Cream puffs are a classic French dessert made from choux pastry and filled with a light homemade pastry cream. Master these tasty treats at home with my in-depth tips and step-by-step photos, and make delicious cream puffs fit for a bakery and perfect for sharing.
Growing up, I always loved cream puffs. There’s just something about the light, tasty filling that I’ve always found hard to resist. As a kid, I usually had the frozen kind. Now, I make my own and I have to say – they are even better. The choux pastry is light and crisp and the pastry cream is light and lightly sweet. Pure heaven!
While they can seem intimidating, they really aren’t hard to make. With my guidance on visual cues to look for during the process, you’ll be on your way to beautiful, tasty cream puffs in no time.
I will say that I find regular pastry cream a little too heavy for what I think of as being lighter treat. Plus, that basically makes them eclairs in a different shape. I like to change it up by adding some whipped cream to my classic pastry cream. You still get the great flavor of pastry cream, but with a lightness to it from adding the whipped cream that’s perfect for a cream puff. Totally irresistible.
Why These Are The Best Cream Puffs
- The filling. One of my favorite parts about this cream puffs recipe is the filling. You’ll see cream puffs filled with a variety of fillings, like pastry cream, flavored whipped creams and more. But my favorite filling is slightly different. It’s pastry cream that is lightened with a little whipped cream.
- Made from scratch. I saw a lot of recipes out there that use vanilla pudding as the filling for cream puffs, or that cut the shells in half and sandwich the filling inside that way. I’m sure those all taste good, but I wanted a version that was made entirely from scratch and filled the traditional way.
- Very basic ingredients. Both the pastry cream and choux pastry are made with very basic ingredients that are likely already in your kitchen. Think butter, eggs, sugar, and milk, etc. I bet you can make these without a special trip to the store!
Ingredient Notes
Here’s an overview of everything you’ll need and why; the exact measurements can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Pastry Cream
- Egg yolks – Whole eggs thin out the cream and reduce the flavor, so we stick with egg yolks only in this recipe. They add structure and flavor.
- Sugar – Adds body and sweetness to the cream.
- Cornstarch – I prefer cornstarch over flour as the thickening agent in my pastry cream. It thickens the cream without adding a flour-y taste or changing the texture.
- Whole milk – Stick with whole milk here, as other types don’t have enough fat and create a too-thin cream.
- Unsalted butter – I stick with unsalted butter here, which is also what you’ll use in the pastry.
- Vanilla extract – Gives the cream a light vanilla flavor.
- Heavy whipping cream – Adding the whipped cream makes this filling lighter than standard pastry cream. Be sure to keep it cold so that it whips up properly.
Choux Pastry
- Eggs – Be sure to use large eggs, not medium or small, so you end up with the right amount.
- Butter – Cut the butter into 10 pieces. Be sure to use unsalted butter, as it’s easy to impact the light flavor of the pastry.
- Water – I use water instead of milk in my choux pastry as it creates a lighter, crispier shell.
- Salt – Adds flavor. Without it, the pastry will be bland.
- Sugar – Only a tiny amount is needed but the impact is noticeable.
- Flour – Be sure to use a kitchen scale or the spoon and level technique outlined in my post How To Properly Measure Flour for accurate measuring.
- Powdered sugar – For dusting the pastry shells at the end, if not dipping them in chocolate.
Chocolate Glaze
- Semi-sweet chocolate – I use a chopped bar of quality chocolate. Chocolate chips would also be fine.
- Heavy whipping cream – Makes the glaze pourable.
- Powdered sugar – Sweetens the glaze a bit. Be sure to sift it first to avoid any lumps.
How To Make Cream Puffs from Scratch
Make the Pastry Cream
To make the pastry cream, first beat the eggs in a small bowl. In a saucepan, whisk the sugar and cornstarch until there are no lumps. Add the milk.
Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, just until the mixture begins to thicken and simmer.
Stream a little bit of the milk into the egg yolks, whisking continuously.
Add the egg mixture to the milk mixture. Bring to a light boil for 1 minute, stirring continuously.
