This Cream Puff recipe is famous in my family and with everyone I’ve ever served them too. Easy to make pate’ choux cups with a Bavarian-style cream and fresh whipped cream nestled inside. The method for making the cream puffs will give you pretty, powdered sugar covered cups with beautiful “crowns” concealing the cream filling. Step-by-step instructions will ensure your success every time.
The goal of my blog is to offer healthy recipes and options most of the time. But this jewel of a recipe just has to be shared and I’ve been waiting months to present my Aunt Pat’s famous cream puff recipe to you. You’ll swear they are the best cream puffs you’ve ever seen, because they are gorgeous. And when you taste them? Real sweetened whipped cream and delicious creamy custard in a perfect golden crust. They’ll also be the best cream puffs you’ve ever tasted.
These little beauties have been the star of our family’s Easter dinners since I can remember. When they come through the front door I am sure they’re backlit with heavenly light. My husband worries I’m giving away some family secret by sharing it. But, I’m generous. And I would love if these became a family tradition for you too.
This began as a cute little recipe clipping titled ‘Ingrid’s Austrian Cream Puffs’ which ran in our local newspaper. So long ago that Ingrid is also listed in parenthesis as Mrs. James L. So-and-so. I did a little research and found out Ingrid was once a member of the Austrian Olympic Diving team. She gave up her Olympic dream and nursing career all for love and followed James to Utah after nursing his war wounds in Austria. I’m so glad she submitted the recipe and even more grateful that my cute and hip Auntie cut it out, improved it and has been making them for our family ever since.
In the printed article, Ingrid temps us by saying “This recipe has a double treat. The cream puffs are filled with homemade custard cream filling and topped with real whipped cream, to make them a melt-in-your-mouth pastry.” And they do melt in your mouth. Seriously. Look.At.This!
Enough introduction. Let’s “dive in” and let Ingrid present you with this deceptively easy, amazing treat.
Cook’s note: Don’t be intimated by the lengthy instructions. I try to be as detailed as possible here to make the cream puffs assured perfection for you.
Aunt Pat's Famous Cream Puffs
Ingredients
Cream Puff Shells:
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup butter, 1 stick
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
Custard Cream Filling:
- ¾ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk, heated to warm
- 4 egg yolks, beaten
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
For the sweetened whip cream:
- 1 pint heavy cream
- Granulated sugar to taste
- Vanilla to taste
Additional ingredients to finish the cream puffs:
- Confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- For the cream puff shells:
- Place oven rack one place below middle. Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Set aside a regular muffin pan (12 or more), lightly buttered (Cooking spray or neutral oil brushed with a pastry brush also works).
Note:
- If using a dark non-stick pan, preheat oven to 375F degrees (see notes for more information).
- In a medium sauce pan, bring 1 cup water, ½ cup butter to a low boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and add 1 cup flour, stirring well until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat. Stir in 4 eggs-one at a time, beating with wooden spoon or large fork until dough is smooth. Beat additional 10 to 15 seconds as this will increase the volume of the dough.
- Using a Tablespoon, drop dough into deep muffin tins. This doesn't have to be an exact measurement, but depending on how big you want your pastry to be. Divide all the batter between 12 muffins.
- Bake pastries for 25 to 35 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. (Might take longer in the non-stick pan at the lower temperature). Important that the puffs are golden/crisp or they may collapse. Even when they look done, I leave them in a full minute or so longer. Turn oven off and open the oven door. Pull oven rack out about half way and let shells sit for approximately 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely in the muffin tin before removing to wire racks. If your shells stick a bit to the tins, gently use a fork or butter knife to pull them away from the sides of the pan.
- (The pastry shells can be prepared the day before. Just lightly cover with foil when completely cooled and let sit at room temperature.)
Cook's Note:
- Ingrid baked the pastries on a baking sheet about three inches apart, but my smart aunt decided the muffin tins make a nice shape to hold the cream. Either method works, but Ingrid's way will produce a little flatter shaped shell. If you prefer to make them on the baking sheet, be sure to line it with parchment paper before spooning or piping the choux pastry dough from a pastry bag.
- For the custard cream filling:
- Place 4 egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk them together and set aside.
- Mix ¾ cup sugar, ⅓ cup flour and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Stir in 2 cups warm milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. Mixture will thicken and bubble. Once it starts to bubble, cook one minute more while still stirring.
- Remove from heat. Quickly whisk about half of the mixture into beaten egg yolks.
- Blend this back into remaining hot mixture in the saucepan. Whisk constantly until mixture starts to bubble again. Cook for another 30 seconds or so but do not stop whisking.
- Remove from heat and add 2 teaspoons vanilla- Don't forget the vanilla and use good quality vanilla since this flavor is the base of the entire filling.) Set aside, cover with plastic wrap and let cool completely. You can set the custard in the refrigerator to cool quickly. The custard will continue to thicken as it cools.
- For the sweetened whipped cream:
- Whip your 1 pint cream using electric beaters or stand mixer and add sugar and vanilla to your liking.
- Assembling the cream puffs:
- Cut off pastry shell tops and scoop out the insides of top and bottom to make room for the custard and whipped cream. The insides might be moist. Just pull that all out being careful not to make a hole go through the bottom.
- Pour about one cup powdered sugar into a bowl to dip the cream puffs in.
- Dip the bottom of the puff into powdered sugar, then repeat with top of puff. This will coat the puffs and gives a "French pastry" decadent look to the finished cream puff.
- Fill bottom of puff with Custard Cream Filling. Top generously with sweetened whipped cream.
