Cream Puffs (Classic Choux Pastry)
Cream puffs are light, airy pastries made from pâte à choux and filled with sweet cream. They’re crisp on the outside, hollow inside, and perfect for filling with whipped cream, custard, or pastry cream.
🛒 Ingredients
For the Choux Pastry:
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Filling:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2–3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Make the Dough
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a saucepan, bring water, butter, and salt to a boil.
- Reduce heat and add flour all at once. Stir vigorously until mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides.
- Remove from heat. Let cool 5 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until smooth and glossy.
2️⃣ Bake
- Spoon or pipe 1½-inch mounds onto baking sheet.
- Bake 20–25 minutes until puffed and golden brown.
- Do not open oven during baking.
- Cool completely on wire rack.
3️⃣ Make the Filling
- Beat heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
- Slice cream puffs in half and fill (or pipe filling inside).
✨ Optional Variations
- Fill with pastry cream instead of whipped cream
- Drizzle with melted chocolate
- Dust with powdered sugar
- Make mini profiteroles and serve with chocolate sauce
If you’d like, I can also give you:
- Chocolate cream puff recipe
- Custard filling recipe
- Savory (cheese) puff version
- Step-by-step troubleshooting tips 😊
