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This profiteroles recipe fills deliciously crisp French choux pastry shells with homemade vanilla cream and tops them with chocolate ganache for a bakery-quality treat. You can also fill the pâte à choux with sweetened whipped cream and dust them with powdered sugar to make classic cream puffs!
Christmas morning I woke up at 3:43. It was a loud thud from above, and no not Santa, lol; just the neighbors making merry.
Try as I might, I couldn’t fall back asleep for the life of me, and instead of waking Mike up with my incessant tossing and turning, I decided to get up and make pastries. (Doesn’t everyone do this when they can’t sleep, lol?)
Ok, so it’s a little weird, but I had promised Mike homemade cream puffs for Christmas and I was planning to make them later that morning anyway.
And really, nothing tastes better than a cup of coffee with a homemade French pastry in the pre-dawn hours. ;)
What are Profiteroles?
A profiterole is a French pastry made from choux batter (called pâte à choux in French). When baked, the dough puffs up beautifully; the exterior is crisp and the inside is hollow! This means profiteroles are perfect for filling.
Don’t worry if you’ve never made choux dough before, it’s really not as complicated as it looks or sounds. And these pastries are very versatile. Sweet fillings are common (if you add cream inside, you have cream puffs!), but you can also go with something savory.
Or you can mix about 1 cup of grated cheese (such as Gruyère) into the batter before baking and you have gougères. (If you go with a savory option, omit the sugar and increase the salt to 3/4 teaspoon in the choux batter.)
And if you’re a fan of French cruller doughnuts (they’re my favorite!), this is actually the same batter that’s used to make them. Just pipe the choux batter into circles and deep fry them!
Savory Profiterole Fillings
Profiteroles are delicious and perfect for a luncheon if you fill them with any number of savory fillings. To add a savory filling, it works best to slice each profiterole in half horizontally (because these types of fillings generally can’t be piped).
Here are a few filling ideas for savory profiteroles:
- Mushrooms sautéed with garlic and butter
- Chicken salad (such as curried chicken salad or cranberry walnut chicken salad)
- Mushrooms in cream
- Smoked salmon dip
What Pastries Can You Make with Pâte à Choux?
You can use this batter to make a variety of different pastries, such as:
- Profiteroles – choux pastries filled with pastry cream, whipped cream, custard, ice cream, etc.
- Cream puffs – profiteroles filled with sweetened whipped cream (aka Crème Chantilly)
- Éclair – choux batter piped into an oblong shape before baking, and after baking filled with pastry cream or custard and topped with icing
- Paris-Brest – choux batter piped into a circle, and later filled with hazelnut praline cream
- Croquembouche – this is essentially a cone-shaped tower of profiteroles (typically filled with cream) with spun sugar holding it together
- French cruller doughnuts – the batter is piped into a circle, deep fried, and then glazed with a thin icing
- Gougère – this savory pastry is pâte à choux with shredded cheese (frequently Gruyère) mixed into the choux batter
To Make Classic Cream Puffs
You can fill profiteroles with a thick sweet cream for classic cream puffs! You can make sweetened whipped cream (aka Chantilly cream) or use Cool Whip if you’re pressed for time.
To make sweetened whipped cream, you’ll need:
- 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Use a hand-held electric mixer to beat until the cream forms stiff peaks. Pipe this mixture into the cooled choux pastry shells, and dust the tops with a generous sprinkle of powdered sugar.
Profiteroles with Vanilla Cream Filling Ingredients and Substitutions
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Vanilla Cream (aka Diplomat Cream) Filling Ingredients
Crème Diplomat is essentially Crème Pâtissière, aka Pastry Cream (Pastry Cream is a vanilla custard that’s thickened with cornstarch or flour) that’s combined with whipped cream.
- 1 large egg
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3 cups milk (preferably whole milk)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Choux Batter Ingredients
This choux batter recipe was adapted slightly from Julia Child’s recipe for Puff Shells (Choux) in Mastering the Art of French Cooking; published by Alfred A. Knopf.
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 large eggs
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for eggwash)
Chocolate Topping Ingredients
- 4 ounces chopped good-quality semisweet chocolate (or about 2/3 cup good quality semisweet chocolate chips)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 to 2 tablespoons milk (preferably whole milk)
Instructions
Step 1: Make the Custard Filling
If you want to fill these profiteroles with Diplomat Cream, make the thick custard (aka Pastry Cream) first so it has time to chill.
