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    Home » Recipes » Holiday Baking » Cream Puffs Recipe

    Cream Puffs Recipe

    Published: Dec 8, 2018 · Modified: Mar 4, 2025 by Jessica Robinson · This post may contain affiliate links

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    cream puffs topped with chocolate ganache, maraschino cherries, and mint leaf candies

    Cream Puffs are a classic French dessert of light and delicate pastry shells filled with pastry cream, topped with chocolate ganache, maraschino cherries, and dusted with powdered sugar. Making cream puffs at home is easier than you think with Choux pastry dough and simple pastry cream filling.

    My grandmother’s cream puff recipe has the most delicious and easy to make pastry filling. Old-fashioned cream puffs are one of our favorite holiday desserts! This recipe has been in our family for over 75-years! (Easy to follow directions below!)

    Cream puffs with pastry cream, chocolate ganache, maraschino cherries, green leaf candies dusted with powdered sugar.

    Cream puffs which are an iconic French pastry readily found at French bakeries can easily be replicated at home in about an hour. The choux pastry dough is easy to make with a few simple and expensive ingredients.

    Ready to create something truly amazing for the holidays? And our holidays would not be complete without this amazing holiday dessert! And don’t forget my grandmother’s Holiday punch. That’s a must!

    My grandma was very skilled in the kitchen with home cooked meals and baking! This cream puff recipe starts with my grandmother’s recipe for choux pastry and filled with simple pastry cream. Choux pastry or pâté à choux is easy to make!

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    Why this recipe works

    • Easy to make dessert. Takes only minutes combine the ingredients!
    • Made with simple ingredients, readily available in your local grocery store.
    • Make ahead of time – Make the cream puffs and filling the night before to save time!
    • Perfect homemade dessert – This cream puff recipe is the perfect holiday dessert or any occasion.

    What you’ll need

    • Water
    • All-purpose flour – It’s always a great idea to use a quality brand of flour, such as King Arthur Flour or Bob’s Red Mill.
    • Eggs – Used as a leavening agent help the pastries rise.
    • Vanilla instant pudding – Used for the pasty filling folded together with the whipping cream. Instant pudding sets in the refrigerator, while stovetop pudding needs to be cooked over heat to help it set.
    • Whole milk – Added to the instant pudding.
    • Almond extract – Adds a wonderful flavor to the pudding. Grandma insisted on it!
    • Heavy whipping cream – Whipped up to stiff peaks and folded with the chilled instant pudding mixture.
    Cream puffs topped with chocolate ganache, maraschino cherries, mint candies, powdered sugar.

    How to make Choux Pastry for Cream Puffs

    With just 5-ingredients, you’ll have choux pastry- water, butter (or shortening), salt, flour and eggs. It’s so simple to make this French pastry dough!

    (Full directions and ingredients in the recipe below!)

    • Bring water to a boil – In a medium saucepan bring the water to a boil.
    • Add salt & butter – Add the salt and butter or shortening.
    • Add flour – Add the flour, stirring until the mixture forms a ball and leaves the sides of the pan.
    • Incorporate eggs – Add the eggs, one at a time using an electric hand mixer.
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    How to make Cream Puff Filling

    My grandmother created this egg-less version of pastry cream, so it is easier to transport during hot summer months!

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    Step 1: Combine one package of instant vanilla pudding, almond extract and milk.

    Step 2: Let the pudding set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

    Step 2: Fold together set pudding with the whipped heavy cream.

    Four cream puffs with chocolate ganache, maraschino cherries and powdered sugar.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can you make cream puffs ahead of time?

    Prepare the cream puffs the night before your picnic. Place them on a half sheet pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. Dust them with powdered sugar right before serving.

    What is the difference between cream puffs and eclairs?

    Besides the shape. The main difference between a cream puff, which is round, and an éclair, which is oval, is that cream puffs often have a whipped cream filling and just dusted with powdered sugar instead of chocolate. Eclairs often have a custard filling and have a frosted chocolate topping.

    Cream puffs with pastry cream, chocolate ganache, maraschino cherries, green mint candies, powdered sugar.

