Profiteroles are delightfully puffed-up choux pastry balls with a creamy filling and shiny chocolate glaze.
I remember always having chocolate profiteroles on Christmas day, but they were usually the store-bought ones that had been frozen and gone a little bit sad and soggy. But fresh, homemade profiteroles are an absolute celebration, and choux pastry is a lot easier to make than you might think.
The actual process of making choux pastry dough is fast and simple, but there are a few very particular details and things to look out for that can make it seem complicated and give it a reputation for being difficult.
I spent all week testing every variation of profiterole recipes out there to figure out what really works, what doesn't, and what to pay attention to so you can bake the perfect choux buns!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Homemade profiteroles have MUCH better flavor and texture.
- Detailed recipe with lots of tips and tricks to make the perfect choux pastry.
- These little French pastries are so versatile and can be used with all kinds of sweet fillings and toppings.
Anatomy of a Perfect Profiterole
If you follow all the tips in the recipe, you should end up with the perfect profiteroles - but what does that look like?
Golden Brown Shell: The outside of the profiteroles should be a deep golden brown color. If they are too pale then they will be too soft.
Crisp Pastry: The pastry should be crisp so when you bite it it crunches slightly in your mouth.
Hollow Center: The signature of profiteroles is that they bake to have puffed-up, hollow centers to put all the delicious fillings inside.
Creamy Filling: You can fill your profiteroles with anything you like, but any kind of silky smooth, creamy filling is always a winner.
Shiny Glaze: The glaze should be shiny like hot chocolate sauce, but firm enough that it sets and won't get your fingers messy.
If your profiteroles aren't like this, see my troubleshooting guide below.
Ingredients
These are the basic ingredients to make the choux pastry (pâte à choux) for the shells. A classic profiteroles recipe usually has a custard cream filling and chocolate glaze - the recipes for these are in the recipe card below, but I will also include some different delicious filling ideas for you to try.
- Water / Milk - The liquid in choux pastry can be water or a combination of milk and water. After lots of recipe testing, I settled on a 50/50 split of milk and water. You can read more info on this in my Choux Pastry recipe post. Use whole milk.
- Salt - You won't taste it, but the salt does a lot of things to the pastry as well as enhancing the flavor. It helps to bind the water and flour and prevents cracking in your profiteroles.
- Sugar - The sugar is minimal so doesn't add much sweetness, but it does help with the browning of the pastry shells. You can leave it out if you are using a savory filling, but I recommend keeping it either way.
- Flour - All-purpose flour is best.
- Eggs - Use large eggs, you may not need all of the eggs, I will explain how to know when you have added enough.
The butter and eggs should be at room temperature.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Profiteroles
Profiteroles are made with choux pastry, which is the same pastry used to make eclairs, cream puffs, churros, and cruller donuts. Once you have mastered it, a whole world of desserts has opened up to you!
Make the Filling
If you are filling your profiteroles with homemade custard or something that needs time to chill, make it in advance as the profiteroles are quick to make.
If you are filling them with chantilly cream or something that doesn't need time in the fridge, you can prepare it later.
Boil the Liquids
Cut the butter into slices and put it in a medium saucepan with the milk, water, salt, and sugar.
Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the butter melts and the liquid starts to boil. Remove from the heat.
Add the Flour
Tip the flour into the hot mixture all at once and immediately stir it vigorously with a wooden spoon or spatula until the flour is completely incorporated.
Cook the Panade
Return the pan to the stove on medium-high heat and continue to beat it with the wooden spoon for a couple of minutes until it holds together in a smooth, slightly shiny dough ball, and you can see a thin film covering the whole of the bottom of the pan.
It is important that the dough cooks for long enough for the starch in the flour mixture to gelatinize so the profiteroles pastry will be thick and pipeable.
If you are unsure whether your dough is ready, you can check the temperature, it needs to be between 165-175°F (74-79°C).
Add the Eggs
Turn the mixer on low speed with a paddle attachment fitted. Add the eggs one at a time, letting them completely incorporate in between each egg until you have one egg remaining,
Beat the last egg in a small bowl and add it to the mixer a little at a time, testing the pastry in between to see if it has reached the right consistency.
