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Homemade cream puffs, or profiteroles, are easier than you’d think. This recipe makes perfectly light, flaky cream puff pastries filled with whipped cream and dusted with powdered sugar. They taste just like the ones you’ll find in a bakery!
Making my favorite bakery treats at home takes a bit more effort, but it’s totally worth it. I also love these homemade croissants and homemade donuts.
My husband perfected this cream puffs recipe in college and still makes it to this day! I’ll admit, as more of a brownie girl myself, it took me a few tries to get it exactly right. But I’m glad I stuck with it because there’s nothing like a fresh homemade cream puff. These are light, fluffy, and made completely from scratch with a filling of sweet homemade whipped cream.
Why I Love This Cream Puffs Recipe
- Easy to make. With a little practice, I was surprised by how easy it is to make cream puffs at home. The method is super simple and the ingredients couldn’t be easier (there are only 3 of them!).
- Perfect, fluffy texture. The choux pastry comes together in one pan on the stovetop and creates the lightest, softest cream puffs. Once they’re filled with whipped cream, they’re like sweet little sugar-dusted clouds that melt in your mouth.
- Great for special occasions. While I’ll never pass up the chance to make these cream puffs any day of the week, there’s something romantic about them that makes them perfect for occasions like dinner parties or Valentine’s Day desserts. Or, I’ll let my husband bake the cream puffs while I cook us a Marry Me Chicken pasta dinner for two!
What You’ll Need
With only 3 ingredients (plus water) to make the dough, these homemade cream puffs are super simple. Quality is key! I’ve included my notes below, and you’ll find the full printable ingredients list and recipe details in the recipe card after the post.
- Butter – I recommend unsalted butter when making pastry dough.
- Flour – For the most consistent results, stick with all-purpose flour.
- Eggs
- Whipped Cream – You’ll combine heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla for the homemade whipped cream filling. I recommend full-fat heavy whipping cream. You could also use store-bought whipped cream if you’re pressed for time.
What Goes in the Middle of a Cream Puff?
Traditionally, cream puffs are French pâte à choux pastry filled with pastry cream, whipped cream (like this recipe), or crème légère, which is pastry cream combined with whipped cream. But really, you can use your filling of choice. These would be delicious filled with stabilized whipped cream or the vanilla custard from my homemade eclairs recipe, another bakery-style pastry dipped in chocolate. Choose your favorite!
How to Make Cream Puffs
You’ll start by making a simple choux pastry dough on the stovetop by following the steps below. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card afterward for the printable instructions.
- Heat the butter. While the oven preheats to 400ºF, heat the butter with water in a saucepan until it reaches a rolling boil.
- Add flour. Lower the heat and stir in the flour. Continue stirring for 1 minute over low heat until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Add eggs. With the saucepan off the heat, beat in the eggs by hand. Continue to mix to form a smooth and thick batter (it will look similar to a cake batter).
- Portion the puffs. Next, you can portion your choux pastry by either piping or scooping it onto a lined baking sheet. I use a large cookie scoop. For full-size cream puffs, you want about ¼ cup of dough spaced at least 3 inches apart on the pan. This will give the puffs plenty of room to grow and expand.
- Bake. Bake these cream puffs at 400ºF for 35-40 minutes until they’re puffed up and lightly golden.
- Let them cool gradually. Afterward, remove the cream puffs and gently pierce the side of each puff with a knife. Return them to the oven and leave them inside with the door cracked for 20 minutes. Finally, remove them again to cool completely.
How to Fill a Cream Puff
Once your cream puffs are fully cooled, it’s time to prepare the whipped cream for the filling:
- Make the whipped cream. I recommend placing the bowl of your mixer and the whisk attachment into the freezer 10-15 minutes ahead of whipping. Afterward, add the heavy cream to the cold bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat again until you reach stiff peaks.
- Fill the cream puffs. Using a serrated knife, trim the top ⅓ from each cooled cream puff. Then, fill the puffs by piping or spooning the whipped cream inside. Lastly, place the top back on. Dust the cream puffs with powdered sugar, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Let the pastry cool. Allow the baked cream puffs to cool gradually in the oven, and then completely to room temperature before filling with cream. Otherwise, the cream will melt!
- But don’t wait too long. On the other hand, cream puffs are best enjoyed fresh on the day they’re made. So don’t wait TOO long after they’ve cooled to fill them with whipped cream and serve.
- Make smaller cream puffs. If you’d prefer to make smaller cream puffs, remember to shorten the baking time.
- Don’t underbake. Keep an eye on the puffs while they’re in the oven. Cream puffs are done baking when they appear dry on the surface and turn a very light golden brown. It’s important to bake them long enough to form a strong shell. This is also why we leave them to dry out in the oven for a while after they’ve baked.
Can I Make These in Advance?
Yes, but with a caveat: choux pastry will always taste better on the day it’s made. If you absolutely need to make these ahead of time, the best option would be to prepare and bake the pastry shells the day before and fill them with cream when you are ready to serve. Otherwise, the filled cream puffs will become soggy overnight.
How to Store
- Refrigerate. Homemade cream puffs can be refrigerated in an airtight container for a day or two. However, they will not be as fresh and the pastry tends to dry out a bit.
- Freeze. You can freeze the shells (without filling) in an airtight container for about a month. Again, they’re best served fresh, but the pastry holds up well enough if it’s not filled.
More Easy Pastry Recipes
Cream Puffs
Ingredients
Cream Puffs
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
Cream Filling
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400º F
- In a small saucepan melt butter and water together until it comes to a roiling boil.
- Stir in the flour, reducing heat to low. Stir vigorously, over low heat for 1 minute, or until the dough forms a ball. Remove from heat.
- Using a wooden spoon, beat in all of the eggs at once. Continue beating until it forms a smooth batter.
- Drop 1/4 cup of dough (I used a large cookie scoop) about 3 inches apart on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 35-40 minute, until puffed and golden.
- Remove from the oven and gently pierce each cream puff with a knife. Return to the oven, with the door open for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove from the oven and cool completely.
- While they are cooling, prepare the whipped cream. Using a stand mixer whisk the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks.
- Once the puffs are cool, using a serrated knife, cut the top 1/3 off each puff. Fill each puff with a scoop of whipped cream. Place the top back on.
- Dust with powdered sugar
Notes
- Adapted from the Betty Crocker Cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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These are so elegant! I’ve always been too scared to try to make them myself but I might just have to now.
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for this recipe!
Super easy to make and extremely delicious! Everyone will definitely love this, can’t wait for it!
These cream puffs look absolutely perfect! I want one right now!
This was just what I needed to cure my sweet tooth! Easy and delicious! Yum!
This will be the perfect pastry to serve with brunch this weekend! Looks perfectly light and sweet!
This has me so excited for State Fair! I need to try making my own!