while baking.

What are the choux faults? ›

The five faults listed are: mixtures being too soft, pastry not rising and having a solid texture after baking, sinking after removal from the oven, pastry being too thin, and pastry being too thick.

What can go wrong with choux? ›

Too much moisture in dough from the eggs.

If you've used too many eggs in your pastry dough, water in the egg yolk will start to separate from the yolk. Once the pastry is baking in the oven, this water then evaporates, causing the structure of the pastry to tighten up and shrink.

Why is choux pastry difficult? ›

The reason is simple if you understand the science: You need to gelatinize the starch in the flour. Get the panade hot enough and the starch will properly hydrate and swell, readying it to thicken the choux as the eggs get mixed in.

Why are my cream puffs collapsing? ›

Why did my cream puffs deflate? Cream puffs usually collapse for one of the following reasons: Your oven wasn't properly preheated or is not at the right temperature. High heat is critical for getting these puffs to rise and bake up structurally sound.

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