Homemade cream puffs or choux pastry is not that difficult to make when you follow my easy step-by-step recipe and instructions! Let me show you a family favorite recipe has been part of family celebrations for years.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
Resting in Oven Time10 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr10 minutesmins
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Choux Pastry Dough, Homemade Cream Puffs
Servings: 12cream puffs, depending on the size cookie scoop used.
In a saucepan, heat the butter, water and salt over high heat and bring to a rolling boil.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the flour all at once stirring quickly until the dough comes together and forms a ball.
Let the dough cool for 5 minutes.
Add the dough to the bowl of an electric mixer. Or you can just use a hand mixer with the dough still in the original saucepan.
Add the eggs one at a time mixing in between each addition until the dough is smooth and silky. Be careful not to over mix the dough.
Scoop or spoon the dough onto cookie sheets that have been lined with parchment paper leaving enough room in between each since they will puff up.
Dampen your finger into a bowl of water and then smooth out the tops of each mound of dough.
Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven.
Then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until they are golden brown.
Pull the trays out of the oven and using a wooden skewer poke a couple of holes into the sides of each puff. This will allow the steam inside the puffs to escape so they can dry out and bake on the inside.
Return the trays back to the oven, only turn the oven off, and keep the door ajar for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until they sound hollow when you tap on them. I use my metal kitchen tongs to keep the door ajar.
Let the puffs cool completely on a baking rack while you prepare the vanilla pudding.
Prepare the pudding following the directions on the back of the box; only use 1 ¾ cups of milk not the full 2 cups of milk that the package calls for.
Once the puffs have cooled, slice them open and fill with the pudding.
Drizzle with melted chocolate or dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
Nutritional Information:
Nutritional information for this recipe is for the choux pastry only!
Please refer to the packaged pudding mix or whipped cream that you use to fill the pastry for appropriate information.
Tips for Making Choux Pastry:
Depending on the size cookie scoop you use, you'll get anywhere from 12 to 14 cream puffs.
Do NOT double the recipe. If you need more than the 12 to 14 cream puffs the recipe makes, make the recipe twice.
You can prepare the pastry the day before you plan on serving them.
Store lightly covered with a piece of waxed paper or paper towel on a baking rack on the counter top.
Do not refrigerate or cover completely or the puffs will become soggy.
I like to slice the puffs in half and then spoon the pudding inside and placing the other half on top.
You can also use a pastry bag fitted with a filling tip to add the pudding.
Once the puffs are filled you should store them in the refrigerator, but do not cover.