Easy 20 Minute Cream Puff Recipe - Sizzling Eats (2024)

Shared by Amy Desrosiers | 73 Comments
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This is one of our most popular dessert recipes and for good reason! This easy cream puff uses simple ingredients and only takes 20 minutes to make! The flaky puff pastry crust and real whipped cream filling make this cream puff a perfect party dessert!

I’ll show you how quick and easy they are to make.

Ingredients

Before starting this recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

1boxof Puff Pastry Sheets. I like to use the Pepperidge Farms brand. One box comes with 2 ready-to-bake sheets.

Real Whipped Cream Filling Ingredients:

To make the whipped cream filling, you’ll need:

1-pintof heavy whipping cream, 1teaspoonof vanilla extract, and 1/4cup ofconfectioners’ (powdered) sugar.

Equipment and Supplies Needed

We used the following equipment and supplies to make this recipe.

  • Cookie Cutter (I used snowflake shapes, but you can use whatever shape you want.)
  • Baking Sheet
  • Conventional Oven
  • Electric hand or stand mixer

Recipe Tips

This recipe is easy to make if you know the right tips and tricks! Here are my tips for ensuring your cream puffs come out perfectly.

Puff Pastry Tips

Make sure the puff pastry dough is chilled before working with it. Working with warm dough is sticky and messy. Plus, your shapes won’t cut out neatly.

When cutting out the puff pastry dough, be sure to place the sheet of dough on a floured surface. The flour will prevent the dough from sticking to the surface.

Whipped Cream Tips

Use a cold bowl to make the whipped cream.

Whenever you’re working with whipped cream, it should be kept cold. Therefore, when you’re not eating it or working with it, keep it refrigerated or chilled. If you let it get warm, it will start to melt.

Basic whipped cream is made using confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and one pint of heavy whipping cream.

Mix all ingredients 2-3 minutes on high speed until soft, pillowy peaks form and hold their shape.

This cream puff recipe takes just 20 minutes to make and is ideal for wowing your guests with bakery-fresh bites.

Baking the Puff Pastry

The puff pastry shells are baked in the oven at 350°F.

Carefully cut out snowflakes and place them on a large baking sheet that’s lined with parchment paper. You don’t need to worry about spacing them apart too much, because they rise up, rather than sideways.

Once all snowflakes are cut out, re-roll the dough out and cut out more if needed.

Bake 10-12 minutes. Keep a close eye on them to make sure they don’t burn.

Allow to cool for 1-2 minutes, then carefully slice them in half with a bread knife.

If you want them to look fancy, use a piping bag to fill them with whipped cream. Otherwise, you can use a spoon to fill them.

Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar for a final touch!

Storage

If you want to store your cream puffs for later just follow these easy steps:

  • Place them in a storage tray with an airtight lid. If you don’t have one, use a baking sheet.
  • Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Other Puff Pastry Recipes You Might Like

  • Pumpkin Puff Pastry Turnovers
  • Peaches and Cream Puff Pastry Dessert
  • Raspberry Chocolate Cream Puffs
  • Pistachio Cream Puffs
  • Homemade Cream Puffs with Vanilla Cream Filling

Easy 20 Minute Cream Puff Recipe - Sizzling Eats (7)

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Easy 20 Minute Cream Puff Recipe

A very quick and easy mini cream puff with real whipped cream you can make with little baking skills in just 20 minutes.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes minutes

Total Time 19 minutes minutes

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 20 cream puffs

Calories 223cal

Author Amy Desrosiers

Equipment

  • 1 Cookie Cutter I used snowflake shapes, but you can use whatever shape you want.

  • 1 baking sheet

  • 1 conventional oven

  • 1 Electric Hand or Stand Mixer

Ingredients

Puff Pastry

  • 17.3 oz Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets 1 box

Real Whipped Cream Filling

  • 1 pint heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup confectionery sugar

Instructions

Puff Pastry Shell

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

  • Roll out slightly thawed and pliable puff pastry dough.

    17.3 oz Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets

  • Carefully cut out the puff pastry shapes and place them on a large baking sheet that's lined with parchment paper.

  • Once all puff pastry shapes are cut out, re-roll the dough and cut out more if needed.

  • Place in oven on center rack. Bake 10-12 mins

  • Remove from oven. Allow to cool for 1-2 minutes.

  • Using a bread knife, carefully slice the puff pastry in half.

Real Whipped Cream Pastry Filling

  • Combine the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and confectioners sugar into a large bowl.

    1 pint heavy whipping cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 cup confectionery sugar

  • Using a mixer, beat on high until peaks form and remain steady.

  • Add the filling to a pastry bag and pipe into each snowflake. You can also use a spoon if you don't have a pastry bag.

Notes

Use chilled puff pastry dough and cut it on a floured surface.

When mixing the whipped cream filling, use a chilled bowl and cold cream.

Keep the whipped cream filling chilled when it’s not in use.