Remove from heat. Add the butter and vanilla. Stir until smooth.
Pour the mixture into a bowl. Press clear wrap against the top. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
Make the Choux Pastry Shells
Lightly beat the eggs in a measuring cup. Set some aside so there is 3/4 cup.
Stir the butter, water, salt, and sugar over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce to low. Add all of the flour and quickly stir to combine.
Continue stirring quickly. Press the dough against the sides of the pan as you stir. Stir until the thick dough forms into a ball with a thin white film on the pan.
Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl. Let cool for a couple of minutes.
Add the eggs in 3-4 additions, starting with a smaller amount. Mix well between each addition. Stop when the dough is shiny, thick, and smooth.
Test the consistency by swirling the paddle attachment a few times and lifting it up. If it slowly falls off and leaves a “V” shape on the paddle, it’s ready. If it drizzles off, it’s too thin.
Pipe tall mounts that are 2 inches wide and an inch tall, 2-3 inches apart.
Let rest while the oven preheats to 400F. Bake for 25-30 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 350F. Bake for another 10-15 minutes. Use a paring knife to pierce the side. Cool in the oven with the door open for 5-10 minutes.
Let the shells cool completely on a cooling rack.
Fill & Finish The Cream Puffs
Beat the heavy whipping cream on high until stiff peaks form.
Fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream in two batches.
Transfer to a piping bag with a small tip. Pipe the cream into the hole you created earlier.
If you are not using the chocolate glaze, dust the cream puffs with powdered sugar.
If you are using the chocolate glaze, heat the heavy cream until it begins to boil and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes, then stir or whisk until melted and smooth. Stir in the sifted powdered sugar. Dip the top half of each cream puff into the chocolate glaze. Let firm up on the cooling rack.
Tips for Perfect Choux Pastry
If you’ve never made choux pastry before, these cream puffs might feel a bit overwhelming. But I promise, it’s easier than you think! Just take a minute to read through these tips before getting started.
- Water over milk. As the water in the pastry evaporates, the choux pastry expands. I think you get a better rise with water, plus a crispier shell with less fat.
- Cook the flour. Cooking the flour mixture a bit helps the starches gelatinize, which also strengthens the dough so it can trap the steam needed to rise. To know when it’s ready, look for a thin white film to form on the bottom and/or sides of your pan as you stir.
- Right amount of moisture. It’s important that you add the right amount of egg. Too little and your pastry will be too thick and won’t expand properly. Too much and it won’t have the structure it needs to hold the steam that causes them to expand.
- Pipe tall cream puffs. To pipe a tall mound, rather than a short one, keep your piping tip lifted above the baking mat a bit, rather than closer. It allows the choux pastry to spread, while also building up, rather than spreading out more and staying shorter.
- Bake longer than you think. The most common mistake is not baking these long enough. If they are under baked, there will be too much moisture remaining and they will deflate as they cool. Bake them a little longer than you think, until they are golden brown all over. They should have a crisp outside. Don’t be afraid to bake them a few extra minutes.
- Time can vary. If you make your cream puffs larger or smaller, your baking time will vary, so it’s important to look for them to be brown and crisp to know they are done baking.
- Leave oven closed. The pastry shells will deflate if you open the oven too early and let the heat out. Turn on your oven light to see how they’re doing, rather than opening the oven door.
The Key to Thick Pastry Cream
One of the biggest issues people run into with pastry cream is it ending up runny. We don’t want that!
- Heat slow and steady. Be sure to heat it gently, over medium or medium-low heat, so that it has time to thicken properly.
- Don’t boil too long. You want to cook it long enough that it can thicken, but you also don’t want to boil it for too long or the cornstarch will actually break down instead of thickening the cream, leaving you with a runny mess.
- Cool it. Let it cool completely, so it can thicken fully.
- Smooth it out. Stir it up to smooth it out before filling pastries. If it seems lumpy, you can always strain it.
Filling Alternatives
If you aren’t into pastry cream, or just want to make something different, here are a few options.
