There’s a reason why Chocolate Profiteroles are such a classic and popular French pastry! A rich, creamy custard filling inside light, airy, crisp, perfectly baked choux pastry shells, and then drizzled with a luscious chocolate sauce on top.
Profiteroles are one of the more well known French pastries, and an easy and adaptable recipe for potlucks and parties. Serve with a mug of thick, creamy French hot chocolate for a decadent pairing.
One of my most popular recipes on the blog is this choux pastry recipe with all the troubleshooting tips for making absolutely PERFECT choux pastry (pâte à choux), every single time.
I’ve been making choux pastry since I was a little girl, and it’s one of my favorite easy bakes.
I’ve shared a bunch of choux pastry based recipes on the blog over the years, like these classic chocolate eclairs, paris brest, cream puffs, strawberry cream puffs, chicken bouchees (chicken puffs), chouquettes (French sugar puffs), chocolate cream puffs, earl grey eclairs, choux au craquelin, coffee eclairs, pumpkin cheesecake profiteroles etc.!
So, as you can tell, I LOVE anything choux pastry.
What are chocolate profiteroles?
Chocolate profiteroles are a favorite holiday dessert for many!
There are 3 components to profiteroles.
- Choux pastry shells
- Filling (pastry cream, diplomat cream, whipped cream, or ice cream)
- Chocolate sauce on top
So, classic chocolate profiteroles are perfectly baked choux pastry cases, usually filled with creamy creme patissiere and topped with a luscious chocolate sauce.
It’s a classic and addictively delicious pastry made with simple ingredients.
Why this profiterole recipe works
- I’ve shared the most comprehensive guide for making perfect choux pastry! It’s perfect for beginners, and for anyone who has had trouble perfecting their choux pastry dough. I share all the troubleshooting tips you’ll ever need for this classic French pastry.
- While pastry cream (crème pâtissière) is the most common filling for profiteroles, I provide recipes and other suggestions for fillings, such as whipped cream, diplomat cream, and even ice cream (simple vanilla ice cream and chocolate ice cream are two popular options).
- Step by step recipe instructions and tips for making the different components of this recipe and how to assemble profiteroles.
- I also provide storage advice and tips on how to prepare profiteroles for events.
Ingredients for chocolate profiteroles
Ingredients to make choux pastry
- Water – Some recipes use water + milk, and this is absolutely OK! But I like to use just water, so that the pastry remains crisp for longer.
- Unsalted butter
- Sugar and salt (for flavor)
- All purpose flour
- Eggs
- Vanilla (optional)
Filling ingredients (pastry cream)
- Milk
- Sugar
- Egg yolks
- Cornstarch
- Vanilla
- Unsalted butter
- Gelatin (recommended)
- Whipped cream (optional)
Chocolate sauce for profiteroles
- Heavy cream
- Unsalted butter
- Chocolate
- Corn syrup (optional)
- Bourbon (optional)
How to make profiteroles
Pastry cream (profiterole filling)
My favorite filling options for profiteroles are either vanilla pastry cream or vanilla diplomat cream! Making the filling will be the first step, because it requires to be chilled overnight. How much filling you need will depend on how big the choux buns are.
With 1 batch of choux pastry, I make about 30 pastries. One batch of my vanilla pastry cream recipe will be just enough for this many pastry cases, if you fill each pastry with about 20 g of pastry cream.
But I do like to make extra pastry cream, so that I don’t run out of filling. Alternatively, you can make my diplomat cream recipe which will be more than enough for all the choux pastry cases (plus extra!).
I have a step by step recipe on how to make pastry cream with absolutely no lumps, so I highly recommend reading that post so you can make perfect, rich, creamy vanilla pastry cream.
Here’s a quick overview of the steps to make pastry cream, but make sure to check out my detailed post that includes pro tips for perfect pastry cream.
- Bloom the gelatin with some cool water. Set this aside while making the pastry cream.
- Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat.
- While heating, mix the egg yolks with the sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla.
- When the milk is heated, use the hot milk to temper the egg mixture. Once the egg mixture is tempered, return it to the pot, and cook the milk and egg mixture over low to medium heat, while continuously whisking. This is very important, because otherwise the eggs will scramble and create a lumpy mixture.