- Whisk together the egg and egg yolks in a medium bowl and set aside. Whisk together the milk, sugar, flour, and salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Turn off the heat and very slowly ladle the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture while whisking, adding just a drop at a time at first.
- Transfer the custard back to the saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat; boil 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Turn the heat off and whisk in the butter and vanilla.
- Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the custard (to prevent a skin from forming).
- Cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate to chill.
- Before filling the pastries, beat the custard until smooth with a handheld electric mixer. In a separate bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the custard, adding 1/3 of the cream at a time. This mixture (called Diplomat Cream) is ready to pipe into the center of each pastry.
Step 2: Make the Choux Pastries
While the custard is chilling, make the choux pastries.
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Bring the water, butter, sugar, and salt up to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, pour in all the flour, and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon to blend thoroughly. Put the saucepan back on the heat and continue to stir until the mixture thickens and forms a ball, and starts to film on the bottom of the pan, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the dough cool slightly, about 3 to 5 minutes, then make a well in the center of the dough, break an egg into it, and beat vigorously until the egg is absorbed; continue this way until all 5 eggs are incorporated.
- While the dough is still warm, use a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop to scoop out it out onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each pastry. Lightly dip a pastry brush into the eggwash and very gently brush the top of each puff, being careful not to let the eggwash drip down the puff onto the baking sheet (this will prevent the puffs from rising).
- Bake for 20 minutes (rotating the pans once halfway through), then turn heat down to 350F and bake until the puffs are golden brown and firm to the touch, about 5 to 15 minutes more, checking them every few minutes.
- Remove the puffs from the oven and immediately pierce the side of each with a sharp paring knife (so the steam can escape). Turn the oven off, put the pastries back into the oven, and let them sit in there for 10 minutes with the door ajar. After this, transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Step 3: Fill the Pastries
- Fit a pastry bag with a basic small-medium tip (I like to use a 3/16-inch tip); fill the bag with Diplomat Cream.
- Once the puffs are completely cooled, insert the tip of the pastry bag into the puff through the slit that you cut to let the steam vent; gently squeeze the cream into the pastry and continue this way until all the pastries are filled.
Step 4: Top with Chocolate
The chocolate topping is optional. I like it paired with a custardy vanilla filling; it reminds me of Boston cream pie doughnuts! However, you can skip the topping, or simply dust the tops with powdered sugar if you prefer.
- Melt the chocolate and butter together in a microwave or double boiler, then stir in enough milk to make it smooth.
- Spoon a little over each filled pastry and let the chocolate set before serving.
Make Ahead
You can make the custard filling up to 3 days ahead. Store it covered in the fridge, and wait to whip the cream and fold it into the custard until right before you want to fill the pastries.
You can make the choux pastries ahead as well! Once they cool to room temperature, store them in a covered container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If you make the pastries ahead, you will need to re-crisp them before filling. To do so, thaw them if they were frozen and put them on a baking tray in a preheated 350F oven until warm and crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes, and then let them cool before filling.
Storage
Once profiteroles are filled with custard, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. However, they will lose their crispness as time goes on, so I definitely recommend filling them right before you want to serve them if possible.
More Sweet Pastries to Make
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Profiteroles Recipe (Choux Pastries with Vanilla Cream and Chocolate Icing)
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Ingredients
Vanilla Cream Filling (aka Diplomat Cream)
- 1 large egg
- 4 large egg yolks
- 3 cups milk preferably whole milk
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Choux Pastries
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 large eggs
- 1 large egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water (for eggwash)
Chocolate Icing
- 4 ounces chopped good-quality semisweet chocolate (or 2/3 cup good-quality semisweet chocolate chips)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons milk preferably whole milk
Instructions
For the Diplomat Cream Filling:
- Whisk together the egg and egg yolks in a medium bowl and set aside. Whisk together the milk, sugar, flour, and salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and very slowly ladle the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture while whisking, adding just a drop at a time at first. Transfer the custard back to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat; boil 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Turn heat off and whisk in the butter and vanilla. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate to chill, at least 2 hours (or up to 3 days).
