FRENCH CREAM PUFFS

There’s nothing quite like a plate of puffy Choux a la Crème! And making a batch of these easy French cream puffs is a cinch, with my recipe and step by step instructions. 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 crème, are the perfect way to indulge!

French Cream Puffs

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!

A wonderful addition to any breakfast, brunch or dessert! Delicate puffs filled with rich cream – nothing says French food like that. Don’t these beauties look irresistibly fun? With a crunchy topping and a soft filling, they’re a blast to make and a blast to eat. The best cream puffs you’ll ever taste, made from scratch.

What are cream puffs?

Choux a la crème 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” lol.

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 crème 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 sautéed.

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 beans. I opted to add some homemade whipped cream too for added yumminess and make these taste even creamier.

What is the difference between cream puffs and popovers?

The main difference is that cream puffs are made with a choux pastry dough while popovers are made with a batter of eggs, milk and flour. Popovers are also baked in a muffin tin while cream puffs are piped or spooned into rounds on a baking sheet.

Cream puffs are denser and richer than popovers, and their shape is more like a dome. Popovers are airier and also much taller than cream puffs. Cream puffs can be filled with whipped cream, custard or ice cream, while popovers are usually served plain or with butter and jam.

Why do cream puffs require more eggs than popovers?

The primary difference between cream puffs and popovers is the type of dough that is used. Popovers are made with a batter that only contains eggs, milk and flour. Choux pastry dough, on the other hand, requires more eggs in order to create a thicker dough that can hold its shape when baked. The increased number of eggs in the dough also helps to create a richer and creamier cream puff.

What is the difference between cream puffs and profiteroles?

Cream puffs and profiteroles are both made with choux pastry. Cream puffs usually have a puffier shape than profiteroles. Choux are filled with cream and often have a whipped cream topping. Cream puffs can also be filled with custard.

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.

What is the difference between a cream puff and an éclair?

Cream puffs are made from a choux pastry dough, which is a simple mixture of flour, butter, and eggs. Éclairs are also made from a choux pastry dough, but the dough is piped into an oblong shape and then baked. Once they are cool, éclairs are filled with a vanilla cream or pastry cream and then dipped in a chocolate glaze.

Puffs are usually round, while éclairs are oblong. Cream puffs are dusted with confectioner’s sugar, while éclairs are often covered with a chocolate or vanilla glaze. Cream puffs are usually filled with a whipped cream and/or pastry cream, while éclairs are filled with a vanilla cream or chocolate cream.

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.

When to fill cream puffs?

The best time to fill the cream puffs with vanilla filling and whipped cream is when the pastry if fully cooled. 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 and filling.

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.

How long cream puffs last?

French cream puffs filled with vanilla cream keep well at room temperature for up to 2 days and in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store in an air tight container in both situations.

Can cream puffs be frozen?

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.

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, cream 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.

Choux A La Crème recipe

What do you need to make cream puffs?

For the pastry:

• Water
• Whole milk
• Unsalted butter – room temperature
• All purpose flour – sifted
• Salt
• Eggs – room temperature

For the filling:

• Whole milk
• Egg yolks
• Vanilla beans
• Sugar
• All purpose flour – sifted
• Butter

For the whipped cream

• Heavy whipping cream
• Granulated sugar
• Vanilla extract – optional for added vanilla flavor

To decorate the puffs

• Powdered sugar to dust

Equipment you’re also going to need:

• non stick large baking sheet
• parchment paper
• whisk
• sharp knife
• hand mixer
• large saucepan 
• flower tip

How to make French cream puffs

Prepare the ingredients

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment and pre heat oven at 390 F
2. Warm up the milk and turn off heat.
3. Add the seeds from the vanilla beans and cover with a lid.
4. In a medium saucepan add water, milk (the one without vanilla), butter and a pinch of salt and bring to a rolling boil.
5. Remove from heat and turn heat off.

Make the dough

1. Immediately add flour and mix well with a whisk until well combined.
2. 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.
3. 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-inch apart).
4. Bake for about 20 minutes. Do not open the oven for the first 15 minutes.

Make the whipped cream

Find my whipped cream recipe here.

How to fill cream puffs

1. When all dough is done and baked, let the puffs cool completely and cut each chou in half, horizontally.
2. For the filling: Take the 16 yolks and add to a mixing bowl. Mix with sugar and flour and beat well then add the vanilla infused milk little by little. You can use a stand mixer to beat the eggs. Transfer to a saucepan and boil while stirring continuously with a whisk until stiff. Remove from heat and add butter.
3. Then make the whipped cream.
4. Fill the puffs with vanilla pastry cream and whipped cream.
5. Keep refrigerated.
6. 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!

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