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
These turned out just as pretty as store bought ones. I personally wanted my whipped cream to be sweater so I added more sugar, but the dough turned out amazing! People didn’t believe that I made them myself.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Sam!
Hello, I followed the recipe but it did not seem like the dough rose at all. The resulting shells looks flat. The bottom of the cookie rose, but there seemed to be no sign of deflating when I took the puffs out. Do you know what might be going on?
Hi Eric, I’m sorry that happened. Please see the section above titled “Why do Cream Puffs Deflate?” which should help.
These didn’t work for me at all. Everything seemed fine until I added the eggs, then got crumbly. Mixed by hand to get it back together but piping them out they seemed super oily. Unfortunately they did not rise at all and are flat, taste isn’t terrible but seems like they are a bit eggy tasting. Not sure what happened.
Hi Rosanna, I haven’t had that experience but it sounds like ingredients may have been added in the wrong order? I have found that if ingredients are not added in the correct order, the dough won’t form properly. I hope that helps. They should not taste eggy or be flat. That is what I suspect happened. I suggest watching the video tutorial to see where things may have gone wrong.
Hi Natasha, thank you. Best recipe ever! Serving them tonight for dessert.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Lindy!
Hi Natasha,
Lovely recipe and pictures, can’t wait to try it out for myself. I was wondering if I can use this recipe to make a croquembouche? Thank you.
Hi Irina, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I always had this recipe from my ex mother in law and my cream puffs came out like lead balls. I asked her twice about the recipe and then gave up. I was going through my recipe cards to keep what I like or get rid of. I decided to watch your video. My ex mother in law purposely left out the milk in them. I will try these for Christmas. You made it seem so easy. Thank you.
I’m happy you found our recipe, Dawn! I hope you love this!
Hi, can these be made as gkuten free
Hi Diane, I have not tried making this gluten-free so I cannot advise. If you experiment, please let me know how you like that recipe.
Natasha, could you please provide the cup size, my cup is of 200ml. Thank you.
Hi Janet, I’m not sure I understand the question. Are you looking for metric measurements? We have that option towards the bottom of the ingredient list on the printable recipe. If you click on Metric it will translate the cups to ml. I hope that helps.
I was wondering, whether you use whole milk or regular milk. Does it matter?
Hi Natasha, yes, per the recipe we used “1/2 cup whole milk” I hope that helps.
Thank you for the recipe! They came out perfect
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Tried recipe for first time this morning and family loved! Plan to play around with different fillings in the future. Thank you for sharing, Natasha
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Sarah!
Hi Natasha, I tried to make the dough but it came out too sticky and got stuck on my mixer. I know i did something wrong, but don’t know what. Would you happen to know why? I did forget that the eggs were supposed to be on temperature but unfortunately I forgot used cold eggs. Would that be the problem?
Hi Rocio, I’m happy to troubleshoot. Was anything altered in the recipe? Also, did you make sure to measure accurately following our measuring guide here?
I haven’t tried the recipe yet but they look fabulous!
What about a chocolate whipped cream filling? Just add cocoa?
Hi Donna, I haven’t tested that to advise. If you experiment, please let me know how you like that recipe.
This recipe was great! The pastry was super fun to make, and surprisingly easy. The whipped cream is also super simple, but delicious. These tasted (and looked) like they were from a bakery. I’m SO proud!
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Jane!
hi natasha! If i brushed the tops with an egg wash, would that affect how the cream puffs would bake?
Hi Lamiya, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Tell me how to keep the cream puff shells from “falling”. I’d made them for years and sometimes they fall and sometimes they keep their perfect round shape. Last time I made them using your piping method so they were small and they turned out great. Then I made them bigger and they fell?
Hi Claudette, I’m sorry that happened. Please see the section above titled “Why do Cream Puffs Deflate?” which should help.
Thanks! Saw that after i posted 🙂
I love “CREAM PUFFS” I have not made them in a long time…
I hope you try this recipe soon!
hi Natasha . Thanks for sharing this recipe . i really love cream puffs . i wanna ask u a question can i used normal whipping cream instead of heavy whipping cream?
Hi Zafie, we do recommend the heavy whipping cream as it allows the shape to hold better since whipping cream is more light
Hey,Natasha. Thanks for sharing this recipe, i’v made it couple times for 2 different acations & people just loved these cream puffs. God bless u girl. They r perfect to eat when it’s hot outside and these r a bit cold.
That’s just awesome! Aren’t they so perfect (and fancy) for get-togethers!
Excellent recipe! Turned out great first time.
I’m so happy to hear that Yvonne! Thank you for that awesome review!
Hi Natasha, I am using this
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zFqJ3euh2qM
buttercream for your poppyseed cake and turns out super delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for sharing that Alida!
How important is it to have “non-salted” butter?
Hi Bonnie, salted butter has a higher moisture level and I haven’t tested it with salted butter so I can’t say for certain. If you try it, definitely keep the mixture on the heat for the full 2 minutes to allow any extra moisture to escape and omit the added salt in the batter.
Hi Natasha I tried to make cream puff but my batter got was very thin could form a shape
Hi Seher, I would highly recommend watching the video to see where it looked different in the process to figure out what went wrong. Also, this article may help on how we measure dry and wet ingredients.