Best Cream Puff Recipe

Cream puffs filled with chantilly cream and topped with powdered sugar.

Be the first to rate it!

This classic French cream puffs recipe bakes up puffy and golden with a hollow center, and you only need 7 simple ingredients.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Cooling Time2

Total Time3

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 147kcal

Author: Natalie

Ingredients

Pastry Cream

2 cups milk
½ vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar
2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
2½ tablespoons corn starch
⅛ teaspoon salt fine sea salt or kosher salt

Choux Pastry

½ cup water
½ cup milk or swap in more water
½ cup unsalted butter cut into 8 tablespoons
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs

Chantilly Cream

1½ cups heavy cream cold, 35% fat or more
¼ cup powdered sugar sifted, plus more for decorating, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pastry Cream

Make the pastry cream first. It needs time to chill before you fill the puffs, so it’s best to make it ahead.
If using a vanilla bean: Slice the bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds out of one half with the tip of your knife. Add the seeds and the scraped pod to a medium saucepan with the milk. Save the other half for another recipe.
If you're using vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste: stir it in after you take the pastry cream off the heat.
Heat the milk over medium heat and bring it to a simmer.
While the milk heats up, whisk the egg yolks in a large heatproof bowl until smooth. Add the sugar to the egg yolks and immediately whisk well (for about 30 seconds) until the mixture is smooth and has thickened and lightened in color.
(Important: do not leave the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl without whisking them immediately).
Whisk the cornstarch into the yolks for about 20 seconds until the corn starch has dissolved. Whisk in the flour for another 20 seconds until completely incorporated.
Once the milk is steaming and small bubbles form around the edge of the pan, discard the vanilla bean pod if using. Slowly pour about 1/3 of the hot milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly as you pour. Whisk for about 20 seconds, then slowly pour in another 1/3, whisking constantly.
Next, slowly pour the yolk mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk, whisking constantly as you pour. Use a spatula to scrape out the bowl.
Return the saucepan to medium heat. Whisk constantly, including the sides and corners of the pan. Once it thickens and bubbles, whisk vigorously for 1 minute so the flour and cornstarch cook through.
If it starts to stick or get lumpy, lower the heat slightly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract if using.
Use a clean spatula to scrape the pastry cream onto a clean rimmed baking sheet or into a large heatproof bowl. Immediately press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Refrigerate until completely cool, about 45 minutes to 1 hour on a baking sheet or a few hours in a bowl.
Once cooled, whisk the pastry cream in a large bowl for about 30 seconds until smooth again then use as needed!

Choux Pastry

Preheat oven to 375℉.
Important: Read through the recipe instructions before starting.
Optional: Trace a piping guide on your parchment so your puffs come out the same size. Cut a sheet of parchment to fit your baking sheet and lay a ruler across the middle. On the half closest to you, use a 2-inch round cutter and a pen or pencil to trace a row of 3 circles along the ruler, leaving at least 2 inches between them. Below that, trace a row of 4 circles staggered in the gaps between the first three. Rotate the sheet 180° and repeat on the other half, for 14 circles in total. Flip the parchment over before using it so you don't pipe onto the ink.
Line 1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Sift the flour over a sheet of parchment paper or bowl. Set the flour close to the stovetop so it's ready to add when needed.
Use a whisk or fork to lightly whisk the eggs in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Add the water, milk, sugar, salt, and chopped butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir often with a spatula until the sugar and salt have dissolved and the butter has melted completely.
Once the butter has melted, bring the mixture to a rolling boil then remove the pan from the heat. Immediately add all the flour all at once. Use a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula to beat the flour in vigorously for about 15 seconds until no dry flour remains and a smooth, thick paste (called a panade) forms.
Return the pan to heat and keep stirring until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and a thin white film forms on the bottom. This usually takes between 45 seconds to 1 minute.
Transfer the dough to a large bowl or to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Stir it with a spatula or mix it on low speed with the stand mixer or hand held mixer for about 2 minutes to help it cool down to approximately 140℉ (60℃).
Start by adding about half of the beaten eggs into the dough, stirring it in with a sturdy spatula or mix on medium low speed with an electric mixer. Mix well until the egg is completely incorporated. Next, stir or mix in about 50% of the remaining egg then add 50% of the remaining egg. Check the consistency before adding more egg.
To check the consistency: Lift your spatula (or lift the beaters or paddle), the dough should fall off slowly and leave a thick "V" shape hanging from the spatula (or beaters or paddle). It should be smooth and glossy but thick enough to hold its shape when piped. Stop adding egg as soon as your dough is the right consistency. You may not end up using all the egg.
For cream puffs: Fill a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle about halfway. (If you don't have a piping bag or nozzle, use a large Ziptop bag and snip a corner).
Set the baking sheet against the edge of your counter with the long side in front of you. Picture a line running lengthwise across the middle of the tray, splitting it into two halves. Start at the top of the half closest to you, right below the imagined line. Hold the bag straight above the baking sheet, with the tip just above the spot where you want the puff. Don't move the bag while you pipe. Pipe a row of 3 puffs across. Squeeze once until the mound is about 2 inches (5 cm) wide, then stop squeezing and flick the tip to the side to "cut" the dough. Space the mounds about 2 inches apart.
Tip: If you didn't trace circles as a guide as described in step 2 above, you can count seconds while you pipe so all your puffs are the same size. Squeeze for about 4 seconds per puff, then stop and lift the bag straight up. Adjust the count to fit your tip size, and keep the same count for every puff!
Then pipe a row of 4 below it, staggered so each puff sits in the gaps of the row above. Rotate the tray and repeat on the other half. That makes 7 puffs per half, 14 in total.
Optional- lightly wet your finger with water and gently press down any peaks.
Bake at 375℉ for 25-35 minutes until puffed up and golden brown. If, after 30 minutes, the cracks are not light and not the same color as the crust, rotate the baking sheet and bake 5 more minutes. Don't open the oven door for the first 20 minutes, since the puffs need steady heat to rise and set their structure, and a drop in temperature can make them collapse. To check that the choux are finished baking, lightly tap on them. They should sound hollow. Slide choux off onto to a wire rack to cool.
Cool completely before filling.

