Gougères with White Cheddar and Thyme (AKA Cheese Puffs)
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These gougères are light, airy, and packed with the sharp bite of white cheddar and a hint of thyme! They come out of the oven golden, crisp on the outside, and impossibly fluffy inside. These will be a bit hit at your next gathering!
These little airy pockets of cheese aren’t as intimidating as they look – promise! They may have a These little, airy pockets of cheese look fancy, but I promise they’re far less intimidating than they seem. Yes, they have a French name that feels a bit tricky at first, and they’re made with pâte à choux, but this gougères recipe breaks everything down into simple, approachable steps. If you’re craving cheese puffs, this is absolutely something you can make at home.
Gougères are classic French cheese puffs made from pâte à choux—the same dough used for cream puffs and éclairs. The dough itself is surprisingly simple, made with just butter, water (or milk), flour, and eggs. Once the dough comes together, cheese is folded in, and the puffs bake up into golden rounds with crisp exteriors and soft, hollow, cheesy centers.
That hollow interior is part of the magic, but unlike sweet choux, there’s no need to fill them. The cheese brings plenty of richness all on its own. I love serving gougères as an appetizer, a snack, or alongside a cocktail or glass of wine—they’re elegant, comforting, and always disappear quickly.
How to pronounce Gougères
Gougères is a French word, and once you can confidently say gougères, you’re sure to approach the recipe with confidence, too. The best way to break down the sounds in the word is: “goo-zsh-air”.
To hear it said aloud, give “gougères pronunciation” a quick online search and you will find an audible resource, so you can practice and nail it.
Variations to try
There are lots of ways to play with this recipe to get different variations, depending on the flavor you’re after. Here are some options to try:
- Spices and herbs: You can try playing with the spice profile by substituting the cayenne pepper and fresh thyme leaves with ground black pepper and nutmeg, for instance.
- Cheese: You can play with the cheese you incorporate in this recipe by substituting the aged cheddar for shredded Gruyère cheese, Comté, or Parmigiano-Reggiano. If you’re looking for a super cheesy version, try a cheese blend and use more than one type of cheese.
- Sweet: if you’re looking for a sweet alternative to gougères, make the pastry dough and bake without the cheese, thyme, or spices. In this case, you’d be making profiteroles.
Making gougères ahead of time
Gougères can be baked a day ahead and gently reheated just before serving. Make sure they are completely cool before storing them in a reusable bag.
You can also freeze uncooked gougères and then bake them straight from frozen. All you have to do is follow the recipe card up to step 5, and then freeze them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Once they are frozen, you can transfer them from the baking sheet to a freezer bag. When you’re ready to bake them, simply add a couple of minutes to the baking time.
Gougères with White Cheddar and Thyme (AKA Cheese Puffs)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup salted butter
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups aged white cheddar (finely grated)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium-sized pot, bring the butter, water, sea salt, and cayenne pepper to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously until the dough comes together into a ball, about 1 minute.¼ cup salted butter, 1 cup water, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Remove the pot from the heat and spread the dough around the bottom of the pot to help it cool slightly. Let the dough cool for about 1 minute.
- Add the eggs one at a time, stirring until each is incorporated before adding another. If you find this difficult try moving the pot to a lower surface like your dining table and stirring it on there. A lower surface makes it easier as can you use your whole body and not just your arms.4 large eggs
- Once all the eggs are nearly incorporated, add the grated white cheddar and thyme and stir the batter until everything is evenly mixed in.1 ½ cups aged white cheddar, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- Scoop tablespoons of the batter and drop them onto the prepared baking sheets. You will need to slide the batter off with a finger as it is very sticky. Sprinkle the tops with a tiny pinch of sea salt.Flaky sea salt
- Bake the gougères in the oven for 25 minutes, switching the pans from top to bottom after 15 minutes. The gougères are done when they are lightly browned, completely puffed up, and firm on their tops. When they have finished cooking turn off the oven and open the door a crack but leave them in the oven to cool for 10 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Thank you for sharing this recipe AWESOME
You’re so welcome! 😊 I’m so glad you enjoyed it — thanks so much for taking the time to leave a note!
This might just be my favorite appetizer ever! I made them for a small get together on the weekend and everyone asked for the recipe. You know it’s good when that happens!
Yum! This look delicious!
Thanks, Sharon!
Ha ha it totally is!!
This recipe looks amazing. Just wondering if the gougerus are frozen, if they should be thawed before baking.
Enjoy your site sooooo much
Hi Patricia,
Thank you so much!
Just pop the gougères into the oven frozen but add a couple minutes to the baking time. You’ll know they’re done when they are puffed, lightly browned and feel firm to the touch on top 🙂