Light, golden, and wonderfully versatile, this choux pastry recipe is easier than you think and the perfect starting point from classic cream puffs to a stunning croquembouche.
Whether you’re craving comforting cream puffs, sweet profiteroles, rich éclairs, or an impressive croquembouche, this choux pastry recipe will become your go-to for effortless, bakery-quality results
You probably already have these 6 basic staples in your kitchen right now, and while the ingredient list is wonderfully simple, following both the ingredients and their exact measurements is essential for success. Always check the full details in the recipe card below.
Because this recipe is a basic recipe for the choux pastry itself (and therefore not for the filling), I will not explain how to fill them in this article. However, you can head over to my cream puffs recipe which will provide a step-by-step guide on how to make and fill your cream puffs.
Apart from cream puffs (or profiteroles), this basic choux pastry recipe is ideal for making eclairs, fried churros, or a towering croquembouche. Load the baked pastry shells with an avocado chicken filling for a savory twist.
BAKING TIP: Pipe the choux pastry onto lightly moistened parchment paper. Because egg-rich doughs like this one need a humid environment to rise properly without drying out or burning, the damp paper creates just the right conditions, yielding beautifully puffed pastries with a light, airy center and a perfectly crisp exterior!
Bring the milk, butter, and water to a boil. Remove from heat.
Whisk in flour and salt. Cook over low heat for a few minutes to form a dry dough ball.
Transfer dough to a mixing bowl. Add eggs one at a time.
Mix until it comes together. Bake small dough mounds for 15-20 minutes.
Once completely cool, store leftover and empty pastry shells in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
If these profiteroles have been filled with whipped cream, pastry cream, Swiss cream (a combination of whipped cream and pastry cream), or homemade lemon curd, make sure to store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
While I haven’t done this myself before, I have read that it should be possible to store unbaked choux pastry in a well-sealed piping bag in the refrigerator, ready to be used within the next day or so.
Yes! Freeze them completely cooled in airtight bags for up to 1 month.
Reheat leftover baked choux pastry shells at 300°F/150°C (conventional oven) to regain some crispiness before filling them.
There’s something deeply satisfying about making every part of a recipe from scratch. While preparing your own doughs and pastries might sometimes feel like an extra step, it truly elevates the final result to another level. Here are a few more of my favorite basic baking recipes to try:
The pastry shells (also referred to as pâte à choux) are done when they have an even golden brown color. They feel firm and airy and release easily from the baking sheet. Never open the oven during baking, as they will collapse.
If your pastry shells don’t rise while baking in the oven, it’s most likely that the pastry has not cooked for long enough on the heat.
Profiteroles that collapse after baking are usually undercooked. Make sure that your pastry shells are fully golden brown all over, including the folds in the pastry. If the folds are lighter in color, the shells could collapse in those spots.
“Choux” is French for “cabbage” which is the perfect description of these pastry shells once baked as they do closely resemble little cabbages!
Even though you won’t have much control over how choux pastries rise, I always try to pipe this French pastry dough evenly for uniform-sized baked pastries. You should also gently flatten any tips as you pipe to prevent the tips from turning too dark while baking.
No. The choux pastry dough should be firm, smooth, and glossy. The heat from the pan makes the dough firm. If your dough is too thin, it probably hasn’t been on the heat for long enough.
This choux pastry recipe also calls for medium-sized eggs. Using larger eggs could also make the dough overly thin.
Absolutely! It can take a bit of arm strength to mix in the eggs by hand, and you do need to work fairly quickly so that the eggs don’t start to cook.
If you feel you need assistance, use a hand mixer on low speed until the dough is smooth and glossy with a pipeable consistency.
The heat gelatinizes the starch in the flour, helping the pastry trap steam and puff up beautifully.
Once filled, store them in the refrigerator and follow the storage guidelines for the type of filling used.
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