Cheese Gougeres

Gougeres (French cheese puffs) with a crispy, cheesy outer crust.

4.41 from 179 votes

These French cheese puffs (gougeres) are light, airy, and packed with cheesy flavor. Made with choux pastry, mozzarella, and parmesan—easy to bake and perfect for parties or appetizers.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Pastry

Cuisine: Baking Recipes

Keyword: Cheese Gougeres, French Cheese Puffs

Servings: gougeres

Author: Bee Yinn Low

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 Italian parsley minced
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium saucepan, bring the water, butter, salt, and ground black pepper to a boil. Add the flour and stir until it forms a dough. Cook for an additional 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, stirring until well combined.
Add the mozzarella cheese and parsley, and mix well. Using 2 tablespoons, shape each ball of dough and drop it onto the prepared parchment paper, spacing them 1.5 to 2 inches (4 to 5 cm) apart. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese on top.
Bake for 10 minutes at 425°F (220°C), then reduce the temperature to 380°F (190°C) and continue baking for another 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Notes

Source: Home Cooking Adventure

Once you stir in the flour, keep cooking it for a couple more minutes. This step helps evaporate excess moisture so your puffs rise properly and don’t turn soggy or collapse after baking. It makes a huge difference, so don’t skip it!

That blast of high heat at the start helps them puff up, and lowering the temp after gives them time to turn golden and crisp without burning. Try not to open the oven too early—let the steam do its thing!

Let your eggs and butter come to room temperature before you start. Cold eggs can make the dough harder to mix, and softened butter helps everything melt together more smoothly in the pot.

Freshly grated cheese is the way to go. It melts better, tastes better, and gives you that nice cheesy texture. Pre-shredded cheese usually has anti-caking agents that don’t do your dough any favors.

Nutrition