Chocolate Cream Puff
Who doesn’t love Chocolate Cream Puff? Easier to make than you might think, these bite-sized pastries are filled with a luscious chocolatey filling and are dipped in even more chocolate. Perfect for dessert fans and chocolate lovers, these are too good not to try!
I love Chocolate Cream Puffs. They’re a delicious finish to just about any gathering, and they can be dressed up or down depending on your event. I will pass around a plate of these after dinner with the family, or I’ll plate them up with a dusting of sugar and a sprig of mint for a fancier dinner party.
Chocolate Cream Puff
They’re the perfect dessert. They can be made ahead of time, and they’re well-balanced so that they’re not too sweet. And they’re just the right size. Perfect for someone who wants just a bite of something decadent or nibble on a few if you’ve got a sweet tooth.
Chocolate Cream Puffs
These Chocolate Cream Puffs look much harder than they are to make. Ready in about 45 minutes, you can also prep the filling and the pastry ahead of time and assemble them before serving.
They also look fabulous on a dessert board or buffet, no one can resist this amazing dessert!
Why I love this recipe
- It’s easier than it looks, and much of it can be prepped ahead of time
- The chocolate filling is light, well-balanced, and delicious!
- The crunch from the almonds is the perfect touch, but you can omit this if there are nut allergies.
Gather these ingredients
- Water
- Milk – Whatever kind of milk is in your fridge is fine.
- Butter – Unsalted.
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Eggs
- Heavy whipping cream
- Cocoa powder
- Semi-sweet baking chocolate
- Powdered sugar – Also called icing sugar or confectioners sugar.
How to make this Chocolate Cream Puffs recipe
There’s a bit of technique in making pate a choux, which is the fancy French name for the pastry that makes up the puffs. But don’t worry, I’ll walk you through it.
- Preheat your oven to 350-F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the water, milk, and butter to a small saucepan and turn the heat on to medium to melt the butter.
- Stir in the flour and salt and turn the heat to low. Stir constantly over low heat until the dough forms and starts to pull away from the sides of the pot. Turn off the saucepan and let it cool.
- Transfer the dough to a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and add the eggs, mixing in each egg before adding the next.
- Scoop the dough into a piping bag and pipe mounds of dough onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake the puffs until they are lightly golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and carefully poke a hole in the side of each with a fork or skewer to allow them to vent. Set aside to cool.
- Cut the puffs in half horizontally once they’re cooled. Dip the tops in the prepared chocolate topping and sprinkle the tops with shaved almond slices.
- Pipe the chocolate cream filling into the hollow inside of each puff and carefully place the tops back on. Serve immediately.
Make the chocolate topping
- Heat the heavy whipping cream in a saucepan until it is boiling.
- Roughly chop the baking chocolate and add it to a heat-resistant bowl. Pour the hot cream over the top and whisk until smooth.
Make the chocolate cream filling
- Add the chilled heavy whipping cream to a mixing bowl.
- Whip the cream with a stand or hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Mix in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar to taste.
How to make Chocolate Cream Puffs ahead of time
You can make the pastry puffs up to a few hours ahead of time and just leave them on the counter until you’re ready to fill them. The chocolate filling can also be made ahead of time – just put it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
Tips & substitutions
- When piping the pastry, try to make the mounds all about the same size – about the size of a ping pong ball. They will puff up some.
- How do you know when cream puffs are cooked? If you tap one with a finger, it should sound hollow. They’ll also be golden brown on the bottom.
- Lining a baking sheet with parchment is essential to making cream puffs, otherwise, the dough will stick.
Serving suggestions
Chocolate cream puffs are the perfect dessert. They’re small, cute, and much easier to make than they look. You can serve them as they are or dust them with powdered sugar and add a sprig of mint. A drizzle of chocolate on the plate before adding the puffs can also look really pretty, and who doesn’t like more chocolate?
Storage
Once filled, these chocolate puffs should be eaten immediately.
Check out these awesome chocolate recipes while you’re here
- Old Fashioned Chocolate Ice Cream
- Toffee Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Fudge Brownies
- Ice Cream Puffs
Get the Recipe:
Chocolate Cream Puff
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup milk
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
- 4 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 4 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
- Powdered sugar, to taste
- ½ cup toasted, shaved almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- In a small saucepan, add the water, milk, and butter and heat to medium heat until the butter is melted. Turn the heat down.
- Stir in the flour and salt, continually stirring until mixed.
- Stir the dough for a minute until it pulls away from the sides.
- Transfer the dough to a stand mixer. Beat the dough for a few minutes to cool it down.
- Once the dough has cooled, add in the 3 eggs one at a time. Allow each egg to fully incorporate before adding the next.
- Scoop the dough into a piping bag. Pipe mounds of the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes until the tops are lightly golden brown. Do not open the oven while baking.
- Cream puff shells will form while baking. Remove the cream puff shells from the oven and poke them with a fork to create a small hole in the side to allow them to vent. Set aside to cool.
Make the chocolate topping:
- Heat ½ cup heavy whipping cream until boiling. Chop the baking chocolate and put it in a bowl. Pour the hot cream over top, allow it to sit, and then stir or whisk until smooth.
- Once the cream puff shells are cool, cut them in half horizontally. Dip the tops in the prepared chocolate topping, and set aside. While chocolate is wet and soft, sprinkle all of them with shaved almonds slices. Allow them to set at room temperature.
Make the chocolate cream:
- Pour the remaining 1 ½ cups heavy cream into a mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to whip the cream until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes. Mix in the cocoa powder. Add powdered sugar, if desired, to taste.
- Pipe the bottom shells with chocolate whipped cream and carefully place the top back on.
- Serve immediately.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