- Replace top of puff. The top won't cover entirely but sits like a decorative hat. Place puffs in refrigerator, uncovered, chilling for 4 hours. Do not cover the puffs in fridge or you run the risk of the powdered sugar evaporating. Puffs can remain in the refrigerator overnight this way.
- More notes for preparing ahead of time:
- You may completely assemble cream puffs the night before serving, they actually get better over time. Cover loosely with foil.
- For transporting, place completed cream puffs back into muffin tins, cover lightly with foil and they're ready to go!
- Makes 12 cream puffs if made in muffin tin.
Equipment
Notes
- If using a dark non-stick muffin tin for baking the cream puffs, heat the oven to 375F and plan to bake them a few minutes more than indicated in the recipe.
- Some people seem to get confused here, but you need a total of 8 eggs for this recipe. Four whole eggs for the pastry portion and then four egg yolks for the custard.
- The cream puffs taste even better on the second and third days. But at least refrigerate a minimum of four hours to chill and let ingredients meld.
- I caution making the shells in the stand mixer or hand mixer. I tried it once and won't again. It's easy to over mix the dough, creating a smooth, cake mix type texture and if this happens, the pate a choux dough will not rise well and there may be too many air holes in the finished shells. Just do it by hand!
- The cream puff shells are also delicious filled with ice cream and drizzled with chocolate. Our favorite though, is the custard filling which is so unique and similar to a delicious homemade vanilla pudding.
These have wholly become Pat’s Famous Cream Puffs and are aptly named. Recipe can easily be increased by one and a half or doubled, which I highly recommend for a large crowd. They’re still perfectly delicious the next day.
Adapted by Pat Rock from Ingrid’s Austrian Cream Puffs newspaper recipe featured in The Salt Lake Tribune, circa 1970.
I came across your recipe while trying to decide whether or not I want to put my shells – which use the same recipe as yours – in cupcake pans. I’ve made eclairs for years, always putting spacing them on a cookie sheet. Often, the puffs knock into each other while baking, but they never change shape or stick to each other when they do – something to keep in mind if you want to make them in different shapes. I am usually a good cook, but I never had success with a stirred custard. So, I fill the eclairs with instant vanilla pudding made using the pie filling portions. I substitute canned milk for half of the milk and add a few drops of rum flavoring and nutmeg. Most people think I cooked the filling! I fill the entire use the pudding to fill the bottom of the shells (I carefully cut the top third of the shell off and remove any ‘strings’), then top with stiff homemade whipped cream and replace the tops. I make a thick hot-water chocolate fudge frosting and pipe over the tops while still warm. The frosting sets up as it cools and will tolerate being covered for transport without sticking to the aluminum or plastic wrap used to protect the eclairs during transport. These eclairs can last in the fridge for up to two days, with only the bottoms getting a little soggy.
Wow Susan! These eclairs sound amazing and I appreciate you tip for baking them on a cookie sheet, should I try that sometime. I encourage you to try my custard recipe because it is super easy and foolproof if you make sure to cook it until it starts to bubble after thickening (as I indicate in the recipe). Your pudding recipe sounds like a perfect “homemade” option for the chocolate eclairs and I’ll definitely keep that in mind too. Thanks for your great comment and help on the recipe!
This looks delicious, thank you for sharing!
These cream puffs are unbelievable!!!! I was trying to replicate my great grandmothers recipe which i do not have. I made these in a popover pan, it only made three and they were gigantic like i wanted! I did make the custard which was delicious but my great grandmother only put in whipped cream. Please try these and definitely use the muffin pan and fill dough to top for large beautiful cream puffs! Thank so much for sharing this recipe! I wish i could insert a photo!!
Stacy, this is awesome! I’m so glad the cream puffs were a success. I love the idea of the giant size and would love to see a photo of it! Feel free to either send one via email to gooddinnermom@gmail.com, or post it on Instagram and tag @gooddinnermom. Thanks for this great note. This recipe is probably one of my favorites of all time. 🙂
I found this recipe when I misplaced my mom’s cream puff recipe years ago and have made it ever since. Our tradition is Cream Puff’s for New Year’s Eve. This recipe is fantastic!!
Even though I have the recipe saved and printed I end up back here on your site each year.
Thank you Aunt Pat!! (And… thank you Sally for sharing:)
Amber, this is so sweet! I will show your nice comment to my Aunt Pat right now. Happy New Year and thanks so much, you made my day. And this will make her’s as well.
Just a thought. If this is a general choux pastry, if you take your puffs out and cut a small slit in them to let the steam out and pop them back into the oven, that should dry out the insides so you don’t have to pull it out? At least thats what I do when I make eclairs or profiteroles! Would that work here do you think? I am definitely wanting to try these!!
Hi Kate, I’ve never tried this but think it absolutely should work! Let me know if you do and how they turn out for you. Thanks for stopping by with this idea. I hope you like the cream puffs! 🙂
My mom and step dad are coming to visit and they are crazy for cream puffs! I’m so excited to surprise them with these! I see why they’re a family favorite and from all of the glowing comments, they’re a favorite in a lot of families now!!
Marissa! I would be so happy to have you try my family’s cream puffs. I promise your mom and step dad will not be disappointed! Let me know how they turn out. xo
hey! i am not a huge fan of cream puffs but your pictures look AHmazingg! i am so tempted to try this recipe right away! however, just a quick dumb question, do we need to cool the mixture down before adding eggs?