- Cook the custard. The custard mixture will start to thicken as it heats up, and then finally start to boil. Look for bubbles breaking through the thick surface.
- After the pastry cream comes to a boil, keep whisking it on low heat for 1 – 1.5 minutes. This will ensure that the whole pastry cream reaches the boiling temperature to thicken properly. Do NOT remove the pot from the heat as soon as it starts to boil – continue to cook it for a further 1 – 1.5 minutes.
- Remove the pastry cream from the heat and whisk in the butter and bloomed gelatin. Whisk until dissolved and mixed through. Pass the cream patissiere through a sieve into a bowl or dish.
- Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap (making sure the entire surface is in contact with the plastic wrap), and then let it chill in the fridge overnight.
- Whisk the chilled pastry cream to make it smooth again, and now it’s ready to be used.
- Optional – The next day, whip some heavy cream and fold it in with the chilled pastry cream. This will make for an even lighter filling option that will taste like ice cream! This version is known as diplomat cream or creme legere or boston cream filling!
Choux pastry
Check out my detailed post on how to make choux pastry, which also includes troubleshooting for common choux pastry fails. Here, I will briefly outline the steps of making perfect choux pastry.
Step one – Get all the ingredients ready
The flour especially must be measured, sifted, and ready to go, because it will be added as soon as the water comes to a boil.
Step two – Melt the butter and salt in the water and bring the water to a boil
Place the water, butter, salt, and sugar (if using) in a saucepan. To make sure that the butter melts fast, cut the butter into small cubes. Stir over medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
Once all the butter is melted, the water should come to a boil soon after.
Step three – Add the flour
As soon as the water comes to a boil, remove the pot from the heat and add the flour in one go into the water. Quickly mix the flour with the water. Mix until all the flour absorbs the water.
Step four – Cook the dough
Once you have mixed in the flour with the water, return the pot to the stove and cook the dough for just a couple of minutes while mixing the dough until it looks like thick mashed potatoes.
The dough should easily form into a ball when you mix it, and there should also be a dough film on the bottom of the pan (if it’s a stainless steel pot, which won’t be seen in a non-stick pot though).
If the dough is starting to get too oily, and separate, you’ve cooked the dough too long! So make sure to keep an eye on this.
Remove the pot from the heat and allow the dough to cool down.
Either transfer the dough into a bowl, flatten it out a little, and let it cool down naturally, OR, transfer the dough into a bowl and then use the mixer to mix it on low for a few minutes to speed up the cooling.
Step five – Add the eggs
This is a crucial step. Most recipes call for a set amount of eggs that you add to the dough. But this can cause issues with choux pastry. Having tested this dough recipe countless times, I realized that you only need to add enough eggs to get the right consistency.
What does that mean? The amount of eggs you add will vary (due to other ingredients and variables), so it’s important to add the eggs a little at a time until you achieve that desired consistency!
To do this, whisk the eggs in a jug to mix. For this recipe, you will need between 3 – 3.5 eggs. Add the eggs, a little at a time, and whisk it in at each addition. These are the stages to look for,
- The dough will break up and be coated in eggs forming “slimy” dough pieces. Keep mixing in the eggs.
- Then the dough will absorb the eggs and become cohesive again. Keep adding the eggs a little at a time.
- When the dough becomes cohesive, the texture and appearance of the dough will change from matte and dough-like to shiny and thick paste-like. The eggs should ONLY be added until the dough just starts to become shiny.
- When you mix the dough with a wooden spoon or spatula and lift some of it out of the bowl, the dough should form a small V shape at the end of the spatula. Once this happens, do not add anymore eggs.
The dough is now ready!
Scrape the dough into a large pastry bag, or into an airtight container with a lid. Cover the dough tightly to make sure it’s not exposed to air. Use the dough when it’s at room temperature.
Step six – Pipe the dough
For this classic profiteroles recipe, I pipe choux pastry that’s about 1.5 – 2 inches in diameter and 1 inch tall. It gives me choux pastry shells that are about 2.5 inches in diameter. I get 25 – 30 shells total with this recipe, but this will depend on how big you pipe the shells.
