This Cream Puff Recipe is deliciously airy, delicate pastry shells filled with the most mouthwatering pastry cream & whipped cream filling. They’re a classic dessert that everyone loves, and usually buys because they can seem intimidating to make at home. The truth is, making cream puffs at home is actually very simple!
If you’ve never had Cream Puffs before, then you need to make this delicious recipe right at home! It’s the perfect sweet treat.
Prepare the perfect dessert with this delicious Cream Puffs recipe. These sweet treats have a perfectly crisp exterior with a creamy, soft center that tastes amazing.
What Is a Cream Puff?
Cream Puffs are light and fluffy pastries filled with a creamy, sweet center. The cream varies from one puff to the next, depending on what you use and prefer. You can learn how to make the perfect filling for Cream Puffs using this recipe. These baked goods are similar to donuts, but they’re not the same.
Why You Should Try This Cream Puffs Recipe
- Cream Puffs are a light dessert full of flavor.
- It’s not too hard to make these delicious puffs!
- You can customize the puffs to your liking with some of your favorite toppings added to them.
- They’re the perfect dessert to have at any time.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make the Cream Puffs
If you have the right ingredients, you can learn how to make Cream Puffs with ease. The ingredients you need to have include:
- Unsalted Butter. Use one stick of butter and make sure it’s salt-free.
- Granulated Sugar. Give your Cream Puffs that perfect level of sweetness with granulated sugar.
- All-Purpose Flour. Create the puffs using this type of flour as the main ingredient.
- Heavy Whipping Cream. You’ll need to use cold heavy whipping cream to prepare the filling.
- Powdered Sugar. Combine the powdered sugar with the heavy whipping cream. Don’t forget to set some off to the side to add a dusting of the sugar to your puffs.
- Vanilla Extract. The vanilla extract adds the perfect touch to the creamy filling.
The other ingredients you’ll need include eggs and salt. You can also garnish these Cream Puffs with fresh fruit.
Why do I need heavy whipping cream?
You need heavy whipping cream to create that sweet filling that you’ll add to your Cream Puffs. It’s important to keep it refrigerated before you use it. The cream needs to be cold before you combine it with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract to create a sweet and tasty filling.
Which fruits taste best when added to the Cream Puffs?
Lots of fruits taste good with these Cream Puffs. Some of the best ones to use as garnish include sliced strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. Of course, you may choose to use any fruits that you like best.
How many Cream Puffs does this recipe make?
You’ll make a minimum of 28 and a maximum of 30 Cream Puffs when you’re following this recipe. You’re going to have more than enough for the family! This recipe also comes in handy when you want to make a sweet homemade treat for special events, such as baby showers and birthday parties. Your guests will love them.
How long will it take to make these sweet treats?
The Cream Puffs won’t take long to prepare. It takes around 20 minutes to prepare your ingredients and then five minutes to cook everything. So, you can expect to have these delicious puffs ready to eat in no time.
A lot of people think that its difficult to make these and they don’t even try! I am here to tell you, foodie friends, they are really easy! Cream puff pastry, or pate a choux, is made from just four ingredients: water, butter, flour, and eggs. The ingredients are combined in a saucepan and cooked over medium heat until a ball of dough forms. The dough is then transferred to a mixer and beaten while adding eggs one at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Then the dough is piped into small circles onto a baking sheet, and baked until golden brown and puffy. Once you take the pastry shells out of the oven, you must allow them to cool completely before being filled with my whipped cream/pastry cream filling.
When do I add the filling to the puffs?
Don’t add the filling to the pastry too soon. You should add it within four hours or less of serving the Cream Puffs to your loved ones.
Should I add anything else to the Cream Puffs?
While you don’t need to add anything extra to the Cream Puffs to get them to taste good, you have options. Some people like adding a chocolate drizzle over these puffs with powdered sugar and sliced strawberries. If you don’t like chocolate, you can always use warm caramel syrup to drizzle over your pastry for an added touch. If not, feel free to keep it simple and add a dusting of the powdered sugar before serving your baked goods.
Can I make a chocolate version of the cream filling?
You absolutely can make a chocolate version of the cream filling for these puffs. If you prefer chocolate, add a bit of cocoa powder into the filling mixture with the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. It’ll turn into a chocolate filling that tastes great. Feel free to make other versions of the filling for your Cream Puffs, including strawberry, pineapple, and even blueberry. The possibilities are endless.
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Cream Puffs
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs plus 1 for egg wash
- Filling
- 2 cups very cold heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar plus more for dusting
- ½ teaspoon clear vanilla extract ** see notes
- Garnish optional
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
Pastry Cream Whipped Cream Filling
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3/4 Cup Sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- pinch of salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup Heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat
- In a large saucepan add water, butter, salt, and sugar
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and remove from heat
- Quickly stir in flour with a wooden spoon until well combined, about 1 minute
- Return pan to stove and continue cooking, stirring constantly until a film forms on the bottom of the pan
- Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a large bowl, let cool slightly
- Add 4 eggs, one at a time, stirring to incorporate each egg completely before adding the next egg
- Make an egg wash with the remaining egg and 1 tablespoon water, whisk together and set aside
- Transfer dough mixture to a large disposable decorator pastry bag fitted with a large round tip.
- Pipe circle 2 inch in diameter onto parchment paper
- Moisten your finger with water and gently smooth out the pointed peaks if necessary
- Brush surface of cream puff with egg wash
- Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until puffs rise and are golden brown
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on wire racks
Cream Filling Directions
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan over a medium high heat until right before it boils, then remove
- In a small bowl combine 3/4 cup sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch.
- slowly pour the milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly, then return all of the liquid to the pan.
- Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes
- Remove the pan from the stove and add in your vanilla extract and pinch of salt and stir in the vanilla and a pinch of salt. Place the pastry cream in your fridge for about 15- 20 minutes
- In a medium bowl, combine your heavy whipping cream and 2 tbsp sugar, then whip with a hand mixer or you can use a whisk.
- Remove the pastry cream from the fridge and gently old the whipped cream into the pastry cream.
- Fill each of your cooled puffs with the mixture and chill for about 10 minutes.
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