Chantilly Cream

Sift the powdered sugar through a fine mesh sieve.
In a large bowl, use a handheld electric mixer on medium speed to whip the cold cream on to soft peaks.
Mix in the sifted powdered sugar on low speed. Once powdered sugar is incorporated, turn the mixer up to medium high speed and mix to stiff peaks.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until assembly.

Assembling Cream Puffs

Place a puff on a secured cutting board (set a damp paper towel or kitchen towel underneath so it doesn’t slide). Use a serrated knife and hold it parallel to the counter. Start cutting about a third of the way up from the bottom (about two fingers up). Use the whole blade from end to end in a long sawing motion and let the knife do the work instead of pressing down. Once you’re about a third of the way in, gently start to rotate the puff while you keep sawing, being careful not to squeeze it. Keep rotating and cutting until you’ve cut all the way through.
Carefully lift off the top and set it next to the puff. Repeat with the rest, setting each top next to its puff. If any soft or doughy bits are left inside, gently press them down to hollow out the interior.
Spoon cold pastry cream into a piping bag (no piping tip needed) (or snip the corner off a Ziptop bag). Fill the bag about halfway so it’s easy to squeeze. Pipe about 1 to 1½ tablespoons of pastry cream into each puff, so the cream comes up level with the cut edge.
Prepare a piping bag with a large star nozzle (a round nozzle works too). Fill the bag about halfway with chantilly cream. Hold the bag straight above the puff with the tip just over the pastry cream. Use your non-dominant hand to steady the bottom of the bag and squeeze with your other hand to pipe a swirl. or two. Stop squeezing before you lift the tip away.
Set the puff top gently on the chantilly. Dust with powdered sugar if you like.

Video

Notes

Milk and water: You can use water, milk or a combination of milk and water for choux. I prefer using both milk and water.

Bring liquid to a full boil before adding the flour: If the mixture doesn't fully boil, you'll end up with a gooey paste instead of a dough that holds its shape.

Know when the dough is done: After stirring in the flour, cook the dough for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. The clues to watch for: dough pulls away from the sides of the pan and a thin white film forms on the bottom of the pan.

Adding the eggs: Lightly whisk all the eggs together before you start incorporating them. The amount of the eggs you need will vary based on on how much moisture evaporated from your dough while cooking it. You may not end up needing to add all of them. Check your dough’s consistency as a guide.

Use a hand mixer, stand mixer or spatula to mix in the eggs: We mixed the eggs in by hand in pastry school. You can also mix the eggs with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on low speed.

When to stop adding eggs: Lift your spatula (or lift the beaters or paddle), the dough should fall off slowly and leave a thick "V" shape hanging from the spatula (or beaters or paddle). It should be smooth and glossy.

Is your dough too thick after adding the eggs? If you used all the egg and it's still too thick, mix in a tiny bit more milk or water. Avoid adding more egg than the recipe calls for. You want it to be firm enough to pipe but not liquidy. It's better for your dough to be a little more liquidy than too solid.

Tracing guide for piping (optional): Use a pen or pencil to trace 2-inch circles about 2 inches apart for cream puffs. Flip the parchment paper over before using so that you don't pipe on the ink.

Piping bag: Make sure not to overfill the bag. A smaller amount is easier to squeeze and control. Refill it as you go.

Piping: Use your non-dominant hand to hold the bottom part of your piping bag steady. Apply pressure from your dominant hand. Rotating the tray helps you pipe closer and helps prevent you from accidentally touching the ones you've already piped. Stop applying pressure before lifting or pulling away the tip.

Sweetness: This chantilly is lightly sweetened. Add an extra tablespoon of powdered sugar if you'd like it sweeter.

Heavy cream (for the chantilly cream)-Use cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, which has 35% fat or more. It whips up thick and holds its shape. Light cream and half-and-half won’t whip.

Make ahead and storage

Choux dough: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You can also refrigerate it right in a piping bag. Thaw in the fridge before shaping and baking.

Baked shells: Cool completely, then store unfilled in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 1 month. To refresh, warm them in a 350°F oven for 4 to 6 minutes, then cool completely before filling.

Pastry cream: Refrigerate with plastic wrap pressed against the surface for up to 3 days. Whisk for about 30 seconds to loosen before using.

Chantilly cream: Whip up to 3 hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Briefly whisk again before piping.

Filled cream puffs: Serve within a few hours of assembling. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.

Nutrition