Cream puffs are a simple yet elegant dessert, and making them at home is easier than you might think! The foundation of this classic French treat is a light and airy pate a choux, crafted from water, salt, sugar, butter, and flour cooked on the stovetop. My recipe features a rich, fluffy mascarpone cream filling for the best taste. Each cream puff is sprinkled with powdered sugar, adding a touch of sweetness and a beautiful finish that makes these pastries irresistible.
Cream puffs are perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth and make a lovely addition to any dessert table. Whether enjoyed with a warm cup of coffee or served as a sweet ending to a meal, these classic pastries are surprisingly easy to make at home, promising a delightful and impressive treat for any occasion.
It’s truly easy to make cream puffs, and takes only a few basic ingredients that you probably have on hand! This cream puff recipe is my go-to recipe, and hope it’ll be yours too.
PERFECT HOMEMADE CREAM PUFFS FROM SCRATCH
Choux pastry might sound fancy, but it’s actually quite simple to make. With just a few basic ingredients, you can create this classic pastry at home with ease.
For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post. You can also print the recipe from the card, if needed.
- Water – Water is one of the most vital ingredients for cream puff dough, produces steam as the puffs bake, making them fluffy and light.
- Flour – Regular, all-purpose flour will work just fine here.
- Butter – Butter make the puffs creamy and bring more moisture to the dough. I prefer unsalted butter. If you opt for salted butter, omit the salt.
- Sugar – A little bit off sugar adds flavor.
- Eggs – Eggs also help the pastry dough to become airy. Make sure yours are at room temperature before you add them.
- Salt – For flavor.
MASCARPONE CREAM FILLING INGREDIENTS
- Mascarpone cheese
- Heavy whipping cream
- Powdered sugar sugar
HOW TO MAKE PATE A CHOUX
- Place the butter, water and salt in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat and bring to boil. Once mixture is boiling, remove from heat and with a wooden spoon or spatula, quickly add the flour. Return to heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick, smooth ball (about 2 to 3 minutes).
- Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle (or you can use a handheld mixer). Beat with a mixer on low speed a minute or two to release the steam from the dough. Once the dough is lukewarm start adding the eggs one at a time, (the mixture will look curdled at first, but will begin to come together as the mixer runs). Mixing on medium-low speed until each egg is fully incorporated, about 30 to 45 seconds per each egg. Continue to mix until you have a thick, shiny and smooth pipe-able consistency.
- Transfer mixture to a pastry bag and pipe onto prepared baking sheet, creating a 2-inch circular ball. Pipe at least 2 inches apart from each other. They will expand after baking.
- Add 1/4 cup of water to a small bowl. Dip your finger in the water and press down the little peaks at the top of the dough, so the puffs are smooth.
- Bake at 425°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until the shells have golden brown. Do not open the oven door!
- Remove from the oven, and while the puffs are still hot, quickly prick each puff with a toothpick to create a small hole. This allows steam to escape and prevents them from collapsing. Return the puffs to the tray and place them in the turned-off oven with the door partially open for 4–5 minutes. Once the time has passed, remove from oven and allow to cool completely on baking sheet.
HOW TO MAKE MASCARPONE CREAM FILLING
In a large mixing bowl, combine heavy cream and powder sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy with stiff peaks. Add the mascarpone cheese. Beat at high speed for a few minutes until mixture comes together, thickness and resembles frosting.
FILLING THE CREAM PUFFS
Add the whipped cream to a pastry bag. Use a serrated knife to cut the shells in half, creating a top and bottom. Evenly pipe the mascarpone cream into the pastry bottoms, then gently place the lids on top of the cream.
Lightly dust the tops of each cream puff with powdered sugar just before serving, as the sugar will dissolve in the refrigerator if not served right away. Enjoy!
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Common filling choices are whipped cream, pastry cream or even ice cream. My personal favorite filling is a mascarpone cream filling. Full instructions are in the recipe box below.
As far as toppings go, you can enjoy the cream puffs as-is or finish them with a sprinkle of powdered sugar or even drizzle them with a glaze, dip them in melted chocolate and add sprinkles.
EQUIPMENT
- Stand mixer
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Pastry bag
- Plain and star pastry tip
- Wooden spoon
RECIPE TIPS
- Use good quality butter for better taste.
