This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.
Cheese Puffs - quick and easy Gougeres recipe for puffy, light and airy French cheesy puffs. Loaded with mozzarella and parmesan cheese, so good!
What Is A Gougere
Gougeres are French cheese puffs made with a choux pastry and loaded with cheese. Gougere is one of my favorite recipes to bake when I crave for cheesy puffs, the other one is cheese breadsticks.
These little packages are so good and addictive. Loaded with two types of cheese: mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. They are packed with wonderful aroma, flavorful and delicious. I just can’t stop eating them!
Gougere Ingredients
Pâte a choux dough or choux pastry is the building block of cheese gougeres. It’s a cooked dough with the following ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- hot boiling water
- Butter
- Eggs
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
Pate a choux is also used to make beignets, cream puffs, pumpkin cream puffs, chouquettes and other delicious baking recipes.
How To Make Cheese Puffs
I learned how to make them from Home Cooking Adventure.
You will learn the clear step-by-step instructions so this cheese puffs recipe is fail-proof and fool-proof.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe yields 18 golden-hued, puffy, light and airy cheese puff balls. Each is only 80 calories.
What To Serve With Cheese Puffs
This meal is best served as a side dish. They go well with any main dishes. Try this quick and easy recipe. Make two batches as they will disappear in a matter of minutes!
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Cheese Puffs (Gougeres)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup water
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup plain flour
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon minced Italian parsley
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium sauce pan, bring the water, butter, salt and ground black pepper to a boil. Add the flour and stir until it forms a dough. Cook another 2 minutes to dry out the dough.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl and let it cool slightly. Slowly add the eggs, one at a time, and stir until well combined.
- Add the mozzarella cheese and parsley, mix well. Using 2 tablespoons to round each ball of dough and drop it onto the prepared parchment paper. Set them 1.5"-2" (4cm-5cm) apart. Sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese on top.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 425°F (220°C) and another 20-25 minutes at 380°F (190°C) until golden brown. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Are you supposed to add the 1 cup of Parmesan to the dough or is that all supposed to be sprinkled on top?
Hi Michele. If you follow the recipe, in step 4, it states to sprinkle 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese on top of the puffs before baking.
Happy baking!
Can I make smaller ones to get more from one recipe? If so, how long should they be cooked fro?
Hi Michele. I’m not sure how much smaller you intend to make it, but I would assume that you can reduce the cooking time to about 6-7 minutes but please keep your eye on it while it bakes to make sure it doesn’t burn. Once it’s golden brown, it should be ready.
Can I use gluten free flour to make these…they look so good!!!
Hi Candy. Yes, you technically can make gluten-free cheese puffs. However, you will need extra xanthan gum to bind the flour together to allow it to puff up without breaking.
The dough was amazing but the cooking time didn’t make sense. How do you cook for 10 mins on high heat and then cook on a lower heat for 20 to 30 when your oven can’t cool down to do this? They didn’t turn out light or fluffy but they tasted ok, I think the flavor was too light for my taste. Do you need two ovens not sure what I did wrong.
Hi Danelle, you just need to reduce the temperature with the puffs in the oven at the 10 minute mark. Do not remove from oven.
These turned out so yummy! Thank you I’m looking forward to trying them with different cheeses.
??
How far ahead can you make these
You can make them a few hours ahead.
I made these last week and this week I have added some fried off bacon, they look great so far.
I followed the recipe exactly, however the batter was very runny? Therefore it was impossible to form into balls. I placed the batter on the parchment paper and they were good but were more like flat biscuits.
Why do you think this happened?
It’s impossible because I have made this recipe so many times. If the batter is runny, your measurement is off.
Hi.
Regarding the baking times and temps, are you just lowering the temp and continuing to bake them? Will the temp go low enough for the rest of the bake?
Thanks,
Paul