Profiteroles with Chantilly Cream

Profiteroles are an elegant classic dessert, and they’re surprisingly easy to make! Bite-sized French choux pastry balls are filled with delicate chantilly cream and topped with powdered sugar or chocolate sauce. It’s a relatively simple recipe for bakers of all skill levels, and it takes only an hour.

Profiteroles are one of those desserts, along with many other classic French or Italian pastries, that we used to feel intimidated to make. The funny thing is, they’re not complicated or time-consuming at all, which means there’s no reason not to make homemade profiteroles!

There are just two components to making them: the choux pastry and the chantilly cream (a sweetened whipped cream). There’s no fancy equipment required. All you need is a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, along with a pastry bag for piping the choux pastry balls.

It’s a great recipe for practicing baking techniques and building confidence in the kitchen, and your family and friends will love you for making it. Serve as a special treat for any occasion, or as part of a French or Italian-themed dinner menu.

Storage and freezing

• Storage: Filled profiteroles can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two hours (any longer could cause the pastry to go soggy).
• Freezing: The unfilled pastry balls can be made in advance and stored in the freezer for up to a month. When you’re ready to use them, thaw at room temperature, prepare the Chantilly cream, and fill them just before serving.

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Profiteroles Recipe

Prep: 30 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr

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Profiteroles are an elegant classic dessert, and they're surprisingly easy to make! Bite-size French choux pastry balls are filled with a delicate chantilly cream, and topped with powdered sugar or chocolate sauce. It's a simple recipe for bakers of all skill levels, and it takes only an hour!

30

Ingredients

Choux Pastry

• ▢ 1 cup water
• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter (cut into 16 pieces)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 4 large eggs (at room temperature )

Chantilly Cream

• ▢ 2 cups heavy cream
• ▢ 2 tablespoons vanilla
• ▢ ¼ cup powdered sugar

Instructions 

Profiteroles

• Begin by making the choux pastry. In a medium-sized pot, bring the water, butter, sugar, and salt to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, stirring gently with a wooden spoon.
  1 cup water, ½ cup unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt
  
• When the mixture begins to boil, add the flour and stir vigorously for about 1 minute, or until the paste begins to pull away from the side of the pan and forms a ball. Let the paste cool for 2 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is well incorporated before adding the next, stirring vigorously until well combined and the paste is smooth.
  1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 4 large eggs
  
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Transfer the dough to a large pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch plain tip (like Wilton 1A). Pipe the paste into 1-inch rounds, about 1 inch in diameter, spacing 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. To prevent the tops from burning, level the peaks with a wet fingertip.

  Using a small spray bottle filled with water, lightly spritz the profiteroles with water and immediately place them in the oven. The water will help to create steam, which helps give the profiteroles volume.
  
• Bake until the tops and sides are golden, about 15-20 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow them to rest in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove them from the oven then pierce each profiterole in the side with a small paring knife to allow steam to escape. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
  
• When the profiteroles are cool, make the chantilly cream (recipe below). With a serrated knife, cut each profiterole in half crosswise. Transfer the chantilly cream to a large piping bag then pipe the cream into the bottom half of each profiterole then replace the tops. To serve, dust the profiteroles with a little powdered sugar and a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
  

Chantilly Cream

• Combine the cream and the vanilla in a large bowl.
  2 cups heavy cream, 2 tablespoons vanilla
  
• Add the cream and vanilla to a large bowl and beat at high speed (to immediately incorporate air) until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Increase the speed to high and continue beating to stiff peaks, about 2 minutes longer. If not using it immediately, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerator until ready to use, no longer than 3 hours.
  ¼ cup powdered sugar
  

Notes

Filled profiteroles can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two hours (any longer could cause the pastry to go soggy.)

Nutrition

Serving: 1 profiterole, Calories: 114kcal (6%), Carbohydrates: 5g (2%), Protein: 2g (4%), Fat: 10g (15%), Saturated Fat: 6g (38%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 55mg (18%), Sodium: 55mg (2%), Potassium: 28mg (1%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 1g (1%), Vitamin A: 364IU (7%), Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 16mg (2%), Iron: 1mg (6%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.

What are profiteroles?

A profiterole, also known as a cream puff, is a puffed choux pastry ball filled with whipped cream, custard, pastry cream, or a scoop of ice cream. They can be left plain or decorated with chocolate or a dusting of powdered sugar.

Profiterole vs. éclair

Apart from their shape, there are a few minor differences between a profiterole and an éclair. While éclairs are always filled with cream, a profiterole can also be filled with ice cream. Éclairs are typically finished with a chocolate glaze, and a chocolate sauce often accompanies profiteroles.

What is choux pastry?

Choux pastry is a delicate French pastry dough used in various pastries, including eclairs and profiteroles. It’s made from a few simple ingredients: butter, water, flour, and eggs. Instead of a rising agent, the high moisture content creates steam as the dough is baked, causing the pastry to puff.

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This recipe has been shared with us by the publisher of Grace Massa Langlois’s cookbook, Grace’s Sweet Life. There are many other tasty recipes in her cookbook that we recommend you check out!