Cream Puffs

These homemade Custard Cream Puffs are made with a light and fluffy pastry shell and a creamy custard filling. They’re a classic French dessert that’s easier than you might think to make at home. 

One of the best things about this cream puff recipe is that you can make the components separately. Vanilla pudding and whipped cream both hold beautifully, making this an excellent make-ahead dessert.  Another pro tip is that they actually taste incredible straight out the freezer, so feel free to serve Cream Puffs frozen, too.

The Best Custard Cream Puffs

Cream Puffs are a total classic, and something you may have never considered making at home.  We’re here to show you just how easy it is to whip up both the light and airy pâte à choux pastry shells and the rich and creamy custard for cream puffs.

And please don’t limit yourself to just the custard in this recipe.  Cream Puffs taste amazing filled with all types and flavors of creams, puddings, custards and even ice cream.

If you’re looking for Chocolate Cream Puffs with chocolate pudding, we’ve got you covered there too,

Custard 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 dough.

Cream Puff Custard

• 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.
• 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.

How to Make Cream Puffs

Make the Choux Pastry

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Cool completely.  Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Make the Cream Puff Custard Filling

1. Boil the milk mixture.  In a saucepan over medium heat, add the sugar, 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.
2. Temper in the eggs.  In a separate large mixing bowl, add the egg yolks and whisk.  With one hand, stream about 1/3 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.
3. 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 pudding with plastic wrap.  Place in the fridge until completely cooled.

Assemble the Cream Puffs

1. 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 custard from the fridge, giving it a couple stirs, then carefully fold in the whipped cream using a rubber spatula.
2. 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.
3. Enjoy!
   

Frequently Asked Questions

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Frozen Cream Puffs taste like they are filled with ice cream, so feel free to serve them frozen or thawed.
• To save time, you can skip the homemade cream puff filling and use Instant Cheesecake or Vanilla 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!
• You don’t have to limit yourself to just filling these with custard.  Whipped cream, chocolate pudding, or even ice cream taste amazing in these little guys.
• 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.

Cream Puffs Recipe Variations

Cream Puffs with custard filling are delicious. But don’t stop there! There are so many other great fillings, including the following:

• Whipped Cream: Light and airy, whipped cream is a simple but delicious filling for cream puffs. Add a touch of vanilla or a sprinkle of powdered sugar to give it extra flavor.
• Fruit Compote: For a fruity twist on the classic cream puff, try filling them with a homemade fruit compote. Blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries all work well. Macerated Strawberries would be a great addition too.
• Nutella Cream Puffs: For a decadent dessert, fill your cream puffs with Nutella. The creamy hazelnut spread pairs perfectly with the light, airy pastry.
• Caramel Sauce: Drizzle caramel sauce over your filled cream puffs for a sweet and indulgent treat. Top with a sprinkle of sea salt for a perfect sweet-salty combination.
• Lemon Curd: For a tangy and refreshing filling, try lemon curd. The bright, citrusy flavor pairs perfectly with the delicate choux pastry.
• Cream Cheese: For a rich and tangy filling, try cream cheese. Add a touch of powdered sugar to make it sweeter, or add some lemon zest for extra flavor. Or this cream cheese filling would work great too.
• Peanut Butter: For a nutty, delicious filling, try peanut butter. Top with chocolate ganache or chopped peanuts for extra crunch.
• Chocolate Ganache: For a rich and indulgent filling, try chocolate ganache. Use dark, milk, or white chocolate depending on your preference.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

• Refrigerator: filled Cream Puffs can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.  You can also store the cream puff filling in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Frozen Cream Puffs: frozen Cream Puffs taste amazing, almost like they are filled with ice cream.  You can also freeze both the baked pâte à choux dough and the cooled cream puff filling for up to 2 months.  
• To thaw: to thaw, pull the 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 cool completely before filling with the thawed cream puff filling.

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These classic homemade Custard Cream Puffs have a light and airy pâte à choux pastry shell with a rich and creamy custard filling. They’re a great make-ahead dessert and absolutely delicious.