Chocolate Cream Puffs

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These Chocolate Cream Puffs are light, crisp and filled with a rich and creamy chocolate custard. While this classic French dessert is super impressive, it’s also surprisingly easy to make and absolutely delicious.

We'll show you how to make pate a choux cream puff dough like a pro as well as our easy chocolate custard recipe. Finish with a bit of powdered sugar or dip in melted chocolate for a real treat.

homemade chocolate creams puffs recipe, homemade chocolate puffs

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Homemade Chocolate Cream Puff Recipe
Chocolate Cream Puff Ingredients
How to Make Chocolate Cream Puffs
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Chocolate Cream Puff Recipe Variations
Frequently Asked Questions
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Chocolate Cream Puffs Recipe
More of the Best Chocolate Desserts To Try

Homemade Chocolate Cream Puff Recipe

Whether you are planning a special get-together, have a sweet spot for French desserts or just want to try something new, these Chocolate Cream Puffs are the perfect recipe to make. They may seem intimidating, but once you have made them once, you’ll see just how easy it is to whip up cream puffs in your very own kitchen.

These Chocolate Cream Puffs use the exact same pâte à choux dough as our classic Cream Puffs recipe, but they are filled with silky smooth chocolate custard instead. You can finish them off with a dusting of powdered sugar or even dip the tops into melted chocolate for a decorative little touch.

Below, we’ve given you instructions on how to make this dessert ahead of time as well as a few tips, tricks and answers to your most frequently asked questions. Let us know how it goes.

A glass bowl that is filled with half chocolate custard filling for cream puffs and half whipped cream. This is for filling the cream puffs with chocolate or vanilla.

Chocolate Cream Puff Ingredients

Pâte à Choux Dough

Butter - use unsalted butter for this recipe.
Water - water creates steam in the oven which is what helps cream puffs rise. You could also use half milk and half water.
Sugar - just a touch of sugar is all you need.
Salt - you’ll want to add just a bit here so that the flavor isn’t flat.
Flour - all-purpose flour works great for pâte à choux.
Eggs - make sure your eggs are at room temperature and not cold so they will be easier to incorporate into your soft dough.

Chocolate Cream Puffs on a table, dusted with powdered sugar and surrounded by fresh raspberries, The easiest cream puffs recipe.

Chocolate Cream Puff Filling

Milk - whole milk works best for a custard like this.
Sugar - regular granulated sugar is best for this recipe.
Cornstarch - this helps to thicken the custard.
Cocoa Powder - for the best chocolate flavor, use a high quality brand of cocoa powder such as Ghirardelli.
Salt - either sea salt or kosher salt will work great.
Vanilla Extract - pure vanilla extract tastes best. You could also use other types to create other flavors, such as banana extract, coffee extract, almond extract and more.
Egg Yolks - these thicken the custard and make it silky smooth.
Butter - use unsalted butter for the filling.
Heavy Whipping Cream - this will be whipped separately and folded into the finished custard.

Four photos showing the process for making pâte à choux, including heating the butter and water, cooking the dough in a pot with a wooden spoon, adding the eggs in the mixer and finally the finished dough in the bowl. Cream puffs chocolate.

How to Make Chocolate Cream Puffs

Make the Choux Pastry

Cook the dough. In a large saucepan over medium high heat, add the butter, water, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and add the flour. Stir constantly and vigorously using a wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan. Continue to cook for an additional 1 minute in order to remove a little more moisture and cook the flour.
Transfer to a stand mixer bowl. Immediately transfer the cooked pastry dough to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium speed using the paddle attachment to release some of the steam.
Add the eggs. Add the vanilla, then begin adding the eggs one at a time, letting each egg incorporate into the dough before adding the next. Continue to mix until the dough is smooth and forms a thick ribbon texture when stirred with the paddle.
Pipe. Remove from heat, then transfer the pâte à choux dough to a piping bag with a large round (or star) ½" inch piping tip. Pipe 1 ½"-2" rounds onto your prepared baking sheet, keeping them about 2" apart. Wet your finger and smooth out the tip on each round to ensure even baking and color.
Bake. Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 without opening the oven door and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the cream puffs are golden brown.
Cool completely. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool to room temperature.

Make the Chocolate Custard Recipe

Boil the milk mixture. In a saucepan over medium heat, add the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, salt, and milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently. Once it reaches a boil, whisk and cook for 1 minute, or until the mixture thickens.
Temper in the eggs. In a separate large mixing bowl, add the egg yolks and whisk. With one hand, stream about ⅓ of the hot pudding mixture into the bowl while whisking constantly with the other hand. Slowly add the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan while whisking. Whisk the entire custard over medium heat until it comes to a boil.
Cool. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla, stirring until the butter is melted. Transfer the hot custard to a large bowl or baking dish and cover the surface of the chocolate pudding with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge until completely cooled.

Assemble the Chocolate Puffs

Add whipped cream to the filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the heavy cream and whip until soft peaks form. Remove the cooled chocolate custard from the fridge, giving it a couple of stirs, then carefully fold in the whipped cream using a rubber spatula. The chocolate for cream puffs should be light and fluffy.
Fill and finish the Cream Puffs. Transfer the cream puff filling to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Poke a small hole on the bottom of each baked choux pastry using the end of a thermometer, a large skewer or a small paring knife. Fill each cream puff, then dust the filled cream puffs with powdered sugar before serving.
Enjoy!

