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.
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Homebaked pastries are the closest thing to getting them freshly baked from a Parisian Bakery! My husband and I finally went to Paris in 2024, and we sure enjoyed visiting French Patisseries (a bakery that specializes in pastries and sweets).
I just love re-creating classic French pastries like Eclairs, Croissants, Scones, and, of course, these Cream Puffs, which are surprisingly simple to make.
Watch How to Make Cream Puffs
Homemade cream puffs are the ultimate treat. Watch the video tutorial, and you’ll realize how easy they are to make. You’ll make them over and over! Have fun and let me know if you get creative and experiment with different fillings or toppings. There are so many varieties!
Cream Puff Recipe
Cream puffs are an iconic and well-loved pastry found in French bakeries, but they are surprisingly easy to master at home. The pastry, also called pâte à choux dough, requires simple, inexpensive ingredients (milk, water, butter, sugar, salt, flour, and eggs), and it takes about one hour of your time from start to finish.
If you have made my 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. We use an easy sweetened whipped cream filling, but you can also make Pastry Cream to fill the centers if you want a more traditional filling.
Tools to Make Cream Puffs
You’ll be happy to know that you can make cream puffs with basic kitchen tools:
- 3 Qt Medium saucepan with a wooden spoon
- Electric Hand Mixer (or stand mixer with whisk attachment)
- Pastry Bag with 1/2″ Round Tip (without the tip, you can cut a 1/2″ diameter tip from a disposable pastry bag)
- Baking Sheet lined with Silpat or parchment paper
What is Choux Pastry?
Choux Pastry (also known as Pâte à Choux) is a French pastry dough. It is pronounced “shoo pastry.” It sounds fancy but it is surprisingly easy to make and requires simple ingredients. Choux pastry is also used to make:
- Eclairs filled with custard and dipped in chocolate
- Profiteroles (like cream puffs but filled with ice cream, drizzled with chocolate ganache and frozen)
- Churros which are deep fried and rolled in cinnamon sugar
- Zeppole – an Italian donut
- Cinnamon Sugar Donuts – a family favorite in my Cookbook
Why do Cream Puffs Deflate?
There are 2 reasons cream puffs can deflate and go flat:
- Opening the oven early – the loss of heat hinders their ability to rise
- Under-baking – causes collapse shortly after removing from oven
Pro Tip:
If making larger, 2″ wide cream puffs, you will get 18 puffs which need to be baked longer (10 min at 425˚F then 25 minutes at 325˚F).
How do I know when Cream Puffs are Done?
The color is the best indicator of doneness and they should be deeply golden. You can take 1 cream puff out at the recommended time and break it open, the center should be mostly hollowed out. If the dough inside seems very moist and spongy, continue baking for another 2 minutes.
Can I Store the Cream Puffs Before Filling?
The shells can be made a day or 2 ahead. Let them cool to room temperature, cover lightly and store at room temperature. They tend to soften if made ahead.
To re-crisp the shell: bake uncovered in a preheated oven at 300˚F for about 5 minutes. Once cream puffs are filled, they are best enjoyed the same day or frozen.
Can I Freeze Cream Puffs?
When freezing filled cream puffs, be sure to fill the cream into the center, or cut off tops and add just enough cream so it is completely covered and hidden with the lid. You want to have the cream contained.
To thaw frozen cream puffs: leave them for 2 hours in the refrigerator, or 30 minutes at room temperature then dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
More Classic Desserts to Try
The French are known for their incredible dessert and pastries. These Parisian desserts are simple and will make you feel like a pro!
- Charlotte Cake
- Almond Cake
- Creme Brulee
- Cranberry Orange Scones
- Strawberry Scones
- Raspberry Macarons
- Crepe Cake
Cream Puffs Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for Choux Pastry:
- 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 large eggs, room temperature
Ingredients for Cream Filling and Garnish:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
- 4 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 28 raspberries, optional
- 1 Tbsp powdered sugar, to garnish
Instructions
How to Make Cream Puffs:
- Preheat oven to 425˚F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper.
- In a Medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup milk, 8 Tbsp butter, 1 tsp sugar and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring just to a boil over medium heat then remove from heat and stir in 1 cup flour all at once with a wooden spoon.
- One flour is incorporated, place back over medium heat stirring constantly for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes to release extra moisture and partially cook flour. A thin film will form on the bottom of the pan and dough will come together into a smooth ball.
- Transfer dough to a large mixing bowl and beat using an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute to cool mixture slightly. Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, allowing to fully incorporate between additions. Beat another minute until dough is smooth and forms a thick ribbon when pulled up.
- Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2" round tip. Pipe 28 puffs, each 1 1/2” diameter and 1/2” tall rounds. Keep them 1" apart and avoid making peaks* but if you do get peaks, wet finger tips lightly with water and smooth them out.
- 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.
How to Make Filling for Cream Puffs:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups heavy cream, 4 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy with stiff peaks (2 min). Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip.
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
I haven’t tried this yet but will next week. Do you use all purposed pre-sifted flour
Hi Suzy, we used all-purpose flour for this recipe.
