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Alright, let’s talk Choux Pastry. Also known as Pâte à Choux. If you’re looking for tips to make Perfect Choux Pastry to use in classic profiteroles, eclairs, craquelin, chouquettes etc., then you’re in the right place!
A foolproof recipe for light, airy, puffy, crisp choux pastry (Pâte à Choux)!
I used to eat a lot of eclairs and cream puffs when I was little, so choux pastry has a special place in my heart. And I find it pretty ingenious that choux pastry doesn’t use a chemical raising agent to rise. Instead it uses air and moisture trapped in the dough to rise (water and eggs).
A cross section of a choux pastry case, showing the airy center and a crispy outer shell.
I had maintained for quite some time that I was a choux pastry whiz, because it was one of the first pastries I learnt how to make. But, one day, I just couldn’t get it right! And I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. So I started testing different ways of making it, until I finally understood what made it work for me. If your choux pastry recipe doesn’t always work, then THIS foolproof perfect choux pastry guide is for you. This post will help you understand WHY and HOW choux pastry works, with plenty of troubleshooting tips.
Why is homemade choux pastry simply better?
Store bought choux pastry cases are almost always dry and tasteless. This is true for store bought cream puff shells as well as eclair shells. Homemade choux pastry however, is the real deal! Crisp on the outside and airy & custard-like on the inside. And when you understand how choux pastry works, and what’s happening in each step, it really is super easy to make.
So let’s find out how to make PERFECT Choux Pastry every single time. This is the ULTIMATE GUIDE for making FOOLPROOF choux pastry (pâte à choux), for perfect profiteroles/cream puffs, eclairs, craquelins and other choux pastry based desserts. It’s a lengthy post, where I cover EVERY aspect of making perfect choux pastry, troubleshooting choux pastry problems, tips for profiteroles and eclairs, as well as variations. So hold on tight!
What is PERFECT choux pastry (Pâte à Choux)?
A pastry with a light and crisp outer shell, and a delicious, soft, creamy, custard-like inside. And it’s airy with large air pockets inside as well, perfect to be filled with a sweet filling. A few cracks will be visible on the outside, but it still retains the shape it was piped in.
It can be round for profiteroles/cream puffs and craquelins, or elongated for eclairs.
Personally, I like my profiteroles to be a little softer, and for my eclairs to have a firmer shell. This is because the elongated shape of eclairs hold up well, and are more stable if they are made to have a firmer shell. Profiteroles are more forgiving and foolproof than eclairs, because of their round shape, and as such I like to keep them a little softer. Choux buns (profiteroles, cream puffs), are less likely to collapse compared to eclairs.
BUT, shit can happens when you’re trying to bake perfect choux pastry
What can go wrong with pâte à choux?
Profiteroles or eclairs have collapsed.
They are flat, or look deflated. The eclairs look like they have a concave bottom, or there’s a crack on the bottom.
Choux pastry is too soft and soggy.
Usually profiteroles or eclair shells have a crisp shell. The crispness doesn’t last long when it’s exposed to air or filled with pastry cream. However, they should never ever be soggy.
Profiteroles or eclair shells have a lot of cracks on top.
They have risen irregularly, with lots of cracks, and kind of look like an ugly ass flower.
Choux pastry shell is too dry, doughy or crumbly.
Now let’s see why these things happen.
L to R – 2:1:1:2 ratio recipe, runny dough, dough not cooked longer, extra flour
Choux pastry troubleshooting
Why are my pastry shells flat, soft, and soggy?
Have your profiterole shells collapsed? Do your eclairs have sunken concave bottoms? They’re not the, round, hollow, perfect choux pastry shells you see in bakeries?
So what causes this?
Reason 1
Chances are the dough was too wet and runny. When you pipe out the batter, it probably didn’t hold its shape (see the picture above – the runny batter kind of spreads out). That means it has too little flour, or too much liquid in the form of water, eggs and/or butter.
Reason 2
Removing the choux pastry from the oven too early is another reason why your choux shells will be flat. If they were soggy to start with, then they will not rise properly. But even if they do rise, they will deflate when they cool down, due to too much moisture inside the shell, especially if you take them out of the oven too soon. The shells didn’t have enough time to form a stable crust, so they collapse as they cool down.
Reason 3
You need to prick the shells towards the end of the baking time (and/or after), to allow the shells to dry out. If you don’t, the hot humid air will collapse the soft shell as it cools down.
How to fix pâte à choux that is too runny
This happens if you added too much eggs, OR you didn’t cook the dough long enough, and have too much water in your dough.
Whatever you do, NEVER ADD EXTRA FLOUR! NEVER! Repeat after me – I will never add raw flour to a runny choux pastry dough. I see recipes suggesting this, and it’s just a recipe for disaster.
So then what do you do?
Make another half batch of the cooked dough with water, salt, butter and flour (with no eggs!). Once you’ve made that part of the dough by cooking it in a saucepan and you have the right consistency, let it cool down (covered). Add the cooled down dough to the runny dough a bit at a time, mixing it into the dough well, until you get the right, pipeable consistency. It always works like a charm!
Removed them from the oven too early, or too much moisture in the shells?
If that is the case, leave them in the oven longer (until the shell is a darker brown in color). If you baked them at 350°F or lower, then increase the oven temperature.
And ALWAYS remember to prick your baked choux pastry shells (profiteroles or eclairs) with a skewer or a sharp knife and let the moisture inside the cases escape while drying out the shells. This helps prevent collapsed shells, so you can get perfect choux pastry shells. I also like to prick the shells during the last few minutes of the baking time to help with drying out the pastry shells.
Some recipes call for letting the choux pastry shells dry out in the oven, with the door half open. You can do that too, but if you have another batch of choux pastry to bake, this can be cumbersome. So let the choux pastry cool down in a warm, draft-free area. I prefer keeping them in the kitchen (which is already warm because the oven’s been doing its thing).
My choux pastry shells have too many cracks or it looks irregular.
So you pipe the pâte à choux nice and smooth, but when it comes out of the oven, it looks all kinds of weird.
Reason 1
Pâte à choux dough has undissolved solids or is not smooth. The salt or sugar hasn’t dissolved properly. The dough isn’t smooth because of flour lumps that haven’t been mixed properly, or you added raw flour to the dough after adding eggs.
Chances are there’s stuff in your pastry batter that shouldn’t be in there. Things like flour that has not been sifted or salt that was not melted. This can interfere with the smoothness of the pastry.
Reason 2
Choux pastry was baked at too high of a temperature. The rapid rise of the dough at high temperatures can cause it to crack as well.
Many recipes call for pâte à choux to be baked at two different temperatures. First at a higher temperature for a few minutes, and then finish off at a lower temperature. The reasoning behind this is that the higher temp. facilitates the rise of the pastry because the high heat causes the water to evaporate faster, thereby raising the pastry faster and higher. Then the temperature is lowered and the pastry is allowed to dry out and bake properly.
Reason 3
The piping method can cause cracks as well. This includes the piping consistency as well as the shape of the piping tip (nozzle). If you’re piping eclairs or profiteroles, you need to make sure to pipe consistently.
Ripples in the dough will give rise to cracks. This is especially true for profiteroles. So make sure the tip is always touching the surface of the dough when you’re piping, and you’re applying smooth and consistent pressure, without causing ripples.
While the shape of the piping tip doesn’t really matter when it comes to profiteroles, this can cause irregularities with eclairs. Eclairs piped with a round tip can cause more cracks on the surface, compared to a French star tip that has “finer teeth”.
These lines or marks in the piped dough increase the surface area and allow the eclair shell to expand without causing unsightly cracks. You can check out my comprehensive troubleshooting guide on making eclairs for more details.
How to ensure your pastry cases are not crackly or irregular
Make sure all the sugar and salt are dissolved BEFORE letting the water come to a boil.
I’ve read that the addition of completely dissolved salt apparently helps prevent cracks from being formed on the shell, although I’m not sure why. I didn’t test it without salt to see if that’s indeed the case. You need to add a bit of salt to the dough anyway, because it really enhances the flavor of the choux pastry, so there’s really no reason to go without salt. Just make sure to stir the water-butter mixture frequently to make sure the salt and sugar dissolve well before the water comes to a boil.
Make sure the flour is fine and there are no flour lumps in the dough.
So sift the flour before you add it into the boiling water. This will make sure there are no lumps in the flour to begin with, and that the flour is nice and light. Mix the flour into the water off the heat, so you can really make sure the water is being absorbed by the flour and there are no lumps. I like to use a flexible silicone spatula to do this, and mix the dough by flattening any lumps I see with the spatula as I go. Then I return it back to the heat and mix it further to cook off the extra water.