Hi Aleena! I’ve converted several people who were ho-hum on cream puffs with this recipe. 😉 No need to cool the dough before adding the eggs. I suggest in my notes that you need to quickly stir them in so they don’t “sit” on warm batter which might make them start to cook. I’ve made this recipe more times than I can remember and have never cooled the pate choux dough first. Good luck and I hope you like them as much as we do. Let me know what you think after you’ve made them!
You can cool it a little but doesn’t hurt if you don’t. Just be sure to add one egg at a time when mixing so they are incorporated well.
thank you so much for the help! *big hugs*
WOW! Thank you for sharing this recipe. We were invited to my sister-in-laws for Father day celebration and I wanted to bring over a dessert. My original plan was to go to our favorite italian bakery to pick up cannoli’s. My sister-in-law mentioned how their dad loved creamed puffs. I am not a baker but love to cook and started exploring recipes on the internet. This one made me want to try it and I will be making this again. Your directions were precise and your aunt Pat nailed it with the silver muffin pan. My cream puffs looked exactly like yours and were absolutely delicious. Anyone reading this should follow this recipe and not change a thing on the first try. Then you can use your creativity if you think you really need to change it. I will be exploring other recipes which you have posted.
Cheryl! You have made my day and the day of my aunt Pat. I just screen printed your comment and sent it to her. She said to tell you she’s so glad you liked the recipe as much as we do. I too am happy that you found the recipe easy to follow and I’m honored that they were made for Father’s Day (that’s pressure). Thanks for wanting to look at other recipes on my site, I hope to chat with you again soon about other recipes! So, since you’re new here, may I recommend some of our favorite recipes that I know/think you’ll love. The Chicken with Tomato and Basil Cream Sauce is a recipe several people have reported back as “the best thing I’ve ever made”. If you have an Instant Pot, I’m only posting my best Instant Pot recipes and recommend all of them. My Mushroom Risotto Tutorial recipe is popular and my Chicken Salad Recipe is also something you might like. Again, thanks so much for such a great comment. Have a great week.
Sally – great minds think alike. I made the Chicken with Tomato and Cream Sauce the day I posted this comment. Delicious!!!!! Will be exploring more of your recipes. Tell your Aunt Pat the cream puffs will be part of all of my holiday celebrations. Thank you both for sharing.
Cheryl, that is so awesome! I make them for all of our holidays, too. That is crazy about the chicken with tomato basil. We really do think alike! I look forward to hearing from you again.
Oh my goodness – they are incredible!!! Your Aunt Pat nailed it! I’m going to buy aluminum muffin tins just to make them again & again & again. The 9 hole rectangle pan worked, they puffed up beautifully, but the shape was kind of wonky however, it definitely didn’t stop everyone from devouring them. These are light and not overly sweet and the custard, oh my, I could sit down with a spoon and eat it from the pan. Thank you & your Aunt Pat for an amazing recipe!
You have the same reaction we all do whenever our family gets to enjoy Aunt Pat’s Cream Puffs. I’m going to text her to check out your comment right now. It will make her day. Thanks so much!
I’m going to attempt these today. My regular muffin tins are dark non stick but i have a 9 hole rectangle pan that’s aluminum. They may look different but I bet they will be delicious. I’ll post my followup!
Excellent, Sheri! I can’t wait to hear back from you.
I didn’t think I was a huge cream puff fan… until I tried these. I have a new favorite dessert: Sally’s cream puffs! They’re the best!!
Thanks sweet Momma! They pretty much make cream puff lovers out of everyone. Glad you liked them. 🙂
Love all the tips to maximize time and still present a gorgeous, delicious, time honored dessert! I’d like to add one more trick to help maximize time and take some of the fear out of weepy, soggy whipped cream: stabilize the whipped cream! A teaspoon of Knox gelatin to a tablespoon of water, let it bloom for 5 minutes or so (it will look like a glob of thick gelatin), then microwave at 5-6 second intervals until the gelatin turns to liquid. This amount is for a cup of whipping cream and I add it towards the middle of whipping. The finished product holds it shape longer, with no weeping or sogginess and the taste and more importantly, the texture, is still whipped creamy! thanks for posting your Auntie Pat’s cream puff recipe! I’m making them with the addition of sliced strawberries for my Mom’s birthday.
Excellent recipe. First time making cream puffs & I didn’t realise it was so easy. Turn out beautifully & custard was delicious. However I felt the custard was too runny. I added an extra tbsp of flour & it helped a bit. I would probably add 2 tbsp the next time.
Any other ideas for a thicker custard?
I just made these and absolutely loved them! I am definitely keeping this recipe, thanks for sharing!!
Thank you, Cynthia! I’m seeing my aunt again this weekend and can’t wait to tell her that yet again, someone loves her recipe. 🙂
These are crazy good amazing
Thank you for sharing
Thank you Lynda, I’m glad you liked them! 🙂
These look amazing! I can’t wait to try them! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Cassie, I hope you love them as much as we do! 🙂
I’m making these now and all is going well except the custard, which has cooled to room temperature, is kind of soupy…I’ve made pastry creams and homemade puddings and custards before and made sure I cooked this the extra minute after it boiled. Is is supposed to be looser than a traditional custard? Thanks! They’re going to be lovely!
Barbara! I’m sorry I couldn’t reply earlier, we’ve been gone most the day. The custard will thicken in the fridge. I don’t know if mine was ever “soupy” but it was too thin to pour until it sat in the fridge just enough to cool down. How did yours turn out?
Hi Sally,
This recipe looks amazing i will be trying it very soon!!
Sharifah,
Malaysia
Mimi i have been making cream puffs for years however
your recipe is outrages. My family voted on your recipe
as a keeper. thank you for my new success in making our favorite desert. by the way they are great filled with
egg salad. An inexpensive yet an attractive appearance .
