There are few things in life as delightful as biting into homemade profiteroles! Crispy hollow choux pastry balls filled with custard or cream then drizzled with chocolate, these are a terrific small-bite dessert option for gatherings.
The pastry shells can be made days, even months in advance. And one batch makes almost 50 profiteroles!!
Profiteroles
Profiteroles are a hazard. It is way too easy to inhale an indecent amount in one sitting.
I exaggerate not. Because unlike many desserts, profiteroles seem so light rather than heavy and overly sweet.
Combine that with the fact that they are so small, you can easily swipe one without anyone noticing as you casually stroll past the pile (yet again…), and you don’t even need to break stride as you bite into it. Or better yet, if you can manage the whole thing in one bite…
For the record, I cannot.
I am a Two-Bite-Profiterole gal.
PROFITEROLE PASTRY = CHOUX PASTRY
Those crispy, light as air profiterole balls are called choux pastry balls. It’s French and it’s magical. 4 simple ingredients: butter, water, egg and flour. Mix, pipe (or even dollop), bake.
And whoosh! Those little innocent looking blobs of pastry puff up 5 or 6 times and they’re hollow inside, just begging to be filled with something tasty!
3 parts to profiteroles
Profiteroles are made up of 3 components:
1. The pastry balls (choux pastry) – crispy on the outside, hollow on the inside, ready to be filled with your Filling of choice!
2. Filling – there’s a few options here. Vanilla custard (Creme Patissiere) is the most common here in Australia – piped inside the balls. Cream is also a firm favourite – and also a good quicker filling option to making homemade custard. And then there’s profiteroles in the States which are split then stuffed with ice cream rather than piping a filling in. All are delish, but for me, profiteroles filled with custard will always be my favourite child. 😂
3. Chocolate Sauce – Drizzle or dip the profiteroles in the chocolate sauce. When it’s warm, it’s a chocolate sauce. When it cools, it sets to a soft chocolate – like the chocolate you get on eclairs at bakeries.
What goes in Choux pastry – profiterole pastry balls
Here’s all you need to make Choux pastry – eggs, butter, water and flour.
There’s no baking powder or other rising agent. The thing that makes choux pastry puff up is the large volume of water in the batter which evaporates into steam as it bakes, causing the protein in the egg to expand and puff up
How to make choux pastry – profiterole pastry
Choux pastry is really easy to make, it’s just a little different to the usual cake batters so there’s a couple of things to be aware of:
After mixing the water, butter and flour, remove from the stove to cool for 10 minutes before adding the egg, otherwise the heat will cook the egg and prevent the choux pastry from rising; and
Add the egg one at a time and mix well in between. The dough will split initially, but after a bit of vigorous mixing, it will come together.
Though I’ve used a piping bag for the dough, you can even just use 2 teaspoons to drop little dollops of the dough onto baking trays!
TIP: For nice round profiteroles, pat down any peaks with your finger and even push wonky blobs into nice, even dome shapes. The more even the shape of the blobs, the more round and pro looking your balls will be.
How to bake choux pastry for profiteroles
A key step in making profiteroles is the double bake of the pastry balls. The pastry balls cook through and puff up in the first bake. Then the balls are pierced and returned to the oven for a second bake to dry out the inside.
The reason this is an important step is to prolong the life of the profiteroles once filled with custard or cream. And it’s during the second bake that the balls become fabulously crispy!!
Cool, then pipe in custard or cream, drizzle with chocolate and they’re ready for serving.
Tips to ensure profiterole success
Profiteroles might look tricky and fancy, but they are actually very straightforward to make if you follow just 3 key tips:
1. Cool dough before adding eggs – this is key to ensure the heat from the dough doesn’t cook the eggs and so they incorporate properly when mixed together. The egg is the key to making the Choux pastry rise and become hollow;
2. Mix eggs in thoroughly – the dough will look like it splits when you start mixing the eggs in, but persist! The batter will come together – it needs to be smooth;
3. Don’t pierce until crispy – A key step is to remove the profiteroles partway through baking to pierce a hole in them, then return into the oven. This is to make them dry out and cook inside so they hold their shape (and so it’s not raw batter inside).
But you must ensure you DO NOT pierce them before the outside is crispy, otherwise the ball will collapse when you return it to the oven. The shell should take 15 minutes in a 180°C/350°F oven to become crispy, but if your oven runs a bit weak (or not preheated long enough or you kept door open too long and let heat escape etc etc) then you may need to keep them in for slightly longer.
Watch the recipe video at 57 seconds and you will see that when I puncture a hole in the ball, the surface cracks around the hole, indicating that the shell is crisp.