Cook the choux pastry at a lower temperature throughout the baking time, rather than switching between a high temperature and a lower temperature.
The theory of baking choux at two different temperatures may work for some. And if it does for you, you can keep doing that. However, I find that cooking choux pastry at one set temperature the whole way through, produced more consistent results with a smooth top and minimal cracks. Plus it’s more convenient of course.
I’ve found that the high temperature that most recipes call for, makes the choux pastry expand and rise rapidly, almost chaotically, causing the pastry to split and look ugly.
Piping consistency
Make sure the piping tip is always touching the dough, and not causing ripples in the dough. Also make sure there are no air bubbles in the pastry bags too.
Piping nozzle
If you’re making eclairs, I highly recommend a French star tip. This will also minimize ugly cracks in the eclair shells and help keep the shape of your eclairs.
Why are my pastries too dry, doughy or crumbly
You do get a nice crisp shell, but when you crack it open, it’s not as deliciously “custardy” or soft on the inside. Or even worse, it hasn’t risen at all and tastes like egg bread. Whoopsie!
Reason 1
You added too much flour, or not enough eggs. Not getting a glossy sheen on your dough is a good sign that your pâte à choux is going to be dense and dry.
Or if you added raw flour to your dough because it’s too runny, it can mess with the final consistency too.
Reason 2
You baked it too long, and the shells are almost burnt, and it’s very obviously going to be too dry. Another reason is because you let the choux pastry dry out too much – especially if you let the choux pastry cool in the oven, and you forget to take it out.
This can also happen if you let the choux pastry stand outside uncovered, for hours, after they’ve been cooled. You CAN leave the choux pastry covered in an airtight container though!
Look for that glossy sheen!
How to fix dry pâte à choux shells
Baking time
If you baked it too long the first time, simply reduce the time in the oven by a few minutes next time. Every oven is slightly different depending on how hot it actually is, and also the hot and cold spots you get in every oven.
Dough consistency
Make sure to check the consistency of the dough, and not add raw flour to fix runny dough.
If your dough doesn’t have a sheen even after adding all the eggs, don’t worry! Just add extra eggs until you get that right consistency. Chances are you may have cooked the dough too long and too much water evaporated, but it can easily be fixed by adding extra eggs. Just make sure to add a little at a time, rather than a whole egg at once.
Can I use pastry flour or bread flour instead of AP Flour?
Bread flour has a higher gluten content than AP Flour. Using bread flour can produce pâte à choux that has a thicker shell, and will rise less than choux pastry made with AP flour.
Bread flour does result in profiteroles and eclair shells that are more sturdy, and hold their shape better. So for that reason I prefer using bread flour to make my eclairs.
Pastry flour has less gluten than AP flour. This will result in a lighter pastry case, that rises more. These are great if you want “lighter than air” profiteroles, or maybe if you want to combine it with craquelin. I don’t generally like using pastry flour for my filled choux pastry though – just my personal preference.
Here’s what gives me the most consistent results for choux pastry.
Making the dough
Weigh the ingredients. Each one of them.
Michael Ruhlman’s ratio by weight for choux pastry is 2:1:1:2 of water, butter, flour and eggs. While this works well, I find that adding a little extra flour helps make perfect choux pastry that is crisp and stable. The pastries keep its shape as it bakes – a very desirable result.
Whenever you can, ALWAYS measure ingredients by weight, not by volume. This is true for any kind of baking. While I don’t have a problem measuring by volume for some recipes, I always prefer to use weight because that gives more consistent results. Here’s a good kitchen scale that you can use, that is inexpensive.
With eggs, I like to crack them into a jug, and whisk them before adding to the dough.
Cook the dough first
Choux pastry or pâte à choux, is very unique in that for perfect results, it requires the dough to be cooked first! This unique step results in a really sturdy pastry shell that also has a custard-like texture on the inside.
Always start with cold water (or milk). Add the salt and the sugar to the water. Cut the butter into pats (or smaller), to ensure that it melts BEFORE the water comes to a boil. You don’t want to keep stirring boiling water to melt the butter. Stirring the water frequently while it warms up ensures that the salt, sugar and butter melt before the water comes to a boil.
As soon as the water mix comes to a boil, remove it from the heat (but don’t turn off the stove) and add ALL THE FLOUR IN ONE GO. Mix immediately for about 45 seconds, to make sure there are absolutely no lumps. This is important because you need to mix in the flour well (flour needs to absorb all the moisture of the butter-water mix), and having a smooth dough means that you won’t have cracked shells later.
Then cook the dough further on the stove so that enough moisture evaporates to get a good dough. A lot of recipes will talk of different signs to look for when cooking the dough – from the dough pulling away from the sides of the pan, to the dough looking like mashed potatoes, or leaving a film of dough on the bottom of the pan.
Heating the dough for too long can cause the butter to split from the dough as well. So make sure you don’t do this.
Here’s what I look for
The dough leaving a film on the bottom of the saucepan (if you’re using a stainless steel pan).
Oil droplets forming on the bottom of the pan (if you’re using non-stick pans).
The dough comes together to form a cohesive dough, that pulls away very cleanly from the sides of the saucepan.
Absolutely no flour clumps in the dough.
If I stick a tablespoon in the ball of dough, it’ll stay upright without falling (as shown in the picture below). This is called…. the “spoon test”. If the spoon falls over, that’s a clear indication that there’s still too much liquid/moisture in the dough.
Next step is cooling down the dough
This is important because you don’t want to add the eggs while the dough is too hot. This can cook the eggs, and even give your choux an eggy taste. So you need to wait for the eggs to cool down at least to 160°F.
The way I prefer to cool down my dough is to place the eggs in a bowl, and then flatten the dough along the sides of the bowl. This increases the surface area, so it cools down faster, plus more water evaporates as you do this.
Some recipes call for mixing the dough in a stand mixer for a couple of minutes. This is fine too, but make sure you’re only mixing it on low speed and no longer than 2 – 3 minutes. Agitating the dough too much can cause the butter to split from the dough, and then you’ll get a really oily looking dough.
Adding eggs
The amount of eggs added is variable. Usually it’s 4, which is 8 oz in weight for this recipe (because 1 egg is considered 2 oz, but that obviously depends on the size of the eggs).
As mentioned earlier, I like to have all the eggs whisked well in a jug first, before adding it to the dough. This is because I can add a little at a time until I get the consistency I like. Whisking them beforehand ensures that you get an even mix of egg white and yolks being added to the dough at all times.
If you’d like to, you can add one egg at a time too. Just make sure that the last egg (4th), is whisked in a small bowl and it’s added only a little at a time to prevent the dough from being too runny.
Mix in each addition of eggs before you add the next. You can check the consistency of the dough as you go and make sure you don’t add too much egg. At the beginning you can add about 1/4 cup (or 1 egg) of eggs at a time, but then add the last bit in small increments.
When eggs are first added to the choux pastry, the dough will seem gloopy and slimy. But keep mixing!
The eggs get mixed in. But the dough is still dry, and not smooth, so it needs more eggs.
What you’re looking for here is a dough that looks glossy, but still thick, can hold its shape and is pipeable. Sometimes I only need to add 3 1/2 eggs before I get the right consistency, and if I added all of the 4th egg, then my dough would lose the stiffness I need. If that happens, the dough won’t hold its shape when piped, leading to flat choux pastry. Not good.
The choux pastry dough after half of the eggs has being added. The dough is still dry, and not smooth or glossy.
Why is there variability in amount of eggs added?
Because when you added water to cook the dough previously, how much water gets evaporated during the cooking process can vary a lot. How you measured the water, what saucepan you used to cook the dough, how long you cooked the dough can all have an impact on how much water is left in the dough.
Less water in the dough – more eggs you will need to add.
More water in the dough – less eggs you will need to add.
The type of flour can also have an impact on how much eggs to add.
Pastry flour needs less eggs than if you used AP flour.
Bread flour needs more eggs than if you used AP flour.
This image shows the subtle difference in choux pastry dough consistencies. On left, the dough has almost enough eggs. On the right, the perfect amount of eggs, where the choux pastry dough is smoother, and has a glossy sheen.
Here are some signs to look for in your choux pastry dough, when checking for the right consistency.
The finger test – Drag your finger along the surface of the choux pastry dough to create a trough. The sides of this trough should stay upright and not collapse into the dough. If they do, it’s because the dough is too runny. If the sides of the trough stay up, then it’s the right consistency. Make sure the dough has a nice sheen when you do this test too.