Mary, You made my week! Tell your family “Thank you!” and I’ll definitely try them with egg salad. Thanks again!
I made these little beauties for Christmas eve dinner. People loved them!
Hi Linda, Thanks for letting me know about your success with the cream puffs on Christmas Eve. I also made them for a Christmas party early in the month and they really are special and no one believes that they’re not difficult. All they know is they’re fabulous. Have a great weekend and thanks for taking the time to come by and comment. It means a lot.
ok, I have read the recipe twice and all the comments. I am confused by the two comments that stated they made a mistake and used 8 eggs instead of 4. As I read it, the dough calls for 4 eggs and then the custard calls for 4 more (minus the egg whites), no?
Sally, yes you are correct. 8 eggs total for the recipe. Use 4 whole eggs for the puff shells, then use 4 egg yokes ONLY (yellow part) for the custard.
I never leave comments, but I had to come back after making a double recipe for a friend’s birthday yesterday. These are so phenomenal! I didn’t see any notes about letting the custard cool before assembly, but I’d recommend sticking it in the fridge til it comes to room temp. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Larissa, I’m so happy that you were impressed enough to have to comment on my Aunt Pat’s Cream Puff recipe. And thanks for the note on placing the custard in the fridge until room temp. I do that myself so I’ll go in and make sure the recipe reflects that. Thanks again for taking the time to stop by. It means a lot!
I made these with a mixture of King Arthur white whole wheat flour and regular whole wheat flour. I didn’t have enough white whole wheat flour by itself. I doubled the recipe, so I didn’t know exactly how full to fill each muffin. They didn’t exactly turn out. However, I cooked the rest of the dough in my mini muffin pan from Pampered Chef. Those turned out perfect! I have never made cream puffs before, but I made these for my husband for Father’s Day. He and all 3 of my kids loved them! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Hello Good Dinner Mom!
As I write my grandmother’s beside me. She mentioned that during my twin brother’s birthday, relatives in the table she sat with had a pleasure eating them. That makes me happy. It really does.
As It was a pleasure eating and sharing–it too was a pleasure making them along with my sister. I leaned to listen to her advice and comments—even if she’s younger than me hahaha 🙂 While having the shells cool my siblings were wowed. I got a “thank you Waby” from one of the twins and a hug from the other. (In fact I’m not quite sure if it was just one thank you…I think it was two hihi). As I recollect that hug and overhear that “thank you” in my mind, I want to throw it now to you.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Your love and your Aunt’s love resonated and took the form of puffed pastry.
Deciding to give away a portion of you family’s sweetness– you brought our family joy. That makes the world a better place… a hero in your own special way.
Keep up the good work! And thank you again 🙂
*hahaha was about to submit the moment then noticed your slogan “Sharing Love Through Good Food”. hihi Turns out this blog aims to love and share good food 🙂
Thank you Waby! I’m glad this recipe gave your family so much happiness, it’s definitely a labor of love whenever I make it for mine.
In your recipes for the cream puff shell (1 stick butter) may i know the weight of 1 stick of the butter cos in malaysia 1 stick of butter is about 250g . Your 1/2 cup butter is refer to melted butter or cube ? Thanks. Your recipe look so yummy i want to try to make for my family.
Hello mc sim, 1 stick of butter weighs 115g. And it is not cubed when I place it in the water, it will melt as the water heats. You can cube it if you want to speed up the process. Thank you for your question, and I hope the recipe is a big success for you and your family. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi Sally,
I just made this today. The shell were golden brown and crispy but when I cut them open, the inside was still wet. Do you know what might be the cause? I baked them for 33 minutes and when I took them out, they didn’t deflate so I thought they were done.
Hi Penny, You pull out the insides of the shells. They are kind of gluey-moist inside after baking, but it won’t matter. In fact, you want them tender to make pulling the inside out easy. I hope this helps you. Let me know. Thanks for trying the recipe! I hope you’ll give it another shot, or better yet I hope you still have the shells you made.
Hi!! Can’t wait to try these. This might be a stupid question, but do you use unsalted butter? Thanks in advance!
Hi Solomon, that’s actually an excellent question. I have used regular, salted butter and unsalted butter, both with equally good results. So use whatever you have onhand. I’d say I use salted butter 90% of the time. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to let me know how they turn out for you!
Sally thanks so much for the super quick reply! I didn’t realize you responded so I made them with unsalted butter tonight for my family. They were a HUGE hit!! Thank you so much for the great recipe and super thorough instructions:) I also added some strawberries and blackberries to the filling to give my family an added tarty surprise. I’ll have to try salted butter next time–I can’t wait to make them again, and again, and again!! many thanks!!!
Wow! Love the idea of the added fruit. I might do that soon here, too. I’m so glad everyone liked them and it means a lot that this will be a regular for your family.
Thank you Ingred,Aunt Pat and Sally! I have been making cream puffs for ever. The two things that are unique and drew me to this recipe were the flour (not corn starch) in the cream and the added whip cream. I followed your recipe to take to a years eve party and everyone loved them. Happy I found you again. I am happy to add your family recipe to my family traditions:) happy baking!
Amber, I could not have read a better comment just before ending the night. I’m honored that you’ve added these cream puffs to your family traditions! Thank you. 🙂
LOVE!!! The only thing is I piped them but they were so delicious!!!
Excellent Bea! Thanks for making them. I’ll have to try piping mine, great idea.
I made these and my entire family is in love with them! Thank you for posting this fabulous recipe!
