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
The batter did not make very many just 18 and the puffs after they were done cooking did not rise. but aside from that they were good! thanks Natasha
Hi Lil, 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 be flat. That is what I suspect happened. I suggest watching the video tutorial to see where things may have gone wrong.
Hi Natasha,
Love your recipe. Mine didn’t come out as good. The choux bater was little liquid. I found it difficult to pipe it also. What could be the reason? Same was with the pastry cream.an you please help me out here
Hi, make sure to mix on the stove to allow the extra steam to escape. Doing this should solve the issue. Also, check out our post on how we measure to determine if something could have been measured differently.
I found the recipe so much easier than I thought they would be for years!. The first one I tried was using the low fat cream cheese and mandarin oranges . Mixing the cream cheese and powdered sugar with orange zest and about 1/4 cup orange juice. Following the recipe and filling then dust with powder sugar. Delishous!!!!)
I love it! Thanks for your great comments, Kathryn.
Made these yesterday with the kids and they were a hit!! Your instructions are so easy to follow and the cream puffs were delicious!! My husband who avoids ALL desserts ate one and loved it too! Thank you so much for this lovely recipe
You’re welcome, Farrah! I’m so glad you and your family liked this recipe, especially your husband!
I made these today! I had always been intimidated by puff recipes and never attempted any of them. However, I must say that this recipe was easy to execute and the puffs turned out just wonderful. Thank you! I’ll be making them again tomorrow. I got 2 dozen and they’re ALL done. The children loved them!
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Giselle! Thank you for sharing that with me.
You are so funny. Just love to watch your videos. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for that wonderful feedback, Betty! You’re so nice.
I made it a couple times and it turned out delicious! My family loved it and the texture was just perfect, along with the homemade whip cream. I’m definitely going to be making this again for other family members as it’s so easy to make!
Thank you for the great feedback, Lydia. I’m so glad that you made this and it was a success! I hope your family will love the recipe too!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. It is my first time making them and they turning out pretty good. Need to work on piping. I appreciate such a detailed recipe and video.
You’re welcome, Julia! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe & our video. Thank you for watching.
I love it my puffs some didnt cone out quite so puffy and a bit flat but i made do i also had to do them in 2 batches of 9 so the first i did with just cream next i did with cream and jam piping the jam in before the cream tasted great
Thank you for sharing that with me. I’m sorry they were a bit flat. Please see the section above titled “Why do Cream Puffs Deflate?” which should help.
I have been making cream puffs for many years using 1 cup of water. Today I decided to try a new recipe to see what’s the difference is. Replaced half cup of water with half cup whole milk came out EPIC FAIL. Going back to using 1 cup of water.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I had the same problem. I normally make them with water and have great results, but these went absolutely flat. I’m not sure, though, if it was the ingredients or the temperature or something else (user error, maybe). I’ll have to check my other recipe. But was so disappointed to have wasted a stick of butter and four eggs.
Would strawberries taste good as well? I want to make these but I don’t have raspberries.
Hi Kira, I have not tested that with strawberries but one of our readers wrote it with an awesome review after using strawberries.
Thank you for such a detailed but easy recipe with instructions. First time making it with my kids and it’s so fun to make and so delicious. I mixed Matcha powder into the whipping cream , even yummier!
That’s a great idea, Stella! I bet it was a pretty color too! Thank you for sharing that with us!
Delicious but the whipped cream filling liquified over night even while stored in the refrigerator. Use and serve same day
Hi Adnrea, Thank you for sharing that with us. Our recommendation is to fill the same day of serving. If not serving the same day we recommend freezing it. I hope that helps.
How many hours will the cream filling last in the cream puff? I am bringing them to a dinner party for dessert.
Hi Julia, it works best if they are enjoyed the same day they are assembled. You can assemble in the morning and serve in the evening but be sure to keep them covered and refrigerated and make certain that the frosting is thick and fluffy (not overly soft, or it will ooze out).
I made these – raspberry and all – for an afternoon tea at a nursing home in our town. It was a delight to see their eyes light up when they tasted these adorable cream puffs. Some said they couldn’t remember the last time they ate cream puffs! Natasha, take joy in knowing your recipe made so many people very happy!
Aww this is the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m so inspired reading this.
hi! this looks amazing, but do you know if I can make a croquembouche with these?
Hi Isabelle, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi I’m a Email subscriber and I like the dish very well turn out very well
Great to hear that Damien. Thank you for trying out this recipe and for providing good feedback.
Is 2% Milk okay to use? I am excited and nervous to try!
Hi Jessie, 2% should still work fine.
I just made these and my dough was runny. I used 4 large eggs but perhaps they were a little larger than usual. I tried fixing it by mixing them over the burner..but no luck. I piped them onto the baking sheet and they look pretty flat. and spread like crazy so it only yielded 18….I was worried they wouldnt puff up…but like magic…after taking a 10 min break and write this message – they puffed up! Not a perfect shape – but good enough! So excited! Thanks so much for the recipe. It was my first time making them and I am bringing them to a get together tonight,
Well looks like I spoke too soon…they deflated after lowering the temp to 325. Any suggestions on how to fix the dough if it turns out too runny next time?
Oh no! I would recommend keeping them an extra 30 seconds or so on the stove. I hope that helps!
Hi El, I’m so glad that worked out! The larger eggs may definitely be the culprit.
Can you use 1% milk?
Hi Sue, one of our readers made this with 1% milk and found their dough was too runny. If using the 1% milk I would probably have kept them an extra 30 seconds or so on the stove. I hope that helps!
Hi, I love love your recipes. Just can these be made without eggs? Please do advise. Thanks so much in advance.
I haven’t really tried making it without eggs yet but I would love know how it goes if you experiment.
Made these the other day. 1ST time making cream puffs and they turn out fantastic! They looked beautiful and tasted even better. Easy recipe to follow. I will never buy cream puffs from the store again. I took a picture of mine and posted it on Facebook and everyone was so impressed. Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that, Aimee! Thank you for that awesome feedback!
I just tried this recipe today using PC brand Gluten Free flour blend. I was diagnosed with Celiac disease 4 years ago and treats like this are something I miss. Your recipe did not disappoint, even with the gluten free flour! The puffs rose and were a beautiful golden brown. They did not hollow out quite as much as regular flour perhaps, but I sandwiched as much whipped cream as I could anyway.
Thank you for a great recipe and your adorable videos! I have shared this with some Celiac friends to try too.
You’re welcome Jenn & thank you for that wonderful compliment! I hope you enjoy more of our recipes soon.
Thank you for sharing. I have celiac too. My family loves golden raisin buns with basically this recipe, but we use rice flour.
Great recipe. Very, very easy. I made this recipe this evening. Huge hit! My mother made cream puffs during my childhood. She made giant puffs and filled them with homemade bavarian. I prefer the light fluffy whipped filling. Shhh. Thats our secret. Thank you for posting!
You’re welcome, Denise. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.