Profiteroles

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Profiteroles are made from choux pastry baked until puffed and crisp. They are filled with homemade pastry cream and topped with a drizzle of warm ganache.

Profiteroles are one of those desserts that can be finicky. But with my tried and true recipe, you will have success.

Typically choux pasty gets piped but I prefer to scoop the batter with a cookie scoop instead. This yields the most uniform, even pastries. They bake up perfectly.

Once baked and cooled, they are filled with my fool-proof pastry cream that works every time. It is thick yet creamy and full of vanilla flavor.

The filled pastries are topped with a warm chocolate ganache but they work with a caramel drizzle as well.

• The choux pastry bakes up crispy on the outside and hollow on the inside making it perfect for filling.
• The pastry cream filling is thick so you can pipe pretty swirls if you decide to slice open the profiteroles like I did. The other option is to poke a hole and fill the pastries without cutting them.
• Chocolate ganache is the perfect consistency for drizzling. It sets to soft chocolate once cooled and pairs perfectly as a topping.

• Sugar: White granulated sugar is used to sweeten the filling. I haven’t experimented with sugar alternatives so I can’t say how that would turn out.
• Cornstarch: This is the thickener for the pastry cream. I’ve tested flour and hands down prefer cornstarch.
• Milk: Use whole milk. The fat content will make all the difference in your filling.
• Eggs: The filling requires 4 egg yolks while the pastry requires 4 whole eggs. Use the leftover white from the filling to make macaroons.
• Butter: Unsalted butter is used in the pastry. This allows you to control the amount of salt in the recipe.
• Vanilla: I prefer to use vanilla bean paste when it comes to pastry cream but you can use vanilla extract. Just choose pure vanilla for the best results.
• Water: This is the base for the choux pastry.
• Flour: All-purpose flour is what you want to use for the pastry shells. I can’t guarantee the recipe with work with other flours.
• Salt: A little is added to the pastry.
• Chocolate: Semisweet chocolate is my go-to for drizzling over profiteroles.
• Heavy cream: This is warmed with the chocolate to create a luscious chocolate ganache.

Make the Pastry Cream

1. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together in a medium pot.
2. Whisk the egg yolks and milk together in a liquid measuring cup.
3. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the sugar mixture, whisking to combine as you pour.
4. Place the pot over medium heat. Cook until thickened.
5. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla.
6. Press the cream through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
7. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using.

Make the Choux Pastry

1. Add water, butter, and salt to a medium saucepan.
2. Cook over medium-high heat until butter is melted and water is boiling.
3. Add all the flour, stir vigorously until fully combined.
4. Reduce the heat and keep stirring until the mixture forms a ball.
5. Remove from the heat and let cool until just warm.
6. Slowly stir in the eggs mixing well after each addition.
7. Scoop batter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. I like to use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop for this.
8. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes then reduce to 350°F and bake for another 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and hard on the outside.
9. Transfer to a wire rack until completely cooled.

Fill the Pastry Shells

1. Once cooled, cut the profiteroles in half using a serrated knife, creating a base and top hat.
2. Fill the bottom shell generously with pastry cream using a spoon or piping bag.
3. Replace the top hat.

Make the Chocolate Ganache

1. Add the chocolate and cream to a microwave safe bowl.
2. Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until the chocolate is fully melted and mixture is well combined.

Jump to Recipe

• Make sure the dough is cool before adding the eggs. If the dough is too warm, it will cook the eggs. This will ruin the pastry.
• Mix the eggs in thoroughly. The dough will split when you add the eggs but keep mixing and it will come together.
• Don’t remove the pastries from the oven too soon! If they are not crisp and dried out, they will deflate once you remove them from the oven. Make sure they are super golden brown and feel hard when touched.
• Don’t open the oven door until they are finished baking. Opening the door too soon will cause the temperature to drop resulting in collapsed shells.