Cream puffs look fancy and hard-to-make, but they’re actually a super easy dessert to make with only four ingredients you probably always have in your pantry.
Today I’m sharing my simple, easy-to-make recipe for cream puff shells from my cookbook, Simply Sweet Dream Puffs! Cream puffs are a French pastry made with Pâte à Choux dough. You use the same dough to make cream puffs, eclairs, and profiteroles (ice cream filled cream puffs). Click here to order it!
Don’t be intimidated that they’re a French pastry. I’ve created a fun, short how to make cream puffs video that will show you just how easy they are to make.
Step by Step Instructions How To Make Cream Puffs
Now that you’ve seen how easy it is, I’ll break it down for you step by step with photos and additional info. So let’s get started.
First, assemble all your ingredients. As soon as your water comes to a boil, you’re going to add the flour. So have it measured and ready to use. You’ll be surprised how quickly this dough comes together.
If your eggs aren’t at room temperature, put them in a bowl of water to warm up while you’re making the dough. Your cream puffs will rise bigger if you use room temperature eggs.
Next, in a large saucepan, combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt, and bring it to a boil. Stirring the water frequently while it comes to a boil helps to melt the butter.
Once the water boils, remove it from the heat and add the flour all at once. Stir it until all the flour is incorporated, about 1 minute. Return the saucepan to the heat and cook, stirring constantly until dough forms a smooth ball, only 1 or 2 minutes more.
The next step is adding the eggs to the dough you created on the stove. Let the dough cool for five minutes in the bowl of an electric mixer before you add the eggs.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating until each egg is incorporated and the dough is smooth. Fit a pastry bag with a plain ⅝-inch tip, folding the top of the bag down to make filling easier. Fill the bag with dough.
You don’t need to use a pastry bag to make cream puffs, you can just use an ice cream scoop or even two spoons to portion out the dough on a baking sheet.
Here’s a link to the templates I created that you can print on your home computer. Using the templates helps to space out your cream puffs so that you can fit 16 on a sheet without them touching each other.
Hold the bag vertically about 1 inch above the pan. Pipe the dough into tall cone shapes. Dip a finger in some water and smooth out any peaks. Brush the dough with an egg wash if you want them to have a golden, shiny top.
Then pop them in the oven and watch the magic happen as they puff up, turn golden brown, and create a hollow middle that’s just waiting to be filled.
You can fill them simply with whipped cream and dust them with powdered sugar. Or let your imagination run wild and fill and top them however you’d like.
Shown above are my Cherry Almond Cream Puffs, Pumpkin Pie Cream Puffs, Black Cherry Profiteroles (filled with vanilla ice cream), and Coconut Almond Cream Puffs. Pictured at the top of the post are S’mores Cream Puffs, Churro Cream Puffs, Vanilla Bean Profiteroles, Rocky Road Profiteroles, and Graham Cracker Cream Puff Shells.
Cream Puff Shells - Pâte à Choux
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 6 pieces
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- Egg Wash optional
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°. Lightly grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper. Measure flour and set aside.
- Bring butter, sugar, salt, and ¾ cup water to a boil in a 3-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Immediately remove from heat, and quickly stir in flour mixture all at once. Return to heat and stir with a wooden spoon for 1 to 2 minutes, or until dough is smooth and forms a ball. Transfer dough to the bowl of an electric mixer, and let cool 5 minutes.
- Add 3 eggs, 1 at a time, beating until mixture is smooth and glossy. Spoon dough into a pastry bag fitted with a ⅝-inch plain tip. Pipe dough onto prepared pans into 1 ½-inch rounds (1 ½ inches high). Smooth out peaks and round tops with a moistened finger.
- Whisk together remaining 1 egg and 1 tsp. water. Brush tops of dough with egg mixture.
- Bake at 425° for 5 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 375°, and bake 30 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Turn oven off; let shells stand in closed oven 10 minutes. Remove from baking sheets to wire racks, and cool completely.
You’ll find lots more great tips on making cream puffs, eclairs, and profiteroles, and all of my fun, fabulous recipes in my new cookbook, Simply Sweet Dream Puffs, available only as an e-book.
Each recipe in Simply Sweet Dream Puffs has a mouthwatering picture. All the pictures were taken by the talented Helene Dujardin.
I’m so proud of this cookbook. It’s a beautiful cookbook filled with fun, easy recipes. I can’t wait to share it with everyone.
You can download Simply Sweet Dream Puffs from Amazon.
Cream puff recipes on Barbara Bakes:
- Candy Corn Cream Puffs – a fun Halloween cream puff.
- Raspberry Cheesecake Cream Puffs – filled with a no-bake raspberry cheesecake filling and drizzled with a tart triple berry icing.