The amount of eggs needed varies depending on the size of the eggs and how much moisture was cooked out of the dough, so you may not need all of them.
Test the Pastry
This is the most important step when making profiteroles - check the choux batter to see if it is ready. You are looking for a paste-like dough that is smooth, glossy, and pipeable. You can test it by dipping the mixer paddle into the pastry and slowly lifting it out - if the dough is the right consistency it will fall off in a V-shaped trail. (You can do this with a spatula if you are mixing by hand).
Once the right consistency is reached, do not add any more egg.
How To Know if Choux Pastry Is Ready
Other than the 'V-test' above, there are a few more signs that your choux pastry is ready:
- It should be smooth and slightly glossy.
- It should be thick enough that you can draw a trench in it with your finger and it won't fill in.
- If you put a little pastry between your fingers and pull them apart slowly, the top should make a V shape and the bottom should fall over on itself slightly, like medium peaks in meringue.
Pipe the Profiteroles
Put the choux pastry into a piping bag with a large round tip, or cut a ½-inch opening in the end, and squeeze out any air bubbles.
Put a little bit of choux pastry into the corners of your baking tray and place the parchment paper on top to help hold it in place.
Holding the piping bag at a 90° angle to the pan, squeeze the pastry out in a steady motion with the tip just slightly under the surface of the pastry to make a smooth edge until you have little mounds about 1.5 - 2 inches wide.
Stop squeezing and flick your wrist to break the flow of the pastry.
Piping Tip:
To help make your profiteroles uniform, you can trace circles onto your parchment paper around a 2-inch round cookie cutter so you have a guide for piping. This is not necessary if you are a confident piper.
Make sure you flip the parchment paper over so the ink doesn't go into your choux batter.
Flatten the Peaks
Dip your finger in some cold water and use it to gently flatten the little peaks on top of the pastry mounds. You can use a pastry brush if you don't want to use your hands.
Let the piped profiteroles sit on the baking sheet for 10 minutes while you preheat your oven to 425°F / 220°C (200° fan-assisted).
For extra rise, you can lightly mist the pan with water to create extra steam.
Bake
Put the profiteroles into the oven and immediately turn the oven temperature down to 375°F / 190°C (170° fan-assisted). Bake them for 25-35 minutes until they are golden brown all over. The baking time will vary depending on the size you piped them.
Do not open the oven door for the first 20 minutes! If you do the choux buns will deflate.
The first time you make profiteroles you might think that they are browning too much, but they do need to get quite brown and crispy in order to hold their shape. If your oven is baking unevenly, you can rotate the tray, but only after 20 minutes.
Make Steam Holes
Once the choux pastry shells are completely baked, remove them from the oven and turn the oven off. We need to give the steam inside the choux buns a way to escape so it doesn't make the pastry soggy or cause them to collapse.
Make a hole in the bottom of each profiterole with a skewer or a star piping nozzle and place them back on the tray upside down. Put the tray back into the (switched off) oven and prop the door open to let the shells dry out for 15 minutes.
Multiple Batches
Letting the profiteroles sit in the warm oven helps to dry out the inside so they won't go soggy as quickly once filled. However, if you have a second batch waiting to go into the oven, you can pierce them and let them cool on a wire rack instead, it won't be detrimental and it means you don't have to keep turning the oven off and on again.
Do, however, let your oven heat back up to 425°F again before putting the next batch in.
Also, in between batches you can cover the end of your piping bag with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for up to 2 hours, or in the fridge for up to 2 days. If refrigerated, let the choux pastry come back to room temp before using.
How to Fill Profiteroles
Make the Glaze
It's best to fill and glaze profiteroles all in one go, so make the glaze first by heating cream in a small saucepan (or in the microwave) until it is scalding hot.
Then pour over the chopped chocolate and add butter, salt, and corn syrup. Stir until smooth.
Fill
Put your creamy filling into a pastry bag with a small round tip and push it into the hole we made earlier to release steam. Gently squeeze until the profiterole feels full and heavy.
Dip
Dip the top of the profiterole into the warm chocolate ganache and shake off any excess. Put it back on the tray to set and repeat with all the profiteroles.
