This Choux Dough Recipe makes light, crisp pastry shells with airy, hollow centers that are perfect for filling with whipped cream, pastry cream, or your favorite filling.
Choux pastry looks a little strange while you make it, but that is completely normal. The flour is first cooked with the water and oil on the stovetop, then the eggs are gradually mixed in until the dough becomes smooth, glossy, and pipeable.
Once baked, the small rounds puff dramatically and develop crisp golden shells with hollow centers ready for filling or a simple dusting of powdered sugar.
If you’re in the mood for another pastry project, my Apple Turnovers use flaky puff pastry around a cinnamon-apple center, while Galette des Rois wraps almond cream in crisp golden pastry.
For another soft bakery-style bake, try my Chocolate Brioche Buns, or serve these sweet choux puffs beside a mug of Homemade Hot Chocolate.
Table of contents
Ingredients
How to Make Choux Dough
- Bring the water, sugar, salt, and oil to a boil in a saucepan.
- Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously until a thick dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl. Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Add them gradually to the dough, mixing well between additions. Stop when the dough is smooth, glossy, pipeable, and falls from the spoon in a thick “V” shape. Depending on the size of the eggs, you may not need every drop.
- Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Pipe small mounds of dough, spacing them apart so they have room to puff.
- Brush the tops lightly with beaten egg to help them bake up golden.
- Bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 25 minutes, or until the choux puffs are fully risen, crisp, and deeply golden. Avoid opening the oven during the first 20 minutes, as a sudden drop in temperature can cause them to collapse.
- Cool, then dust with powdered sugar before serving.
What Is Choux Pastry
Choux pastry is a cooked pastry dough made by heating liquid and fat, stirring in flour, then beating in eggs before piping and baking. As it bakes, the pastry puffs and forms airy, hollow centers that are ready for cream, pastry cream, or ice cream.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Not cooking the flour mixture long enough on the stove.
- Adding the eggs while the dough is still too hot.
- Adding all the eggs at once instead of gradually.
- Making the dough too runny, which can stop the choux from puffing.
- Opening the oven door too early while baking.
- Underbaking the pastry, which can make it collapse after cooling.
- Filling the choux before it is completely cool.
What To Serve With Choux Pastry
Choux pastry can be filled with whipped cream, pastry cream, vanilla custard, chocolate cream, or ice cream. For a simple finish, dust the cooled puffs with powdered sugar and serve them with coffee or tea.
FAQs
The dough may have been too loose from adding too much egg, or the oven may not have been hot enough when the puffs went in. The finished dough should be smooth and glossy but still thick enough to hold its shape when piped.
Yes. Use a zip-top bag with one corner snipped off, or spoon small mounds of dough onto the baking sheet and smooth them lightly.
Stop when the dough is smooth, glossy, and falls from the spoon in a thick ribbon that forms a “V” shape. If the dough becomes runny, too much egg has been added.
Avoid opening the oven during the early part of baking. A sudden temperature drop can cause the puffs to collapse before their shells have set.
They were likely underbaked. The shells should be deeply golden and dry enough to hold their shape as they cool.
No. Egg wash is optional, but it helps give the puffs a smoother, more golden finish.
More Recipes You Will Like :
Classic Choux Pastry
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a saucepan, bring the water, sugar, salt, and oil to a boil.
- Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously until a thick dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs one at a time until the dough is smooth, glossy, and pipeable.
- Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Pipe small mounds of dough onto the parchment, spacing them apart.
- Beat the remaining egg and brush a thin layer over the tops of the piped dough.
- Bake until the puffs are fully risen and deeply golden.
- Cool, then dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- Stop adding egg once the dough is glossy and falls in a thick “V” ribbon from the spoon; you may not need every drop of the last egg depending on egg size.
- For a richer flavor, swap the oil for an equal amount of melted butter, but watch browning closely.
- Re-crisp baked shells in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5–8 minutes before serving or filling.
- For savory puffs, reduce the sugar and add a pinch of black pepper or grated cheese.
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Let us know how it was!Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