The V test – Place a rubber spatula in the dough, upright, and then stir the dough with it a little, and slowly lift the spatula, straight up. The dough should form a V shape at the end of the spatula (as shown in the picture in the post), if it’s the right consistency.
I use a combination of both tests to check the consistency of the dough. I prefer the finger test over the V test. However, I would recommend using both at the beginning.
Finger test method
Spatula V test
Piping the dough
Tips for profiteroles
Make sure the piping tip is just touching the surface of the piped dough, and move up as you go. This will help create less ripples and folds. This way you will have less cracks in your shell. Alternatively, you can use a spoon or a mini cookie scoop to spoon the dough on to a baking sheet as well.
I do recommend piping though. Also remember to hold the pastry bag (and tip) upright when you’re piping profiteroles, and you’re not doing it at an angle. This way your choux pastry will rise perfectly upwards, and not be lopsided.
Remember to use a damp finger to flatten the apex or any points, otherwise these points will burn when you bake the profiterole shells. However, if you’re topping the choux pastry with craquelin, then you don’t have to do this.
Once you have piped choux dough on one tray, keep the remaining dough in the pastry bag until you’re ready to bake the next batch. The dough will even keep well in the fridge as long as it’s wrapped inside a pastry bag, or an air tight container.
I use either the Wilton 1A Round Tip or Wilton 2A Round Tip for my profiterole pastries and I LOVE my 16 inch disposable pastry bags because they are sturdy, and hold more of the dough. Any 1/2 inch round tip (or similar sized tip) is good for regular profiteroles or cream puffs.
Spraying the baking tray with water or dusting them with sugar
Another trick I use to get the choux pastry shells to expand even more is to spray the baking tray with some water. It’s simple, yet works brilliantly. As the water on the baking tray evaporates from around the dough, it helps “raise” the dough from the outside while the moisture IN the dough, helps raise it from the inside.
However, if you want crispness over volume, then sift some confectioner’s sugar on top before baking.
Tips for piping perfect eclairs
For more in-depth details and pictures, check out my Chocolate Eclairs post.
Eclairs are a bit trickier than profiteroles when it comes to maintaining their shape. But I’ve discussed all the tips and tricks in my eclairs post, so that you too can make perfect chocolate eclairs, every single time!
When piping for eclairs, pipe the dough at an 45° angle and be consistent with the pressure. To maintain the right shape, pipe a tad extra dough at the two ends, so that your eclairs don’t end up oval shaped.
With eclairs, I also prefer to use a French star tip over a round tip. This really helps with maintaining the eclair shell shape. I use a 1/2 inch French star tip from the Ateco French star tip set. I also prefer to use bread flour, so that the dough will be more sturdy (than with AP flour).
Silpat vs parchment paper
Eclairs bake better on silpat than on parchment paper! Who would’ve thought? It’s to do with the heat conduction from bottom, and this ensures smooth, evenly baked eclair shells without cracks or collapsing.
Since I also don’t want my eclairs to puff up too much, I like to dust the eclairs with confectioner’s sugar instead of water. Confectioner’s sugar slightly caramelizes on the shells, giving them a little extra sweetness and a delightful crunch.
For more details, check out this post for tips on how to pipe eclairs and make classic chocolate eclairs.
Baking the choux pastry
Baking temperature
Some recipes call for choux pastry to be baked at two different temperatures. If this works for you, go ahead. As I mentioned earlier, I find that the high temperature makes the shells expand too much, causing cracks. Plus, after I bake one tray of choux pastry, I don’t want to wait for the temperature to rise back up before baking the next tray. So I bake choux pastry at one constant temperature – 375°F, for 35 – 45 minutes, for perfect choux pastries, every single time.
Don’t open the oven door until your choux pastry shells have set properly
Since choux pastry relies on steam to expand while baking, it’s VERY important to not open the oven door until the choux pastry shells have set properly. This means you should never open the door during the first 25-30 minutes of baking (for standard-sized choux pastry; the time goes down for smaller shells and up for larger ones). I wait till the shells are golden colored before opening the door. This prevents steam from escaping too early, which will cause the shells to collapse.
Because of this, I only bake one tray at a time because it’s hard to switch the trays halfway through the bake time.
Pricking choux pastry shells
I used to prick each choux pastry shell with a toothpick as soon as they came out of the oven and were cooling down, in order to dry out the shells. But now I’ve found that pricking the shells during the last 5-10 minutes of baking helps dry out the shells more, and keep them crisp and sturdy. So now I open the oven door at the 25-30 minute mark, prick each shell with a toothpick or skewer during that last 5-10 mins of baking, and allow the steam inside the shells to escape. Use a sharp toothpick to pierce the casings.
For larger pate a choux pastries (more than 2.5 inches in diameter) and eclair shells, I prick them one more time when the choux pastry comes out of the oven (after being baked to a nice, slightly darker golden brown color and crisp shell). Allow them to cool down in a warm, draft-free place (I usually do this near or on top of the oven), so that a sudden temperature change won’t cause them to collapse either.
Filling pate a choux shells (choux pastry)
Once you know how to make perfect choux pastry, you can get creative with filling them!
There are many different types of filling that you can use to fill profiteroles or eclairs! The most popular filling is vanilla pastry cream, which is also known as creme patissiere. You can get the recipe for creme patissiere right here.
What variations can I try with choux pastry dough?
Milk vs Water – You can use 1/2 milk and 1/2 water instead of using all water (4 fl oz each of water and milk). This will give you a softer shell, but it will have more flavor because of the milk.
AP Flour vs Bread Flour vs Pastry Flour- You can also use bread flour or pastry flour instead of AP flour. I prefer bread flour to make eclairs, and AP flour for profiteroles. But you can try either of these and see which you like better. Make sure to adjust the amount of eggs you’re adding to get the right consistency too.
Toppings – You can also make little cookie discs (craquelin) to place on top of the profiteroles, for a crunchy version of choux pastry buns. This version of choux pastries are a called CHOUX AU CRAQUELIN.
How to store choux pastry
Unbaked choux pastry dough can be stored in an airtight container, and in the fridge for up to 2 days. I place the dough in a pastry bag and seal the bag so that the dough has zero contact with air. You can also place the dough in a bowl, and then cover the whole surface with plastic wrap.
You can also pipe the choux pastry into the shape you like and freeze as quickly as possible. As soon as the choux pastry is frozen, you can place them in ziploc bags. I personally haven’t tried this, but there are bakeries that do this and still get good results. The most important thing is to prevent freezer burn.
Baked choux pastry can be stored in an air tight container, at room temperature, for 24 hours (unfilled). They do lose their crispness, so you may want to reheat them at 300 F, just until they’re warmed through and crisp.
Unfilled cases can also be frozen in airtight container for longer. But will need to be warmed in the oven before being filled.
I’ve never made choux pastry before. What advice do you have for a beginner?
Just go for it! 🙂 Even if you get it wrong, they are still going to taste delicious! It’s really quite easy to get PERFECT results even on your first try! Just read the 100s of comments I’ve received below from my readers who tried it for the first time and nailed it!🙂
The issue with most recipes out there is that they don’t tell you what signs to look for, to help you get the choux pastry dough perfect. But I’ve taken care of that!
If you are a beginner, start with profiteroles or cream puffs. They are easier and more forgiving to make. Then you can graduate to eclairs, and then even try your hand at these addictively delicious craquelins!
And that ladies & gentlemen, is how you make Perfect Choux Pastry, every single time! : )
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Learn how to make Perfect Choux Pastry step by step – The only recipe guide you will ever need to make choux pastry, with perfect results every time. Plus a troubleshooting guide for your choux pastry recipe. Fool proof choux pastry to make profiteroles, eclairs, cream puffs and more. Each pastry shell in this recipe comes from a spoonful of dough (either piped or spooned on to a baking sheet, roughly 2 inches in diameter). Baking time given here is based on this.EASY – This can be made by novice bakers. However, I highly recommend reading this recipe + post before attempting choux pastry for the first time. US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Common Measurement Conversions
Place salt, water, sugar (if using) and butter in a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the water is starting to boil (butter should be melted at this point), add the flour in one go (do this with the saucepan away from the stove/heat) and vigorously mix the flour in, so that it absorbs all of the water (use a wooden spoon or spatula to do this). When the flour has absorbed the water and it's forming a dough, return the pan to the stove (medium heat).
Cook the dough for 1 – 3 minutes (over medium heat) while you mix and move it around in the pan until you get a dough that pulls away from the sides of the pan, forms a film or oil droplets on the bottom of the pan, and when you stick a regular tablespoon in the dough, it stays upright. (The cook time will vary depending on your stove top).