- Choose a round tip or a French star tip to pipe the dough. The tip I use is about 1/2 inch in diameter. Choux pastry piped with a round tip will result in smoother choux pastries. When you use a French star tip, the resulting choux pastry has lines on it. Both work very well, so it’s mainly up to what you want your choux pastry to look like.
- Line your half sheet pan with parchment paper or silpat. This will ensure that the dough does not stick after it bakes.
- Keep the pastry bag at a 90 degree angle to the baking sheet. If you pipe at a smaller angle, the pastry will rise at an angle (instead of straight up).
- Count as you squeeze the piping bag (with consistent pressure), to ensure you pipe the same amount of dough and it’s similar in size.
- Dip your finger in water and then dab the tip of the choux pastry cases so that the tips are flat and smooth.
- Mist the baking tray with water (optional). This gives the choux pastry a little extra rise.
Step seven – Bake the dough
Bake the pastry in a preheated oven at 375 F / 191 C. During the last 5 minutes of baking, poke each pastry case once with a toothpick to allow excess steam to escape and to help dry out the choux pastry shells.
The shells are done baking when they turn dark golden brown in color. Do not take them out when they are light in color because they will be extra soggy.
Step eight – Let it cool
Allow the baked choux pastry to cool down to room temperature on a wire rack before using.
Chocolate sauce
Place the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan. Heat over low heat, or in small increments in the microwave.
Heat only until the chocolate is almost melted (i.e. about 90% melted). Remove from the heat and stir to melt all the way through.
If the chocolate is a little grainy, use a stick blender to blend the mixture. The agitation from the stick blender will make the chocolate sauce smooth and thick.
Assemble the profiteroles
Whisk the chilled pastry cream until it’s nice and smooth. Place this filling in a piping bag with a small round tip or bismarck tip.
Use a small knife or small French star tip to make a hole on the bottom of the choux pastries.
Fill the pastries with pastry cream. Usually, the amount of filling in each of these pastry cases should be between 17 – 22 g. But I often just go by the weight of the pastry in my hand as I fill each one.
After filling all the pastries, dip the tops of the profiteroles in the warm chocolate sauce. Shake off excess sauce, and place the chocolate profiteroles on a tray to let the chocolate sauce cool down and set.
Serve immediately.
How to serve these
Chocolate profiteroles are served just as they are!
However, you can also add a little more liquid to the chocolate sauce and serve it as a sauce on the side. This way, guests can pour the chocolate sauce on top as they eat the profiteroles.
But they are perfect this way, because they are meant to be a one-bite (or two-bite) treat.
Storage and make ahead tips
Choux pastry should be very crisp once it cools down. However, because it’s such a delicate pastry, it does lose its crispness once filled, or when stored for longer periods of time.
This is why choux pastry is best served within 2 hours of being filled. But you can still make parts of this dessert ahead of time if you want to serve this at a party.
The filling can be made ahead of time, and stored for up to 4 days in the fridge.
The choux pastry cases can also be made ahead. One to two days in the fridge, or up to a month in the freezer. However, you will need to “freshen up” the pastries in the oven again before filling them. This will prevent the pastries from tasting stale.
To make the pastries crisp and fresh again, place them on a prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Then place them in an oven preheated to 350 F, for about 5 – 10 minutes (depending on the size).
Allow the shells to cool and then fill and serve.
How to store filled profiteroles
You can absolutely store filled profiteroles as well. They will still taste delicious, but will be much softer.
I personally like to store the filled profiteroles in the freezer, and let them thaw out at room temperature. Freezing them keeps them tasting better for longer. The profiteroles will go stale much faster if stored in the fridge.
Recipe tips for success
- Plan ahead! These pastries taste best when assembled within hours before serving. So make sure to plan everything accordingly. The pastries and filling can be made ahead of time for convenience as well.
- If it’s your first time making choux pastry, have a practice run. Pate a choux is so easy to make, but there are key things to look out for, and practice makes it that much easier. Check out my detailed choux pastry recipe post that has helped 1000s of readers perfect their choux pastry.
- Allow the choux pastry to dry out in the oven. Many people make the mistake of taking out the choux pastry too early without letting it get a little darker in the oven. This helps keep the pastry nice and puffed up, and have enough structure to hold the filling.
