These lovely french cream puffs are sure to wow your guests at any party! Delicate and airy, these delicious french cream desserts, originally called choux a la creme, are the perfect way to indulge!
Choux A La Creme
These french cream puffs are so adorable and I had so much fun making them (and even more eating them, lol). It may be my European roots but I love anything French and of course pastry and this easy cream puffs recipe has been on my list for a long time. I love watching this french cream puff recipe baking in the oven, puffing up in the heat, all crackly and full of air! A sight for sore eyes!
Are cream puffs from France?
Choux a la creme is found in all French bakeries since the sixteenth century, with only minor upgrades made in the nineteenth century. Basically, you are almost tasting history when eating these cream puffs.
The name comes from the small dough balls which grow in an irregular, round-ish shape that the French call choux. Choux is the French word for cabbage. In other words, it would mean “cabbage paste”.
Need more pastry recipes?
- Mini eclairs with chocolate filling
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- Strawberry puff pastry bread
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The french cream puffs dessert is undoubtedly considered the “king of desserts”. I must confess that at first I found this otherwise easy cream puff recipe quite difficult to make; these puffs looked intimidating to me. But I’ve tried my hand at a few ideas for choux a la creme recipe and experimented a lot to get the absolutely perfect recipe. Also the cream puff filling recipe is super easy to make and tastes amazing, making a great pair with the puffy, light pastry!
How do you make cream puffs?
To make the delicate shells in these French cream puffs you need what they call choux pastry (“pate a choux” as they call it in France). This is a classic French pastry batter used to make various desserts from cream puffs to profiteroles and eclairs. The choux pastry is made by mixing milk, butter, flour, and eggs together to make a thick paste that is than baked, fried or sauteed.
While this is a simple and quite easy recipe, you need to have a bit of experience with pastry in order to make these French cream puffs.
I chose to cut the baked choux in half and then fill with cream but you may opt for simply piping the filling into the shells. They won’t look as impressive but will definitely have the same amazing taste!
I made a simple vanilla filling for these desserts, using a mixture of milk, eggs, sugar, butter and flour. The mixture gets its flavor from vanilla sticks. I opted to add some homemade whipped cream too for added yumminess and make these taste even creamier.
What is the difference between a cream puff and a profiterole?
Using the same dough, you can also bake profiteroles, funnel cakes, churros, beignets or eclairs.
The difference between the choux a la crème and eclairs is mainly the shape and filling. Eclairs are oblong, while cream puffs are round. The filling is usually vanilla cream, but choux a la crème also have whipped cream and are dusted with confectioner’s sugar. Eclairs are usually covered with chocolate or vanilla cream.
Profiteroles, on the other hand, are filled with ice cream (you can try coffee, chocolate or pecan ice cream) and frozen, topped with chocolate ganache.
Churros can be covered with cinnamon and are deep-fried.
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How to diversify the recipe
This recipe is very versatile and can be played up countless ways. Here are a few options:
- Sometimes, I like to add a few strawberry slices. They always go great with the whipped cream.
- Also, adding cocoa to the dough and filling with chocolate cream will make an interesting variation from the white, classical ones. Chocolate cream puffs are not really famous in France, though, but make delicious additions to any candy bar or holiday feast.
- Add chocolate filling instead of vanilla
- Go the simplest route and fill them with whipped cream only
- Non-sweet choux made from the same dough can be eaten as breakfast or snacks. You can fill them with vegetables, foie gras, shellfish, cream cheese or ham for a delicious snack while on the run.
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Can you freeze cream puffs?
While the baked shells can be frozen for up to 2 months in freezer bags they do taste best when freshly baked. Thaw them at room temperature for up to 10 minutes before attempting to fill them with vanilla cream and whipped cream. Do not fill cream puffs until they are completely thawed.
If you want to make them crisp again after defrosting, thaw the buns on a wire rack for a few minutes, then bake them uncovered for about 5-8 minutes at 300 degrees F. Then col and add the filling only after completely cooled.
Can cream puffs be made ahead of time?
Choux can also be baked in advance and be kept in the refrigerator, uncovered, for up to a day before serving. Some bakers even recommend this and say that they taste even better after one day.