    More Dessert Recipes

    • Apple Hand Pies
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    5 from 22 votes
    Cream puffs pastry cream and chocolate ganache, maraschino cherries and powdered sugar.
    Print Rate this Recipe

    Cream Puffs

    Prep Time20 minutes mins
    Cook Time45 minutes mins
    Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
    Cream Puffs are a classic French dessert of pastry shells filled with pastry cream
    Course: Desserts
    Cuisine: American, French
    Servings: 8 cream puffs
    Calories: 556kcal
    Author: Jessica Robinson

    Ingredients

    Choux Pastry

    • 1 cup water
    • ½ cup vegetable shortening or butter
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour
    • 4 large eggs room temperature

    Pastry Cream

    • 1 (3.4 ounce) package Instant vanilla pudding (instant pudding mix)
    • 1 cup whole milk
    • 1 teaspoon almond extract
    • 1 pint heavy whipping cream

    Chocolate Ganache

    • ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 2-3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
    • 2 teaspoons corn syrup
    • maraschino cherries (drain the maraschino cherries)
    • mint leaf candies cut into pieces with kitchen shears
    • powdered sugar for dusting

    Instructions

    Choux Pastry

    • In a medium saucepan bring the water to a boil. Add the shortening or butter, and salt. Let the water return to a full boil and then remove from the heat.
    • Add the flour, stirring until the mixture forms a ball and leaves the sides of the pan.
    • Using an electric hand mixer on high speed, add the eggs one at a time, making sure to mix well between additions. The mixture will be very smooth and silky looking. Allow cream puff batter to cool completely.
    • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a half sheet pan with parchment paper.
    • Using two large tablespoon drop the batter in about 8 to 9 scoops on the prepared baking pan. (or use a cookie scoop or pastry bag to pipe cream puffs onto sheet pan.)
    • Bake for 15 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and set pan on a baking rack to cool.

    Pastry Cream

    • In a large bowl add the vanilla pudding, milk, and almond extract; blend together with a whisk. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in the refrigerator to set. Refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
    • When ready to fill cream puffs, add the heavy cream to a large bowl and use an electric hand mixer to whip to stiff peaks. Fold the pudding mixture and whipped cream together using a spatula.

    Chocolate Ganache

    • Create a double boiler by bringing a medium pot of water to a simmer over medium heat. Place a heatproof bowl on top of the simmering water, adding the chocolate chips, butter, heavy cream, and corn syrup to the bowl.
    • Stir mixture together with a spatula until the chocolate is melted and combined.
    • As soon as this mixture starts to melt, turn the heat off and stir until smooth.

    Cream Puffs

    • Once cream puffs are cooled, fill them with pastry filling.
    • Slice the tops off the cream puffs using a sharp knife. If needed, remove and discard some of the pastry with your fingers. Use two spoons to scoop the filling into each cream puff.
    • Either spoon pastry cream filling with a large spoon or pipe it inside of cream puffs using a pastry bag.
    • Cover pastry cream with cream puffs tops.
    • Drizzle warm chocolate over top of the pastry filled cream puffs. Decorated with drained maraschino cherries and mint leaf candies. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
    • Serve immediately or refrigerate.

    Prepare Cream Puffs ahead of time

    • If making ahead of time, place cream puffs on a half sheet pan, top with chocolate ganache and maraschino cherries, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
    • DUST with powdered sugar right before serving.

    Recipe Notes

    Prepare the Cream Puffs ahead of time:
    You can prepare cream puffs the night before, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. They will last in the fridge for about 2 days.
    Dust them with powdered sugar right before serving!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 556kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Cholesterol: 176mg | Sodium: 160mg | Potassium: 227mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1145IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 2.2mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @AFarmgirlsKitchen or tag #afarmgirlskitchen!

    Disclosure: As an Affiliate Marketer, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you click a product affiliate link on A Farmgirl’s Kitchen and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you!  I own every cooking product I recommend and love how they perform.

