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
My first time making these turned out perfectly! Piped ina vanilla custard and dipped in chocolate ganache like an eclair. I’ll definitely be making these again!
These look delicious. Can I substitute salted butter for the unsalted butter?
Hi Wendy! That will work, just omit the salt in the recipe.
Do you have perfect pastry cream for the puffs?
Hi Sarah, I have the full recipe listed within this post, see the ingredients list for my Cream Filling and Garnish. I hope this helps.
Absolutely delicious! Thanks for your recipes, always great !
The cream puffs didn’t come out puffy ,what did i do wrong?
Hi Fee! See the section above, “Why do Cream Puffs Deflate?”
Hi, can I freeze the cream puffs for a later date??
I have made the recipe before and it worked out perfectly thank you!!
Hi Audrey! Yes, see my note above for freezing. I’m so glad the recipe worked out well for you.
how many puffs can it make in one production?
Hi Jaesha, The serving size can be found at the beginning of the print-friendly recipe card (located at the bottom of the recipe post). The nutrition label shows counts “per serving.” This recipe makes 28 cream puffs. I hope that helps!
Perfect cream puffs!! I followed directions and the result was a delicate pastry filled with beautiful cream. A tiny bite of Heaven!!
My choux pastry was very orange, but yours are not. They also deflated when out of the oven and when I tried a bite it tasted like scrambled eggs unfortunately. Any idea what I did wrong?
Hi Maggie, it sounds like something wen wrong with the egg mixture. It’s hard to say without being there, but I recommend reviewing the recipe in its entirety again to be sure a step wasn’t missed. I wish I could be more helpful from afar.
If you missed sprinkling water on them B4 putting in oven they do not puff up nice and big
Do you store them in the fridge? If so, do you need to reheat them?
Hello! You can go check this part of the recipe “Can I Store the Cream Puffs Before Filling?” and “Can I Freeze Cream Puffs?” for some tips on how to store and reheat them.
Is the bread part of the pastry suposed to be not sweet? Mine just kind of tastes like bread.
Hi Victoria! It’s not sweet, these get their sweetness from the filling/cream which creates a perfect balance.
I so loved your video on cream puffs. I will be making them sooner than later. Thank you!
I need to make a polish cream puff cake… can I use this recipe for the pastry? How would I change the filling?
Hi Michelle! I’m not familiar with that recipe.
Why don’t my cream puffs get puffy and crinckly on top. The only thing is I used 1% instead of whole milk. Please help!
Hello there! It sounds like it could be because of the milk as it contains less fat compared to whole milk. Or it can also because of different factors like overmixing the dough, not correct oven temperature and baking time. Also make sure you’re adding the correct amount of water to create enough steam during baking. If the dough is too thick or dry, it can prevent puffing.
Thank you, Natasha! Delicious, as always:)
Absolutely amazing, works every time and it’s so easy to do!
I only made the shells but they came out perfect! The video was super helpful and appreciated.
I’m so glad to hear this video was helpful, Rachel!
Love this recipe! The problem is that it is very popular so I need to make lots. Can I double up on the recipe or does that affect the outcome?
Hello! I’m glad to hear that you love this recipe. Yes, you can double it, just be sure to measure it carefully. You may also need a slightly larger pan for cooking the dough. The baking time might also be affected so just keep an eye on them and rotate the trays halfway through if you’re using multiple sheets to ensure they bake evenly.
I have made these cream puffs numerous times. They are my go to.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Hi Natasha. I made this recipe twice and having difficulty with the consistency both times. I measured the flour like you video. Can I get advice possibly on this problem. I looked at other comments and saw some people with the same problem. Mine was runny each time. 🙁
I recommend checking and making sure that you are using the correct measurements of ingredients. Always spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it off, rather than scooping directly. If your dough appears to be too runny, you can also try adding a little more flour and cook the mixture a minute or two longer. You can also try chilling the dough briefly in the fridge to firm it up before piping it onto your baking sheet. Hope that helps!
Measurements in weight would be helpful. Anecdotally, I used 128 grams of all purpose flour and my batter turned out just right.
Hi Shawn, we have weight measurements on this recipe. 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.