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Cream Filled Choux Pastry is made with a golden brown crispy choux pastry shell and filled with freshly whipped cream. This recipe is easy to make with only a few ingredients and serves a delightful dessert everyone loves.
Cream Filled Choux Pastry Recipe
Cream filled choux pastry, also known as Cream Puff, is a classic French dessert that has been enjoyed by people around the world across the ages. This delicate and elegant dessert consists of a light and crispy choux pastry shell and is filled with decadent whipped cream.
Why This Recipe Works
It’s an easy, quick pastry recipe that only requires a few simple ingredients. Follow the baking tips below and the delicious pastry is made, guaranteed.
You can always make the pastry ahead of time and store the pastry and the filling separately in the fridge. Pipe the filling into the pastry just before serving for the best texture and taste.
The pastry is versatile and can be flavored with a variety of different fillings such as chocolate, fruit, or caramel, making it a perfect dessert for any occasion.
Ingredients
The recipe calls for a few ingredients that are already in your kitchen pantry.
The crispy pastry top requires three (3) ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
The choux pastry dough is made with the following ingredients:
- Milk
- Butter
- Caster sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Eggs
The decadent cream filling is only made with two (2) ingredients:
- Heavy whipping cream
- Powdered sugar
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Cream Filled Choux Pastry
The crispy choux pastry starts from a cookie-like dough. In a small bowl, combines well all-purpose flour, butter and powdered sugar and mix into a dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Next, heat milk, butter, and sugar in a saucepan, stir until the butter has melted, then add all-purpose flour. Keep stirring the mixture until a soft dough forms, then remove it from the heat. Allow the mixture to cool down and slowly stir in the beaten eggs.
Transfer the choux pastry into a piping bag and pipe it onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
Remove the pastry top dough from the refrigerator, roll it out and cut it with a round cookie cuter.
Place each of them on top of the choux pastry.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (410°F). Bake the pastries for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 160°C (320°F) and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove the pastries from the oven and let them cool down.
Meanwhile, whisk together heavy whipping cream and sugar until creamy and fluffy. Transfer the filling into a piping bag and ready to use.
Finally, fill the choux pastry with whipped cream and dusting powdered sugar. Serve immediately.
Baking Tips
To make a crispy, golden brown choux pastry shell, please follow my tips below.
- Choux pastry requires accurate measurements of ingredients, so use a digital scale and measuring spoons/cups to ensure accuracy.
- Using room-temperature ingredients like butter and eggs helps the dough come together easily and ensures a smooth consistency.
- When piping the dough, make sure to pipe the mounds evenly, so they will be baked evenly and have a consistent appearance.
- Do not open the oven door during baking. Choux pastry is sensitive to temperature changes, so avoid opening the oven door during baking to prevent the pastries from collapsing.
- Allow the choux pastry to cool completely before filling them with the cream to avoid melting or deflating. Fill the pastries just before serving to maintain the fresh and crispy outer.
Frequently Asked Questions
To ensure cream filled choux pastry remains fresh and crispy, it’s best to store the pastry and whipped cream in two separate containers. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
You may also keep them in the freezer for long-term storage. Simply place the unfilled pastries in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 1-2 months. When you’re ready to serve them, thaw them at room temperature for about 30 minutes, fill them with whipped cream, and enjoy.
A few tips will help you to prevent the choux pastry shells from flat, deflated and collapsed.
First, if the choux pastry dough is too running and can’t hold in shape once you piped it onto the baking pan. You may keep the dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to thicken the texture.
Second, Do Not open the oven during the middle of the baking.
Last, let the choux pastry bake for enough time and avoid undercooked pastry.
This recipe has 206 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Cream Filled Choux Pastry
For a delightful afternoon tea, I recommend the following recipes:
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Cream Filled Choux Pastry
Ingredients
Crispy Pastry Top
- 22 g all-purpose flour
- 22 g unsalted butter, softened
- 15 g powdered sugar
Choux Pastry Dough
- 85 g milk
- 5 g caster sugar
- 35 g unsalted butter
- 50 g all-purpose flour
- 2 beaten eggs, each about 55 g without a shell
Whipped Cream Filling
- 195 g heavy Whipping Cream
- 20 g powdered sugar
Instructions
Crispy Pastry Top
- Prepare the crisp pastry top by adding softened butter and powdered sugar to a bowl. Whisk until smooth, then sift the all-purpose flour into the bowl. Fold the ingredients together until well combined and a dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic film and chill it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Choux Pastry Dough
- Meanwhile, add milk, caster sugar, and butter to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter has melted. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and add the flour all at once. Continue stirring until the flour is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
- Turn off the heat and transfer the mixture to a clean mixing bowl. Let it cool for 3 to 5 minutes, then slowly whisk in the beaten egg, a little at a time. Once the mixture becomes thick, shiny, and smooth, stop whisking and transfer it to a piping bag using a spatula.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (410°F). While the oven is preheating, remove the pastry dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to about 2 mm (1/16 inch) thick. Use a 2-inch (5 cm) round cookie cutter to cut out circles from the dough.
- Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Pipe 2-inch (5 cm) mounds onto the paper, spacing them about 3 inches (7 cm) apart. Top each mound with a piece of the cookie-like pastry dough.
- Bake the pastries at 200°C (410°F) for 10 minutes. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 160°C (320°F) and continue baking for an additional 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. Once baked, remove the pastries from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack.
Whipped Cream Filling
- Prepare the cream filling by beating the whipping cream and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy and creamy, using either a whisk or a stand mixer with a wire whip attachment. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag. Once the pastries are cooled, poke a small hole in the bottom of each one and pipe the cream into the pastries. Serve immediately, dusted with powdered sugar.
Notes
- Choux pastry requires accurate measurements of ingredients, so use a digital scale and measuring spoons/cups to ensure accuracy.
- Using room-temperature ingredients like butter and eggs helps the dough come together easily and ensures a smooth consistency.
- When piping the dough, make sure to pipe the mounds evenly, so they will be baked evenly and have a consistent appearance.
- Do not open the oven door during baking. Choux pastry is sensitive to temperature changes, so avoid opening the oven door during baking to prevent the pastries from collapsing.
- Allow the choux pastry to cool completely before filling them with the cream to avoid melting or deflating. Fill the pastries just before serving to maintain the fresh and crispy outer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
