These Classic Cream Puffs are a year-round treat that will surely impress at your next gathering! They’re made with a choux pastry that’s baked to a light golden brown on the outside with a light and airy inside filled with a simple chocolate whipped cream and sprinkling of powdered sugar. They’re absolutely delicious!
This Classic Cream Puffs recipe post is sponsored by Ankarsrum®. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make Beyond the Butter® possible!
Adapted from my Strawberry Glazed French Crullers recipe and made using my Ankarsrum Assistent Original Mixer in their beautiful new Cloudy Pink color and their stainless steel beater bowl attachment, these homemade cream puffs are easy to make and taste phenomenal! The choux pastry comes together quickly, needing only six ingredients, and takes only a few minutes for them to cool to room temperature! The result is a light, airy, golden brown, chocolate whipped cream-filled treat!
And if you love this classic cream puffs dessert recipe, check out my Blender Chocolate Mousse, which also uses my Ankarsrum mixer and BONUS—can be used as a decadent filling alternative for these cream puffs!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to prep and easy to make.
- A light and airy treat!
- Paired with an equally light chocolate whipped cream filling.
- They’re incredibly delicious—I dare you to eat only one!
- It yields roughly 35 cream puffs, perfect for a spring, summer, or anytime of the year treat!
Ingredients
The ingredients below are used to make this easy classic cream puff recipe. Items noted in the bulleted list are key ingredients that need a bit more explanation.
- All-Purpose Flour. In place of all-purpose flour, you can use bread flour.
- Water. In place of water, you can use 1/2 cup of water plus 1/2 cup of milk or 1 cup of milk. Note that when you use milk, it will darken the outer shell of the cream puff versus if you just use water.
- Eggs. At room temperature, large eggs are best. Using extra-large or another size will alter the consistency/texture of the choux pastry.
- Dutch Process Cocoa Powder. In place of dutch process cocoa powder, you can use unsweetened cocoa powder. It will still be chocolatey, but not as intense.
For quantities and instructions, please see the recipe card below.
Instructions
Below is a brief overview of how to make these cream puffs with chocolate whipped cream. For the full printable recipe, which can be made using US customary or metric measurements using the toggle switch, visit the recipe card below.
Cream Puffs
Step 1. Melt the butter, water, sugar, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan (Images 1 and 2). Stir occasionally until fully blended and the mixture has come to a simmer. Do not bring the mixture to a boil.
Step 2. Remove from heat and add in the flour (Image 3). Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until well combined. Return to medium-high heat to continue stirring and pressing into the sides of the pan until the paste is thick and smooth (Image 4). It should easily pull away from the sides of the saucepan, leaving a light film.
Step 3. Transfer the choux pastry dough to your Ankarsrum stand mixer fitted with the cookie whisks. Beat the mixture on medium speed until all the steam dissipates from the batter and the sides of the bowl have cooled down, about 4-5 minutes (Images 5 and 6).
Step 4. Add in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each one has fully absorbed into the batter (Image 7). Scrape down the sides of the beater bowl in between adding each egg. The choux pastry will be ready when it is smooth and glossy in appearance, thick, and elastic-like in texture (Image 8).
Recipe Tip
You can test the choux pastry two ways. 1) Lift the whisk attachment from the batter. It should form a V shape without breaking. 2) Take some of the batter between your pointer finger and thumb, stretching it out to about 1-2 inches. If it doesn’t break, it’s good to go.
Step 5. Scoop out the choux pastry. Using a one-tablespoon-size cookie scoop, scoop out the choux pastry and place roughly 1 inch apart on the prepared sheet (Images 9 and 10). You can also pipe them out, if you prefer.
Step 6. Bake the cream puffs (Images 11 and 12). Bake the cream puffs for 10 minutes at 425ºF, then reduce the heat to 375ºF and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Do not open the oven door during baking. The cream puffs will be puffed up and a light golden brown in color. Immediately cut a slit in them (side or bottom) then let cool on a cooling rack (takes about 5-8 minutes).
Chocolate Whipped Cream
Quick Tip: It’s best to chill your mixing bowl in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before making this chocolate whipped cream. I used my Ankarsrum stainless steel beater bowl for this part.
Step 1. Add the ingredients to your chilled stand mixer bowl (Image 1). This includes the heavy cream, powdered sugar, dutch process cocoa powder, and vanilla extract. Start off on low speed until all of the ingredients are fully blended. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for about 1 minute or until stiff peaks have formed (Image 2). If you can scoop the whipped cream out of the bowl with a spoon and it holds its shape (upright or upside down), it is ready!
Assembly
Step 1. Slice then pipe with whipped cream. Carefully slice the cream puffs in half (Image 1). Fit a large pastry bag with a decorating tip of your choice (I used the Wilton 1M). Fill the pastry bag with the chocolate whipped cream and pipe it onto the bottom half of the cream puff. Top with the other half (Image 2), then dust with a sprinkling of powdered sugar (optional).
Variations
Below are some other delicious fillings to consider for your cream puffs!
- Lemon Curd Filling (from my Mini Lemon Meringue Pies recipe) – for a tart and tangy version!