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    Comments

    1. Amber Myers says

      May 29, 2018 at 12:35 pm

      5 stars
      Oh yum! I’m sure I’d love these. And they look pretty too. You’re so talented.

      Reply
    2. Nabanita Dhar says

      May 29, 2018 at 6:02 am

      Oh my this looks so good.
      I’m not a great cook so not sure if it will come out the way it should if I try
      But you have mee craving these for sure

      Reply
      • Jessica Robinson says

        May 29, 2018 at 2:45 pm

        These are super simple to make Nabanita! Just follow the step by step instructions and you’ll be loving these!

        Reply
    3. Erika says

      May 29, 2018 at 2:45 am

      These look like they would be a great addition to our upcoming bake sale at church! People would love these!

      Reply
      • Jessica Robinson says

        May 29, 2018 at 2:47 pm

        Thanks so much Erika!! These are such a loved dessert. Just keep in mind, they need to be refrigerated. 🙂

        Reply
    4. shelby says

      April 21, 2018 at 10:26 am

      Cream puffs were ALWAYS a favorite growing up and I still love them! This recipe brings me back for sure. Looks absolutely delicious!

      Reply
    5. Natalie says

      April 21, 2018 at 9:10 am

      5 stars
      I love cream puffs! It’s definitely one of my top favorite desserts in the world – to eat and to make 🙂 These look amazing! I love the pastry cream filling – it’s simply the best.

      Reply
    6. Veena Azmanov says

      April 21, 2018 at 7:23 am

      5 stars
      Wow, these Old Fashioned Cream Puffs with Pastry Cream are so cute! I would love to eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Thank you for sharing this great recipe! Yum Yum Yum!!!!

      Reply
    7. Wajeeha says

      April 21, 2018 at 6:34 am

      5 stars
      Cream puffs are one of my favorite childhood memories. I still remember the first time I bit into one of these fluffy desserts filled with the most delicious pastry cream. Your recipe looks divine, I’ll be trying it soon! 🙂

      Reply
    8. georgie says

      April 21, 2018 at 4:04 am

      5 stars
      these look beautiful!!! i absolutely love cream puffs, they’re probably my favourite dessert! they’re small, therefore I can have more than one right!? 😉

      Reply
    9. michele says

      March 30, 2018 at 10:07 pm

      5 stars
      All of my skills came from spending time in the kitchen with my grandmothers and mom too. Your cream puff is a little different than our handed down recipe… Im looking forward to trying it to see how it compares, I love doing side by side taste testing… :).

      Reply
    10. Sara Lehman says

      March 29, 2018 at 1:10 am

      5 stars
      These look completely decadent! There is nothing like a cream puff!

      Reply
    11. Chrissy says

      March 29, 2018 at 12:22 am

      5 stars
      Aw, how sweet that you have those memories with your grandmother. These cream puffs look absolutely delectable. I can’t remember the last time I had a cream puff but I’m totally craving this now.

      Reply
      • Jessica Robinson says

        March 29, 2018 at 12:31 am

        Chrissy,
        Thanks so much! I love all of her handwritten recipes. Such cherished memories!

        Reply
    12. Amy Nash says

      March 28, 2018 at 10:50 pm

      5 stars
      Your cream puffs are beautiful! Mine turned out a little more sloppy, lol, but they tasted delicious!

      Reply
    13. Felesha Bell says

      March 28, 2018 at 10:15 pm

      5 stars
      How darling are these little guys!!! Yum!!

      Reply
    14. Emily says

      March 28, 2018 at 8:38 pm

      These cream puffs look so amazing! What a lovely dessert idea!

      Reply
    15. Lisa Torres says

      March 28, 2018 at 6:49 pm

      5 stars
      These are beyond gorgeous Jessica! I always thought cream puffs were too hard to make at home, and boy was I wrong about that. What a beautiful family heirloom recipe, thank you so much for sharing it with us. I am hungry now!

      Reply
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    Jessica Robinson from A Farmgirl's Kitchen

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    I am a home cook who creates wholesome family meals, homemade pies, baked goods and preserves foods using easy to find ingredients. All of my recipes use simple and readily available ingredients.

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