- Take your time making the pastry cream. If you rush this recipe and try to cook it on high heat, you may end up with curdled and eggy pastry cream, as I have detailed in my how to make pastry cream post.
- Use a stick blender to blend the chocolate sauce. This helps to keep it glossy and thick.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between cream puffs and profiteroles?
Cream puffs (like these cream puffs and chocolate cream puffs) are usually a round crisp pastry shell filled with whipped cream or chantilly cream (sweetened whipped cream), and the pastry is either served as is or dusted with confectioner’s sugar. In some parts of the world, cream puffs are filled with vanilla buttercream or chocolate buttercream as well.
However, profiteroles are also round choux pastries, but the filling can be pastry cream, whipped cream, diplomat cream or even a small scoop of ice cream. Another defining feature of profiteroles is that the top of the pastry is dipped in chocolate.
Are eclairs and profiteroles the same?
The components of eclairs and profiteroles are the same, but the shape is different. Eclairs are slim and long, whereas profiteroles are round. They can be small or big as well.
Both pastries are made with choux pastry that is filled with a sweet filling and then the top of the pastry is dipped in a sauce. Usually this is a chocolate topping, but it can be other glazes too.
How to make sure my choux pastry dough is at the correct consistency?
To make sure that your choux pastry is at the right consistency, look for,
Shine – Choux dough will just start to have a sheen when the right amount of eggs is added. Which is why we only add the eggs a little at a time.
V shape – When you use a spatula to mix the dough and then lift the spatula from the dough, you should be able to see the tip of the spatula pick up some of the dough and form a “V” shape at the tip.
Why did my choux dough collapse?
There are two reasons for choux pastries to collapse.
1) The dough had too much eggs or water, leading to a runny batter. Too much moisture can cause the pastry to be too wet and not dry out enough.
2) The pastries were not baked long enough. This links to the first reason above as well. If the pastries were not baked long enough, the dough was not able to dry out enough to form a stable shell. This will cause it to collapse.
So it’s very important to bake the choux pastry long enough, so that they turn a dark golden brown in color. To help the pastry dry out more, I recommend pricking the shells during the last 5 minutes of baking so that the steam inside can escape.
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes, you can. It’s best to make the components of these homemade profiteroles ahead of time and keep them separate. Then, assemble them ahead of time as I’ve described above in the post.
However, you can also make them ahead of time and freeze them, but the pastries will not be as good as when freshly made.
Recipe
Chocolate Profiteroles with Pastry Cream
US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Weight measurements are recommended for accurate results whenever available.
Common Measurement ConversionsVideo
Ingredients:
Choux Pastry
- 1 batch of choux pastry dough ingredients as below
- 240 mL water 1 cup. You can also substitute with milk, or use half milk and half water.
- 115 g unsalted butter 4 oz / 1 stick, cubed and at room temp
- 140 g AP Flour 1⅛ cup (spooned and leveled)
- 226 g large eggs 4 large eggs. Weighed with shell. You may not use all eggs.
- ½ tsp sea salt use less if using table salt
- 1 tbsp sugar optional
- ½ tsp vanilla extract optional
Pastry Cream
- 480 mL whole milk 2 cups
- 75 g sugar 6 tbsp
- Pinch sea salt
- 30 g cornstarch 3 tbsp packed tablespoons
- 15 mL vanilla bean paste / extract / 1 vanilla bean pod 1 tbsp
- 4 large egg yolks
- 43 g unsalted butter 3 tbsp, softened
- 45 ml water 3 tbsp, optional
- 5 g powdered gelatin 1½ tsp, 225 bloom strength. Optional
Chocolate Sauce
- 170 g semi sweet chocolate 6 oz
- 120 g heavy cream ½ cup
- 57 g unsalted butter 4 tbsp / ½ stick, softened
- Generous pinch of sea salt
- 1 tbsp agave / corn syrup optional
- 2 tbsp bourbon optional, replace with water
Instructions:
Choux Pastry
- Preheat oven to 375℉ / 190℃.
- Prepare choux pastry dough according to this choux pastry recipe. When the choux pastry dough is ready, place it in a pastry bag that has a large round tip (or simply cut the tip off of the pastry bag).1 batch of choux pastry dough, 240 mL water, 115 g unsalted butter, 140 g AP Flour, 226 g large eggs, ½ tsp sea salt, 1 tbsp sugar, ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Prepare baking trays by lining it with parchment paper or silpat.