Natasha
I been following you for a while & have done a couple of your amazing recipes 🙂 but the one I have trouble with is the cream puff’s, I just can’t get the pastry to puff they turn out flat :(. What can I do??
Hello Elvia, thank you for your support and for always following my recipes. I have provided some reasons why puffs deflate, you can check out this section in the recipe “Why do Cream Puffs Deflate”. You can also check the comments at the bottom of the recipe for some more tips.
can’t cook or bake to save my life but wanted to surprise my boyfriend on our anniversary and they turned out great!! thank you for making it SO simple and easy to follow!
I’m so glad it all worked out! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Maxi!
Do you happen to know bake time/temperature for giant choux pastries? Say 4” diameter instead of 1-1.5”? Thanks for putting out great recipes, your website is a personal favorite of mine!
Hi Nicki, I haven’t tried making giant ones myself, so I’m unable to advise. There’s a science to this, and I worry about misquoting the bake time – which may cause them to “fall.” I hope you find your answer!
Natasha Hi ! I have to share something funny with you ! I made these Cream Puffs and viola I can now add these to my repertoire. My piping bag broke. I had pastry everywhere. Took a while to clean and transfer, but they turned out amazing ! Thx !
I’m so glad to hear these were still a hit, Eric! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi dear Natasha,I have a question about the butter can you tell me how many grams 8 tablespoon is?
Thank you for the great recipe
Hi Elnaz, If you scroll down to our printable recipe card, most of our recipes have a metric conversion option on the printable recipe card. We are currently working on adding metric measurements to all of our recipes, but it is taking some time to add them one at a time. Thank you so much for being patient! In the meantime, check out our post on measuring which should help.
I always thought that cream puffs were hard to make but they are really simply and easy! Turned out great.
Yes that’s right, it is an easy process and I’m glad you liked it!
Love your videos! You are so upbeat and positive. Did you know there is an excellent recipe on the side of the Hershey’s Cocoa box for a chocolate icing that is delicious in these cream puffs? Instead of a raspberry, I put a pitted Bing cherry in the middle as the surprise.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I love ur recipes so accurate stay blessed healthy long life
Thank you so much, Zee. I really appreciate it!
I don’t see anything where the video should be. Has it been removed?
Hi Bernita, it’s right about the printable recipe card, but you can also find it HERE.
Hello
So when you make these and fill them, how long can they stay for?
Hi Valeria, we freeze or refrigerate the filled puffs for up to a couple of days. The shells alone we leave out in an airtight container. I recommend reading through the recipe notes especially the section titled: “Can I Store the Cream Puffs Before Filling?” & “Can I Freeze Cream Puffs?”
Easy delicious recipe. The cream puffs were a HUGE hit at my office party!
So glad to hear that it was a hit! Thank you for sharing that with us, Patti.
mine ended up not rising as desired as my dough ended up just a little runny. I think the trick is figuring out what “thick ribbon” means. I would say the dough should be moist enough to just allow a ribbon to form. I suspect my eggs were to large. An alternative is to advise eggs amount in ounces or fraction of a cap. I will try again tomorrow
Hi David, watching the video may help to visualize what the dough should look like, but definitely using eggs that are too large can change the balance of liquid to dry ingredients and may need a little longer on the stove to remove extra steam.
I had the same problem and also think maybe my eggs were too large . It didn’t get thick and was runny when piped. Recipes that show measurements in grams are very helpful. or eggs in ounces. I usually use my Betty Crocker recipe that uses only water, no milk or sugar and baked at 425 for 30 min and they always turn out great but Natasha makes everything look so good, I thought I would try her recipe.
Hi Natasha,
I don’t own and have never used piping bags. Can you recommend a substitution?
Do you think pipettes would work well?
Thanks!!
Others use a sandwich plastic bag or a ziplock.
mom always used 2 teaspoons filled one with batter used the second to push onto baking tray, then a wet finger to smooth top if necessary, so that was what I have always done. works great.
The recipe was delicious and easy to follow! Thank you for your bubbly personality, it was very fun to watch!
It was my first time using a pipe and it was great!
I was a bit flimsy with the batter but improved with the cream.
All is good! It was yummy yummy!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review, Ti!
The recipe was delicious and easy to follow! Thank you for your bubbly personality, it was very fun to watch!
It was my first time using a pipe and it was great!
I was a bit flimsy with the batter but improved with the cream.
All is good! It was yummy yummy!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Ti! And thank you so much for that wonderful compliment!
Hello
Your recipe looks great
I wish i could cook like you
I made cream puffs but the top and bottom burned and the inside dough remained uncooked!
Can you guide me where is the problem?
Maybe i should change the oven temperature?
Hi Akram, I suspect the oven is too hot. Make sure you are using a conventional bake mode (not convection or air fryer settings)
The recipe is easy to make and very yummy!
Thank you for the wonderful review!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe, its works great every time!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Rose! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I do not have a wooden spoon nor do I have an electric mixer. Is it ok if I use a hand whisk and a metal spoon? I’d like to know because if not, there isn’t any reason to waste my time and ingredients.
Hi Rachel, I haven’t tried it that way but it would be difficult to mix the egg into such a thick batter using a hand whisk. You might do a google search to see if anyone else recommends a different method.