Nutritional facts are for informational purposes only and may vary.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cream puff | Calories: 223cal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 70mg | Potassium: 33mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 348IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

Easy 20 Minute Cream Puff Recipe - Sizzling Eats (2024)

FAQs

Why is my cream puff not crispy? ›

The puffs can be soft for the same reasons they can collapse, i.e. too much humidity. To make sure this does not happen to you be sure to dry the dough enough until it detaches from the pan after you added the flour, and bake them until golden brown.

Will cream puffs get soggy overnight? ›

Yes they do. They can stay out for about 4 hours but then need to be refrigerated. How long will the cream puffs be good for? We usually recommend consuming the cream puffs the same or next day, after 2 days they will start to become soggy, especially if your refrigerator has a lot of humidity in it.

Why won t my cream puffs puff up? ›

Cream puffs usually collapse for one of the following reasons: Your oven wasn't properly preheated or is not at the right temperature. High heat is critical for getting these puffs to rise and bake up structurally sound. You opened the oven door during the baking process.

What makes cream puffs go flat? ›

There are multiple reasons why cream puffs may deflate. The first cause is undercooking. When preparing dough on the stovetop, be sure to keep cooking and stirring until a film forms on the bottom of the saucepan. Another cause of flat cream puffs is lowering the temperature during baking.

How to crisp up cream puffs? ›

To refresh, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Transfer frozen choux au craquelin to a sheet tray and reheat until crisp, about 5 minutes.

Why are my cream puffs doughy inside? ›

If your cream puffs are moist inside after baking, this is because they did not bake long enough. In addition, the puffs need to dry out on the inside after baking. To help the pâte à choux dry out properly, turn the cream puffs upside down and use a toothpick to poke a hole in each one.

Why are cream puffs so hard to make? ›

It may sound finicky, but cream puffs require a two-temp approach to baking. The first 15 minutes should be hotter — 425 degrees Fahrenheit. This will help the water in the dough turn to steam, and coax the dough into setting in time to capture that lift. If the oven is too cool, they won't rise and hollow out.

How do you keep cream puffs puffy? ›

Remove and oven and let puffs cool completely on the baking sheet on a wire rack before filling. For best results, use puffs with 24 hours, or wrap airtight and freeze. Unfilled puffs may be stored in an airtight container for several days, but first cut them open and remove the strands of dough to prevent sogginess.

What are the faults of choux? ›

The five faults listed are: mixtures being too soft, pastry not rising and having a solid texture after baking, sinking after removal from the oven, pastry being too thin, and pastry being too thick.

Why do cream puffs flop? ›

Water and butter: fats provides tenderness to the cream puff. However, too much fat will interfere with gluten production making your cream puff collapse. It is important to bring the water and butter mixture to a full boil before adding the flour as heat is necessary to swell the starch granules in the flour.

What are the faults in choux pastry? ›

What can go wrong with pâte à choux?
  1. Profiteroles or eclairs have collapsed. They are flat, or look deflated. ...
  2. Choux pastry is too soft and soggy. Usually profiteroles or eclair shells have a crisp shell. ...
  3. Profiteroles or eclair shells have a lot of cracks on top. ...
  4. Choux pastry shell is too dry, doughy or crumbly.
Jan 1, 2022

Can I substitute margarine for butter in cream puffs? ›

Margarine and coconut oil are not suitable replacements, as margarine can alter the flavor of the puffs with its peculiar taste. Flour– we used all-purpose flour for this recipe. You can also use cake flour for this. Granulated sugar– we like to use granulated sugar, also the most common sugar used in baking.

Why must water come to a boil when making cream puffs? ›

Water and Butter

Too much fat and it will interfere with gluten production, and your cream puffs will collapse. Follow the recipe carefully! The water and butter mixture has to be boiling before adding any more ingredients because the heat is necessary to swell the starch granules in the flour.

Why are my cream puffs heavy? ›

In fact, if you don't use enough eggs the dough will remain heavy and gluey. You should add as many eggs to your dough as possible! Make these (amazing) cream puffs and picture the lakes of Minnesota when you do.

How do you fix soggy cream puffs? ›

Last, reheat the cream puff shells at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for five minutes to restore their crispiness. Poke them with a skewer while they're still warm so the steam can escape.

How to crisp up cream puff shells in the oven? ›

Once they're firmly frozen, transfer the choux puffs to an airtight vessel (I usually use a plastic bag) and return to the freezer until needed. To revive them, place the puffs on a sheet tray and toast in a 350°F oven for 5-15 minutes depending on the size of the pastry shell.

Can you crisp up cream puff shells? ›

Store the puffs in an airtight container for up to 2 days and re-crisp them in a low oven for 5 minutes on the day you intend to use them (let them cool before filling). For the filling we suggest you use a creme patissiere rather than just whipped cream.

How to re-crisp choux pastry? ›

The choux can also be baked and frozen. If soggy, baked choux can be re-crisped in a hot oven for several minutes.

References

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