Cream puffs are Parisian decadent delights, where delicate pastry shells meet velvety fillings. These fluffy pastries are like little clouds of happiness, with a crisp outside and creamy inside. Whether filled with silky pastry cream or dreamy whipped cream, each bite will make you swoon. Perfect for sharing as well as self-indulgence. So, let’s dive in and learn how to whip up these delightful treats together!
These cream puffs are made with choux pastry, a versatile dough that puffs up when baked. Then these baked puffs are filled with either rich pastry cream, custard, or just whipped cream.
This cream puff recipe is similar to Classic Eclair.
The magic of cream puffs lies in simplicity – made from just a handful of basic inexpensive ingredients that I am pretty much sure are already in your pantry. For something so decadent and indulgent making cream puffs is an easy process.
Ingredients required
Following is a preview list of ingredients, for a detailed list with quantity required, find the recipe card below.
For the Choux Pastry:
- Water and Milk
- Butter
- Sugar
- Salt
- All-purpose flour
- Eggs
For the Pastry Cream Filling:
- Milk
- Sugar
- Egg yolks
- Cornstarch/Cornflour
- Butter
- Vanilla extract
- Heavy/whipping cream
How to make cream puffs?
Following is a simple instruction list, for detailed instructions, find the recipe card below.
Prep: Preheat your oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Choux pastry
- In a saucepan, heat water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Switch off the heat and add flour all at once. Stir vigorously to form a dough. Cook on low heat till dough pulls away from the sides of the pan. Let the dough cool for cools down.
- Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition until fully incorporated. The dough should be smooth and glossy.
- Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe mounds onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven until the puffs are golden brown and crisp.
Pastry Cream:
- Heat the milk and vanilla and set aside to cool. Over medium heat until it reaches a simmer.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch.
- Combine milk with this mixture.
- Cook the mixture until it thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the butter.
- Cover the surface of the cream with plastic and chill in the refrigerator until completely cold.
- Beat heavy/whipping cream with sugar till thick. Add the chilled custard and beat till combined.
Fill the Puffs:
Once the pastry cream is chilled and the choux puffs are cooled, fill each puff with the pastry cream using a piping bag fitted with a small tip or a spoon.
Things to keep in mind while making Cream puffs:
- Measurement of ingredients especially flour should be precise.
- Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent the cream puffs from sticking. Avoid greasing the baking sheet as this can affect the rise and texture of the pastry.
- While cooking the choux pastry on the stovetop, the dough should form a smooth ball and a thin film should form on the bottom of the pan. This ensures that enough moisture has evaporated from the dough.
- The quantity of eggs required depends on the quality and quantity of dough as well as the size of the eggs. You may not require 3 eggs or you may require more than 3. So it is very necessary to add eggs little by little and checking the consistency of the dough after each addition. When the dough is lifted with a spoon and allowed to fall the dough should hold a “V” shape to eventually fall. It is the perfect consistency.
Storage
It’s better to fill the puffs with cream before serving. Filling them in advance can make them soggy. It’s better to store puffs and cream individually.
Cream puffs storage
- Allow the puffs to cool completely to prevent condensation which can cause puffs to become soggy.
- Room temperature: Store unfilled cream puffs in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1-2 days. If you live in a humid climate, you may want to store them in a slightly open container to prevent them from becoming too moist. If your cream puff has lost some of its crispiness reheat them in the below-mentioned way.
- Freezing: Place unfilled, baked cream puffs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze them until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to 1-2 months.
- Thawing and reheating: Thaw them at room temperature and to reheat place them in a preheated oven at 300°F /150°C for 5-10 minutes.
Pastry Cream Storage
Pastry cream can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. They also can be frozen but it might affect the texture(I don’t recommend it).
If you liked this recipe, try these!
Cream Puffs
Cream puffs are delicate choux pastry shells filled with luscious pastry cream. This indulgent and irresistible treat is perfect for any occasion. Elevate your baking repertoire with these cream puffs.
Ingredients
For the Choux Pastry:
- 82 g Milk 1/3 cup
- 82 g Water 1/3 cup
- 67.5 g Butter (unsalted) 1/3 cup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 7.5 g Sugar ½ tbsp
- 93 g All-purpose flour ¾cup
- 3 Eggs (room temperature), large
- Powdered sugar for dusting
For the Pastry Cream Filling:
- 187 g Milk ¾cup
- 30 g granulated sugar 2½tbsp
- 3 large egg yolks
- 15 g cornstarch 1½ tbsp.
- 5 g Butter(unsalted, cold) 2 tsp
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150 g heavy cream ⅔ cup
- 30 g Powdered sugar ⅓ cup
Instructions
Prep:
- Preheat your oven to 410°F/210°C. Draw 1½ inches circles on parchment paper with some distance between each circle. Place this parchment paper drawn side down on a baking tray.
Choux pastry:
- In a bowl whisk the eggs together. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, bring water, butter, sugar, and salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir until the butter is melted. Switch off the heat and add flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a spatula until no flour is visible and the mixture forms a dough. Cook the dough on medium-low heat till the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a thin layer on the bottom of the pan, about 1-2 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the dough into a bowl. Let it cool down. Mix it with a whisk or electric whisker to release some steam.
- Add the whisked eggs, in 3-4 parts, stirring or mixing with a mixer well after each addition until fully incorporated. When the spoon or whisk is lifted, with some dough and let it fall back into the bowl. It should slowly form a “V” shape and eventually break off. This is the perfect consistency of dough. You may not require three eggs for this or you may need more. So you should check the consistency after every addition of eggs.
- Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe 1 1/2-inch mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each puff to allow for expansion.
- If peaks are formed during piping, wet your fingertip and smooth out the peaks. Dust with powdered sugar.
- Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F /180°C and continue baking for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the puffs are golden brown and crisp.
- Remove the puffs from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack.
the Pastry Cream:
- In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla extract over medium heat until it reaches a simmer.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch until smooth and pale in color.
- Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Once combined, pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
- Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and comes to a boil. This will take about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the chilled butter.
- Transfer the pastry cream to a clean bowl to remove any lumps. Cover the surface of the cream with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator until completely cold.
- In a bowl beat heavy/whipping cream with powdered sugar till thickened. Add the pastry cream and beat until a smooth consistency is achieved. Chill the pastry cream till further use.
- Fill the pastry cream into a piping bag fitted with a small and narrow nozzle.
Fill the Puffs:
- Fill each puff with pastry cream. You can either pierce the bottom of the puff with the nozzle and pipe in the cream. Or cut the puffs horizontally, pipe cream on the bottom part, and place the top part on top like a sandwich.
- Serve the cream puffs immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Dust with powdered sugar before serving if desired.