Sahar, I’m so happy everyone loved them! We do too ;). Thanks for taking the time to comment. It means a lot.
Made the cream puffs today and they were really delicious!
Thank you!
Karin in Stockholm, Sweden
Karin, I’m glad you liked them! Thank you for trying the cream puffs.
i have never had cream puffs when i get home ill try it hope it works but can i use anything other than whip cream
How about cooking the custard, cooling it and blending the whipped cream into the custard?. This would make the custard light and fluffy and have the taste throughout The Whole cream puff just not on top of the custard. I would dip the tops in a melted chocolate or drizzle it for more flavor.
Hi Barb, Here are my thoughts. Whipping the cream and custard together might work but it will change the overall flavor and even with the method of keeping them separate as in my instructions, you still get both cream and custard in practically every bite. I’m not saying it won’t be good. I’ve just never tried it so can’t speak to it. My daughter and i made the cream puffs drizzled with chocolate before and most of the tasters said they liked the cream puffs better without the chocolate. Now that was only tried one time for a party of 12. Let me know what you end up doing, I’d love to hear what you do. Thanks for stopping by!
Made the cream puffs yesterday morning for my nephew’s 1st Communion party. They were really delicious. I will make them again for sure. Used the lighter pan.
Made these cream puffs today for a church activity. Delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Sally,
Your Aunt Pat’s recipe has made its way all the way to South Africa…and I am sure glad it did! Thank you for sharing! Amazing!!!
Wow Catherine! Thank you, I will tell her. This will make her happy and it sure does me. Glad you liked them. 🙂
Hi Sally,
When you suggested SILVER muffin this, do you mean the ones made by Alan silverwood?
Aluminum? Do you why why dark coloured muffin tins are not suitable?
Thanks,
Susan
Hi Susan, I suggest you use regular aluminum muffin tins for optimal rise of the cream puff shells. The non-stick pans bake “hotter”, so the cream puffs start to crisp sooner so they rise less.
this is an excellent recipe, been making this recipe with 1/2 cup of oil. They freeze well with or without the filling.
I have bad arthritis so I use my small hand mixer with the dough hook attachment.
Do you have any blogs you would recommend ? I love 71 toes too. Thank you Love and Blessings to come Cheyene from Henderson Nv.
Hi Cheyenne, I’m so glad you stopped by Good Dinner Mom and thanks for watching my Studio 5 segment. One blog that I absolutely love and bet you would too is Mel’s Kitchen Cafe. I have gotten to know Mel through a mutual friend and she is just about the nicest person in the world, plus her recipes are delicious and easy to follow. Happy New Year to you as well! 🙂
I cant believe I spelling my own last name wrong its Renard and I love your blog too Good Dinner Mom.com thank you again Sally. Keep up the great work . I now live in Hendeson Nv outside Las Vegas Nv.
This recipe looks awesome I cant wait to try it. I just love the Utah TV channel you have so many good things on Studio 5. I am LDS and I cant wait to make this cream puffs recipe Thank you for all your hard work n I love watching you on TV through the computer since I don’t get that channel Bless you Sally Have a great year Happy New Year
Hi!
Salted or unsalted butter?
Hi Erin, Use whatever you have on hand. I almost always use salted. 🙂
Will the disposable silver muffin pans work?
Mary Ann, I don’t see why not. I haven’t made the cream puffs in them but I totally would.
Wish me luck I’m goin in!
Good luck! Just read the directions all the way through first and take your time and YUM! 🙂 Sending you successful Cream Puff vibes!
Does the sweet cream go top of the puff or on top of the custard?
Hi Rick, the sweet cream goes on top of the custard.
I just made these and they didn’t reall puff up. They didn’t stick to the pan at all tho. They are still adorable. Not sure what I did wrong? I will try again another day.
Hi Angel, did you make them in silver muffin tins rather than the dark non-stick pan? Also, make sure to stir the dough an extra 10 seconds after all the eggs have been added. I will say that every once in awhile my puffs don’t rise as much as usual, so I hope the next time you make them, they are perfect. I’m glad they didn’t stick and were “adorable” though. Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
Hi Sally. Just wondering if I can make the custard cream using buttermilk instead of milk?
Hmmm, I have never done this and can’t say I’d recommend it. But if you do, let me know how it turns out!
the custard was fabulous and easy, the puffs were perfection so instead of trusting you and the success I tried another recipe and both failed miserably — the puffs didn’t… puff but was as crispy as I wanted — still not cute enough to serve to others so I returned to you & Aunt Pat and yet again they’re perfect. Thanks for sharing, this was my grandmother’s favorite and I’ll be sharing with her daughters (my own aunts) tonite as an extra special treat!
Nikki, I’m sorry the other recipe didn’t turn out because I know that feeling of disappointment that ruins a recipe experience. BUT, I’m glad you came back and tried Aunt Pat’s Cream Puffs and that they were a success. I’m honored that you are going to make them for your own aunts. I will let MY aunt know, she will love this. 🙂
I crave these ALL THE TIME! Love, love love, them!