- Whipped cream – There are so many options. Try vanilla whipped cream, mascarpone whipped cream, strawberry whipped cream, or even chocolate whipped cream.
- Something fruity – Lemon curd or raspberry filling could be fun. You could also lighten it up, like I did with the pastry cream, and fold a little whipped cream into it.
- Mousse – Fill them with some chocolate mousse, peanut butter mousse, or even jazz it up a bit with champagne mousse.
Why Did My Pastry Shells Deflate?
The main cause for pastry shells deflating is that they weren’t baked long enough and had too much moisture. You want them to dry out. Things that contribute to this are under-baking and adding too much egg. Keep in mind that if you make them bigger or smaller, that also affects how long they need to bake. Bake them until they are nice and golden brown, even a couple minutes longer. The other possibility is that the oven door was opened too soon.
If your shells do deflate, one option to still be able to use them is to cut them in half and add a filling that’s a little more stable, like whipped cream. Mascarpone whipped cream or strawberry whipped cream would also be good.
Can I Make These Cream Puffs Ahead?
The pastry cream can definitely be made a day or two ahead.
The shells are a little different. They will soften with time and will no longer be crispy the day after baking them, even if you haven’t filled them yet. If that doesn’t bother you, you can certainly bake them one day and fill them another, or even bake and fill them for later. If you really want a crispy shell and need to bake them ahead, preheat your oven to 375°F and bake the shells in the oven for 3-5 minutes to crisp them back up a bit. It may not be quite as crisp as before, but it should help.
Another option is to make the choux pastry ahead and store it in the fridge in a piping bag for later. While it’s not ideal, I tested refrigerating it overnight and it worked fine. If it’s too thick to pipe when cold, just bring it back to room temperature before piping.
More Desserts To Try
Cream Puffs
save this recipe
Enter your email & we’ll send it to your inbox. Plus get new recipes from us every week!
Ingredients
Pastry Cream
- 2 large egg yolks
- 6 tablespoons (78g) sugar
- 2 tablespoons (16g) cornstarch
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream (cold)
Choux Pastry
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup (112g) unsalted butter (cut into 10 pieces)
- 1 cup (240ml) water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
- Powdered sugar (for dusting)
Chocolate Glaze, optional
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (chopped)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup (29g) powdered sugar (sifted)
Instructions
Make the pastry cream
- Put the egg yolks in a medium sized bowl and gently beat them together. Set aside.
- Add the sugar and cornstarch to a large saucepan and whisk together until no more lumps of cornstarch remain, then add the milk.
- Cook, stirring continuously, over medium heat until mixture just begins to thicken and simmer. Be careful not to boil it.
- Stream a little bit of the milk mixture to the egg yolks, while whisking together continuously so that the eggs don’t scramble. Add the egg mixture to milk mixture, putting it all back in the pan. This process ensures that you don’t cook the egg yolks too quickly and get scrambled eggs.
- Place the pan back on the heat and bring to a light boil. You should see large bubbles slowly popping on top. Allow to boil for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Don’t boil for too long, or you can overcook it and it’ll actually break down and thin out, rather than get thicker.
- Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth, then pour into a bowl. If it seems lumpy, you can strain it to remove any lumps. Cover with clear wrap pressed against the top so that it doesn’t get a film on top and set in the fridge to cool completely, 2-3 hours.
Make the choux pastry shells
- Add the eggs to a large measuring cup and lightly beat with a fork. Set aside a little bit of the egg, so that you have ¾ cup. Hold onto the egg that was set aside, in case you end up needing it. Set eggs aside.
- Add the butter, water, salt, and sugar to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter has melted, then bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Once simmering, reduce heat to low (so you don’t scorch the flour or over-brown the mixture) and add all of the flour at once. Quickly stir until the flour is completely combined and a thick dough forms. As it starts to come together, you can press the dough against the sides of the pan as you stir. This helps remove and incorporate any lumps of flour.
- Continue quickly stirring the dough. It should be thick and naturally form into a ball. Stir it until a thin white film forms on the bottom and/or sides of the pot. This could take anywhere from 1-5 minutes, depending on your heat, size of your pot, etc. Look for the thin film to form.
