Profiteroles (Choux Pastry Recipe) with Chocolate Topping
Profiteroles are made from classic French choux pastry dough, and are super easy to make. Profiteroles can be filled and decorated in a variety of ways, both sweet and savoury. The pastry can also be used to make eclairs.
Who doesn’t love profiteroles when filled with a lusciously light pastry cream flavored with a liqueur and topped with a deep, dark chocolate ganache?
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If you love the sound, and like the look of what you see above, you need to make this recipe. It’s seriously easy to make choux pastry, and with my step by step instructions, the filling and chocolate sauce are decidedly simple, too. Profiteroles may sound scary, but they’re so simple to make, there’s really nothing to be afraid of! They also happen to be perfect for Valentine’s Day!
What are Profiteroles?
Profiteroles are a pastry which originated in France and made from only four ingredients, water, butter, flour and eggs. The pastry is made on the stove top and then baked in the oven. Due to the fact that there’s no sugar in the pastry, they can be filled with savoury or sweet fillings. Cream puffs are the English equivalent to profiteroles.
Love French pastries? You need to check out my pal, Jill’s cookbooks!
Mad About Macarons & Teatime in Paris
Do I Need a Piping Bag and Tips to Make Profiteroles?
Absolutely no special equipment, such as piping bags and tips are necessary to make profiteroles. You can spoon them straight onto a lined baking tray using a tiny espresso spoon up to a large serving spoon.
Check out my cake decorating tutorial which requires no piping bag, as well.
If you would prefer to pipe the pastry, you may do so. These zeppole di San Giuseppe, which are traditionally made for Father’s Day in Italy (St Joseph’s Day, the 19th of March) are often piped in this manner.
Can I Freeze Profiteroles?
While it’s possible to freeze profiteroles with the filling and chocolate topping,
I recommend freezing them unfilled, if you must freeze them.
Once you remove them from the freezer and defrost them, it’s best to crisp them up in an air fryer or put them in a convection oven to dry/crisp them at the lowest temperature. Then you can fill and top them just before serving.
Profiteroles (Choux Pastry Recipe)
classic choux pastry recipe Makes 14
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
Choux Pastry
- water
- butter
- flour
- eggs
Filling
- milk
- vanilla bean
- egg yolks
- sugar
- corn starch
- Grand Marnier
- heavy whipping cream
Chocolate Topping
- dark chocolate
- heavy whipping cream
Make the Choux Pastry
Heat oven to 400ºF.
First prepare the choux pastry, by placing the butter and water in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, until it comes to a rolling boil.
Add all of the flour.
Stir well until a dough forms, then remove from the heat. Continue to stir and allow to cool for a few minutes.
Add one egg and beat vigorously until it is incorporated. Continue in this way with the rest of the eggs, adding one at a time and clearing in between.
When all the eggs are added you will be left with a very sticky, but smooth dough.
Using two spoons, drop spoonfuls of dough (your desired size) onto a lined baking tray. Give them space to expand. (I love to use Silpat baking mats.)
Note: profiteroles will grow much larger than the size you make them, so make them about half the size that you want once they’re baked.
Bake the Profiteroles
Place in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size you made. Turn the tray 180 degrees about 10 minutes before they’re done if they are baking unevenly (I need to do this). Turn off the oven and leave them inside another 10 minutes or so.
Remove them from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
Make the Filling
Make one recipe of real, homemade custard (recipe card below) using only 6 oz of milk, so the end result is much more thick. Once the custard is made and chilled, add the Grand Marnier and stiffly beaten whipping cream. Fold in gently until the mixture is evenly combined. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. This will keep in the fridge for about two days, so this can be made ahead.
Make the Chocolate Topping (When Ready to Assemble)
Melt the chocolate into the cream and stir until smooth. Remove from heat so the topping doesn’t get too hot/runny.
Assemble the Profiteroles
Start by cutting each profiterole in half, almost all the way through, then remove the uncooked dough inside if there is any to remove. Spoon some filling into each pastry.
Top with the chocolate ganache.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve (best served within a few hours).
You can also keep them unadorned and serve them with the intention of pouring the chocolate sauce topping on upon serving them. This is like a dessert my cousin Denisa and I bought at Marks and Spencer many years ago for a family reuinion. It was in a larger acrylic bowl and was partially filled with chocolate mousse. It was topped with cream filled profiteroles with a chocolate ganache topping!
I remember distinctly that my cousin also poured double cream on top of this delectable treat and I thought I’d died and gone to heaven! I hope this recipe inspires you to try your hand at making profiteroles! Remember you can fill them with anything you like, sweet or savoury!
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Profiteroles (Step by Step Recipe) with Chocolate Topping
Ingredients
Profiterole Pastry:
- 8 Tbsp butter (good quality)
- 8 oz water
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 4 eggs (at room temperature)
Filling:
- 1 recipe's yield of Homemade Custard (printable card below using all the same ingredients, but reduce the milk to ¾ cup/ 175 ml)
- 6 oz heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp Grand Marnier liqueur
Chocolate Glaze (optional):
- ¼ cup dark chocolate
- 1 ½ oz heavy whipping cream
Alternative Topping
- ¼ cup Confectioner’s sugar (as needed)
Instructions
Make the Choux Pastry:
- Heat oven to 400ºF.