- Since the hot dough is mixed by hand, I recommend using a sturdy spoon – a wooden spoon or GIR Spatula because it is heat resistant.
- Poking holes in the baked puffs allows steam to escape. This will give you a more crisp texture.
- Returning puffs to turned-off oven after they’ve baked helps keep them crisp.
- Make sure you do not open the oven door during baking.
STORING AND FREEZING
Filled puffs are best served right away, but can be made a couple hours ahead of time and refrigerated. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days (after 2 days they can get a bit soggy).
To Freeze:
- Shell only: Bake according to directions. Flash freeze then carefully place in a freezer safe airtight container. Freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw for 5-10 minutes and fill with cream. Keep in mind that the texture may change some after freezing and defrosting.
It is not recommended to freeze filled cream puffs.
MORE DESSERTS RECIPES
Here are a few more recipes that you might like:
- Citrus Curd Linzer Cookies
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Kolachkes
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Orange Sugar Cookies
FAQ
How to make each puff the same size?
- You can prepare a template ahead of time. Take one sheet of parchment paper and, using a 2-inch round cutter as a guide, trace circles that are 2 inches apart. Flip paper upside down and set it on the baking sheet. Repeat with a second piece of parchment paper.
Can I make the dough without food processor?
- It’s just a bit tiring and more difficult than using the machine because the choux pastry is so thick.
Why are my cream wet inside?
- This happens if you added too much eggs, or you didn’t cook the dough long enough, and have too much water in the dough.
Did you make these Cream Puffs? Let me know your thoughts and any questions in the comments section. 😊 I genuinely appreciate your feedback and am always here to answer any questions you may have. Also, be sure to pin the recipe by clicking the ‘PIN’ button for future reference.
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Happy Baking! -A
The nutritional and calories information shown is an estimated provided by an online nutrition calculator. It does not assert or suggest that readers should or should not count calories, and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s or doctor’s counselling.
This post was originally published on August 1st, 2022, and republished on November 1st, 2024.
CREAM PUFFS
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 90 g unsalted butter
- 160 g all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional
- pinch salt
- Powdered sugar for dusting cream puffs
Mascarpone cream filling:
- 250 ml heavy whipping cream
- 250 g mascarpone cheese
- 3 tablespoons powder sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven for 425° Fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet or two smaller baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place the butter, water and salt in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat and bring to boil. Once mixture is boiling, remove from heat and with a wooden spoon or spatula, quickly add the flour. Return to heat and stir constantly until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan and forms a thick, smooth ball (about 2 to 3 minutes).
- Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle (or you can use a handheld mixer). Beat with a mixer on low speed a minute or two to release the steam from the dough. Once the dough is lukewarm start adding the eggs one at a time, (the mixture will look curdled at first, but will begin to come together as the mixer runs). Mixing on medium-low speed until each egg is fully incorporated, about 30 to 45 seconds per each egg. Continue to mix until you have a thick, shiny and smooth pipe-able consistency.
- Transfer mixture to a pastry bag and pipe onto prepared baking sheet, creating a 2-inch circular ball. Pipe at least 2 inches apart from each other. They will expand after baking. Add 1/4 cup of water to a small bowl. Dip your finger in the water and press down the little peaks at the top of the dough, so the puffs are smooth.
- Bake at 425°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until the shells have golden brown. Do not open the oven door!
- Remove from the oven, and while the puffs are still hot, quickly prick each puff with a toothpick to create a small hole. This allows steam to escape and prevents them from collapsing. Return the puffs to the tray and place them in the turned-off oven with the door partially open for 4–5 minutes.
- Once the time has passed, remove from oven and allow to cool completely on baking sheet.
- Piping the Mascarpone Cream – Add the whipped cream to a pastry bag. Use a serrated knife to cut the shells in half, creating a top and bottom. Evenly pipe the mascarpone cream into the pastry bottoms, then gently place the lids on top of the cream.
- Lightly dust the tops of each cream puff with powdered sugar just before serving, as the sugar will dissolve in the refrigerator if not served right away.
Mascarpone cream filling
- In a large mixing bowl, combine heavy cream and powder sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy with stiff peaks. Add the mascarpone cheese. Beat at high speed for a few minutes until mixture comes together, thickness and resembles frosting.