Classic French Cream Puffs (Choux à la Crème)

April 17, 2026

Professional-grade light pastry shells filled with a rich, velvety vanilla pastry cream.

I. Ingredients

The Choux Pastry (The Shells)
120 ml Water
60g Unsalted butter (cubed)
1/2 tsp Granulated sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
75g All-purpose flour (sifted)
2-3 Large eggs (at room temperature)
The Pastry Cream (The Filling)
360 ml Whole milk
1 tsp Vanilla bean paste or extract
3 Large egg yolks
60g Granulated sugar
3 tbsp Cornstarch
30g Cold unsalted butter (cubed)

II. Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Crafting the Pastry Cream (Make this first)
In a saucepan, bring the milk and vanilla to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale, then whisk in the cornstarch until smooth.
Tempering: Slowly pour about half of the warm milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking vigorously until the cream thickens and starts to boil.
Remove from heat, stir in the cold butter until melted, then transfer to a bowl.
Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream (to prevent a skin) and refrigerate until completely cold.
2. Preparing the Choux Pastry
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a saucepan, combine water, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a rolling boil.
Remove from heat and add the flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until a dough forms.
Return to low heat and stir for 1-2 minutes to "cook" the flour; the dough should form a ball and leave a thin film on the bottom of the pan.
Transfer the dough to a bowl and let it cool for a few minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stop adding eggs when the dough becomes shiny and falls slowly from the spoon in a "V" shape.
3. Piping and Baking
Transfer the dough to a piping bag with a round tip. Pipe mounds (about 3cm wide) onto the baking sheet.
Use a damp finger to gently flatten any pointed peaks on top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown and firm to the touch.
Pro Tip: Poke a small hole in the side of each puff and return them to the turned-off oven for 5 minutes to dry out the centers. Let them cool completely.

III. Assembly (Matching the Image)

Once the puffs and cream are cold, use a serrated knife to slice the top third off each puff.
Fill a piping bag with the chilled pastry cream using a star tip for a professional look.
Pipe a generous, tall swirl of cream into the bottom half of each shell.
Gently place the "hat" (the top slice) back onto the cream, leaving the filling visible from the sides as shown in your photo.
(Optional) Dust with powdered sugar right before serving.
💡 Chef’s Notes
Texture: For the best experience, fill the puffs shortly before serving to keep the pastry crisp.
Storage: Unfilled shells can be stored in an airtight container for 2 days or frozen for up to a month.
Consistency: If your pastry cream is too firm after chilling, whisk it briefly to restore its silkiness before piping.