You’ll be surprised how simple it is to make cream puffs at home. Light, airy choux pastry filled with homemade whipped cream, a slice of fresh strawberry and a drizzle of Nutella creates an elegant yet easy dessert—no rolling or kneading required.
These little pastries are perfect for Valentine’s Day, a dinner party or any time you want a special treat. Though some baking can seem intimidating, choux pastry is forgiving and quick once you know the steps.
Homemade cream puffs are budget-friendly and highly versatile. Make them ahead, then fill them with whipped cream, pastry cream, fruit purée or chocolate—whatever you prefer.
Ingredients for Cream Puffs
You only need a few staple ingredients for the pastry: water, milk, butter, flour, eggs, a little sugar and salt. For the filling, use whipped cream, sliced strawberries and Nutella. Finish with a dusting of powdered sugar for a pretty presentation.
The choux batter is thicker and stickier than cake batter or yeast dough. This consistency is normal and makes it easy to pipe neat rounds onto a baking sheet.
How to Make Choux (Cream Puff) Pastry
Choux pastry (pronounced “shoo”) is a classic European dough used for cream puffs, éclairs and profiteroles. It relies on moisture from water, milk and eggs to puff, rather than layers of fat like puff pastry.
- Bring eggs to room temperature and preheat oven to 425°F. Slice 3–4 large strawberries and set aside.
- Follow four straightforward steps to make the dough: heat liquid and butter, add flour, cook to form a ball, cool briefly and beat in eggs one at a time.
Recipe Tips
- In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, sugar and salt. Heat over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add all the flour at once; stir until it comes together.
- Return the pan to low heat and stir until the dough forms a ball and a thin film appears on the bottom of the pan.
- Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer on medium for 2 minutes to cool it slightly.
- Add eggs one at a time while beating constantly, until the dough is smooth and begins to form ribbons. If using almond extract, add it now.
- Pipe ½–1″ rounds onto a parchment-lined sheet. Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven to 325–350°F and bake another 12–18 minutes until the shells are light golden and dry.
- Do not open the oven door during the temperature change to avoid collapse.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. While they cool, whip the cream if using fresh whipped cream.
How to Assemble
When the shells are cool, slice each cream puff in half lengthwise with a serrated knife. Spread a little Nutella on the bottom half, pipe or spoon in whipped cream, place a strawberry slice on the cream, add a bit more whipped cream and replace the top.
Finish with an extra drizzle of Nutella and a light dusting of powdered sugar for a beautiful final touch.
Make-Ahead and Storage
You can prepare the pastry dough up to three days ahead; keep it refrigerated and covered. Bring it to room temperature before piping and baking. Baked but unfilled cream puffs can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week. Fill them just before serving.
Homemade whipped cream keeps for about three days in the fridge. If you’re short on time, canned whipped cream is an easy alternative—pipe it directly onto the shells when assembling.
Cream puffs are a light, elegant dessert that can be made any time you want a special treat. With versatile fillings and a simple process, they’re an approachable project for home bakers.
Related Recipes
- Original Texas Sheetcake
- Vintage Fresh Strawberry Cake
- Orange Italian Cream Cake
- No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
- Puff Pastry Hand Pie
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Cream Puffs
Equipment
- Hand mixer
- Wooden spoon
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- Piping bag with ¼–½” tip
Ingredients
Pastry dough ingredients
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup milk
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 4 large eggs (room temperature)
- Powdered sugar for garnish
Filling ingredients
- 1½ cups whipped cream
- 18–24 slices fresh strawberries
- Nutella or another chocolate-hazelnut spread
Instructions
Prep
- Remove eggs from the fridge to bring to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 425°F and position the racks so you bake on the lower third.
Make the cream puff dough
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine ½ cup water, ½ cup milk, 1 stick butter, 1½ teaspoons sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil.
- Remove from heat and add 1 cup flour all at once. Stir until combined, then return to low heat and stir until the dough forms a ball and a thin film appears on the pan.
- Transfer the dough to a large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer on medium for 2 minutes to cool slightly.
- Add the 4 eggs one at a time, mixing continuously until the dough is smooth and begins to form ribbons. Stir in almond extract if using.
- Transfer dough to a piping bag and pipe ½–1″ circles onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350°F and bake another 12–18 minutes until pale golden. Do not open the oven door during the temperature change.
- Transfer shells to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before filling.
Assemble the cream puffs
- Slice each pastry in half with a serrated knife. Spread a little Nutella on the bottom half, add whipped cream, top with a strawberry slice and more whipped cream, then replace the top.
- Dust with powdered sugar and add an extra drizzle of Nutella if desired.
Notes
For fully stuffed cream puffs, use a piping tip to inject whipped cream into the side or top of the shell. To avoid a curly peak when piping the dough, dip a finger in water and gently smooth the top before baking.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 141 kcal
Carbohydrates: 19 g
Protein: 2 g
Fat: 7 g