Simple and Easy Cream Puffs
Simple and Easy Cream Puffs
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Mmmmm Cream Puffs!
I have an idea that involves these little treats, and I can’t wait to share it with you! But first, I’ll share the basic recipe… and stay tuned for a fun and scrumptious little twist to the cream puff!
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Now, don’t be afraid to make these…I have always wanted to make cream puffs, but was afraid to. Why? I’m not sure. They are surprisingly so easy! And I know this seems kind of weird to say, but they are actually cream puffs. Like the ones you buy in stores. A real cream puff.
Look at that! A real cream puff. That I made from scratch! Amazing! 😉
Simple and Easy Cream Puffs
Ingredients
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 eggs
Fillings:
- After they have cooled completely you can put the filling of your choice.
- For these I just forced a tip and piped in whipped cream. Then I froze ours because we love the cream puffs at Costco that you eat slightly frozen.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a saucepan.
- Add the butter to the water and stir until it is melted.
- Add the flour and salt all at once to the water mix.
- Stir until a ball is formed.
- Remove from heat, and add 1 egg. Beat. Let stand for 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining eggs 1 at a time, and beat after each addition.
- Let stand for 10 minutes.
Drop the dough on to a cookie sheet 1 of 2 ways:
- You can drop with a spoon OR put the dough into a ziplock bag, snip the corner off, and pipe the dough on to the cookie sheet. This is the method I chose!
- Use a heaping tbsp for each puff. (See picture below.) Make sure they are about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on your oven. Start checking them around 20 minutes. Mine took 30 minutes.
Notes
When I piped these on to the cookie sheet, honestly, I just couldn’t imagine that they were going to come out looking like anything resembling a cream puff. But to my surprise they did!
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I love that this is such an easy recipe to make, and I will absolutely be making them again. The best part is that I know what ingredients are in them (no chemicals or additives like store bought), and they taste SO good! You should try them! Don’t be scared! They are simple & so goooood!
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Oh, and if you loved this recipe…you might also enjoy these S’more Cream Puffs! Find the recipe here.
So do I use self rising flour ?
Hi Sheryl! No, I just used regular all-purpose flour.
Happy baking!
Jo-Anna
Mine did not rise. They look like cookies. Don’t know what I did wrong
Yeah, same. I don’t think there’s any way mine can be filled up with cream. I’m just going to coat them with powdered sugar and eat them like cookies.
this is the recipe I have been using for years, so I wanted to share our favorite filling… Cannoli filling with powdered sugar on top!
I really enjoy the smell of grits and eggs. When I was mixing the first egg into the dough, it smelled almost exactly like it. Brought back memories of my own mother making those every Monday morning. My favorite filling is homemade whipped cream.
I thought these were bland, not that I wanted them sweet but they were blah IF we try them again I’d use vanilla extract to the puff for flavoring all you taste really is egg.
Hi Marianne
All puffs do tend to be on the bland side, as you can see from basic recipes there really is no added flavouring. What makes them delicious is the filling you add!
you can always add 1/2tsp sugar to the water and butter as it boils.
When I cooked them, mine deflated to.
mine too
I made these & followed the recipe verbatim. They fell as they were cooling. When I cut the tops off to scoop out the dough, it was thick & dince!
I made these once before & this is not the way they turned out!
This recipe is simple. The ingredients are few.
The instructions need to be followed in three areas.
* When the flour is added to the hot buttery water vigorous stirring is required.
* When adding eggs: one egg at a time, and only when the dough is cooled.
* Bake until golden brown. Taking the puffs out early will make them fall and be very doughy.
I was very skeptical of this recipe because I always thought these would be so hard to make. Mine puffed up perfectly and tasted great! They were a hit and I have made them several times since!
Yay! I’m so happy they turned out for you…often people think they’re hard to make but they’re really not!
What ingredients must I get to make the cream filling
Mine turned out flat and tasted like egg. It also tasted quite salty. I did my best to follow the instructions so how come it was not airy and crunchy?? Maybe because I used margerine maybe? I was disheartened and wouldn’t make this anytime soon,
Does altitude make a difference ? We are at 5000 ft and mine browned on the bottom, deflated and are raw in the middle. I baked exactly as stated, they looked nice in the oven but I baked them extra time due to altitude. If I baked them any longer they would be way to dark on the bottom.
When making the puffs let them cool.. Cut off tops and pull out dough inside and fill with choice of filling
You must use butter.
Margarine is a processed food that is designed to taste and look similar to butter, but it will not perform as butter in baked goods.
The type of butter used, salted verses unsalted is not stated in the recipe.
In the comments I read the author used salted butter. I always use unsalted butter in my baked goods, because salt level in butter differs.
Also, the size of eggs used is not mentioned. The size of the four eggs used will affect the consistency of the dough. I prefer to measure my eggs.
Those with runny dough, most likely used larger eggs. The dough should be stiff, not runny. One needs to understand when the dough is the correct consistency and stop adding egg.
Different flours absorb liquid at a different rate and affect the end result.
I use a high quality flour that has not been brominated nor enriched.
This is the basic choux pastry recipe I’ve used for 40 years. This recipe has never failed to produce excellent results.
You may have webs of softer dough inside the puff. I like to slice of the top 1/4 or 1/3 and remove before filling, if that occurs.
You can do this!
Do I use salted or unsalted butter for this recipe?
And for those that have had deflated puffs, one reason could be that your oven wasn’t hot enough or you took them out too early. And no. Margarine does not work. Only butter. The best!
Hi Dee! I always use salted butter for my recipes! Happy baking!
I love making the cream puffs. I have 1 problem. Since I always make them around the holidays with so many other things to do, can I make the shells and freeze them for another time. I don’t know if I have to bake them first then freeze them? Do I make the dough and place them on a cookie sheet in a shell form and freeze them ? But if I freeze them uncooked, do they have to defrost before I bake them or do I bake them frozen? If I bake them frozen at what temperature and for how long? PLEASE if you can e-mail me the answers to these questions it would be a great help.
I have a batch in the oven as I am typing. I am so nervous about them. This is the first time I have made them, I have always loved them but thought they were near impossible to make! i sure hope they turn out for my family dinner today!!
I am also making a whipped cream cheese vanilla filling for them!
I had in mind to do the same thing (or very similar)! Great minds think alike!! 🙂
Do you cut them open or do you inject it for the filling??
I just inject the filling in from the side of the cream puff.