To keep your cream puffs looking and tasting fresh, don’t dust them with confectioner’ sugar until you’re ready to serve them. The dough will absorb the sugar while refrigerated.
A few tips before baking your cream puffs:
- the exact number of eggs may vary from batch to batch. You need to add eggs until the consistency is smooth and pipeable, so the quantity depends on the dough humidity or an accidental half-teaspoon of flour added. Leave a few teaspoons of beaten eggs for later and only add them if you feel the dough is not soft enough.
- don’t add the eggs while the dough is too hot, as this will cook the eggs, making your choux taste eggy.
- be careful when agitating the dough. Agitating too much can make the butter to split, and the dough will look oily.
- when boiling the choux ingredients don’t over boil them as the water will evaporate. The puffs need steam to inflate and the steam comes from the water.
- place the choux on damp parchment paper. The dough is packed with eggs, which need moist in the oven to puff. The water from the paper will create just the right amount of humidity and steam.
- as tempting as it is, refrain from opening the oven while the puffs are baking. Opening the oven will let the steam escape and as mentioned above, puffs need steam to inflate.
- don’t remove the choux from the oven too early. They need to get a golden brown crust before you turn off the oven. If they don’t get this firm crust, the puffs will cave on themselves.
- refrain from piercing or cutting the shells as soon as they’re out of the oven. This will allow the steam inside the shells to escape, causing the shells to deflate. Instead, allow the dough to fully cool before cutting.
French Cream Puffs
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
- 8 oz = 250 ml water
- 8 oz 250 ml milk
- 7 oz = 200 grams butter
- 13 oz = 375 g flour sifted
- a pinch of salt
- 9 eggs
For the filling:
- 34 oz = 1 liter milk
- 16 egg yolks
- 4 sticks vanilla
- 9 oz = 250 g sugar
- 4 oz = 120 g flour sifted
- 1 spoon butter
For the whipped cream
- 1 1/2 heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- Powdered sugar to dust
You’re also going to need:
Instructions:
Prepare the ingredients
1.Line a baking sheet with parchment and pre heat oven at 390 F = 200 C.
2. Warm up the milk and turn off heat.
3. Add the seeds from the vanilla sticks and cover with a lid.
4. In a medium large pot add water, milk (the one without vanilla), butter and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
5. Remove from heat and turn off heat.
Make the dough
6. Immediately add flour and mix well with a whisk until well combined.
7. Allow the dough to cool a little then add eggs, one by one, mixing well after each egg is added until fully incorporated. You need the composition to resemble chewing gum and be a bit sticky. If not add one more egg.
8. Transfer the dough to a large pastry bag fitted with a flower tip. Pipe rounds onto each prepared pan and do a little swirl for a more spectacular result. If you don’t have a flower tip: with a spoon, drop a dollop of dough (about the size of a walnut) in the baking sheet but not very close to each other (about 2″ apart).
9. Bake for about 20 minutes. Do not open the oven for the first 15 minutes.
Fill the French cream puffs
10. When all dough is done and baked, let the puffs cool completely and cut in half, horizontally.
11. For the filling: Take the 16 yolks and mix with sugar and flour and beat well then add the vanilla infused milk little by little. Move to a saucepan and boil while stirring continuously with a whisk until stiff. Remove from heat and add butter.
12. Then make the whipped cream.
13. Fill the puffs with vanilla cream and whipped cream.
14. eep refrigerated.
15. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Print the recipe
French Cream Puffs
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 8 oz = 250 ml water
- 8 oz 250 ml milk
- 7 oz = 200 grams butter
- 13 oz = 375 g flour sifted
- a pinch of salt
- 9 eggs
For the filling:
- 34 oz = 1 liter milk
- 16 egg yolks
- 4 sticks vanilla
- 9 oz = 250 g sugar
- 4 oz = 120 g flour sifted
- 1 spoon butter
For the whipped cream
- 1 1/2 heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- Powdered sugar to dust
You're also going to need:
- non stick large baking sheet
- parchment paper
- whisk
- sharp knife
- hand mixer
- large saucepan
- flower tip
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and pre heat oven at 390 F = 200 C.
- Warm up the milk and turn off heat.
- Add the seeds from the vanilla sticks and cover with a lid.