Filling Ideas
Traditional French profiteroles usually have a creamy vanilla pastry cream filling, (crème pâtissière). But there are so many delicious ways to make this classic dessert. Here are some ideas for alternative fillings:
Chantilly Cream - Sweetened whipped cream that is super quick and easy to make. Chantilly cream is actually the typical filling for profiteroles here in Scotland.
Creme Diplomat - Creme Diplomat (diplomat cream) is a classic pastry cream recipe folded together with whipped heavy cream to make a light but flavorful filling. It is what I used to fill the profiteroles in these pictures, it's also very similar to the filling for Bavarian Cream Donuts.
Chocolate Custard - For decadent chocolate profiteroles, stir some chopped chocolate into vanilla custard to make a sumptuous chocolate filling.
Flavored Pastry Cream - Pastry cream takes on other flavors really well. My favorite is mixing in pistachio paste to make Pistachio Pastry Cream, but you could also mix it with espresso powder, Nutella, or strawberry puree.
Vanilla Ice Cream - Cut the profiteroles in half and fill them with a scoop of ice cream, then drizzle with delicious chocolate sauce.
How to Serve Profiteroles
There are so many fun ways to enjoy profiteroles. For inspiration on different flavors and variations, see the 'Profiterole Fillings' section above.
Finger Food - Classic profiteroles are the perfect mini desserts to serve at parties as they are bite-sized, light desserts that are easy to eat while mingling.
Plated - To serve at a dinner party, serve individual dishes with a few profiteroles each and drizzle with warm chocolate sauce.
Croquembouche - Dip the profiteroles in hot caramel and stack them into an impressive tower to make a showstopping dessert for a celebration.
Troubleshooting
While the process of making profiteroles is simple, there are a few things that can go wrong. Here are some of the most common mistakes when making your own profiteroles.
Choux Pastry is Stiff
If the pastry is too stiff to pipe then it needs more egg. You can put it back in the mixer and add more until it reaches the right consistency. Check regularly for the signs mentioned in the post above.
Choux Pastry is Lumpy
If you have lumps in the choux pastry you may have added the egg while the dough was still hot. This can cause the eggs to scramble and make unpleasant lumps in your pastry.
Choux Pastry is Runny
If your choux pastry is runny then either it wasn't cooked long enough on the stovetop or you added too many eggs.
Cooking the dough to a high enough temperature allows the starch in the flour to gelatinize, which is what thickens the pastry enough to make it pipeable. (This is the same reaction as adding cornstarch to thicken a sauce).
When the starches gelatinize, they leave a visible film on the bottom of the pan, which is why you need to look out for this happening before taking the dough off the heat.
If you did cook the dough long enough, then you likely added too many eggs. If you add too much the pastry will be too liquid and won't be able to hold its shape. Make sure you add the last egg very gradually, testing to see if the pastry is ready by looking for all the signs mentioned in the post above.
Profiteroles Not Rising
If your profiteroles don't rise in the oven then either the batter was too runny (see above) or the oven isn't hot enough. Some ovens run hotter than others, use an oven thermometer or test out a small batch at a slightly hotter temperature.
Profiteroles Deflated
There is nothing sadder than profiteroles that rise up beautifully only to deflate when taken out of the oven. If this happens, they were probably taken out of the oven too soon. The outer shells need to be completely set and crisp before you so much as open the oven door or they will collapse.
Profiteroles Not Hollow
If you open up your profiteroles and they aren't hollow inside, there probably wasn't enough moisture in the pastry - either from too much flour (see below) or not enough egg. The moisture is needed to turn into steam, which creates the hollow center.
Note on Ingredients
I always recommend weighing ingredients with a kitchen scale, but for choux pastry, it is especially important that the ratios are accurate.
I don't recommend using cup measures for this recipe at all, but if you do, make sure you measure using the scoop-and-sweep method.
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale - I always recommend measuring ingredients by weight, but for choux pastry it is extra important.
- Heavy Saucepan - It's easier to make choux pastry in a heavy saucepan as the weight stops it from moving around while you vigorously hit the dough off the sides of the pan.
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula - Something heatproof and sturdy for mixing the dough.
- Stand Mixer - The easiest way to make choux pastry is in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, but you can use an electric mixer or even mix in the eggs by hand - it just takes a little more effort.
