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

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

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

Ingredients

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

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

Real Whipped Cream Filling Ingredients:

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

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

Equipment and Supplies Needed

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

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

Recipe Tips

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

Puff Pastry Tips

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

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

Whipped Cream Tips

Use a cold bowl to make the whipped cream.

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

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

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

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

Baking the Puff Pastry

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar for a final touch!

Storage

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

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

Other Puff Pastry Recipes You Might Like

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

Easy 20 Minute Cream Puff Recipe

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

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes minutes

Total Time 19 minutes minutes

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 20 cream puffs

Calories 223cal

Author Amy Desrosiers

Equipment

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

  • 1 baking sheet

  • 1 conventional oven

  • 1 Electric Hand or Stand Mixer

Ingredients

Puff Pastry

  • 17.3 oz Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets 1 box

Real Whipped Cream Filling

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

Instructions

Puff Pastry Shell

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

  • Roll out slightly thawed and pliable puff pastry dough.

    17.3 oz Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets

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

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

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

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

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

Real Whipped Cream Pastry Filling

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

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

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

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

Notes

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

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

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

Nutritional facts are for informational purposes only and may vary.

Nutrition

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

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

FAQs

Why is my cream puff not crispy? ›

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

Will cream puffs get soggy overnight? ›

How long will the cream puffs be good for? We usually recommend consuming the cream puffs the same or next day, after 2 days they will start to become soggy, especially if your refrigerator has a lot of humidity in it. Can I freeze the cream puffs? Can you customize the cream puffs?

Why won t my cream puffs puff up? ›

Without the right consistency, they either won't rise or they won't set. Dough that's too dry won't have the steam power to lift the cream puffs, and they won't form a hollow center. Dough that's too wet won't be able to harden in time to hold that puffed shape.

How do you keep cream puffs crispy? ›

Poking holes in the baked puffs allows steam to escape and creates an opening for easy filling. Returning puffs to a turned-off oven after they've baked helps keep them crisp.

Why are my cream puffs doughy inside? ›

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

What is the best flour for choux pastry? ›

The Flour: Choux can be made with a range of wheat flour types. Some cooks prefer low-protein cake or pastry flour for the delicate choux puffs they can create, while others swear by high-protein bread flour for the sturdier choux it produces.

Can you fill cream puffs the night before? ›

Can you make cream puffs ahead of time? Filled cream puffs are best when eaten the same day they're made. However, you can pre-make the pâte à choux and the filling separately, waiting until just before serving to combine them. Pastry cream can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.

How do you know when cream puffs are done? ›

To bake the puffs: Bake the puffs for 10 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes more. You'll know the puffs are baked when you can peel them away from the paper easily (bake longer, if necessary).

Can you make cream puffs the night before? ›

Yes, you can make these cream puffs 2-3 days in advance. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also make the pastry cream a day or two ahead of time; just be sure to keep it cold in the fridge in an airtight container.

What are the choux faults? ›

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

Why do my cream puffs taste eggy? ›

Some important things to take note of:

Cook the flour mixture until a thin film of residue forms on the bottom of the pot. [Step 4 of recipe] Allow pastry to cool before adding eggs in. If pastry is too hot, it may cook the eggs, thus giving your cream puffs an eggy taste.

What happens if you add too much egg to choux pastry? ›

If you've used too many eggs in your pastry dough, water in the egg yolk will start to separate from the yolk. Once the pastry is baking in the oven, this water then evaporates, causing the structure of the pastry to tighten up and shrink. The dough is too thick to pipe.

What is the paste or thick batter used to make cream puffs? ›

Choux Pastry can be used in anything from cream puffs, profiteroles, and eclairs to churros, croquembouche, French cruller donuts, choux beignets, and gougères! It only takes about 10 minutes to prepare and the options for filling and shaping are endless.

How long will homemade cream puffs keep? ›

Store cream puffs in an airtight storage container or zip-top bag in the fridge for up to three days.

Are you supposed to freeze cream puffs? ›

If you need to store them for longer, you can freeze them for up to 1 month. To freeze, place the cream puffs in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid.

Why is my puff pastry always soggy? ›

Pastry being soggy in the middle is a result of the pastry being undercooked. Don't place the pastry on too high a shelf in the oven. One way to prevent soggy bottom pastry is to blind bake the pastry – This means partially or completely bake the pastry before adding the filling. Also, avoid over-filling your pastry.

How do you make puff pastry crispy again? ›

oven at 160°C for 10mins or simply toss it in airfryer.

How do you keep choux pastry crispy? ›

Shelf-life & Refeshing your Choux

You can keep the Choux in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They will feel soggy when you take them out so it's important to put them in a 175°C oven for about 5 minutes. That will dry and crisp them back up. ..But I suggest to use,the same day you make them, so much better.

How do you make the bottom of puff pastry crispy? ›

Always preheat your oven for a minimum of 15-20 minutes before baking, because Puff Pastry depends on even heat to rise and puff. Place pastries 1 inch apart. If you want a flaky thin and crispy pastry that's not very puffy, prick the unbaked Puff Pastry all over with a fork, which lets steam escape while baking.

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