- Churro Cream Puffs – A crisp cinnamon-sugar shell filled with a light and airy cinnamon whipped cream.
mia
i love cream puffs but have never made them. has anyone had success making these with gluten free flour?
Barbara Schieving
Hi Mia – yes, you can make them with gluten free flour. There’s a recipe for it in my eBook, Simply Sweet Dream Puffs.
Rosemary
i sure will try those love baking and cooking thanks for the recipe.
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy
Just watched your cream puff video…awesome. Have made them a few times…the video will inspire others to give it a try if they have never made this wonderful little gems!!
Jennie B
Thanks for making the video of you making the Cream Puffs, because you made it look so easy for me to do. I’m going to try and buy your book when it comes out in Paperback.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Jennie! At this point a print edition is not in the works. However, e-books are a wonderful, less expensive way to buy cookbooks. You can read then on any computer, device or phone with the Kindle app, which is a simple download https://www.amazon.com/gp/digital/fiona/kcp-landing-page?ie=UTF8&ref_=kcp_pc_mkt_lnd.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Jennie! At this point a print edition is not in the works. However, e-books are a wonderful, less expensive way to buy cookbooks. You can read then on any computer, device or phone with the Kindle app, which is a simple download https://www.amazon.com/gp/digital/fiona/kcp-landing-page?ie=UTF8&ref_=kcp_pc_mkt_lnd.
Raymond O'Rourke
My Goodness! Your free recipe for Pate a Choux and filling for Cream Puffs was terrific!! I made them immediately and they are incredible – and sooooo easy! I’ll certainly be ordering your book. Thank you – thank you!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks so much Raymond! I’m so excited that you loved the recipe and thought they were sooooo easy to make too. I’m sure you’re going to love the other recipes in the cookbook too.
Rocky Mountain Woman
I am so excited about your book! Can’t wait to see it. Congratulations!!!!!
Katherines Corner
Squeal!!! This is one of my favorite Things. Loved the how to video too. Hugs!
Lana | Never Enough Thyme
Puff pastry is one of those things that has been on my recipe bucket list for ages and I still have never tried it! I’m gonna take the plunge and get it done. Congratulations on your beautiful cookbook, Barbara!
Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles
My family goes crazy for cream puffs, I can’t wait to look through your book with them – and then make some, of course! Huge congrats on your beautiful book!
TidyMom
You make it look so easy Barb!! Congrats on the book!!
Emily
Okay, maybe I will finally try making them. I am so super happy for you and your new cookbook. It is so lovely and I hope it becomes a bestseller!
My Inner Chick
GOooooooooooooRGEOUS.
I’m going to watch the video now!!!!!
Liz
Thanks for all your tips! I cannot wait to bake up some of your fabulous recipes!!!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Liz! Can’t wait for you to try them.
Joyce
Looks fabulously easy – and you certainly do it all fast enough ( loved the speeded up video) Can’t wait to try them. Any tips about storage? Preparing ahead of time ? Or will they get soggy. I think that’s the mistake I’ve made in the past.
Many thanks!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Joyce! Ideally you’ll use the shells the same day you bake them. If you’d rather bake them ahead, they freeze very well. They thaw quickly and you can even put them in the oven for a few minutes to crisp up. Only fill as many as you think you’ll eat in a day or two, and freeze the remaining shells.
You can even make and pipe the dough on the sheets, freeze the dough and peel them off the parchment paper, then bake them from frozen. It works great if you’re baking a large amount for a party and don’t have the freezer space to freeze them after they’re baked.
Anne
love the vidio
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Anne!
Denise
Congrats Barbara! This is wonderful news and it looks gorgeous!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks so much Denise! It was such a fun project.
Jane Maynard
excited for your ebook – looks wonderful, barbara! maybe I”ll actually give cream puffs a try, my 7-yo was asking all about them the other day! 🙂
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Jane! You definitely need to make your 7yo some cream puffs 🙂
Rachel @ Simple Seasonal
I’m so happy you posted this. I was just thinking the other day, “how do they get the cream into the cream puffs?”… you know, one of life’s important questions 🙂
Carol
Ohhhhh look at all those lovelies….they could all potentially get me in a whole heap o’ trouble-which to try first??? What a great video…..you always make everything in the kitchen look so easy. I love the idea of using a parchment paper template to make them all the same size too…that’s one of those why-didn’t-I-think-of-that? moments for sure. I usually use one of my cookie scoops…..next time, pastry bag it is.
All of those photos of your sweet creations look amazing, Barbara. I’m SO SO happy for you with this beautiful cookbook. I KNOW it’s going to be a HUGE success….after all, who doesn’t love cream puffs?
Hugs!
Carol
Rosa
They look amazing! Cream puffs are divine.
Cheers,
Rosa
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Rosa! Cream puffs really are light as air, heavenly delicious.