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.
mine where like cream flats
Mine are in the oven too. Making cream puff swans for Easter dinner. They are puffing up finally. Keeping my fingers crossed. I am going to try cooling them in the oven to help prevent deflating from rapid cooling.
How many do they make approximately
Hi Chloe! This recipe makes approx 30 cream puffs.
Hi, thanks so much for this recipe! Made the pâte a choux and piped it on the baking sheet with a star tip for a little extra flare and brushed with egg wash before baking. I then filled them with a homemade vanilla bean creme patisserie and drizzled with chocolate and they were a huge hit! My one question is: are they supposed to be quite soft when baked and cooled and filled properly? Or are they supposed to be crisp? Thanks:)
Hi Noor! I’m happy to hear the recipe worked out well for you, we just love them! As for the softness of them, this really can depend on how you like them. When I make them I don’t make them too crisp but that’s more because we like them kind of soft. I think either works!
Is there a specific kind of flour you need to use? I wasn’t sure.
Hi Bethany! All purpose flour works just great!
A great advice that was given to me once about cream puffs, after adding the flour to the boiling water, stir and cook till till there is a film on the bottom of the pan. This may take a couple of minutes. Also, the if you are using extra large or jumbo eggs, the puffs may flatten. The dough should form peaks when you lift the beaters. They should bake at least 30 minutes without opening the oven. Sometimes I have my puffs cook an extra 5 minutes.
Thank you for sharing this constructive & helpful feedback! It’s precisely for comments such as this which offer very helpful tips that I ALWAYS ensure I read through EVERY single review before trying out a new recipe for the very first time! (unless there are literally hundreds of them, and even then I’d say I still plow my way through a substantial number of them!)
I’ve generally found that by choosing recipes with a very high ratio of 4-5 star reviews (when there are MANY to choose from), and then also reading through all –or as many of the reviews as possible– to learn from the various trials, tribulations, & tips of others, and often also adding a few tweaks of my own as well… though mostly based on a combination of the most helpful or insightful comments I’d read.. (or sometimes not changing anything at all… although, admittedly, that’s a slightly rarer event)… that not only do I usually end up with very successful –even stellar– results right from the very first attempt, and very seldom end up with any flops, disappointments, or mishaps… but rather surprisingly enough, on a number of occasions I’ve even garnered such high praise with those “winning recipes” so as to have been told that I “make the BEST ‘such-and-such’… or… [insert ‘x’ type of dish-or-baked-good]-ever!!” lol…
The first few times I’d received such incredible feedback under those kinds of circumstances, I was naturally very stunned & surprised by the unexpectedly, emphatic reception (and, of course, also very pleased!)… yet I’d immediately explain that it was none other than my very first attempt at making said dish/delicacy/treat. And more often than not, the response to THAT was usually along the lines of “…it doesn’t matter! It’s STILL the best, EVER!!”
(One especially notable example of this, perhaps only for being just recently discussed, and so still fresh on my mind at the moment: one of my closest friends was just recently telling me about how her in-laws and relatives (who, at the time when the following assessment was first made, had been visiting from out of country) were apparently STILL, years later, talking about “my” amazingly, “best ever” cinnamon buns which they could NEVER forget! And as flattering as this was to hear, it’s still shocking to me… perhaps also because I find it rather difficult to regard ANYthing that I’ve only ever made once as being “mine” in any way!… lol)
And how does that saying go again?? An ounce of prevention is worth its weight in gold? (or something to that effect)… well, needless to say, I find it well-worth taking the time to do my due diligence and read through all the insightful reviews to learn about & consider the many variables which could result in any given situation, to then “troubleshoot” a recipe beforehand… or perhaps try some winning variation that seems to garner rave reviews across the board…
(though no offence ever intended to the original “unadulterated” recipes, their rightful owners, nor the many “recipe nazis” who seemingly don’t believe in ever deviating even one iota from the originally-published/posted recipes — though I DO understand and would have to agree when the issue is that of those who opt to change MUCH of a given recipe, and then even dare to leave unfair, negative, or hateful feedback… often also accompanied by aggressive communication and/or ridiculous temper tantrums… certainly THAT is the worst!)
But alas, to finally wrap up my overly-wordy response (sorry!!)… it’s thanks to all the helpful feedback & advice such as yours that I’ve had the pleasure of boasting great success from browsing online whenever I’m I’m wanting to try out a new, specific recipe/dish for the very first time! It’s hard to believe how I’d ever managed to survive during ALL those years, pre-internet days, when coming across a recipe in a newspaper or magazine was as novel, fresh, or innovative as one could ever hope for in terms of finding “new” and “interesting” (or successful) recipe or ideas! 🙂
Do the eggs have to be from the fridge or can room temp eggs be used?
Hi Diana! I’m sure room temp eggs would work just fine! Enjoy
When you take the out of the oven use a sharp knife to put a little hole in them. This will let the steam escape and they won’t fall. Mine have always been soft
Hi Jo-Anna! 🙂 Great recipe. Thanks for sharing. At first I was in doubt if this will give me a great result…i tried it anyway. And Viola!!! It was perfect! Thanks again! 🙂
OH that is so great!