If this came from a woman named Ingrid, then why does your aunt get credit? Thanks, Lylia
Because in my family, my aunt Pat has become famous for making them and she is the one who started making the shells in muffin tins, totally changing the look of the cream puffs as well as some of the cooking technique. I was able to find Ingrid’s family on Facebook awhile back and they gave their blessing on Aunt Pat’s Famous Cream Puff Recipe. Thanks for being concerned for Ingrid. 🙂
Wonderful recipe!! My mom has made cream puffs since I was a kid and this was the first time I tried them for my family. I was a little nervous since my son-in-law is from Wisconsin and cream puffs are the “state dessert”, but he said they are his favorite new dessert. The only question I have is that my custard came out a little running, how can I improve on that part? Thank you so much for making our Easter dinner even more special 🙂
Hi Debbie, what a nice thing to do for your family and I’m glad you chose to share what is also our favorite Easter dessert (I have three leftover cream puffs in the fridge waiting for tonight’s dessert). On the custard being runny, I have had this happen on occasion as well. It does seem that if I continue to cook the custard a bit longer after incorporating the eggs into the mixture, it will thicken up better. In the instructions, I state to return the custard to a boil. Just make sure you stir constantly while doing this to prevent the custard from sticking to the bottom. I hope this helps and thanks again for trying the recipe!
I have frozen cream puff shells for 3 months and they tasted just the same as they did when they were fresh. I would bake them all day and then I was ready for any occasion, just had to make the filling. Layer them in a container with wax paper between layers.
Awesome! Thanks Mona. 🙂
Hi, I was wondering if you could make these, and then freeze them?
Hi Molly, I have never frozen the cream puffs, but fear they would become soggy when you thaw them. If you do try to freeze them, let me know how they turn out. I will freeze a couple the next time I make some (this week) and report my findings next week.
I made these last night for a church meal. Everyone absolutely loved them!
I doubled the recipe and made them in mini muffin pans. I got about 96 puffs using a #60 (2 tsp.) disher to portion the dough out. They baked for 20 minutes.
These were the perfect size for a crowd. Thank you, for sharing the recipe!
Nikole,
Wow, that is a lot of cream puffs! Thanks for making my aunt’s recipe for your church event and I’m so glad everyone liked them.
Love, love, love these cream puffs! Made cream puffs for the first time last night, and the recipe was spot on. My friend nearly fell out of her chair when I gave them to her today. 😉 Can’t wait to enjoy them with more friends tonight.
Jeannette, I’m thrilled you (and your friend) liked these so much. I love, love, love them too! 🙂
This are AMAZING!!!!
These were so good!! I made them last night…the only thing is I thought my arm would fall off after constantly stirring custard! I drizzled Hershey’s chocolate syrup over ours.
i must say, my boyfriends mom makes them amazing.. but he said he thinks i make them better after making your recipe!! it was absolutely incredible and fool proof!! thank you
Hi, these look fantastic! tomorrow it is my turn to bring morning tea into my french class, and since the history of Choux pastry stems from the kitchen of Henry II of France, i though i would bring these. I was just wondering if you think that if i put the cream into the shells in the morning, if they would still be crisp by morning tea time or if i should put the cream in just before i serve them? thanks for sharing this recipe! Au Revoir!
Julia, I have put the cream into the cream puffs even the day before serving and they were still divine, so a few hours ahead will be perfect! I’m honored.
These look amazing! I can’t wait to make them, but just one question- how many does this make? Thanks so much. 🙂
Hi Dana, the cream puffs pictured will make 10. Just divide the dough evenly between them and if you want them big, which is impressive, make 10.
Easy and excellent. Thank you for sharing. Next time I will make 10 instead of 12.
I am not a baker but my husband really wanted cream puffs for our anniversary dinner. I thought I would surprise him and make them instead of buying them from a bakery. So I bravely followed your recipe and to his surprise (and mine) the were perfect. Thanks for sharing and giving me the confidence to try other baking recipes. FIVE STARS!!!
Nina, what a nice thing to do for your husband. Happy anniversary and I’m glad this recipe was successful and a source of inspiration! 🙂
Hi, Sally 😀
I found a new tricks to the custard for the cream puffs, during Christmas and New Year time, I’ve made the custard filling a couple days ahead of time and put them the piping bag and make sure there’s no air in there before I tied the bag tight with rubber band. I found out that I can keep it in the fridge for two weeks without spoiling them. The whipped cream I made it that same day I assemble them.
May, this is such valuable information, thank you. Many questions for this recipe center around make-ahead steps so this will be so helpful.
It’s a new year, going to try something new. I will let you know how it goes. These look yummy!
73 comments. Wowsers! I’m going to making these ASAP!
Hi, just wanted to let you know that we made these last night for our New Year’s Dinner Dessert, but we were serving some people who have diabetes, so we made them with Splenda instead of sugar, and they came out just fine. Great. For the confectioner’s sugar, we just put Splenda in the NutriBullet (or a coffee grinder would work) and it comes out super fine. Thanks for the great recipe!
Megan, thanks for the tip! This is great to know and I’m glad they turned out for you and your guests. 🙂
At 3:00 PM, my husband informed me about a New Year’s tradition in his family — that his mom would make cream puffs and éclairs. I grabbed your recipe off the web and my two teenage boys and got to it. By 5 PM, we had an amazing looking batch of both. The custard was delicious and the muffin trick worked wonderfully. the shells were light as air. Thanks for posting and helping create new traditions in the family. (as for modifications — I added 1 T of sugar to the dough since in knew I was filling with a sweet custard, I added an old vanilla bean to the custard while cooking, and I made a chocolate glaze for the éclairs. one of the kids added strawberries, too, just before eating the cream puff.)
Randy, Well you just ensured a Happy New Year for me with that comment. I am honored to have helped with your new tradition. And you are a good woman to jump right in at the last minute to make New Year’s Eve special for your husband and family. Happy 2014 and thank you so much.
This recipe is just heavenly. I love them!
These cream puffs are so tasty, fluffy, and the recipe can even rival commercial brands here in the Philippines!