TOP TIP to ensure success: read the recipe from start to finish, look at the step photos above and watch the short recipe video!
Profiterole troubleshooting
The most common problem that people run into with profiteroles is that they don’t rise, don’t rise enough, are soggy or they collapse – either during the 2nd bake (after puncturing a hole) or after taking them out of the oven.
All these can occur due to the same factors (all of which can be avoided if you follow my recipe as written!!):
Batter is too runny – when you pipe blobs, if it spreads out rather than sitting up (as shown in the step photos above and video below), this means the batter is too runny and therefore the profiterole balls will not rise. The batter can only be too runny if you mis-measured the ingredients. In particular, ensure you are using the correct size eggs;
The eggs were not incorporated properly – when you add the eggs, mix mix mix until the batter is smooth again. If the batter is split, it means the eggs are not mixed in properly = balls won’t rise (because it is the eggs that make profiteroles rise)
Pierced balls before they were crispy – if you pierce the balls before they are crispy and can hold their shape, then they will collapse during the second bake;
Forgot to pierce!! If you do not pierce the balls, then the inside will never cook / dry out. Soggy insides = collapsed profiteroles.
MAKE AHEAD –> TAKE TO GATHERINGS
All the components can be prepared ahead separately then assembled closer to serving. The pastry balls can even be made months in advance and stored in the freezer. Just a few minutes in a cranked up oven is all that’s required to make the shells crispy again!!!
Imagine being the person who brings a pile of profiteroles like this to a gathering….
The praise! The flattery! You will steal the show!! 😂
Truthfully though, I took profiteroles on a weekend away with friends recently. And what I described above ↑↑↑ is exactly how I did it. I took a giant container filled with the balls, a piping bag filled with the custard and the chocolate sauce in a tub.
Then I crisped the shells in the oven very briefly. Piped in the custard, warmed the chocolate, drizzled it over then served.
I swear I wasn’t trying to steal the show. I swear I wasn’t trying to show off. I just wanted to share these with my friends! 😂 ~ Nagi x
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Sometimes it helps to have a visual, so watch me make these Profiteroles! {Note: Separate video for custard will be published tomorrow}
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Profiteroles
Ingredients
Choux Pastry (profiterole pastry balls):
- 100g / 7 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup flour , plain / all purpose
- 4 large eggs 55 – 60g / 2 oz each (weight with shell), at room temperature
- Pinch of salt
Filling Options (choose one):
- Vanilla custard (Creme Patissiere) (below)
- Ice cream (Note 1)
- Whipped cream (Note 2)
Thick Custard Filling (Creme Patissiere):
- 4 egg yolks (Note 5 for using leftover whites)
- 1/4 cup white sugar , caster / superfine
- 3 1/2 tbsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 2 1/3 cups milk , full fat best
- 1/4 cup extra white sugar , caster / superfine
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract or essence)
Chocolate Sauce (Note 3):
- 250g / 8 oz dark chocolate (or US semi-sweet)
- 1 cup cream
Instructions
- Simmer butter & water: Place butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When mostly melted, add water then bring to a rapid simmer.
- Add flour: While liquid is simmering, add flour and pinch of salt, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon (still on stove) until the dough forms sort of a ball and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan (see video). About 1 minute.
- Cool: Remove from heat and let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 220°C/420°F (200°C fan).
- Prepare trays: Lightly grease 2 large or 3 standard baking trays with butter, then line with paper. (Grease stops paper sliding)
- Add egg into cool dough: Add 1 egg into batter, beat until combined. Add remaining eggs one at a time making sure each is combined before adding the next. Dough should be like a thick paste (see video).
- Transfer to piping bag: Place dough into a piping bag fitted with a 13 – 15mm round tip (1/2 – 3/5").
- Pipe blobs: Pipe 2 tsp blobs 5cm/2" apart (I do 16 on each tray). Makes 40 – 50 blobs.
- Pat down peak: Wet your finger with water and pat down any peaks to form domes (for nice round balls).
- Bake 2 trays at a time for 15 minutes, switching the trays halfway.
- Remove from oven, reduce heat to 180°C/35°0F (160°C fan). They should be crispy enough that when pierced, they will not collapse – if not, return to oven for 3 minutes.
- Pierce balls with knife then return to oven for 5 – 7 minutes until golden and crispy.
- Cool & fill: Transfer to rack, cool fully before filling with custard, cream or split then fill with ice cream. Drizzle with chocolate and serve!
Chocolate topping:
- Place cream and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Microwave 4 x 30 seconds, stirring in between, until incorporated. Cool to warm, then use for drizzling or dipping.