- Before filling the pastries, beat the custard until smooth with a handheld electric mixer. In a separate bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the custard, adding 1/3 of the cream at a time. Pipe this mixture (called Diplomat Cream) into the center of each pastry (see below for more detailed instructions on filling the pastries).
For the Choux Pastries:
- Preheat oven to 400F and line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Bring the water, butter, sugar, and salt up to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, pour in all the flour, and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon to blend thoroughly. Put the saucepan back on the heat and continue to stir until the mixture thickens and forms a ball, and starts to film on the bottom of the pan, about 1 to 2 minutes. Make a well in the center of the dough, break an egg into the well, and beat vigorously until the egg is absorbed; continue this way until all 5 eggs are incorporated.
- While the dough is still warm, use a 1 1/2 tablespoon ice cream scoop to scoop out it out onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each pastry. Lightly dip a pastry brush into the eggwash and very gently flatten each puff, being careful not to let the eggwash drip down the puff onto the baking sheet (this will prevent the puffs from rising).
- Bake for 20 minutes (rotating the pans once halfway through), then turn heat down to 350F and bake until the puffs are golden brown and firm to the touch, about 5 to 15 minutes more, checking them every few minutes.
- Remove the puffs from the oven and immediately pierce the side of each with a sharp paring knife (so the steam can escape). Turn off the oven, put the pastries back into the turned-off oven, and let them sit in there for 10 minutes with the door ajar. After this, transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
To Fill the Pastries:
- Fit a pastry bag with a basic small-medium tip (I like to use a 3/16-inch tip); fill the bag with the Diplomat Cream. Once the puffs are completely cooled, insert the tip of the pastry bag into the puff through the slit that you cut to let the steam vent; gently squeeze the filling into the pastry and continue this way until all the pastries are filled.
For the Chocolate Icing:
- Melt the chocolate and butter together in a microwave or double boiler; add the milk and stir until smooth. Spoon over the filled pastries and let the chocolate set before serving.
Notes
- Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes about 25 to 30 filled and iced profiteroles. For the nutritional information, each serving is 1 filled and iced profiterole.
- Scooping/Piping/Spooning the Choux Batter: I used a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop to measure out the batter, but you can just as easily use a pastry bag to pipe it into small circles (about the size of a half-dollar), or use two spoons to spoon it onto the baking sheets.
- To Make the Filling Ahead: You can make the custard filling up to 3 days ahead. Store it covered in the fridge, and wait to whip the cream and fold it into the custard until right before you want to fill the pastries
- To Make the Choux Pastries Ahead: You can make the choux pastries ahead as well! Once they cool to room temperature, store them in a covered container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If you make the pastries ahead, you will need to re-crisp them before filling. To do so, thaw them if they were frozen and put them on a baking tray in a preheated 350F oven until warm and crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes, and then let them cool before filling.
- Choux Recipe Adaptation: This choux batter recipe was adapted slightly from Julia Child’s recipe for Puff Shells (Choux) in Mastering the Art of French Cooking; published by Alfred A. Knopf.
To Make Classic Cream Puffs
You can fill profiteroles with a thick sweet cream for classic cream puffs! You can make sweetened whipped cream (aka Chantilly cream) or use Cool Whip if you’re pressed for time. To make sweetened whipped cream, you’ll need:- 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add all ingredients for the sweetened whipped cream to a large bowl. Use a hand-held electric mixer to beat until the cream forms stiff peaks.
- Pipe the cream into the cooled choux pastry shells.
- Dust the pastry tops with a generous sprinkle of powdered sugar if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on December 28, 2011. I updated it with more information and photos on December 28, 2023.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Free Bonus
Do you beat the batter and eggs with true wooden spoon or can you use a hand mixer?
Lily, I’ve made this recipe both ways, using a wooden spoon and also using a handheld electric mixer, and both methods work very well. The key is to fully incorporate each egg before adding another egg. I hope this helps!
Tried this recipe. Thought I followed it right down to the dot but to my disappointment, the batter turned out to runny and just fell flat on the tray. Even after I added one more cup of flour in, the batter just did not seem to have the right consistency and when baked, did not rise so I couldn’t inject any whipped cream into the puffs. Maybe I did something wrong cos yours turned out amazing!
Thank you so much for your clear instructions. I am in the middle of this recipe now and it was very easy.