Francine, this is looking to be the last comment on my blog for the year 2013 and I can’t imagine a better one. Thank you so much and I’m glad you like them. Happy New Year!
Oops! Forgot to give my 5 star rating!
Hi Sally,
I just finished filling the puffs and they came out perfect!! My husband and son were commenting on how delicious the custard was (as they finished off what was left in the pan after filling; and they are very opinionated about good custard). I’m just getting ready to melt chocolate for the tops of some of the puffs. The recipe was very easy to follow. One question though…did you scoop out the insides of the puffs before filling? I took out a little bit to make extra room. Just wondering. Enjoy your day and thanks again!
I am so happy to have found your recipe; it sounds like most people have had good success! Tomorrow is my son’s birthday and he is not really a cake or pie person; he prefers tiramisu or cheesecake…creamy desserts. I am giving these a try this year for something different and hope he loves them. Thanks for taking the time to share. I will let you know how it goes. Wish me luck!
This sounds like the perfect dessert for the “not pie or cake” person and the filling in these cream puffs is delicious and creamy! Good luck and I can’t wait to hear how they turn out. I’m rooting for you!
We just finished making 3 batches!! My 9 y/o loves them and we can;t wait to share them with our family. I made them in both cupcake tins and also made mini ones in the cake pop mold, they are a perfect shape and size!!
Just a question, after making the custard how long should the custard set up in the fridge?
we are going to wait to tomorrow to fill them, but it’s so hot right now I figured I’ll let it cool then put it in the fridge, thanks again!!
Leah, I’m so glad they’re turning out for you! The custard will thicken without refrigeration and it also cools to an acceptable temp pretty quickly. I would just place it in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes while you make your whipped cream and then add everything to your cream puff shells. What a special treat for your grandmother! You are a sweet granddaughter.
I am so excited I found this recipe of yours, I’ve wanted to make them for so long as my grandmother made them when we were kids! I am going to try them and bring them for dessert Christmas to surprise her!! I can’t wait!!
Leah, what a special gift to make for your grandmother. I hope they will meet her standard! 🙂 Merry Christmas to you and your family.
OMG!! I made these and they were beyond fabulous! I will be making these for Christmas and after looking at your other responses it looks like you make them and put them together and they were even good a couple of days after. They were not too soggy? I would make them the night before and place them in the frig and then take that next day, that would save me a lot of time. But if they are too soggy I can put together that day, let me know what you think.
Kim, most times I make the shells the night before and then add the custard and cream the day of. But on more than one occasion, I have assembled them completely the night before. AND several times when we have one or two left over (or when I keep one or two in the refrigerator to save for myself for later), those have also been fine the next day. Merry Christmas!
Making these for the holidays..They look so delicious!! One Question..could i make and bake the shells before hand and freeze?? Thanks for sharing!!
Wow… my first time making cream puff and I nailed it with your recipe! Thanks for sharing this Sally… My 8yrs old gal loves it! 😉
Sebastian….From a cold Beijing…..
Sebastian! I’m so glad you had such success. What a great comment! Thank you and hope you can stay warm. 🙂
as with ad mine also were flat and moist, they stuck like crazy in the tins, I took them out because they were quite brown so thought they were done, and after all the rave reviews Im so disappointed, feel I have failed and Im usually a pretty good cook, where did I go wrong?
Mary, I don’t know why they would have been flat, but they were probably moist if you took them out sooner than the time in the recipe (I also would have if they were brown enough). Due to your comment and Ad’s, I have added a step to very lightly grease the tins since that should not hurt the process. In the past, for whatever reason, I have had one or two stick just a bit but never had a real problem with it. I’m so sorry this didn’t work for you and hope you’ll give them a try again sometime and have better results. I will ask my aunt if she has ever had this happen, and post a follow up after Thanksgiving.
Hi Sally, I have a question for you……I’m planning to make cream puffs again for Christmas, how many days you can make the puffs ahead of time and the custard??? I’m just thinking if I could just make all of them ahead of time and when the time comes, all I have to do is just to put things together. Please let me know…..maybe it’ll help me plan better. thank you
Hi May, You can make the puff shells and custard a day ahead of serving. I bet two days in advance would be fine, but I have never made them that far in advance. Thanks for choosing the cream puffs to share this season and Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Thanks for a great recipe! Followed this almost to a tee, with one exception. I wanted smaller versions for a family get together, so I used mini muffins tins instead. I filled with about 3/4 of small scoop ( I have the small pampered chef version, not sure which size it is). Baked at 375* F for about 35 minutes… This made 2.5 dozen… I haven’t assembled them yet, but the shells came out perfect!! Thanks again!
Faith, this information is invaluable for me right now! My daughter and I were just trying to figure out how many we could feed with little finger cream puffs. Thanks for posting!
My daughter’s birthday is coming up soon and I wanted to make cream puffs for her to bring to school. This was the first recipe that I found and it looks Good! I just have one question, will the cream puffs taste as good without the custard? I’m thinking it might get soggy with the custard by the time they eat it in the afternoon. Can’t wait to try them.
Melanie,
I have made these a day ahead and we have even eaten the last couple of leftovers two days after making and they were fine. I think they would be pretty good without the custard, but the custard really makes it fabulous! They should not get soggy at all by the afternoon. 🙂
Thanks so much for the muffin tin idea…I know they will be perfect. I usually use a scoop to make the puffs uniform in size…
My daughter requested cream puffs for her birthday dinner/dessert. Yours look amazing. Going to give these a try.