Transfer the dough to a bowl, and let it cool down slightly for a few minutes. Add the vanilla extract (if using), and then with a hand-held mixer (or whisk), mix the dough while adding the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Make sure the eggs are lightly beaten so that you can stop adding eggs immediately, when you reach the right consistency (i.e. a dough with a glossy sheen with pipeable consistency. You may or may not use up all the eggs, please see the post for details).
Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper and mist the surface with water (either using a mister or lightly sprinkle water with your hands – this is an optional step).
Pipe the desired shape on to the baking sheet – either using a piping bag fitted with a large tip (I use Wilton 1A or 2A tip, or you can cut the pastry bag opening instead), or spoon it on to the tray, using a teaspoon. Then with a damp finger, flatten the apex and any points.
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. Importantly, baking time depends on the size of your pastry shell. If you prefer a drier shell, bake for a couple of minutes longer.
During the last 5 – 10 minutes of baking, prick each shell with a skewer or toothpick and let them dry out in the oven while baking.
Remove from the oven, and let the choux pastry cases cool completely in a draft-free area. Preferably in a place that is not cold. (Letting them cool in an open but turned off oven is even better, but not necessary).
Fill with a sweet or savory filling and serve immediately. Or you can store cooled choux pastry shells in an air-tight container for up to one day. To store them for longer, keep them in the freezer in an air-tight container.
Video:
Tips & Tricks
Please note – these are instructions for smaller pastry cases (1 1/2 – 2 inches in diameter when piped). If you’re making larger profiteroles, you can bake the cases at 420°F for 10 minutes, and then at 350°F for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and puffed up. It may take longer, so keep an eye on the pastry. Bake until they are dark golden color to ensure that they don’t collapse when cooling down. Or you can bake them at 375°F for a longer time as well.
You can substitute bread flour for AP flour if you’d like thicker choux pastry that holds its shape better.
Substitute half of the water with milk for softer choux pastry cases that have a better taste.
“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.”
Course:Appetizer, Dessert, Pastry, Sweets
Cuisine:European, French
Keyword:Choux Pastry, Cream Puffs, How to make choux pastry, How to make eclairs, Profiteroles
This recipe is great! I often look for “foolproof” recipes so I can alter them to be gluten free, since that messes with a lot of different factors, but your details in your post definitely helped my alterations stay close to the original recipe and I successfully made gluten free shells!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH for making this less intimidating and (as you very accurately titled this recipes) foolproof. My first time ever making these went off without a hitch. They came out perfect. Thank you thank you
The first time I’ve had any success, thank you! All the tips and tricks were invaluable. Now I have a batch of light, airy and delicious puffs to fill with cream.
I tried this recipe and it came out perfect! I got big beautiful rise. It took me 2.5 hours. I’ve made choux twice before using other recipe and it was a failure so thank you so much for the detailed informations!
I love your recipe and now detailed it is. I’ve never had issues with it in fact till just today where my cream puffs came out of the oven without a base! Literally there’s no base, it’s just one giant hole! And there’s not much sticking on the baking paper either, just a thin film so it’s not like the bottom of the puff has stuck to the baking sheet. I think something went wrong with my piping? But I’ve always done it this way!
Hi Ru
Unfortunately this isn’t a problem that I have had an issue with, so I don’t know what would have caused it. I haven’t been able to recreate it either. It’s hard to say what would have caused the puffs to not have a base.
Some of the other readers had the same issue, but it was due to the parchment paper they used sticking to the bottom of the pastry.
Hi Grace
You can use an equal amount of pastry flour (by weight) if you like. However monitoring the consistency still applies as this can vary the amount of eggs needed slightly.
Hope that helps
First time making choux and these came out really well! I baked in two batches with the same dough. I realized that I hadn’t baked the first long enough when I tried them filled and they were too soft. I left the second batch in longer – until they were actually browned and crisp – and they were lovely. Just a tip to fellow bakers to use your senses to judge doneness 🙂
Thank you for all the time and thought you put into your recipes, Dini! You are now my go-to site for all things baking.
Hello i have some questions. My choux pastry is always soggy and flattens after baking. Is it because my eggs(63g) are bigger than the usual large eggs (50g). Should i use lesser eggs or lesser egg whites? Usually i pass the v test but when piping the batter out, the batter collapses.
Moreover, what is the oven setting for the oven? Fan with top n bottom heat ? Or just top and bottom heat?
Hi John
The size of the eggs have no bearing on the recipe, IF you follow the indications of the dough to determine if you’ve added enough eggs. If you have larger eggs, then of course you will add less compared to smaller eggs. As written in the post, the amount of eggs written is just a suggestion, as you may not use it all to get the right consistency.
The V test will work even in a runny dough (too much eggs or water). The trick is to only mix in enough eggs so you start to get a “V” with your spatula.
As per the post, soggy, collapsed choux pastry is caused by a runny dough, or not baking the choux long enough.
I bake in a conventional oven, which is without heat. However you can also bake in a convection oven as well, but you may have to adjust the temperature accordingly.
Hi Dini, for a long time choux pastry intimidated me. Now whilst I’m still yet to make some, I want to thank you for your in depth yet simple explanations on ALL POSSIBLE ANGLES of making choux! Its taken away the fear my head is clear and I’m going for it!!!!
I love that the recipe is so detailed. However, I might have not boiled the milk/butter/water solution long enough because after I added all the flour the dough was super runny. I’m sure I measured everything correctly. You said not to add more flour so I tried to evaporate the liquid as much as possible without separating the butter. But the color just was not that yellow and super pale. I ended up only adding half the eggs and all the choux melded together in the baking process.
Hi Jess
It sounds like you either used too much water, or used too little flour.
Can I know how you measured the flour? I have only provided weight measurements in this recipe for accurate measurements, but I know that some people use cups instead.
Let me know so I can help figure out what might have gone wrong.
Hi, I tried making choux au craquelin but the bottom of my puff is missing. There is no hard crust there, so I can’t fill my puff with cream. Do you have any idea why? Also, my choux au craquelin sticks to my parchment paper, while I see videos online, they just lift off nicely. Does this have to do with the quality of the paper, temperature, humidity, or anything like that? Do I need to grease my parchment paper? Sorry if I sound silly. Thank you very much!
Hi Stephanie
Not silly at all! I have been asked this question before. Choux pastry should definitely come off parchment paper cleanly once it’s baked properly. If it doesn’t, it is usually due to the quality of the parchment paper. Unless the choux pastry is really undercooked, it shouldn’t stick.
You can also butter and flour your baking tray as well, or use a really good quality non stick parchment paper. Good parchment paper, does not require any grease. I really love Reynolds parchment paper (if you’re from the US).
I hope that helps!
Hi Nonhlanhla
With Paris Brest, you will need to pipe them differently, since paris brest is a circular pastry. The baking times will also differ. The best way to tell if it’s done, is to keep an eye on it, to prevent the pastry from overbaking. It’s hard to guess the baking time as it would change according to size and thickness. I would also use bread flour (my eclair recipe), for added strength and crispness in the pastry.
I hope that helps.
I read through this recipe couple of times before trying to make it. The results are amazing! It’s my first profiteroles btw! Thank you so much for writing all the troubleshooting!
Great flavour! I had presumed that this was a temp for fan-forced convection ovens but even though I had a beautiful puff and a lovely brown, I still had slightly undercooked dough on the inside. Is this for fan ovens? Also please could you add in temperatures in celsius and considerations for fan-forced vs not? Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Kaustub
All the related recipes are included in the notes section of the recipe. Here are the two most popular choux pastries with the filling recipes. Cream puffs Profiteroles
For other variations, you can check the notes in the recipe.
Hi Chenchulakshmi
Usually ovens have inbetween points beteen main temperature settings, and you might want to check if your oven has the same features too.
If not, you can bake them at 200 C, but you may need to bake them for a shorter time. Looks for the same signs in the pastry as I have mentioned in the recipe.
Hope that helps!
Hi Chenchulakshmi
As I mentioned the bake time will be less but I can’t be certain how much less because I bake these at a different temperature. Check at about 25 minutes first and then take them out a few minutes earlier AFTER checking for the same signs as I have mentioned in the recipe card. Hope that helps
This was my first time making choux pastry & after reading DOZENS of recipes, I settled on this one to follow due to the fact it was sooooo detailed & explained everything so thoroughly! Omg y’all, it was the right one to follow!!! My choux turned out beautifully, & it was way easier AND way more fun than I thought it would be!!! I decided to only make 1/2 of the dough on the first day, so I stored the other half in a airtight sealed piping bag in the fridge like suggested, & then I piped them out on day 2 & baked the shells, & Y’ALL~ they came out just as perfect as the shells I baked the day I made the batter!!! I so appreciated all your tips on storage & freezing, & all the troubleshooting tips were AWESOME to have! I will be using this recipe & guide from here on out when I make choux, which is DEFINITELY gonna b more often, as these cream puffs turned out to be hella addictive!!! THANK U sooooo so much Dini for taking the time to write all your helpful tips & your amazing recipe for choux!!!