Can you publish or direct me to, the savory mushroom filling you wrote about?
Again, Thanks!
Jeannette, Thank you so much for your kind comment. Here is the recipe for my Mushrooms in Cream: https://www.anediblemosaic.com/?p=6972; it is perfect as a savory filling. I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try and thanks again!
I made these today for a book club that had a French theme (we read/watched Julie & Julia. They were a HUGE hit!! Everyone loved them. Your recipe was so easy to follow. I do recommend anyone to make the cream as far ahead as possible…it was JUST getting cold by the time I was ready to fold in the whipped cream and fill the puffs with them. I will definitely be making these again!!
i tried making it and it didn’t work i don’t know what i did wrong :(
Hello! I was just wondering, I made mine but when I went to go make my batter, the dough wouldn’t absorb the eggs no matter how long I beat the egg in the well of the dough I made.. so I just mixed the dough all together with the eggs, but my dough became very liquidy and wasn’t like a ball-shaped form anymore. I was wondering if this is normal? or what did I do wrong perhaps? then i added some flour to try and make it more “put together” but that just made it worse I think. haha HELP
Grace, Without being right there in the kitchen with you it’s really hard to know exactly what went wrong, but the best thing I can ask you is if you followed each and every step mentioned in the directions. You should bring the water, butter, sugar, and salt up to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, pour in all the flour, and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon to blend thoroughly. Put the saucepan back on the heat and continue to stir until the mixture thickens and forms a ball, and starts to film on the bottom of the pan, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the dough cool slightly, about 3 to 5 minutes, then make a well in the center of the dough, break an egg into it, and beat vigorously until the egg is absorbed; continue this way until all 5 eggs are incorporated. Beating vigorously is key, but really, all the steps are very important. Hope this helps!
Hey! I’m trying these and I was wondering, do you need to have that tip to fill the pastries? Or can I just do it with a plastic bag and cut off a small tip?? Please answer!!
Nathalie, In the post, here is what I said about how to deal with the batter: Scooping/Piping/Spooning the Choux Batter: I used a 1 1/2 tablespoon ice cream scoop to measure out the batter, but you can just as easily use a pastry bag to pipe it into small circles (about the size of a half-dollar), or use two spoons to spoon it onto the baking sheets.
If you prefer to use a plastic bag with a tip cut off, that would definitely work also.
Hope you enjoy the Cream Puffs!
I really need to make these soon!!! Really fantastic photography, Faith! :)
xoxo,
Tammy & Catherine
I just had to come visit this post…especially since this is one of my top 5 desserts ;o)
P.S. I also have started baking in the middle of the night…in my case it’s unfortunately hormones…and certainly not a possible Santa call neither ;)
Flavourful wishes,
Claudia
These are absolute beauties! I’ve been wanting to try a puff pastry recipe for quick some time, but I keep putting it off due to fear! You make it look so easy and achievable! I love your blog and I agree… there’s nothing better like some cream puffs at 4:00 in the morning!
these are awfully laborious, but when you sink your teeth in and meet that pool of cream, well, it’s worth every effort. :)
Couldn’t sleep? Make profiteroles! They are sexy.
Happy New Year!
Angie
Beautiful profiteroles Faith! The choux balls are perfect! I wish you a very prosperous and loving New Year!
My boyfriend loves it when I can’t sleep. Breakfast is made, his lunch is packed and there is usually something decadent coming out of the oven when he gets up. I’m sure he will enjoy my insomnia even more when I surprise him with cream puffs one morning.
I grew up on eclaires and absolutely love them as well as the cream puffs. I get custard filled doughnuts, also. That should tell you something.
Happy New Year. Miss you.
Chaya, I miss you too! I’m sending you an email now. :)
Hi dear may i know for the custard requires 2/3 sugar. Wont the custard be too sweet or the sweetness is perfect not too sweet just nice.
Mamafiyah, This is a sweet custard and that amount of sugar is correct for the recipe. I hope you enjoy this if you give it a try! :)
Perfect! I haven’t made cream puffs in ages, but they’d be great to make for New Year’s day –
Happy New Year!
Wow never thought profiteroles were that easy to make :) i always thought the dough was really difficult but my sister and i love eclairs so i’m definitely going to try making them using the recipe from this choux batter :) yay!