- First prepare the choux pastry, by placing the butter and water in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, until it comes to a rolling boil.
- Add all of the flour.
- Stir well until a dough forms, then remove from the heat. Continue to stir and allow to cool for a few minutes.
- Add one egg and beat vigorously until it is incorporated. Continue in this way with the rest of the eggs, adding one at a time and clearing in between.
- When all the eggs are added you will be left with a sticky, but smooth dough.
- Using two spoons, drop spoonfuls of dough (your desired size) onto a lined baking tray. Give them space to expand.
Bake the Profiteroles:
- Place in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size you made. Turn the tray 180 degrees about 10 minutes before they're done if they are baking unevenly (I need to do this). Turn off the oven and leave them inside another 10 minutes or so.
- Remove them from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
Make the Filling:
- Make the custard recipe below, using only ¾ cup (175 ml) of milk. When it is made and chilled, add the Grand Marnier and stiffly beaten whipping cream.
- Fold in gently until the mixture is evenly combined. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. (This will keep in the fridge for about two days, so this can be made ahead.)
Make the Chocolate Topping (When Ready to Assemble):
- Melt the chocolate into the cream and stir until smooth.
- Remove from heat so the topping doesn't get too hot/runny.
Assemble the Profiteroles:
- Start by cutting each profiterole in half, almost all the way through, then remove the uncooked dough inside if there is any to remove.
- Spoon some filling into each pastry.
- Top with the chocolate ganache. Place on plate and keep in fridge until ready to serve (best served within a few hours). You can also keep them unglazed and serve them with the intention of pouring the chocolate glaze topping on upon serving them.
Notes
- Profiteroles will grow much larger than the size you make them, so make them about half the size that you want once they're baked.
- You can also keep them unadorned and serve them with the intention of pouring the chocolate glaze topping on upon serving them.
- Unique dessert idea: my cousin Denisa and I bought this dessert at Marks and Spencer many years ago for a family reuinion. It was made in a larger, clear, acrylic bowl and was partially filled with chocolate mousse. It was topped with cream filled profiteroles with a chocolate ganache topping! Spectacular!
Nutrition
Pastry Cream Recipe (Crema Pasticcera)
Ingredients
- 4 egg yolks organic
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 3 Tbsp potato starch (if using corn starch add 1 extra tsp)
- 1 pinch salt
- 14 oz milk
- 1 tsp vanilla or ½ tsp pure vanilla powder or paste
Instructions
- Place the egg yolks into a medium sized pot (off the heat).
- Add the sugar and potato or corn starch, salt and whisk together until uniform.
- When the mixture is smooth, place the pot on the stovetop. Begin pouring in the warm milk whilst whisking. Turn the heat on to medium.
- Continue whisking and gradually increase the heat. The pastry cream will thicken as it heats up.
- When the mixture comes to a boil, let it cook for about 3 minutes then remove from the heat. Add the vanilla and keep stirring as it cools so that it doesn't form a skin. Move into a large bowl and set the bowl into a larger bowl with ice water (if you need to cool it quickly), then refrigerate covered until completely chilled.
- Use as desired.
Notes
- If you want a lighter version of this pastry cream, whip 4 oz (120 ml) of heavy whipping cream until stiff and then fold into the chilled pastry cream.
- You can add more or less cream to your liking, and also add a little sugar to the cream when whipping (I prefer it without).
- Adding a tablespoonful of Grand Marnier (at the end) makes a lovely addition, too.
- Pastry cream can be kept refrigerated for 1 or 2 days, but must be consumed promptly once the pastries are filled.
Nutrition
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I will make the Profiteroles this week for my daughter in law as requested! Reminds me of eclairs 🤷🏻♀️. Thanks for the detailed photos in the instructions. Very nice.
I noticed the recipe card omitted instructions to fill the center with pastry cream or your choice of ingredient. It should be included after remove the unbaked center. In step 1 in Assembling. Thanks! Love the porcelain coddler! I only make soft boiled eggs because I don’t have one😋
Ooh, thank you Shirley! I missed that step in the recipe, but it was in the main part of the post! Fixed and good luck to you!
These would go great with espresso made in a beautiful Bialetti moka coffee pot! I love this recipe!
These would go great with an espresso, made a Dolce & Gabbana Moka pot.
These woils go great with an espresso!
I love filled choux, and custard…cannot WAIT to try this. Diet be d*mned!
My favorite way to eat eggs is poached with corned beef hash…hope I win the cooker!!
I wanted to enter your giveaway, so I clicked on the egg recipes. I was worried about choosing my favorite way to prepare eggs, because I do not normally like them. However, eggs incorporated into a dessert are just great. This recipe looks amazing.
i made this recipe today. A flop. why did the butter leak out of dough when baking…also did not rise and was raw inside
Hi Berenice, sorry to hear this. This recipe is the basic recipe for choux pastry, so it’s not due to the recipe. It sounds like you added the eggs too soon (you have to let the dough cool a little before adding them).
This reminds me so much of my mother — it was one of her favorite desserts, though she filled them with vanilla ice cream. Personally, I think your pastry cream would be my preference!
Aww, that’s lovely, David. Yes, ice cream is another wonderful option!