Can I use just yolks instead of the whole egg? I have a bunch of egg yolks I don’t want to throw out – but I’m not sure if this recipe will work with out the whites too?
Hi Tan
I wouldn’t recommend using egg yolks only for this recipe.
without the egg whites, the dough will be too dense and won’t rise properly.
Hope that helps!
This is such an informative guide! I’m so glad that I found it because I’ve been having trouble with a parisian gnocchi recipe and this helped me pinpoint and fix the problems. Thank you so much for posting this!
Hi Camila
I checked your photo on Instagram.
The ones in the front look like they did puff up, but since I didn’t see what they looked like before baking, it’s hard for me to be sure.
If they didn’t puff up, it’s because the dough was too thick or doughy and was too heavy to puff up.
This can happen if the dough didn’t have enough liquid in the dough (not enough eggs) or because the oven temperature was too low or a combination of both.
Did you check the consistency of the dough as described in the post? If you have an oven thermometer you can check the oven temp and adjust the settings too. Some oven run a little cold, and my need to be increased in temperature to compensate.
If the dough was piped into large sizes, then you may need to increase the temperature at the start of the bake time and then reduce it too.
I hope that helps
Wow! Your profiteroles look amazing! I love your article here, it explains so much! Thanks for all the information. I just wanted to ask about using a wooden spoon to mix the choux pastry…is this essential? I did notice you using a silicon spatula where as other sites say to use a wooden spoon. Do you think this makes a difference and if so what difference does it make to the Choux pastry.
Hi Rashida
I haven’t had any issue using a silicone spatula. Many older recipes specify a wooden spoon because a metal spoon can scratch the bowl / pot. So you can use a wooden spoon / rubber or silicone spatula to mix the dough.
Hope that helps!
Hi Ee Xin
Milk adds flavor and makes the final pastry a little softer. Water does not do either of these things, resulting in a crisper shell. A mixture of both will provide some flavor and some softness (because you’re only using half as much milk). I personally prefer to use water, but milk is a good choice as well.
Good morning, I made my first Profiterols and Eclairs last week and I’m not entirely happy with the recipe.
I’ve read both your Choux and Eclair posts multiple times and I have one question.
You say at one point that some will pipe the desired shapes and then freeze before baking. If I were to do this, do I, thaw the shaped Choux and then bake, or, do I put the frozen Choux directly in the oven?
I like to take in treats for my coworkers on occasion and would love to surprize them with Profiterols and Eclairs. I think I would like to do the Choux and shaping on Saturday or Sunday of one week and then bake the following Sunday evening.
I can take the shells to work and fill and glaze them just before serving. I’m just puzzled about the timing for frozen Choux shapes.
Hi Patricia
There are bakeries that freeze the choux pastry, but please note that I haven’t tried this myself.
There is a risk for freezer burn, so you need to prevent this as much as possible. Frozen choux pastry is baked from frozen.
Pre-piped choux pastry will also puff less, so keep that in mind as well.
I hope that helps!
Hi Joyce
It really depends on the oven, but gas ovens can sometimes run hotter than an electric oven.
I usually use a oven thermometer to check the temperature of any oven I use to determine how hot / cold it runs.
Thank you so much for the recipe and the perfect instructions. I had tried several different choux recipes before and they turned either soft inside or collapsed. But yours is perfection, I can tell. I’ve tried it for profiteroles, eclairs, choux au craquelin -yes, everything- and they were all perfect in terms of both texture and shape! And the taste as well, of course.
Love from Istanbul
I’ll admit, I typically don’t take the time to leave reviews for recipes, but I was so impressed with this one that I had to write something about it.
This was my first time trying to make choux pastry and after reading all the ways it could go wrong, I thought it would fail. Surprisingly, I followed the recipe and it was a success!
I was very appreciative for the amount of detail, explanation/reasoning, and pictures that were provided in this recipe, and will definitely be making these again.
Hi Ethel
I use a conventional oven, where it automatically uses both elements for baking. However the oven switches the use of both elements to maintain the temperature and encourage proper browning. The top element is only used for broiling or grilling.
Unfortunately I haven’t used an oven that can control top and/or bottom element for baking. I would use both but make sure that there is even browning of the choux pastry as well.
Hope that helps.
Hi Shirley
If it’s not airy, it depends on what the texture / appearance of the pastry. If it was flattened or soggy, it could be because it was taken out too early. You can check my post for how to fix this issue for future batches.
If it’s puffed, but doughy and heavy, then it’s because there isn’t enough liquid in the dough. This is because the dough doesn’t have enough eggs and wasnt light enough to puff up during baking.
Hope that helps.
good morning. I just stumbled across your web site. thanks for all the free information sharing. I have a question. I would like to try baking half way then frying them the rest of the way. Im making Zeppole de san Giuseppe for easter. its an Italian tradition. my question to you is what flour do you think. would work best for this? thank you.
Hi Martin
With Zeppole, I would fry the dough straight. This is how I make it because it gives the doughnuts the best puff. I’m not sure if baking them first will make any positive difference, as the dough will be half dry during baking and won’t puff up all the way while being fried.
I have also seen Zeppole de san Giuseppe where is was only baked and then filled as well.
AP Flour will be fine for either option. Bread flour is ok too, but it will lead to a chewier texture.
Hope that helps
I tried this recipe, and I was successful… at least for the first two batches that went in the oven. The last batch didn’t puff or become hollow at all, but I just did the same thing that I did with the first two. 🙁 Hoping for help figuring this out. Please and thank you! ^_^
Hi Cara
If I get the same consistency in the dough (the amount of eggs can vary sometimes), the dough always puffs up if the oven works the same. If the consistency of the dough was the same (not runnier than the first batches), then the only other variable is the heat source.
Could you let me know if you made three separate batches of dough? Or did you bake the same dough three different times in the oven?
It’s hard for me to know exactly what might have happened without knowing the consistency of the dough, and what the final results looked like.
The consistency of the dough was just right which was why the first batch that went in the oven was perfect. ^_^
I baked the same dough three different times in the oven. The ones that came after the good batch basically looked like tiny yellow sponge cakes.
As I thought about it, I figured the cause of the error might have been because I piped the dough and left it exposed to open air. I will try again to see whether this is the case. Do you think that might have been the cause? Thank you!
Hi Cara
Exactly. As I have mentioned in the post, the dough must be covered until ready to be baked. Then it must be piped and baked. If you leave it out, it forms a film and it can’t rise because of it.
I always keep my dough in a pastry bag that’s sealed with a rubber band so that the dough isn’t exposed to air.
Sometimes if the oven is not hot enough (ovens can vary especially if not calibrated) the dough will not puff up either. If your oven runs colder, then you may have to increase the temperature a little.
The choux pastry puffs may have webbings inside that are very soft, but these are easily removed (or pushed aside) when you pipe the filling inside.
Hope that helps!
First time I’ve made these. My first attempt today with another recipe was a flop. Found your recipe on web, used 3 large eggs and came out perfectly. Thank you.
Hi, i love this recipe. And i have made these few times already but why recently my yield is less than before? for eg, i used to bake 30-36pcs from your recipe, but now only 25pcs. The way or size i pipep is the same. 1 more thing is that, the size when they are done become more smaller than before. They puffed up but the size become smaller than before. I dont know why, i just do the same thing all the time, and follow your recipe. Please help
Hi Farh
I don’t know why there is less yield unfortunately. Baking, especially something like choux pastry, can be impacted in different ways. Unless you weigh each time you pipe the pastries, we can never be sure if we pipe it the same way.
Also, the weather can play a part as well. Choux pastries puff up because of the eggs, and if there are variations in the cook time (or the amount of water vs amount of eggs), there can be variations too. Unfortunately there’s no one reason and it’s hard to control environmental factors.
The good thing is for home consumption this shouldn’t matter as long as the puffs still puff up (and don’t deflate) and taste delicious 🙂
I hope that helps
Love this recipe! I’ve made these and filled them with shrimp, crab and chicken salad, as well as creme patissiere. They are a huge hit at baby and bridal showers and even at football tailgating!
The possibilities for fillings are endless!
Thank you for the wonderful step-by-step explanations, and pics – they were easy to understand and you answered several questions I had about the ‘why’ a certain step was done.
