Name: Bacon Garlic Gougères
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 7 slices bacon (minced); 4 medium garlic cloves (minced); ⅓ cup unsalted butter (cup into pieces); 1 cup water; 1 cup all-purpose flour; 3 large eggs; 6 ounces Gruyere cheese (grated); 1 large egg yolk

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Loaded with Gruyère cheese and bacon in every bite, these Bacon Garlic Gougères are bite-sized cheese puffs that make a quick and easy appetizer. They’ll be a hit with everyone because who doesn’t love bacon and cheese?!

Bacon Garlic Gougères lined on a baking sheet with a cream and green cloth napkin to the side.

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An Easy, Cheesy Appetizer

These Bacon Garlic Gougères will become your new favorite snack. They are full of cheesy goodness with bits of bacon and garlic speckled throughout. The inside is light and airy and they are just darn right irresistible.

I’ve worked pâte à choux before in profiteroles and cream puffs. But I have never used it to make a savory snack until now.

Stumbling upon Gougères was like stumbling upon gold! They’re light, so eating a few doesn’t feel excessive and the flavor is completely snack-able. These definitely have a “can’t have just one” vibe going on.

The best part is you can make them and store them in the freezer. This is perfect for when you need a quick snack.

What Are Gougères?

Gougères are French cheese puffs, made with the same dough as cream puff pastries. They’re typically filled with cheese and are light, fluffy, and savory. You can serve them as an appetizer or snack, and they pair well with a glass of wine or champagne.

Bacon Garlic Gougères stacked on a baking sheet.

What You’ll Need

These savory gougères are made with just 7 ingredients.

Bacon – Mince the bacon into small pieces so there’s a little bit in every bite.
Garlic – You can use more or less garlic according to your preference but since there aren’t many flavors in these cheese puffs, I recommend using a decent amount.
Unsalted butter – Cut the butter into small pieces.
Water
All-purpose flour
Eggs – You’ll need 3 eggs plus an extra yolk.
Gruyere cheese – Grating your own Gruyere cheese here is a must. If you don’t have Gruyere, cheddar, fontina, and gouda are all good alternatives.

How to Make Bacon Garlic Gougères

While the name may be fancy, the method to make these cheese puffs is not.

A wooden spoon stirring pate choux dough.

Cook the bacon. Fry the minced bacon until almost crisp then add in the garlic. Drain and set aside.

Bacon and cheese being stirred into a pate choux dough.

Bacon garlic gougeres dough in a pot being stirred

Make the pate choux dough. Bring the butter and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Once the butter is fully melted, remove from the heat and stir in the flour.

Return to medium heat and stir vigorously, until the mixture forms a ball. Continue cooking until a dry film forms on the bottom.

Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, making sure the first one is incorporated before adding the next. Then stir in the grated cheese and bacon.

Bake. Use a cookie scoop to drop mounds of batter on the baking sheets. Gently roll each mound into a ball. Place them 2 inches apart.

Brush the egg wash over the tops of each one. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until puffed up and golden brown.

Typically you’d pipe choux pastry with plastic bags and a nozzle. I find these to be difficult to pipe due to the bits of bacon. They clog the hole or burst out, ruining the look of the pastry. It’s just easier to scoop the dough with a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop.

front closeup of Bacon Garlic Gougères lined on a baking sheet.

Tips for Success

Here are a few of my favorite tips for making these French cheese puffs.

How to tell when gougères are done. When you remove them from the oven, they should be dry and sound hollow.
Adjust the size. If you prefer smaller gougères, simply divide each dough ball in half. Pay close attention as they bake because small puffs may require a shorter baking time.
Make the dough in advance. If desired, you can make the dough up to 4 hours in advance. Then you can just scoop the dough onto the baking sheet (or even do that in advance) and pop them in the oven right before you want to eat them, to ensure you get them warm and while the cheese is still gooey.

Gougères Variations

Once you have this savory pate choux dough down, you can take these cheese puffs and run with them. You can add any spices or cheese you like.

Parmesan, sharp cheddar, and even bleu cheese can be used. A mix of cheeses would work too.

Instead of bacon, try chopped ham or ground sausage.

Front close up view of Bacon Garlic Gougères stacked on a baking sheet.

Serving Suggestions

Gougères are best served warm, though they can be served at room temperature as well.

Bacon garlic gougères make a great party appetizer, especially as they seem so light when you bite into them. Besides, who doesn’t love cheese and bacon?

They can also be added to charcuterie boards and make a light snack to serve with drinks as well.

How to Store Extras

How to store homemade cheese puffs. Baked gougères can be stored at room temperature for 24 hours. They can also be frozen for up to a month. For either option, ensure they have cooled completely before transferring them to a ziploc bag.
How to reheat. I like to reheat the gougères at room temperature as well as from frozen. At room temperature, reheat in the oven for 5-8 minutes. Increase the time for frozen gougères to 8-10 minutes.

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