These famous cream puffs will be your new go-to recipe to take to any party. They look like they belong in a fancy French patisserie, but they are actually very easy to make. The puffs are light, crispy on the outside and hollow on the inside. I used to think choux pastry would be impossible to make from scratch, but it only requires one saucepan and some elbow grease.
Once you see the dough come together in the pan, you’ll feel like a pro. It’s then filled with a light vanilla whipped cream. I love how crispy they are and then you get that soft cream inside. Sprinkle them with powdered sugar and watch them disappear.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
This recipe is great if you want an impressive dessert but don’t want to clean up multiple bowls. The dough is all mixed together in one pot, which means a quick and easy clean-up. As the puffs bake, they magically puff up and become hollow.
The best part about them is that they can be prepped ahead of time. If you have a dinner party coming up, you can bake the puffs in the morning and fill them with cream just before serving. The lightness of them makes them a wonderful dessert to serve after a hearty meal.
What You Need
To make these beautiful pastries you will need butter, water, all-purpose flour, eggs, heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar.
All-Purpose Flour
Regular all-purpose flour is used in this recipe. It gives the dough just enough strength to form the pastry shells. It keeps the steam trapped inside, forming the hollow center during baking. For a gluten-free version, use a 1-to-1 baking blend with xanthan gum added.
Large Eggs
Eggs add the moisture and leavening power needed to make the pastry puffs rise. Make sure they are at room temperature so they mix into the dough easily. If your dough is too firm, beat one additional egg in a small bowl and add only enough until the dough is shiny.
Heavy Whipping Cream
The best filling for cream puffs is heavy whipping cream, which creates a light and airy texture to contrast against the crispy shell. Use a cream with a minimum of 36% fat content to make sure the filling doesn’t run out of the cream puffs. You can also add a teaspoon of cocoa or instant coffee to the filling for a different flavor.
How to Make Famous Cream Puffs
Take a medium saucepan and your hand mixer to make these cream puffs.
Boil the Base
Put the water, butter, and a dash of salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil and ensure the butter is fully melted.
Add the Flour
Add the flour all at once to the boiling mixture and stir quickly with a wooden spoon. Continue stirring until the dough comes together in a ball and no longer sticks to the sides of the pan.
Mix the Eggs
Place the hot dough into a bowl and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Using your mixer, mix the eggs into the dough, one egg at a time, ensuring the egg is mixed before adding the next.
Pipe and Bake
Use a piping bag to place small, round mounds of the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake the mounds in a preheated oven until they are puffy and dark golden-brown.
Fill and Dust
Once the cream puff shells have cooled, cut them in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Beat the heavy cream with powdered sugar until the cream is stiff, fill the shells with the cream, and replace the tops.
My Top Recipe Tips
Do not open the oven while the cream puffs are cooking, especially for the first 20 minutes. When you do this, the air will cool the puffs and they won’t rise as well.
When you’re checking if the dough has the right consistency, check if it forms a “V” shape when you lift the beater from the dough. If the dough stays on the beater and appears thick and crumbly, it may need one more egg that’s been beaten.
Make sure the cream puff shells are completely cooled before you add the whipped cream. Any remaining warmth in the shells will melt the whipped cream.
Storage and Reheating
- Store: Store filled cream puffs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days before the shells become soggy.
- Freeze: Place un-stuffed, baked shells in a large freezer ziplock bag; they can be frozen for up to 2 months and defrosted at room temp.
- Reheat: Pop day-old empty shells back in a 300°F oven for about 5 minutes to give them that perfect, crunchy outer shell.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with a nice drizzle of warm, rich dark chocolate ganache.
- Serve with a fresh bowl of sliced mixed summer berries.
- Serve with a steaming mug of your favorite dark roast coffee.
- Top off with a generous dusting of gorgeous powdered sugar.
Easy Famous Cream Puffs Recipe
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Hand mixer
- Piping bag
- Large baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into chunks
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs room temp
- 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream cold
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar + more for dusting
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat until the mixture reaches a rolling boil.
- Lower the heat to low and add in the flour all at once. Stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth dough ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Remove the pan from the heat and allow the dough to cool for 5 minutes. With a hand mixer, beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until each egg is fully incorporated.
- Pour the shiny dough into a piping bag and pipe 12 equal mounds onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 20 minutes, lower oven temperature to 350°F, and continue baking for 10 minutes until golden brown. Do NOT open the oven during baking!
- Allow the cream puffs to cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.
- In a clean bowl, whip the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
- Cut the cream puffs in half horizontally, pipe the whipped cream inside, and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my cream puffs turn out flat?
Usually when this happens, you opened the oven too soon, or took them out before they were fully golden brown. They need a solid crust to form in the oven, otherwise, they will collapse as they cool.
Can I fill these with something else?
Yes! The simple and sweet whipped cream filling is the easiest, but you could also use vanilla pastry cream, chocolate mousse, or even a scoop of your favorite ice cream.
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