This is my ‘go-to’ pate a choux recipe!
First time and nailed it! I checked out a lot of different recipes online and picked yours for clarity and thoroughness. I’m glad I did! I’m a semi-experienced baker but I was nervous to try profiteroles. Thought I would make these for Valentine’s Day though because they are my husband’s favorite dessert. My dry run went great! I’ll be trying eclairs next, as I can’t get proper ones here in the south of Spain. Looking forward to them Thanks so much for your recipes, I’m very glad I found your site!
While cooking the dough in a non-stick pot on the stove top, the butter separated out a bit, making the dough rather greasy. It almost looked slightly curdled despite stirring it for more than 5 min. The tablespoon test wasn’t super successful as the dough had a soft-ish chunky texture; it gently teetered forward, though the dough seemed pretty dense (a tad dry?) by then. However I decided to proceed for the sake of experimenting.
I ended up using 5 eggs, adding one egg at a time until the dough was somewhat glossy. I didn’t have a circular piping tip so used a 1/2 in french star tip. Baked at 375F as instructed for 30min, took them out and poked each with a toothpick, and put them back in the oven for another 4min. And hey, worked like a charm. Thanks for the great recipe.
So don’t fret if your dough looks dry-ish chunky-ish greasy-ish after cooking it on the stove. It’ll work out.
Hi Tina!
It sounds like you initially overcooked the dough causing the butter to split and separate from the dough (the curdling). However, you managed to save it by reintroducing extra liquid in the form of an extra egg which thankfully emulsified the dough back again and gave it the right consistency for choux.
I’m really glad it worked out in the end! 🙂
Hi Nelliel
What do you mean by cookie choux? Is it craquelin choux? If the cookie disc placed on top is too thick or heavy the choux pastry doesn’t puff up. If the choux dough was oo heavy, this can also result in flat choux pastry as explained in the post.
Hope that helps!
Tasted amazing but took AGES to cook I turned the temp up didn’t work also were not hollow am i doing something wrong? tried to follow recipie to the T though
the dough was piped too big, and needed extra heat at the start (as per my notes in my recipe) OR
the dough was too heavy (not enough eggs, or too much flour), and it was too dense to puff up during the baking process.
If your oven temperature is correct, then it is more likely that it was the second reason. The dough doesn’t rise if it’s too heavy as it relies on the eggs to puff up and create the hollow center.
I hope that helps!
Hi Alan
Yes this can be halved, but the cook time will vary. The amount of eggs can vary as well. So I recommend going by visual cues, rather than time.
I hope that helps!
Hi. I had tried a lot of recipes except yours for now. May I know why my shells were brown at the bottom but looks pale on top. And my shells were half cook at the inside eventhough sometimes the shells rise up perfectly. All recipes I had done always came out like this. My oven can be adjusted for top and lower heat. I always put them at the same heat. Does my oven was the cause of my problem?
Hi Aina
Usually, the baking function in the ovens use the bottom element heat up the oven and then the top element to maintain the heat that is set.
If the bottoms are brown and they are pale on top, that means that the heat from the bottom is either ok or too hot, and the top elements aren’t working as well. Unfortunately I’m not sure how to fix this issue as I’m not familiar with your oven. You can try to move the baking sheet closer to the top element and see if that helps?
Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful!
Gluten free baker says
This recipe is great! I often look for “foolproof” recipes so I can alter them to be gluten free, since that messes with a lot of different factors, but your details in your post definitely helped my alterations stay close to the original recipe and I successfully made gluten free shells!!
Fitsu says
Love it.. very educational for beginner.
Dawn says
Loved this! Can I use the same recipe for Crullers?
Judy S says
This recipe was fantastic as super easy to follow. Thank you. I made it too runny but was able to fix it by following your tips!
Brit says
THANK YOU SO MUCH for making this less intimidating and (as you very accurately titled this recipes) foolproof. My first time ever making these went off without a hitch. They came out perfect. Thank you thank you
Annella says
The first time I’ve had any success, thank you! All the tips and tricks were invaluable. Now I have a batch of light, airy and delicious puffs to fill with cream.
Audy says
I tried this recipe and it came out perfect! I got big beautiful rise. It took me 2.5 hours. I’ve made choux twice before using other recipe and it was a failure so thank you so much for the detailed informations!
Harriet says
Perfect recipe, works every time! Added 0.3 oz of cocoa powder to the 4.7 oz flour and it worked beautifully to make chocolate shells 🙂
Ru says
I love your recipe and now detailed it is. I’ve never had issues with it in fact till just today where my cream puffs came out of the oven without a base! Literally there’s no base, it’s just one giant hole! And there’s not much sticking on the baking paper either, just a thin film so it’s not like the bottom of the puff has stuck to the baking sheet. I think something went wrong with my piping? But I’ve always done it this way!
Dini says
Hi Ru
Unfortunately this isn’t a problem that I have had an issue with, so I don’t know what would have caused it. I haven’t been able to recreate it either. It’s hard to say what would have caused the puffs to not have a base.
Some of the other readers had the same issue, but it was due to the parchment paper they used sticking to the bottom of the pastry.
Viv says
Thank you for this recipe and all the tips ! After scrolling so many sites and failures, followed yours to a T and it came out pretty !
Grace says
How could I substitute cake/pastry flour for AP flour? Would the substitution be equal parts?
Dini says
Hi Grace
You can use an equal amount of pastry flour (by weight) if you like. However monitoring the consistency still applies as this can vary the amount of eggs needed slightly.
Hope that helps
Liz says
First time making choux and these came out really well! I baked in two batches with the same dough. I realized that I hadn’t baked the first long enough when I tried them filled and they were too soft. I left the second batch in longer – until they were actually browned and crisp – and they were lovely. Just a tip to fellow bakers to use your senses to judge doneness 🙂
Thank you for all the time and thought you put into your recipes, Dini! You are now my go-to site for all things baking.
John says
Hello i have some questions. My choux pastry is always soggy and flattens after baking. Is it because my eggs(63g) are bigger than the usual large eggs (50g). Should i use lesser eggs or lesser egg whites? Usually i pass the v test but when piping the batter out, the batter collapses.
Moreover, what is the oven setting for the oven? Fan with top n bottom heat ? Or just top and bottom heat?
Dini says
Hi John
The size of the eggs have no bearing on the recipe, IF you follow the indications of the dough to determine if you’ve added enough eggs. If you have larger eggs, then of course you will add less compared to smaller eggs. As written in the post, the amount of eggs written is just a suggestion, as you may not use it all to get the right consistency.
The V test will work even in a runny dough (too much eggs or water). The trick is to only mix in enough eggs so you start to get a “V” with your spatula.
As per the post, soggy, collapsed choux pastry is caused by a runny dough, or not baking the choux long enough.
I bake in a conventional oven, which is without heat. However you can also bake in a convection oven as well, but you may have to adjust the temperature accordingly.
Ntokozo Nzimande says
Hi Dini, for a long time choux pastry intimidated me. Now whilst I’m still yet to make some, I want to thank you for your in depth yet simple explanations on ALL POSSIBLE ANGLES of making choux! Its taken away the fear my head is clear and I’m going for it!!!!
Dini says
I’m so happy to hear that! 🙂 Good luck, and do let me know if you have any questions!
Jess says
I love that the recipe is so detailed. However, I might have not boiled the milk/butter/water solution long enough because after I added all the flour the dough was super runny. I’m sure I measured everything correctly. You said not to add more flour so I tried to evaporate the liquid as much as possible without separating the butter. But the color just was not that yellow and super pale. I ended up only adding half the eggs and all the choux melded together in the baking process.
Dini says
Hi Jess
It sounds like you either used too much water, or used too little flour.
Can I know how you measured the flour? I have only provided weight measurements in this recipe for accurate measurements, but I know that some people use cups instead.
Let me know so I can help figure out what might have gone wrong.
Stephanie says
Hi, I tried making choux au craquelin but the bottom of my puff is missing. There is no hard crust there, so I can’t fill my puff with cream. Do you have any idea why? Also, my choux au craquelin sticks to my parchment paper, while I see videos online, they just lift off nicely. Does this have to do with the quality of the paper, temperature, humidity, or anything like that? Do I need to grease my parchment paper? Sorry if I sound silly. Thank you very much!
Dini says
Hi Stephanie
Not silly at all! I have been asked this question before. Choux pastry should definitely come off parchment paper cleanly once it’s baked properly. If it doesn’t, it is usually due to the quality of the parchment paper. Unless the choux pastry is really undercooked, it shouldn’t stick.