Custard filling:
- Whisk yolks and sugar, then whisk in cornflour.
- Place milk, vanilla and extra sugar in a saucepan over medium high. Heat until just before simmering.
- Whisk in 1/4 cup hot milk into egg mixture. Whisk in another 1/4 cup. Then add remaining milk mixture and whisk.
- Pour back into saucepan. Return to stove on medium low (low for strong stoves). Whisk constantly 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture thicks to a thick dolloping custard consistency.
- Remove from heat immediately, pour into bowl. Press cling wrap onto surface (stops skin forming) then refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours until set. Do not whisk again once set (loses thickness).
- Spoon into piping bag fitting with a very fine nozzle. Then pipe into profiteroles (use the hole pierced during bake, or make a new hole).
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
His giant paws fit perfectly in my size 6 thongs……
Well, I am a Gemini child of two natures and my ‘healthy food’ part has just turned away 🙂 !! Love making choux pastry for profiteroles or éclairs and seem to have a knack to get it right. . . and have always loved making these ‘for friends’ ! Custard usually ! ( Hmmm! Have to laugh that Americans still get ‘our’ beloved thongs wrong !!!! )
I KNOW!!! I read those messages and laughed out loud!!
Oh dear. When I read “His giant paws fit perfectly in my size 6 thongs” I thought what???
I had visions of Dozer with his paws in a pair of you knickers until I saw the pic and found his paws in what we in the UK call Flip-Flops. Thongs here are skimpy pair of ladies underwear similar to a G-string. LOL!!!
Certainly made me laugh. xx
BA HA HA!!! It didn’t even occur to me – but now it’s EVEN FUNNIER!! 😂
Hi Nagi, I got so excited reading your recipe for profiteroles this morning and can’t wait for the custard recipe tomorrow. I just wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you for all the wonderful recipes and videos you send out so regularly. I served my dinner guests your chocolate cream pie (second time) this week and they all loved it. Your chow mein has become a regular item on our menu here as well, and your strawberry icecream (or mango) is a great favourite. Love & cheer.
YIKES! I totally forgot to make the video yesterday 😩 I’m so sorry Lynne! Will put it up this weekend 🙂 PS Custard recipe is in the recipe for profiteroles, I just haven’t done the video! N x
I’ll have to show my Mom these N! She use to make these yrs ago for her Mom. She got woke up every Saturday morning…when she wanted to sleep in and had to make them every week! Only her…not her 3 sisters! So when she got married that was the only thing she has never made again. I even tried to get her to make them with me…she just laughed and mumbled some bad words! 😂
I have bought some frozen in a container and ate them frozen b4 thawing!
These I could eat one right after another! I’ll have to make some of these soon and bring some over my parents house…then say there I made my own. 😂
I bet chocolate cream would be so fantastic in the middle of them!
Bahaha! When you said you put thongs on Dozer, I thought you meant panties at first…not flip flops! 😂 J x
YOU DID NOT!! You ate them FROZEN???!!!
Yup, I sure did! 😇😄😂
Oh he’s so cuute (typical – comment on Dozer first). I have always been put off making these – but I will now – my Boxing Day dessert – sorted. Love the pic of Dozer as a puppy -puppy smell gets me every time! 😉
Boxing Day dessert!!! With the cricket on TV??!😂
You know MY family – such a tradition !!! 🙂
Nagii can make eclairs by using this pastry ryt?
Yes! It’s the same dough 🙂 I popped the directions in the recipe notes. Maybe I should publish the full recipe! N x
Thankuuu Nagiii😊😊
These are old favorites! Love these things, and their distant cousin, Boston Cream Pie. If there is chocolate and custard or whipped cream involved, I’m all in! So good!
Boston Cream Pie?? I know not of that! Googling!
I’ll bet you were surprised that Boston Cream Pie is a cake! Doesnt make sense, but that’s the way it is.
these look amazing Nagi!!! I’ve always wanted to make profiteroles but they’ve always looked so hard, you make it look like a breeze!
I was pretty surprised how easy they are too!!
Omgosh! I used to make these often as a teenager, for our family of 7…over 50 years ago. What an *awesome* memory! I haven’t made them since I left home all those years ago…that will change very soon. 🙂 I used to fill them with whipped cream as it was readily available and little cost at that time.
😀 I was Lucky! to get one before they were gone! Love it!!