- Chocolate Mascarpone Whipped Cream (from my Fudgy Brownie Bites recipe) – for a creamier version of whipped cream.
- Easy Blender Chocolate Mousse – this is a good one that’s also made with my Ankarsrum mixer (with their blender attachment).
- Dulce de Leche Ice Cream – a fun, summertime treat when paired with these cream puffs!
Recipe FAQs
A few reasons can cause cream puffs to deflate: Underbaking, not fully drying out the pastry dough in the saucepan, or opening the oven door during baking which will let the steam out (how the choux pastry dough rises).
If you find that your cream puffs are getting too dark on the bottom, even borderline charred, then you can add another cookie sheet underneath the other one to help absorb more of the heat or you can move your oven rack one level up.
The inside of cream puffs should be hollow, light, and airy with a yellow color to them (because of the eggs). The outer part of cream puffs should have a crispy exterior and be light-medium golden brown in color (depending on whether you use all water, a combination of water and milk, or all milk in your pastry dough.
More Delicious Pastry Recipes
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Classic Cream Puffs
Equipment
Ingredients
Cream Puffs
- 1 cup Water
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
- 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 4 Large Eggs
Chocolate Whipped Cream Filling
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1/3 cup Dutch Process Cocoa Powder, or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
Cream Puffs
- Adjust your oven rack to the middle position or the one above. Preheat your oven to 425ºF. Prep a large cookie sheet with either parchment paper or (preferred) a silicone liner. I recommend using a 2nd cookie sheet to place directly underneath the other, which can help prevent the cream puff bottoms from getting dark.
- Add the water, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and salt to a medium-size saucepan, stirring over medium-high heat until the butter has melted and the mixture has come to a boil. Be careful that it doesn’t boil over the top.1 cup Water, 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, 2 tbsp Granulated Sugar, 1/2 tsp Salt
- Remove the mixture from the heat and add the all-purpose flour, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until well combined. Then return to medium-high heat to continue stirring and pressing into the sides of the pan until the paste is thick and smooth. The mixture should resemble the texture of smooth instant mashed potatoes. It should easily pull away from the sides of the saucepan, leaving a light film.1 1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour
- Transfer the mixture to your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or cookie whisks attachment if using your Ankarsrum mixer) and beat on medium speed until all the steam dissipates from the batter and the sides of the bowl have cooled slightly (about 4-5 minutes).
- Add in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each one has fully absorbed into the batter. Scrape down the sides of the beater bowl in between adding each egg. The batter will be ready when it is smooth and glossy in appearance, thick, and elastic-like in texture. You can test this in two ways: lift up the whisk attachment from the batter. It should form a V shape without breaking. The other way is to take some of the batter between your pointer finger and thumb, stretching it out to about 1-2 inches. If it doesn’t break, it’s good to go.4 Large Eggs
- Using a one-tablespoon-size cookie scoop, scoop out the choux pastry and place them 1 inch apart on the prepared sheet. You can also pipe them out if you prefer.
- Bake the choux pastry for 10 minutes at 425ºF, then reduce the heat to 375ºF and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Do not open the oven door during baking, including when you reduce the oven temperature.
- The cream puffs will be puffed up and a light golden brown in color. When done, remove them from the oven and immediately cut a slit into the side of each cream puff to help release the steam. Cool them on a cooling rack.
Chocolate Whipped Cream Filling
- I recommend chilling your mixer bowl in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before starting the chocolate whipped cream.
- Add in the heavy cream, powdered sugar, dutch process cocoa powder, and vanilla extract to your chilled stand mixer bowl. Using the Ankarsrum balloon whisk attachments, beat the mixture on low speed until all of the ingredients are blended. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 1-2 minutes or until stiff peaks form with the whipped cream. A good tip is that if you can scoop it out with a spoon and it holds its shape, it's ready!2 cups Powdered Sugar, 1/3 cup Dutch Process Cocoa Powder, 1 cup Heavy Cream, 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
Assembly
- Carefully slice the cream puffs in half.
- Fit a large pastry bag with a decorating tip of your choice (I used the Wilton 1M). Fill the pastry bag with the chocolate whipped cream and pipe it onto half the cream puff. Top with the other half. Repeat until all of the cream puffs have been filled. Dust with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.
- These cream puffs are best enjoyed immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 additional day.
Notes
- You can use bread flour in place of all-purpose flour. This is a 1:1 substitution.
- In place of water, you can use 1/2 cup of water plus 1/2 cup of milk or 1 cup of milk. Note that when you use milk, it will darken the outer shell of the cream puff versus if you just use water.
- In place of dutch process cocoa powder, you can use unsweetened cocoa powder. The chocolate whipped cream will still be good, but not have as intense of a flavor.
- I recommend using a 2nd cookie sheet to place directly underneath the other, which can help prevent the cream puff bottoms from getting dark.
- To test the choux pastry, lift the whisk attachment from the batter. It should form a V shape without breaking or take some of the batter between your pointer finger and thumb, stretching it out to about 1-2 inches. If it doesn’t break, it’s good to go.
- For the chocolate whipped cream, I recommend chilling your mixer bowl in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before starting the chocolate whipped cream.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided above is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients used. See Nutritional Disclaimer for more info.