- Baking Sheet - Use a large baking sheet or multiple smaller ones.
- Piping Bag - You can use a regular pastry bag with a round tip, or you can just cut the end off of a disposable piping bag.
Storage
Profiteroles are best eaten within a few hours of being filled, otherwise, the moisture in the fillings can seep into the pastry and make them lose their crispness.
To make these ahead of time, you can make the filling a few days in advance and store it, covered in the refrigerator.
The profiterole shells can be baked the day before and stored in an airtight container overnight. They will go a little bit soft, so on the day of serving, put them back in the oven at 375°F / 190°C for 3-5 minutes to bring back their crisp texture.
FAQ
If you have a question about this recipe that isn't answered here, feel free to write it in the comment section and I will get back to you as soon as I can.
Profiteroles and Cream Puffs are very similar. They are both made from choux pastry baked into little round puffs. The difference is that the choux buns for cream puffs are typically bigger than profiteroles and are usually cut in half and filled like a sandwich, whereas profiteroles typically have a filling piped inside.Â
Cream puffs are usually filled with sweetened whipped cream or pastry cream, profiteroles often have the same creamy filling but can be filled with any filling - sweet or savory. Profiteroles also often have a chocolate glaze on top.Â
Profiteroles and eclairs are both made from the exact same thing - choux pastry! The difference is that eclairs are piped into little logs, whereas profiteroles are piped into domes so they puff up into balls.
The fillings in profiteroles and eclairs can be the same.
A croquembouche is a tower of profiteroles glued together with hot caramel. It is an impressive, showstopping dessert often made for celebrations.
When the choux pastry is hit with the sudden blast of hot air, the moisture turns into steam which makes the profiteroles puff up and take their lovely round shape.
But in order to properly bake and dry out the choux buns, they need to be in the oven for quite a long time, so we turn the oven temperature down to let them bake without over-browning.Â
More Cream-filled Desserts
If you love desserts that are filled with cream and custard, check out some of these creamy dessert recipes:
Recipe
Profiteroles
Equipment
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula
- Stand Mixer with paddle attachment
Ingredients
For the Choux Buns
- 1 stick Unsalted Butter 113g (cubed)
- ½ cup Milk 120ml
- ½ cup Water 120ml
- 2 teaspoon Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp All-purpose Flour* 130g (sifted)
- 5-6 Large Eggs
- 1 batch Filling of choice (see notes)
For Chocolate Glaze
- 6 oz Semisweet Chocolate chopped finely
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- 1 tablespoon Butter 14g
- 1 tablespoon Corn Syrup
- 1 pinch Salt
Instructions
Make the Filling
- If you plan to fill your profiteroles with a filling that needs time to chill (like pastry cream), make the filling first so it will be ready when your profiteroles are baked and cooled.There are lots of options for what to fill your profiteroles with, some classic fillings are:Pastry Cream (vanilla custard)Creme Diplomat (custard folded with whipped cream)Chantilly Cream (sweetened whipped cream)See the post above for more filling ideas.
Make the Choux Pastry
- Add all the ingredients except the flour and eggs to a saucepan over medium heat. Mix together until the butter has melted and the mixture starts to boil.1 stick Unsalted Butter, ½ cup Milk, ½ cup Water, 2 teaspoon Sugar, ¼ teaspoon Salt
- As soon as the mixture is boiling, remove it from the heat and quickly add all of the flour in, all at the same time. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the flour is totally incorporated.1 cup + 1 tablespoon All-purpose Flour*
- Return the pan to the heat and continue to beat it with the wooden spoon for 3-5 minutes until it holds together and you can see a thin film on the bottom of the pan. If you are not confident that it is cooked enough, you can check the temperature - it needs to get to between 165-175°F (74-79°C)
- Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer and use your spoon to spread it up the sides of the bowl to help it cool faster. Leave to cool for at least 10 minutes until it is no longer hot to touch.