- In a medium large pot add water, milk (the one without vanilla), butter and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat and turn off heat.
- Immediately add flour and mix well with a whisk until well combined.
- Allow the dough to cool a little then add eggs, one by one, mixing well after each egg is added until fully incorporated. You need the composition to resemble chewing gum and be a bit sticky. If not add one more egg.
- Transfer the dough to a large pastry bag fitted with a flower tip. Pipe rounds onto each prepared pan and do a little swirl for a more spectacular result. If you don't have a flower tip: with a spoon, drop a dollop of dough (about the size of a walnut) in the baking sheet but not very close to each other (about 2" apart).
- Bake for about 20 minutes. Do not open the oven for the first 15 minutes.
- When all dough is done and baked, let the puffs cool completely and cut in half, horizontally.
- For the filling: Take the 16 yolks and mix with sugar and flour and beat well then add the vanilla infused milk little by little. Move to a saucepan and boil while stirring continuously with a whisk until stiff. Remove from heat and add butter.
- Then make the whipped cream.
- Fill the puffs with vanilla cream and whipped cream.
- Keep refrigerated.
- Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Cooking and baking these lovely desserts are fun! Did you ever try to experiment with puff pastry and made some amazing desserts? Tell us about them in the comments section, so that we can also discover new and delicious ideas!
More desserts you might like:
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- Walnut shaped cookies with walnut cream filling
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Josie Magistro says
Hello Petro. How many pastries does this recipe make? Thank you.
Petro says
Hi Josie. The number varies as it depends on how large you pipe or spoon the dough rounds into the baking sheet. I like to make mine as large as a tablespoon and I still get slightly different numbers every time.
Joanne/Wine Lady Cooks says
This is one of my favorite desserts, your puffs look so delicious I’m tempted to start baking today!
Diane Lawrence says
In your easy French Cream Puffs Recipe could you clarify some measurements. Under For the filling: can vanilla extract be used instead of “4 sticks vanilla”? You also state “1 spoon butter.” Is that a teaspoon or tablespoon?
Petro says
Hi Diane. Appologies for the confusion, that would be tablespoon. As for vanilla, you can replace the sticks with 4teaspoons extract but there will be a difference in taste as the sticks give a much fresher taste than extract. Still tasty though. Hope you’ll enjoy your puffs as much as we do & thanks so much for making my recipe! xoxo
Gloria says
These look easy enough to try out but was wondering if I can make everything in one day and put them together next day. Will the whip cream be still good the next day? Do you think I need to store the pastry in a tight lid container?
Petro says
Hi Gloria. I never tried to make the recipe the next day but I imagine an airtight container would keep the batter good for a few hours. Not sure how fluff and airy the puffs will get though.As for the whip cream, it should last you more than just a day.
Eileen says
Oooo, these look so tempting. The photos are beautiful. #recipeoftheweek
Becky says
I love any European foods and especially pastries. These look scrumptious. I clicked to continue reading to get the recipe and “click” turns to “pin it”, which I did. After I pin it do I now have the recipe? I sure hope so. If not what do I need to do? Thanks and continue posting your delicious recipes!
Petro says
Thanks so much, Becky! Pinning will save the image and the link to my post to your Pinterest board so you can easily access it whenever you need the recipe. The actual instructions are below the image you pinned and if you scroll a little more down the bottom of my post there’s a recipe card you can save or print for future references. Hope that helps and thanks again for stopping by! xoxo
Kavey says
Love choux buns, and aren’t they so much easier than you fear before you do them? So indulgent too, as you say!
Petro says
Hi Kavey and thanks for stopping by! They are way easier than I thought, indeed! They look so scrumptious and quite fancy but they’re easy peasy!
April J Harris (@apriljharris) says
What beautiful Cream Puffs! Your recipe sounds so do-able too – I can’t wait to try them!
Petro says
Thanks so much, April! You will love them!
Catherine says
Dear Petro,
These look absolutely delicious!!
xo Catherine
Petro says
Thanks so much, Catherine! xoxo
Debra @ Bowl Me Over says
These look just divine!
Petro says
Thanks so much, Debra! Have a lovely day!
Peter Block says
These look gorgeous.
Petro says
Thank you, Peter, you’re very kind.