You can also butter and flour your baking tray as well, or use a really good quality non stick parchment paper. Good parchment paper, does not require any grease. I really love Reynolds parchment paper (if you’re from the US).
I hope that helps!
Nonhlanhla says
Thanks for the recipe and tips, what changes do I need to make for a paris brest?
Dini says
Hi Nonhlanhla
With Paris Brest, you will need to pipe them differently, since paris brest is a circular pastry. The baking times will also differ. The best way to tell if it’s done, is to keep an eye on it, to prevent the pastry from overbaking. It’s hard to guess the baking time as it would change according to size and thickness. I would also use bread flour (my eclair recipe), for added strength and crispness in the pastry.
I hope that helps.
Alison McNeill Allen says
OMG I opened my oven door and giggled like a school girl. They are PERFECT. Thank you so much!!
Z says
Just came across this and I just wanna thank you for taking the time to make this guide! It’s amazing and so SO informative. Thank you so much!
Grace Lim says
I read through this recipe couple of times before trying to make it. The results are amazing! It’s my first profiteroles btw! Thank you so much for writing all the troubleshooting!
Connie pargeter says
I wish you’d try my Danish Pastry and tell me how to make it shiny and not sticky by the time I’ve added three eggs
Jully says
We tried the eclair! Awesome!
Thomas P says
Great flavour! I had presumed that this was a temp for fan-forced convection ovens but even though I had a beautiful puff and a lovely brown, I still had slightly undercooked dough on the inside. Is this for fan ovens? Also please could you add in temperatures in celsius and considerations for fan-forced vs not? Thanks for the great recipe!
Kaustub Mittal says
Hi….can you please give me a recipe of the cream filling too…,thanks.
Dini says
Hi Kaustub
All the related recipes are included in the notes section of the recipe. Here are the two most popular choux pastries with the filling recipes.
Cream puffs
Profiteroles
For other variations, you can check the notes in the recipe.
Chenchulakshmi says
Hi… Just doubt I don’t have 190°C(375F) in my oven…. So can I use either 180°C(356F) or 200°C(392F)
Dini says
Hi Chenchulakshmi
Usually ovens have inbetween points beteen main temperature settings, and you might want to check if your oven has the same features too.
If not, you can bake them at 200 C, but you may need to bake them for a shorter time. Looks for the same signs in the pastry as I have mentioned in the recipe.
Hope that helps!
Chenchulakshmi says
Thanks for replying… But for how much time should I keep in 200°C??
Dini says
Hi Chenchulakshmi
As I mentioned the bake time will be less but I can’t be certain how much less because I bake these at a different temperature. Check at about 25 minutes first and then take them out a few minutes earlier AFTER checking for the same signs as I have mentioned in the recipe card. Hope that helps
Chenchulakshmi says
Thank you so much dini….
Leigh Anna Stewart says
This was my first time making choux pastry & after reading DOZENS of recipes, I settled on this one to follow due to the fact it was sooooo detailed & explained everything so thoroughly! Omg y’all, it was the right one to follow!!! My choux turned out beautifully, & it was way easier AND way more fun than I thought it would be!!! I decided to only make 1/2 of the dough on the first day, so I stored the other half in a airtight sealed piping bag in the fridge like suggested, & then I piped them out on day 2 & baked the shells, & Y’ALL~ they came out just as perfect as the shells I baked the day I made the batter!!! I so appreciated all your tips on storage & freezing, & all the troubleshooting tips were AWESOME to have! I will be using this recipe & guide from here on out when I make choux, which is DEFINITELY gonna b more often, as these cream puffs turned out to be hella addictive!!! THANK U sooooo so much Dini for taking the time to write all your helpful tips & your amazing recipe for choux!!!
Dini says
Thank you so much for letting me know Leigh! 🙂 I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe and the instructions and tips were helpful!
Khushi says
Hi mine turned out rather soggy from the inside. Do u have any suggestions on how I can prevent this?
tan says
Can I use just yolks instead of the whole egg? I have a bunch of egg yolks I don’t want to throw out – but I’m not sure if this recipe will work with out the whites too?
Dini says
Hi Tan
I wouldn’t recommend using egg yolks only for this recipe.
without the egg whites, the dough will be too dense and won’t rise properly.
Hope that helps!
Tan says
Much appreciated, Thank you.
Richard says
Save your yolks for pasta
Amy says
This is such an informative guide! I’m so glad that I found it because I’ve been having trouble with a parisian gnocchi recipe and this helped me pinpoint and fix the problems. Thank you so much for posting this!
Camila says
Hi! I followed your recipe but it didn’t rise my puff that much 🙁 Please help. I’ll send the photo to your instagram. Please help.
Dini says
Hi Camila
I checked your photo on Instagram.
The ones in the front look like they did puff up, but since I didn’t see what they looked like before baking, it’s hard for me to be sure.
If they didn’t puff up, it’s because the dough was too thick or doughy and was too heavy to puff up.
This can happen if the dough didn’t have enough liquid in the dough (not enough eggs) or because the oven temperature was too low or a combination of both.
Did you check the consistency of the dough as described in the post? If you have an oven thermometer you can check the oven temp and adjust the settings too. Some oven run a little cold, and my need to be increased in temperature to compensate.
If the dough was piped into large sizes, then you may need to increase the temperature at the start of the bake time and then reduce it too.
I hope that helps
Rashida says
Hi Dini,
Wow! Your profiteroles look amazing! I love your article here, it explains so much! Thanks for all the information. I just wanted to ask about using a wooden spoon to mix the choux pastry…is this essential? I did notice you using a silicon spatula where as other sites say to use a wooden spoon. Do you think this makes a difference and if so what difference does it make to the Choux pastry.
thanks once again
Dini says
Hi Rashida
I haven’t had any issue using a silicone spatula. Many older recipes specify a wooden spoon because a metal spoon can scratch the bowl / pot. So you can use a wooden spoon / rubber or silicone spatula to mix the dough.
Hope that helps!
Rashida says
Yes that does…thanks again
Ee Xin says
Hello! Can you explain more on the differences of using all water / all milk / half water half milk, please? Thank you!
Dini says
Hi Ee Xin
Milk adds flavor and makes the final pastry a little softer. Water does not do either of these things, resulting in a crisper shell. A mixture of both will provide some flavor and some softness (because you’re only using half as much milk). I personally prefer to use water, but milk is a good choice as well.
Ee Xin says
Thank you so much for this!! ◡̈
Patricia says
Good morning, I made my first Profiterols and Eclairs last week and I’m not entirely happy with the recipe.
I’ve read both your Choux and Eclair posts multiple times and I have one question.
You say at one point that some will pipe the desired shapes and then freeze before baking. If I were to do this, do I, thaw the shaped Choux and then bake, or, do I put the frozen Choux directly in the oven?
I like to take in treats for my coworkers on occasion and would love to surprize them with Profiterols and Eclairs. I think I would like to do the Choux and shaping on Saturday or Sunday of one week and then bake the following Sunday evening.
I can take the shells to work and fill and glaze them just before serving. I’m just puzzled about the timing for frozen Choux shapes.
Dini says
Hi Patricia
There are bakeries that freeze the choux pastry, but please note that I haven’t tried this myself.
There is a risk for freezer burn, so you need to prevent this as much as possible. Frozen choux pastry is baked from frozen.
Pre-piped choux pastry will also puff less, so keep that in mind as well.
I hope that helps!
joyce says
the shells were so tasty loved this recipe
joyce says
also does an electric oven cook differently than gas for this recipe
Dini says
Hi Joyce
It really depends on the oven, but gas ovens can sometimes run hotter than an electric oven.
I usually use a oven thermometer to check the temperature of any oven I use to determine how hot / cold it runs.
Nicole says
Thanks again for your detailed directions and helpful tips. I paired this with the creme patisserie I made yesterday and the results are outstanding!!
Dini says
Thank you for letting me know Nicole, I’m so glad you enjoyed this and the pastry cream recipe! 🙂
Ipek says
Hi Dini,
Thank you so much for the recipe and the perfect instructions. I had tried several different choux recipes before and they turned either soft inside or collapsed. But yours is perfection, I can tell. I’ve tried it for profiteroles, eclairs, choux au craquelin -yes, everything- and they were all perfect in terms of both texture and shape! And the taste as well, of course.
Love from Istanbul
Michelle says
I’ll admit, I typically don’t take the time to leave reviews for recipes, but I was so impressed with this one that I had to write something about it.
This was my first time trying to make choux pastry and after reading all the ways it could go wrong, I thought it would fail. Surprisingly, I followed the recipe and it was a success!