- Turn the stand mixer on low-speed with a paddle attachment fitted. Add the eggs one at a time, letting them mix until completely incorporated in between each egg until you have one egg remaining. The amount of egg needed varies according to multiple factors, so you may not need all of the eggs to reach the right consistency.5-6 Large Eggs
- Crack the last egg into a bowl and beat it with a fork to break it apart. Add it to the mixer a little at a time, testing the pastry in between to see if is ready. You are aiming for a paste-like dough that is smooth, glossy, and pipeable. You can test if it is ready by putting a spatula into the bowl and lifting it out - if the dough is the right consistency it will fall off of the spatula in a V-shape. Once the right consistency is reached, do not add any more egg.
Pipe the Profiteroles
- Transfer the choux pastry to a piping bag with a round tip, or cut the end to make a ½-inch opening. Pipe a tiny amount of pastry into the four corners of a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. This holds the paper in place as you pipe.
- Holding the piping bag at a 90° angle to the pan, squeeze the pastry out into little 1-2-inch mounds, well spaced apart. Try to get them all the same size. If you are not confident in your piping you can trace circles onto the parchment paper and flip it over as a guide.
- For the best shape, squeeze in a steady motion and keep the tip of the bag just slightly under the surface of the pastry to create a smooth edge. Once the mound is the right size, stop squeezing and flick your wrist to break the flow of the pastry.
- Dip your finger in a little cold water and gently dab down the little peaks on top of the mounds to flatten them. Let the piped profiteroles sit on the baking sheet for 10 minutes while you preheat your oven to 425°F / 220°C (200° fan-assisted).Â
Bake the Profiteroles
- Put the piped profiteroles into the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 375°F / 190°C (170° fan-assisted). Bake for 25-35 minutes until they are golden brown all over. The larger you piped them the longer they will need to bake. Do not open the oven door at all for at least 20 minutes.
- Remove them from the oven and turn the oven off. Use a metal, pointy object (like a piping tip, straw, or thermometer) to make a hole in the bottom of each profiterole to let steam escape. Place them back on the sheet, hole-side-up.
- Return them to the oven (with the oven off) and prop the oven door open to allow them to dry out for 15 minutes.*Remove from the oven and let them cool completely before filling.
Fill and Glaze
- It's best to fill and glaze profiteroles all in one go, so make the glaze first by heating cream in a small saucepan (or in the microwave) until it is scalding hot. Then pour it over the chopped chocolate and add butter, salt, and corn syrup. Stir until smooth.Â6 oz Semisweet Chocolate, ½ cup Heavy Cream, 1 tablespoon Butter, 1 tablespoon Corn Syrup, 1 pinch Salt
- Take your filling out of the fridge and mix it until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag with a round piping tip.1 batch Filling of choice
- Pick up a profiterole and push the piping tip into the hole you made earlier in the bottom to release steam. Gently squeeze the filling inside until the profiterole feels full and heavy.
- Dip the top of the filled profiterole into the warm chocolate glaze and shake off any excess. Place it back on the baking sheet to set and repeat with all the profiteroles.
Notes
Filling for Profiteroles
There are lots of options for what to fill your profiteroles with, some classic fillings are: Pastry Cream (vanilla custard) Creme Diplomat (custard folded with whipped cream) Chantilly Cream (sweetened whipped cream) See the post above for more filling ideas.Â*Multiple Batches
Letting the profiteroles sit in the warm oven helps to dry out the inside so they won't go soggy as quickly once filled. However, if you have a second batch waiting to go into the oven, you can pierce them and let them cool on a wire rack instead, it won't be detrimental and it means you don't have to keep turning the oven off and on again. Do however let your oven heat back up to 425°F again before putting the next batch in. ​Also, in between batches you can just cover the end of your piping bag with a little plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for up to 2 hours, or in the fridge for up to 2 days. If refrigerated, let the choux pastry come back to room temp before using.ÂIt really helps and I love hearing all your feedback!
Lorita
Hi Jules, thanks for a lovely detailed recipe! Have you tried freezing the filled profiteroles, to make them ahead of time? I’m thinking of making them today for Christmas evening.
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Lorita,
So sorry I didn't get to this question in time for Christmas! We have a 1 year old at home so there wasn't much time for work over the holidays!
Did you end up making the profiteroles in the end?
You can freeze them after filling but they will definitely not be crisp when you serve them. If that doesn't bother you though you can freeze them in an airtight container for up to a month and then let them defrost in the fridge before serving.
Hope you had a lovely Christmas!
Jules