- Remove the dough from heat and add it to a mixer bowl. Let it cool down for a few minutes so you don’t scramble your eggs in the next step.
- Slowly add the eggs to the dough in 3-4 additions, mixing well between each. It’s important to start by adding a smaller amount, to help break up the dough and help it combine evenly, without getting lumps. The exact quantity of egg you add may vary depending on how much moisture evaporated during the cooking stage. Stop adding when the dough is shiny, thick, smooth and pipeable. If you measure by weight, I usually add about 190 grams of egg, but be sure to look for visual cues. The best way to look for the right consistency is to swirl your paddle attachment around in your dough a couple times and then lift it up. If it slowly falls and leaves a “V” shape on the paddle, it should be ready. The “V” shape shouldn’t look too shaggy, but should be smooth without being too thin. If it drizzles off, it’s probably too thin.
- Line your baking sheets with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Add the choux pastry dough to a piping bag fitted with a large piping tip (I use Ateco 809). Pipe mounds that are about 2 inches wide and an inch tall, 2-3 inches apart. If you need to smooth down any peaks created after piping, dip your finger in a little water and pat them down. TIP: To pipe a tall mound, rather than a short one, keep your piping tip lifted above the baking mat a bit while piping, rather than being too close. It allows the choux pastry to spread, while also building up, rather than spreading out more and staying shorter.
- Let them rest while you preheat oven to 400°F. This resting time helps them rise more evenly.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes (or until they are just lightly golden), and then, without opening the oven door, reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake for 10-15 more minutes until golden brown all over. They should have a crisp outside. Don’t be afraid to bake them a few extra minutes. Do not open the oven as the pastries cook, or the heat and steam that is helping them rise will be released and they can deflate.
- Once done, turn off oven, open oven door and using a paring knife to pierce the side where you’ll fill it later. Let cool in the oven with the door open for 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Fill and finish your cream puffs
- Add the heavy whipping cream for the pastry cream to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Grab your pastry cream from the fridge and give it a good stir to smooth it out. Add the whipped cream in two batches, gently folding it together so that the whipped cream doesn’t deflate. Add the pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (I use Ateco 802, which is similar to Wilton 12).
- Use your paring knife, if needed, to open up the hole you created earlier just a bit. Stick the piping tip in the hole and pipe in your pastry cream.
- If not using the chocolate glaze, dust your cream puffs with powdered sugar, if desired.
- If using the chocolate glaze, add the chopped chocolate to a medium-sized bowl. Heat the cream just until it begins to boil, then pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes, then stir or whisk together until melted and smooth. Add the powdered sugar (be sure to sift it to avoid lumps), if using, and stir until well combined and smooth. Carefully turn each cream puff upside down, one at a time, and dip the top half of them into the chocolate glaze. As you lift the cream puff, let some of the excess glaze drip off, then set back on the cooling rack to let the chocolate firm up.
- Serve immediately or transfer to a container to store cream puffs in the fridge until ready to serve. If you want them to remain crisp, they should be served right away. Otherwise, they are fine to be stored in the fridge and enjoyed for up to 3-4 days.
Notes
- Yield: The exact number of cream puffs the recipe makes can vary depending on how big you make them.
- Baking time: If you make your cream puffs larger or smaller, your baking time will vary, so it’s important to look for them to be brown and crisp to know they are done baking.
- Milk: Stick with whole milk here, as other types don’t have enough fat and create a too-thin cream.
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
There is an error in my comment: I meant to say “soft tops and soft inside”.
What are the chances that you would have a recipe for Cream Puffs that are not made with choux pastry, Many years ago there was a Bake Shop in my hometown in Ontario, Canada that made Cream Puffs with a sweet bun, filled with whipped cream, and dusted with icing sugar. I’ve come across recipes for Cream Buns but they are more like dinner rolls with the top being a bit hard. The buns from my bakery had soft buns and soft insides. I have been searching for decades and have not found any recipe that comes close. Thank you.