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Try dipping the tops of the chocolate cream puffs into melted chocolate, then add sprinkles, shaved chocolate or any other decorations that you would like.
Feel free to serve your cream puffs directly out of the freezer as they are delicious this way and taste like they are filled with ice cream!
Cream Puffs are a great make-ahead dessert. The shells can be baked up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. The filling can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the fridge. It then takes just minutes to reassemble once you are ready to serve.
You can fill these little guys with just about anything that is sturdy enough to pipe. All sorts of flavors of creams and custards taste amazing inside cream puffs.
If you fill your cream puff shells with ice cream, you’ve suddenly made profiteroles!

Cream Puffs piped with a styled piping tip on a baking sheet - one photo with them raw and one photo with them baked. Cream puff pastry. Chocolate puff.

Chocolate Cream Puff Recipe Variations

Double Chocolate Cream Puffs: Incorporate cocoa powder into the choux pastry for a chocolatey base. Fill with chocolate ganache or chocolate pastry cream for an extra-rich experience.
Hazelnut Chocolate Cream Puffs: Add finely chopped toasted hazelnuts to the choux pastry. Fill with a hazelnut chocolate cream or Nutella-flavored whipped cream.
Mint Chocolate Cream Puffs: Add peppermint extract to the chocolate custard.
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cream Puffs: Fill each chocolate puff with half chocolate custard and half creamy peanut butter.
Coffee Chocolate Cream Puffs: Add instant coffee or espresso powder to the choux pastry and/or chocolate custard.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between cream puffs and eclairs?

The main difference between a cream puff and an eclair is the shape. They are both made with choux pastry dough and generally filled with lightened creams and custards. However, cream puffs are round in shape, while eclairs are long and rectangular.

Can you fill cream puffs ahead of time?

Yup! While eating them within a few hours of filling is ideal, you can absolutely fill your Chocolate Cream Puffs up to a full day before you plan to serve.

Why did my Cream Puffs deflate after I pulled them out of the oven?

The most common reason that pâte à choux deflates is that it wasn’t given enough time in the oven to cook fully and enough moisture to evaporate. If you find your puffs keep deflating, try reducing the oven temperature down to 400 or 375 degrees and baking for a longer time. Also, leave enough space between each puff and do not open the oven door as that rush of air can also make them collapse.

Do the baked choux pastry shells need to be refrigerated if they aren’t filled?

Nope, any unfilled Chocolate Cream Puff shells can be wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

Refrigerator: filled Chocolate Cream Puffs can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days. You can also store the chocolate cream puff filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Frozen Cream Puffs: frozen cream puffs with chocolate filling taste amazing, almost like they are filled with ice cream. You can also freeze both the baked pâte à choux dough and the cooled chocolate pastry cream for up to 2 months.
To Thaw: pull the choux pastry out to room temperature for a few hours, or overnight. The filling can be thawed overnight in the fridge. You may want to refresh the pastry in a 325 degree oven for about 5 minutes to remove any moisture, then let it cool completely before filling with the thawed cream puff filling.

Chocolate Cream Puffs Recipe

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings people

Calories 347kcal

Author The Carefree Kitchen

Ingredients

Ingredients for Choux Pastry

½ cup Butter
1 cup Water
½ teaspoon Sugar
½ teaspoon Salt
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
4 large Eggs room temperature

Ingredients for Chocolate Custard Filling

2 cups Milk
¾ cup Sugar
3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
¼ cup Cocoa Powder
⅛ teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
4 Egg Yolks
3 Tablespoons Butter

For Assembling

1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
½ cup Powdered Sugar

Instructions

Pâte à Choux Pastry

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat and set aside.
In a large saucepan over medium high heat, add the butter, water, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and add the flour. Stir constantly and vigorously using a wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan. Continue to cook for an additional 1 minute in order to remove a little more moisture and cook the flour.
Immediately transfer the cooked pastry dough to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium speed using the paddle attachment to release some of the steam. Add the vanilla, then begin adding the eggs one at a time, letting each egg incorporate into the dough before adding the next. Continue to mix until the dough is smooth and forms a thick ribbon texture when stirred with the paddle.
Remove from heat, then transfer the pâte à choux dough to a piping bag with a large round (or star) ½" inch piping tip. Pipe 1 ½"-2" rounds onto your prepared baking sheet, keeping them about 2" apart. Wet your finger and smooth out the tip on each round to ensure even baking and color.
Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 without opening the oven door and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the cream puffs are golden brown.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Cream Puff Filling

In a saucepan over medium heat, add the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, salt, and milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently. Once it reaches a boil, whisk and cook for 1 minute, or until the mixture thickens.
In a separate large mixing bowl, add the egg yolks and whisk. With one hand, stream about ? of the hot pudding mixture into the bowl while whisking constantly with the other hand. Slowly add the tempered egg mixture into the saucepan while whisking. Whisk the entire custard over medium heat until it comes to a boil.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla, stirring until the butter is melted. Transfer the hot custard to a large bowl or baking dish and cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge until completely cooled.

Assembling Chocolate Cream Puffs

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the heavy cream and whip until soft peaks form. Remove the cooled custard from the fridge, giving it a couple stirs, then carefully fold in the whipped cream using a rubber spatula.
Transfer the cream puff filling to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Poke a small hole on the bottom of each baked choux pastry using the end of a thermometer, a large skewer or a small paring knife.
Fill each cream puff, then dust the filled cream puffs with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

To save time, you can skip the homemade cream puff filling and use Instant Chocolate Jello Pudding. Just mix up the pudding according to package instructions but reduce the milk by half. Cool completely, then fold it into 1 cup of heavy whipping cream. Voila!
Another way to assemble is to slice each baked cream puff in half and pipe the cream puff filling onto the bottom half, placing the top half back on. Finished with a dusting of powdered sugar and enjoy!