I was very appreciative for the amount of detail, explanation/reasoning, and pictures that were provided in this recipe, and will definitely be making these again.
Ethel says
Is it ok to turn on the top and bottom heating element of my oven or convection when I bake this? Or do I just use the bottom one?
Dini says
Hi Ethel
I use a conventional oven, where it automatically uses both elements for baking. However the oven switches the use of both elements to maintain the temperature and encourage proper browning. The top element is only used for broiling or grilling.
Unfortunately I haven’t used an oven that can control top and/or bottom element for baking. I would use both but make sure that there is even browning of the choux pastry as well.
Hope that helps.
Shirley says
Hi!!! I tried the recipe but my choux is not the airy and hollow in the center i’m not sure if its due to the temperature or i took it out early.
Dini says
Hi Shirley
If it’s not airy, it depends on what the texture / appearance of the pastry. If it was flattened or soggy, it could be because it was taken out too early. You can check my post for how to fix this issue for future batches.
If it’s puffed, but doughy and heavy, then it’s because there isn’t enough liquid in the dough. This is because the dough doesn’t have enough eggs and wasnt light enough to puff up during baking.
Hope that helps.
Shirley says
Thank you so much for your help!!!
Martin givens says
good morning. I just stumbled across your web site. thanks for all the free information sharing. I have a question. I would like to try baking half way then frying them the rest of the way. Im making Zeppole de san Giuseppe for easter. its an Italian tradition. my question to you is what flour do you think. would work best for this? thank you.
Dini says
Hi Martin
With Zeppole, I would fry the dough straight. This is how I make it because it gives the doughnuts the best puff. I’m not sure if baking them first will make any positive difference, as the dough will be half dry during baking and won’t puff up all the way while being fried.
I have also seen Zeppole de san Giuseppe where is was only baked and then filled as well.
AP Flour will be fine for either option. Bread flour is ok too, but it will lead to a chewier texture.
Hope that helps
Cara says
I tried this recipe, and I was successful… at least for the first two batches that went in the oven. The last batch didn’t puff or become hollow at all, but I just did the same thing that I did with the first two. 🙁 Hoping for help figuring this out. Please and thank you! ^_^
Dini says
Hi Cara
If I get the same consistency in the dough (the amount of eggs can vary sometimes), the dough always puffs up if the oven works the same. If the consistency of the dough was the same (not runnier than the first batches), then the only other variable is the heat source.
Could you let me know if you made three separate batches of dough? Or did you bake the same dough three different times in the oven?
It’s hard for me to know exactly what might have happened without knowing the consistency of the dough, and what the final results looked like.
Cara says
The consistency of the dough was just right which was why the first batch that went in the oven was perfect. ^_^
I baked the same dough three different times in the oven. The ones that came after the good batch basically looked like tiny yellow sponge cakes.
As I thought about it, I figured the cause of the error might have been because I piped the dough and left it exposed to open air. I will try again to see whether this is the case. Do you think that might have been the cause? Thank you!
Dini says
Hi Cara
Exactly. As I have mentioned in the post, the dough must be covered until ready to be baked. Then it must be piped and baked. If you leave it out, it forms a film and it can’t rise because of it.
I always keep my dough in a pastry bag that’s sealed with a rubber band so that the dough isn’t exposed to air.
Sometimes if the oven is not hot enough (ovens can vary especially if not calibrated) the dough will not puff up either. If your oven runs colder, then you may have to increase the temperature a little.
The choux pastry puffs may have webbings inside that are very soft, but these are easily removed (or pushed aside) when you pipe the filling inside.
Hope that helps!
Margo says
First time I’ve made these. My first attempt today with another recipe was a flop. Found your recipe on web, used 3 large eggs and came out perfectly. Thank you.
Dini says
I’m so glad the recipe came out perfectly for you Margo, thanks so much for letting me know! 🙂
Farh says
Hi, i love this recipe. And i have made these few times already but why recently my yield is less than before? for eg, i used to bake 30-36pcs from your recipe, but now only 25pcs. The way or size i pipep is the same. 1 more thing is that, the size when they are done become more smaller than before. They puffed up but the size become smaller than before. I dont know why, i just do the same thing all the time, and follow your recipe. Please help
Dini says
Hi Farh
I don’t know why there is less yield unfortunately. Baking, especially something like choux pastry, can be impacted in different ways. Unless you weigh each time you pipe the pastries, we can never be sure if we pipe it the same way.
Also, the weather can play a part as well. Choux pastries puff up because of the eggs, and if there are variations in the cook time (or the amount of water vs amount of eggs), there can be variations too. Unfortunately there’s no one reason and it’s hard to control environmental factors.
The good thing is for home consumption this shouldn’t matter as long as the puffs still puff up (and don’t deflate) and taste delicious 🙂
I hope that helps
Tina G. says
Love this recipe! I’ve made these and filled them with shrimp, crab and chicken salad, as well as creme patissiere. They are a huge hit at baby and bridal showers and even at football tailgating!
The possibilities for fillings are endless!
Thank you for the wonderful step-by-step explanations, and pics – they were easy to understand and you answered several questions I had about the ‘why’ a certain step was done.
This is my ‘go-to’ pate a choux recipe!
Fellow ex-pat says
First time and nailed it! I checked out a lot of different recipes online and picked yours for clarity and thoroughness. I’m glad I did! I’m a semi-experienced baker but I was nervous to try profiteroles. Thought I would make these for Valentine’s Day though because they are my husband’s favorite dessert. My dry run went great! I’ll be trying eclairs next, as I can’t get proper ones here in the south of Spain. Looking forward to them Thanks so much for your recipes, I’m very glad I found your site!
Tina says
While cooking the dough in a non-stick pot on the stove top, the butter separated out a bit, making the dough rather greasy. It almost looked slightly curdled despite stirring it for more than 5 min. The tablespoon test wasn’t super successful as the dough had a soft-ish chunky texture; it gently teetered forward, though the dough seemed pretty dense (a tad dry?) by then. However I decided to proceed for the sake of experimenting.
I ended up using 5 eggs, adding one egg at a time until the dough was somewhat glossy. I didn’t have a circular piping tip so used a 1/2 in french star tip. Baked at 375F as instructed for 30min, took them out and poked each with a toothpick, and put them back in the oven for another 4min. And hey, worked like a charm. Thanks for the great recipe.
So don’t fret if your dough looks dry-ish chunky-ish greasy-ish after cooking it on the stove. It’ll work out.
Dini says
Hi Tina!
It sounds like you initially overcooked the dough causing the butter to split and separate from the dough (the curdling). However, you managed to save it by reintroducing extra liquid in the form of an extra egg which thankfully emulsified the dough back again and gave it the right consistency for choux.
I’m really glad it worked out in the end! 🙂
Nelliel says
I try to make cookie choux , when I baked, some were rise , some were not , something wrong with my choux pastry or I piped too much and it’s haevy?
Dini says
Hi Nelliel
What do you mean by cookie choux? Is it craquelin choux? If the cookie disc placed on top is too thick or heavy the choux pastry doesn’t puff up. If the choux dough was oo heavy, this can also result in flat choux pastry as explained in the post.
Hope that helps!
Gerald says
Tasted amazing but took AGES to cook I turned the temp up didn’t work also were not hollow am i doing something wrong? tried to follow recipie to the T though
Dini says
Hi Gerald
The chances are that either,
If your oven temperature is correct, then it is more likely that it was the second reason. The dough doesn’t rise if it’s too heavy as it relies on the eggs to puff up and create the hollow center.
I hope that helps!
Ibu mina says
Saya sangat menyukai bersyukur bisa menemukan resep ini,
Alan says
Can this recipe be halved?
Dini says
Hi Alan
Yes this can be halved, but the cook time will vary. The amount of eggs can vary as well. So I recommend going by visual cues, rather than time.
I hope that helps!
Aina says
Hi. I had tried a lot of recipes except yours for now. May I know why my shells were brown at the bottom but looks pale on top. And my shells were half cook at the inside eventhough sometimes the shells rise up perfectly. All recipes I had done always came out like this. My oven can be adjusted for top and lower heat. I always put them at the same heat. Does my oven was the cause of my problem?
Dini says
Hi Aina
Usually, the baking function in the ovens use the bottom element heat up the oven and then the top element to maintain the heat that is set.
If the bottoms are brown and they are pale on top, that means that the heat from the bottom is either ok or too hot, and the top elements aren’t working as well. Unfortunately I’m not sure how to fix this issue as I’m not familiar with your oven. You can try to move the baking sheet closer to the top element and see if that helps?
Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful!
Aina says
Alright. Thank you for the reply 😀