- Pipe 1 ½ inch round choux pastry mounds on to the baking sheet, with at least 1 inch space between each. (When piping choux pastry, keep the tip at a 90 degree angle and slightly embedded just under the surface of the piped choux pastry. This is to ensure the piped shape is as smooth as possible).
- Either use a water dipped scissor to "cut" the dough, or gently twist the piping tip away from the pastry once you've piped the dough. Then gently flatten the pointy tip with a damp finger.
- Mist the surface of the baking tray and pastries with water (either using a mister or lightly sprinkle water with your hands – this is an optional step).
- Transfer the piped choux pastry to the preheated oven. Bake in preheated oven for 30 – 40 minutes in the center of the oven, or until the choux pastry shells puff up and are golden brown on top. Do not open the oven door at least until you have reached the 25 minute mark.
- During the last 5 minutes of baking, use a toothpick to quickly pierce each pastry. Bake for the final 5 minutes to allow the pastry to dry out.
- Remove from the oven, and prick each shell with a toothpick again and let them cool down completely.
Pastry Cream – Make the day before
- Follow instructions in this vanilla pastry cream recipe to make the pastry cream. I recommend adding gelatin for extra stability. You can also make diplomat cream for a lighter filling option.480 mL whole milk, 75 g sugar, Pinch sea salt, 30 g cornstarch, 15 mL vanilla bean paste / extract / 1 vanilla bean pod, 4 large egg yolks, 43 g unsalted butter, 45 ml water, 5 g powdered gelatin
- When the prepared choux pastry has been chilled, place the pastry cream in a piping bag with a bismarck filling tip, or round tip (about ½ cm). Keep it chilled until needed.
Chocolate Sauce
- Make the sauce just before you're ready to dip the pastries in the sauce. Place all the ingredients, except for the butter and bourbon, in a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl.170 g semi sweet chocolate, 120 g heavy cream, Generous pinch of sea salt, 1 tbsp agave / corn syrup
- Heat over medium low heat (or over a double boiler). Stir and almost melt the chocolate – about 90%. Then remove the saucepan from the heat and stir to dissolve all the chocolate with the residual heat. This can be done in the microwave as well.
- While the sauce is warm, add the softened butter and bourbon and whisk to mix completely. Use a stick blender to make sure that the sauce is not grainy and is smooth and shiny.57 g unsalted butter, 2 tbsp bourbon
- Use immediately.
Assembly
- Cut an ‘x’ on the bottom of the choux pastry (see photos in the post). Pipe in the pastry cream (with a bismarck tip), until the pastry cases are almost full. You can also use a small french star tip (1 cm) and cut a hole on the bottom using this tip as well.
- Dip them in the chocolate sauce, and shake off the excess. Place the pastries on a baking tray and allow the chocolate to set a little.
- Place the profiteroles on a plate and keep in the fridge (covered) until ready to serve. The pastries are best filled as close to serving time as possible, to prevent them from getting too soggy.
- You can also choose to pour the warm chocolate sauce over the profiteroles just before serving.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead tips
Choux pastry will lose its crispness after a couple of hours. They do not remain crisp for a long time. The filling and pasties can be made ahead of time. The filling will last for 4 days in the fridge. The pastries will last 1 – 2 days in the fridge, or up to a month in the freezer. However, you will need to “freshen up” the pastries in the oven again before filling them. This will prevent the pastries from tasting stale. To make the pastries crisp and fresh again, place them on a prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Then place them in an oven preheated to 350 F, for about 5 – 10 minutes (depending on the size). Allow the shells to cool, and then fill and serve.Storing filled profiteroles
Store the filled profiteroles in the freezer, and let them thaw out at room temperature. Freezing them keeps them tasting better for longer. The profiteroles will go stale much faster if stored in the fridge.Other choux pasty related recipes
Classic choux pastry, Cream puffs recipe, Chocolate cream puffs, Chouquettes (French sugar puffs), Choux au craquelin, Classic chocolate eclairs, Earl grey eclairs, Chicken bouchees (chicken puffs), Paris brest recipeNutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
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