Dozer is perfection no matter what he’s wearing. But the flip flops are special touch! 😀 😀
Your lucky, lucky family!!! N x
I’d first made these as a teen, too. I’d used an old cookbook recipe and they came out great, and only later discovered that a lot of people had seemed intimidated by the very idea of making these! I was glad I hadn’t known that, because I might have been intimidated if I had, but Instead had enjoyed making them and had thought they’d been fun and pretty easy to make. And, so worth it, too! My favorite is custard filled, but I’ve often filled them with whipped cream also. Sometimes, skip the chocolate on the whipped cream filled ones, and dust them with confectioner’s sugar, making them cream puff style. There is no such thing as a bad version of these, and they Always disappear in a flash!
OMG WHAT A WAY TO WAKE UP!! Ice cream, custard, chocolate that’s bit too much. You are keen and full of energy. Dozer not interested. Over here cold last night 12 C, thunder, lightning, heavy rain. Today is Oaks day, Lady’s day usually windy and hats are flying off. TOMMOROW more rain which is good did not have for long time.. Garde , birds are Happy HOPE YOU ARE TOO!!.
You crack me up Vera!!! How are you feeling>>>
Hi Nagi, hello Dozer, thanks for asking am better bit by bit day by day. Having neighbours visits and help. This Am had Drs visit and I went and shop spend money I didn’t have am sick of paying bills and more bills. Melb. Back to cold serious cold last night had heating going on and today moden half day. Monday will be hot, Tuesday humid showers hot night and in two days back to 09 C mornings. Ok that’s all so what’s cooking GOOD LOOKING!! Cheerio, Vera.
Is there a filling so this can be used as an appetizer? Your recipes for sweets are very tempting for a non sweet eater!!!
Gosh yes! I love all those suggestions from those above. A fancy(ish) one is Shrimp Cocktails / Prawn Cocktails (see recipe on my site) which I chop up into small pieces, use the same sauce, then I pile it into these (split in half). Also I do DIPS! I love any dips in these – but especially smoked salmon dip, corn dip (it’s SO GOOD), even good ole’ cheese and bacon dip 🙂 I love the idea of doing some non sweet appetiser options using this pastry…. hmm…. the mind wanders….
chicken salad works fine too. Walnuts or pecans are a good addition to the salad as well
Lobster, crab, or shrimp salad would work. I’d even use them split for a Lobster Newburg, but lots of things would work well with these.
That pic of Dozer takes the cake – NO, the profiteroles! Too cute!
😂😂😂
Nagi,
These have been put on my short list of must-bakes. LOVE the pic of Dozer! Where on earth did you find doggie flip-flops?😉
They’re MINE!!! 😂😂😂
Hi Nagi! Profiteroles are my absolute favorite obsession! I learned how to make them in 7th grade home economics class. Custard is a must for me; my ex mother in law used to put instant vanilla pudding in hers YUCK! Now I want a platter of them!!
Your economics class sounds like way more of a blast than MINE was….😂😂
These are one of my favorite things (and one of my 300 favorite desserts, LOL). I like to add espresso powder to the milk to make them mocha. So delicious with the chocolate! Just add to the powder to taste, but make sure it’s strongly flavored or the coffee will be overwhelmed by the pastry.
Dozer is so glam in those gold flip-flops.
Oooh yum!!! Mocha profiteroles!!!
OMG, Nagi! I LOVE these things and I can also eat an “indecent amount”. LOL!.
Can you make the custard and then fold in whipped cream to make the filling? I like a more whipped cream filling, but like a little custard too.
I laughed when I saw Dozer wearing your “thongs”. (Here in the States thongs are panties) LOL!
Ooh I never thought of that!!! I guess to do that you could split them, add a dollop of custard then cream then top with lid. Fully loaded profiteroles! 😂
I have to laugh, cause I live in the US, but I am in my early 70’s and we always called flip-flops “Thongs”, until the name for them switched to being panties, go figure.
NOW IT’S EVEN FUNNIER!!! But believe me, you do NOT want to see Dozer in a pair of thongs…
We always called them thongs in this part of the US too. I can recall some people calling them Zories too, but I think that had been a popular brand name of thongs.
Didn’t even occur to me when I wrote that… and now it’s even FUNNIER!! 😂
Nagi, these look devine!!! I can’t wait to try this recipe. Love Dozer in his flip flops!
MY flip flops. MINE!!! 😂😂😂
LOL!!! 🙂
These look soooo goood!! Cant wait to try 🙂
try them try them!! N xx
Hi Nagi, I just wanted to say you have such a wide variety of different recipes from different cultures. It is easy to follow and you are indeed a true chef !! Thank you for sharing your talent with all of us. True fan !
Oh no, I’m not a chef!! I’m just a home cook 🙂 I just love cooking and I love the challenge of getting recipes “right” and I really enjoy documenting to show how to make them!! Thank you for your lovely message Marie! N x