Cream Puffs
You’ll be amazed how easy Cream Puffs are to make! Light and fluffy, filled with homemade whipping cream, a slice of strawberry and a drizzle of Nutella®!
Simple ingredients, no rolling pastry dough or kneading flour!
These sweet pops of pastry and cream are the ideal dessert for Valentine’s Day or any day!
Some baking recipes can be intimidating, but this one is super easy!
Why you’ll love this recipe!
- Economical – the ingredients used in making cream puffs are simple and inexpensive
- Make ahead – you can make the puffs ahead of time, then fill them with whipped cream at the last minute
- Versatile – use your imagination for the filling! You can add a sprinkling of cinnamon, finely chopped nuts, sliced fruit or berries!
These cream puffs are so much better than Costco® Cream Puffs! And you’ll be amazed how easy they are to bake and fill!
What is Choux pastry dough?
“Choux,” (pronounced “shoo”) pastry dough is a light French/European dough used in making not only Cream Puffs, but Eclairs and Profiteroles as well. Eclairs are filled with custard and Profiteroles are typically filled with ice cream. Choux relies upon a high moisture level from the water, milk and eggs, as opposed to Puff Pastry, which fluffs due to a high fat content.
The batter is somewhat thick and sticky as opposed to a bread dough or cake batter.
Ingredients for Cream Puffs
Just a few simple ingredients are all you need and you probably have most of this already in your kitchen! As for the filling, you’ll need whipping cream, a few sliced strawberries and some chocolate Nutella.
Top it off with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and you’re good to go!
How to make the Choux pastry dough
- First, set the eggs out to get to room temperature and preheat oven to 425° F; slice 3-4 large strawberries; set aside
- Four easy steps to making the dough
- For details, see recipe card below
Tips:
In a medium pan, heat water, milk, butter, sugar and salt on medium high heat. Stir continually with a wooden spoon and bring to boil
Remove from heat, add all the flour at one time; stir until combined then return to heat
Continue stirring until the dough forms a ball and there is a slight film on the bottom of the pan. Transfer mixture to large mixing bowl.
Beat with a hand mixer on medium for 2 minutes to allow mixture to cool somewhat
Add eggs one at a time while constantly beating the mixture; beat until Choux dough is fully combined and forms “ribbons”
Bake @ 425°F for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 325° F and continue to bake for 12-20 minutes
Remove cream puffs from oven when they’re light golden brown; place on cooling rack
While the cream puffs are cooling, make whipped cream
How to assemble
Once cream puffs are cool, cut in half with a serrated knife.
Drizzle a little chocolate Nutella on the bottom half, add some whipped cream, place a strawberry slice on the whipped cream, then top with more whipped cream and the cream puff top
Finish with a final drizzle of Nutella and a sprinkling of powdered sugar!
Make ahead
Short on time? Make the choux pastry dough up to three days in advance. Just keep it refrigerated and covered. When ready to bake, allow to come to room temperature first.
If you want, you can store baked cream puffs in a secure plastic bag in the fridge for up to a week. When ready to assemble, allow to come to room temperature, pipe in the whipped cream, add a slice of strawberry and drizzle with Nutella!
If you make homemade whipped cream, it will hold up in the fridge for 3 days. No time to make homemade? Use canned whipped cream and pipe it directly onto the cream puffs!
Cream puffs are a light and tasty dessert, particularly for Valentine’s Day…but of course, you can make them anytime:)
Related recipes
- Original Texas Sheetcake
- Vintage Fresh Strawberry Cake
- Orange Italian Cream Cake
- No Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
- Puff Pastry Hand Pie
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a rating and comment! I love to hear from you!
Cream Puffs
Equipment
- Hand mixer
- Wooden spoon
- parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- piping bag with ¼ -½" inch tip
Ingredients
Pastry dough ingredients
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup milk
- 1 stick butter , unsalted
- 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup flour, all-purpose
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 4 whole eggs, large
- powdered sugar (for garnish)
Filling ingredients
- 1½ cups whipped cream
- 18-24 slices strawberries
- Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread
Instructions
Prep
- Remove eggs from fridge and bring to room temperature4 whole eggs, large
- Preheat oven to 425°F; adjust oven racks (you'll want to use the second rack from the bottom)
Make the cream puff dough
- In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, combine water, milk, butter, sugar, salt; bring to boil½ cup water, ½ cup milk, 1 stick butter, 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon table salt
- Upon boiling, remove pan from heat and add all the flour at once; continue stirring off heat until combined1 cup flour, all-purpose
- Return saucepan to heat;continue stirring until the mixture forms a ball and there is a light film in the pan
- Transfer dough ball to large mixing bowl; use a hand beater and combine at medium speed for about 2 minutes (this cools the dough so the eggs won't cook when you add them)
- Mix continuously, adding one egg at a time4 whole eggs, large
- Beat batter for 2-3 minutes or until it begins to form ribbons (if you're adding almond extract, do it now)¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- Transfer dough to piping bag; pipe ½ -1"inch circles onto prepared baking sheet
- Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes on bottom third rack; after 10-minutes, reduce heat to 350°F and bake an additional 12-18 minutes, or until light golden brownDo NOT open the oven door when you change the temperature
- Transfer to baking rack and allow to cool
Assemble the Cream Puffs
- Use a serrated knife and slice pastries in half; drizzle a little Nutella on the bottom, add whipped cream, a strawberry slice and a little more whipped cream1½ cups whipped cream, 18-24 slices strawberries, Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar and drizzle again (optional) with Nutellapowdered sugar (for garnish)
