Cream puffs are light, airy pastries made from choux pastry (a dough that puffs up when baked) and filled with sweet cream—usually whipped cream, custard, or pastry cream.
🥐 What makes a cream puff special?
- The dough (called pâte à choux) uses steam to rise instead of yeast or baking powder
- The inside becomes hollow, perfect for filling
- The outside is slightly crisp, while the inside stays soft
🍰 Common fillings
- Whipped cream (classic and light)
- Pastry cream (custard) (rich and creamy)
- Ice cream (when served as profiteroles)
🍫 Variations
- Chocolate cream puffs – topped with chocolate glaze
- Profiteroles – cream puffs served with chocolate sauce
- Croquembouche – a tower of cream puffs bound with caramel (popular at celebrations)
👨🍳 Simple ingredients
- Butter
- Water or milk
- Flour
- Eggs
🏠 Want a quick homemade version?
- Boil butter + water
- Stir in flour to form dough
- Add eggs gradually
- Pipe onto tray
- Bake until puffed and golden
- Cool, then fill with cream