Cream Puffs Recipe

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

Cream Puffs Recipe

cream puffs recipe

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

Prep: 30min

Total: 60min

Yield: 28

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 125 kcal, Carbohydrate 6 g, Protein 1 g, Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 55 mg, Sodium 38 mg, Sugar 2 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

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

Instruction:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.

Cream Puffs

cream puffs recipe

Making perfect cream puffs at home is a lot easier than you think! My recipe uses a homemade pastry cream filling (no pudding mixes here!) for that classic taste. Recipe includes a how-to video!Preparation note: I recommend making the pastry cream first as it will need to cool for at least 2 hours. It can also be made a day or two in advance.

Prep: 60min

Total: 275min

Yield: 20

Serving Size: 1 cream puff

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 cream puff, calories 183 kcal, Carbohydrate 12 g, Protein 3 g, Fat 14 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 119 mg, Sodium 87 mg, Sugar 7 g, unSaturated Fat 5 g

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup whole milk ((236ml))
  • 1 cup heavy cream ((236ml))
  • ⅓ cup (67g) + 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar (divided)
  • 1 vanilla bean¹ (split in half lengthwise)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 5 large egg yolks room temp
  • 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (softened and cut into 4 pieces)
  • 1 cup water ((236ml))
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (cut into 8 pieces (113g))
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup all purpose flour ((125g))
  • 4 large eggs (room temperature)
  • Powdered sugar (for dusting cream puffs)

Instruction:

  1. Place plastic wrap directly in contact with the surface of the pastry cream to keep a skin from forming. Allow to cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes or until near room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 2-4 hours. Meanwhile, prepare your choux pastry.
  2. Enjoy! Store cream puffs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days or freeze for several weeks.

Cream Puffs

cream puffs recipe

For these homemade Cream Puffs, an easy choux pastry dough is mixed together, then baked and filled with a rich vanilla pastry cream.

Prep: 15min

Total: 55min

Yield: 24

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 152 kcal, Carbohydrate 12 g, Protein 3 g, Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 96 mg, Sodium 54 mg, Sugar 7 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 5 oz all purpose flour, by weight ((1 cup, measured))
  • pinch of salt
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sugar
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Instruction:

  1. Bake for about 25 minutes until the puffs are golden brown, then remove them from the oven and use a knife to poke a small hole into each of the puffs. This will let the steam escape and prevent our puffs from getting soggy. Let cool completely.
  2. Fold this mixture gently into the pastry cream to lighten it. You can now fill the puffs with this mixture, or you can chill it if you prefer. To fill, use a piping bag or simply cut the cream puffs in half and put the top back on after filling. Enjoy!

Cream Puffs

cream puffs recipe

Prep: 0 20min0

Total: 0 1h5min0

Yield: 30 servings

Serving Size: 1 of 30 servings

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 of 30 servings, calories 110, Fat 10g, Saturated Fat 6g, Carbohydrate 5g, Fiber 0g, Sugar 2g, Protein 2g, Cholesterol 54mg, Sodium 55mg

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup water
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 to 4 eggs, plus 1 egg for egg wash
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Instruction:

  1. To make the cream puffs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a large saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt, and granulated sugar to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. When it boils, immediately take the pan off the heat. Stirring with a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once and stir hard until all the flour is incorporated, 30 to 60 seconds. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring, 30 seconds to evaporate some of the moisture.
  2. Scrape the mixture into a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix at medium speed. With the mixer running, and working 1 egg at a time, add 3 of the eggs, stopping after each addition to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix until the dough is smooth and glossy and the eggs are completely incorporated. The dough should be thick, but should fall slowly and steadily from the beaters when you lift them out of the bowl. If the dough is still clinging to the beaters, add the remaining egg and mix until incorporated.
  3. Using a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip, pipe the dough onto the baking sheet, in 2-inch diameter rounds or balls. Whisk the remaining egg with 1 1/2 teaspoons water. Brush the surface of the rounds with the egg wash to knock down the points (you may not use all the egg wash). Bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and bake until puffed up, and light golden brown, about 20 minutes more. Try not to open the oven door too often during the baking. Let cool on the baking sheet.
  4. To fill the cream puffs, place a pastry tip on your finger and poke a whole in the bottom of each puff. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until stiff. Pipe whipped cream into each cream puff and chill until ready to serve, no more than 4 hours.
  5. Notes about the recipe: The moisture in the eggs turns to steam and puffs the batter to try to release itself. You can fill them with anything.

Cream Puffs

FAQ

What is the cream in a cream puff made of?

Light and airy cream puffs, filled with thick pastry cream, fluffy whipped cream, or velvety crème légère (pastry cream lightened with whipped cream), are a classic dessert. Composed of just two versatile elements—pâte à choux and the filling of your choice—they’re also cinch to whip up.

How far in advance can you fill cream puffs?

Make ahead of time.

You can store the pastry dough or baked choux shell. Store the baked choux shell (unfilled) at room temperature for 1-2 days. Filled puffs are best served right away, but can be made a couple hours ahead of time and refrigerated.

What flour to use for cream puffs?

Cream Puff Ingredients

Choux pastry relies on steam for its texture, so this cream puff recipe calls for an entire cup of water. Just a pinch of salt brings out the delicate flavors in the choux pastry. All-purpose flour adds structure to the choux pastry and works with the water to create the perfect airy texture.

How to make cream puffs without piping bag?

You don’t need to use a pastry bag to make cream puffs, you can just use an ice cream scoop or even two spoons to portion out the dough on a baking sheet.

About the author

Helen is an author and editor at helenbackcafe.com, who has a passion for writing about recipes. She loves to experiment with different ingredients and cooking techniques to create delicious and unique dishes.

Among all the foods, pizza holds a special place in her heart, and she loves exploring different variations and toppings to create the perfect slice. Through her writing, Helen hopes to inspire others to get creative in the kitchen and share their love for food with the world.

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