Happy New Years in advance!
Lucky Mike—what a wonderful Christmas morning treat. I do so love profiteroles, and yours look perfect.
Wishing you a very happy new year–doesn’t your book come out soon?!!!
Nancy
Oh wow, I would love to wake up to these beauties…stunning and delightful!
Wishing you an amazing 2012 Faith, hugs
You are too funny, Faith! Lucky Mike to wake up to these gorgeous profiteroles! I wish I could wake up to these instead of santa… happy holidays and happy new year!!
I love that you were making these long before the sun even comes up :) They look fantastic! Mike is one lucky guy :)
Profiteroles are one of my Dad’s top desserts ever so I know he would love these. They look so elegant and the custard filling is much more of a treat than standard whipped cream!
What a great thing to wake up to, they look fantastic!
Wishing you a very happy New Year!
These have to be one of my Top 10 all-time favorite desserts. How I would have loved to wake up to those on Christmas morning! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas, Faith. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2012!
Happy Thursday!
Why don’t I EVER think to bake when I can’t sleep?!?!?
These are gorgeous…seriously professional looking. For some reason I always thought choux batter was made with yeast, which doesn’t even make sense now that I think about it. These are a definite need-to-make.
Yum yum,super tempting cream puffs,feel like having some.
Oh wow great profiteroles. i tend to do my baking at the other end of the night sometimes baking until 2 AM
OK, you’re wigging me out! This is the second recipe on my bucket list you’ve made this week (the first being the Turkish delight)! Pinning this to my “bucket list recipes” board-LOL! I’ve always heard these are simple but I balk at them for some reason. My SIL made a layered cream puff dessert for Christmas that had the choux spread out and baked in a pan, then had chocolate filling and whipped cream on top, then some caramel and chocolate icecream topping swirled over the top. While very good, the bottom gets kinda soggy after a while so it’s not that great for storing. Can these be made in advance or do they need to be eaten as soon as they’re finished?
Veronica, I’m not sure how long these stay good for…the longest they’ve lasted in my house before getting eaten is about a day (they were still fantastic after a day, but the puff wasn’t as crisp). As far as I know, you can make the puffs up to a couple days in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature (you can also make the custard a day in advance), but wait to fill the puffs until right before you want to serve them (since the puffs should be as crisp/dry as possible, and the filling gives moisture to the shell). Hope this helps!
These look so wonderful! I have never made cream puffs but have always wanted to. Yum!
My ex loved these filled with ice cream. I had them for Christmas with berry and chocolate sauce… they are addictive. Great recipes… makes me want to make a little custard filling to use up the last of my little puffs!!
These puffs look delicious, I am definitely going to do some of these babies, Mike is very lucky :)
x
What a great way for Mike to start the day! Can’t say as that baking has ever crossed my mind when I wake up at 4am!
You crack me up Faith, sort of like the energizer bunny baking French pastries for breakfast! Or even a French pastry chef, they wake up in the wee hours to make their croissants!
They look perfect in your photos, especially the dollop of chocolate sauce, that’s impressive! I also made Profiteroles but with ice cream and chocolate sauce for dessert on Christmas but started them a bit later in the morning! Happy New Year Faith, looking forward to following you in 2012;-)
Waw, You are so creative when you can’t sleep! Lucky partner!
Your custard filled profiteroles look utterly delicious! Fabulous even!
I also love gougères!
MMMMMMMMMM,…!!!! I wish you a lovely & Happy 2012 filled with good food,health & joy in abundance!
Wow! Definitely impressive! Hope you had a lovely Christmas. Wishing you a very Happy New Year :)
These look like a wonderful Christmas morning treat. Lucky guy!
Lucky Mike—-and Merry Christmas (late) to you!
Those look awesome :)
hahha…making merry ;). I do odd things when I can’t sleep- laundry, general cleaning, and I have baked & cooked too! These would make a great gift for a hostess
Making pastries at three a.m.? The folks in your house must have all been very, very good this past year!! Cheers and happy 2012!
Wow, I’ve never baked when I could not sleep (as I always sleep well…). Those are magnificent profiteroles!
Best wishes for 2012!
Cheers,
Rosa
How wonderful! I wanted to make cinnamon rolls for Christmas but my MIL had no yeast!