Hi Jane, if you’ve read the comments for this recipe, I think you can make these with confidence that your daughter will love them. Let me know how they turn out for you! Thanks for trying them. 🙂
Hi
Thanks for this recipe..
Just a question: wont the eggs be cooked if you mix them with the hot ball of the dough (steps no 3 and 9).
Thank you
Hi April, Surprisingly they will not. The dough is not hot enough to “scramble” the eggs, as can sometimes happen when adding to hot liquid. Hope you like it!
It did not work with me. FLat and very moist inside. I guess it must be the temperature of the ovens. I use the stove oven and a countertop small oven with turbo. 400 F In both cases it went wrong. Miserable. Any suggestions?
Thanks
Ad
Hi Sally, I don’t even just LIKE it, I LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS RECIPE!!!! It was a big hit between my husband’s restaurant’s partners. (we’re trying to open our own restaurant) and they’ve even asked me to make this for the restaurant as a special….which I doubt myself. However, with 8 eggs that I put in the dough came out a little loose but still worked and it came out puff and nice and hollow inside. I am going to try to make it again this weekend with 4 eggs but will do the eclair this time. Wish me luck. thank you
May, that is fantastic! Thank YOU for making the recipe and giving me such great feedback. Wow. 🙂
I tried this recipe this past weekend and it was incredible!!! but somehow I ended up with 8 eggs instead of 4 but it ended up ok and it’s a big hit!!! everybody loved it!!!! thank you for the great recipe!!!
Hi May, Wow! Good to know that even with 8 eggs it still worked out, lol! Thank you for coming to my blog and for taking the time to comment. I’m very glad you liked this recipe.
In the process of making these now! I can’t wait to try them! I never made my cream puffs with homemade custard before! Yummm!
Sherri, the fact that you took the time to comment right in the middle of the recipe process means so much to me! Thank you and I think you will really love the homemade custard.
Good day! Looks really yummy,however i’d like to know what particular kind of milk used in custard filling? Is it the evaporated milk or the thick one which is condensed milk ?
Thanks for ur time God Bless
Hello Maricel,
Neither. Just plain old regular whole or 2% milk. Whichever you have on-hand works fine. Enjoy!
Using the muffin tin is a unique magical terrific idea. I piped into miniature cupcake tins and they came out great. Thanks!!!!!
The recipe was awesome. We made one for our Practicum in Livelihood. Our teacher gave us a perfect grade because she said our cream puffs were heavenly and they were! You can put some melted chocolate on top too! Thanks so much! 🙂
That is wonderful, David! I will tell my Aunt Pat about this. She will be thrilled.
The tops can be dipped in melted chocolate. If you make smaller ones you can stack them, shape of a christmas tree, and just before serving drizzle with a berry sauce and spun sugar as a decoration.
Oh Pam, this sounds like a hit for any holiday party. Great idea. Thanks!
This was the 1st time I ever made cream puffs. I found this recipe & let me just say these were the best cream puffs I’ve ever had. Totally delicious !! My family loved them.Great recipe !!
Thanks for visiting my blog and trying my recipe, Fran! Our family feels the same and I’m glad they were a success! 🙂
Sally,
Quick question: can the dough for the puffs sit in the fridge over night? I’m making these for a baby shower but don’t have enough time to make them all today. Thanks so much!
Quinn,
I have never done this before and I just called my aunt and she has not either. Here is our advice. It would probably be okay to make the dough and refrigerate the night before but you might need to bake them for longer since the dough will then be cold. One thing we have both done several times with success is, bake the shells the day before, then cover with aluminum foil overnight. The next day, cut the tops off, make the filling and then fill the puffs.
If you try refrigerating the dough overnight, let me know how they turn out. Thanks for making these and I hope your baby shower is a huge success. 🙂
Tried the recipe and they are the fluffiest cream puffs I have made and i have made quite a few. I tried one batch in the cupcake tins and would do that again except my puffs stuck to the pan. Next time I will spray the tins. I like how tall they were. Lots of room for more cream!
Paulette, I agree making them in the tins is the way to go for appearance. I’m honored that a cream puff expert like yourself loves the recipe. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
I’m on vacation right now and can’t wait to get home tomorrow to try these!
Danielle, What a great way to start the day after a vacation. You will love them. 🙂
Hi.. Theses lovelies look tempting 🙂 thanks for sharing. I have one question
What type of flour did you use? Did you use baking powder?
Thanks
Hello Sausan, I use all-purpose flour (I went in and modified the recipe to include all-purpose.) and no, the recipe does not call for baking powder. 🙂 Enjoy!
first time every making cream puffs and with your recipe they turned out so yummy. not eggy not to sweet it was soooo good thank you for posting it.
Christina, I’m so glad they turned out for you! Thanks for letting me know. Have a great week.
This recipe looks amazing i will be trying it very soon!!
I hope you like it Cayla. It is definitely a part of all our family get togethers. 🙂
The pictures of those puffs were so tempting, I just had to try it. I did last week and they were so delicious I have to bake some more …thank you so much for sharing …you are a dime
Juliet, I will be seeing my Aunt Pat tomorrow and she will be thrilled when I tell her you tried and loved them. Thank you for your comment. Have a great weekend!
Your puffs look beautiful! I will try your Aunt Pat’s recipe tonight. Wish you luck with the site!
Meli,
Thanks so much for trying one of my family favorites and also for your kind wishes!
Oh yum your cream puffs look divine, thanks for sharing this recipe! 🙂
Thank you Rosie. I love the Baileys Chocolate Chip cookies on your blog and think I’m going to have to try them. 🙂