Profiteroles are a beloved French dessert that combines crisp, airy pastry shells with rich fillings and indulgent toppings. These delicate cream puffs are made from choux pastry, filled traditionally with sweetened whipped cream, pastry cream, or vanilla ice cream, and topped with a luscious chocolate ganache or caramel glaze.
The base of profiteroles is pâte à choux (choux pastry), a unique dough that’s cooked on the stovetop before being piped and baked. To make it, water, butter, and a pinch of salt are boiled together, then flour is added and stirred vigorously to form a smooth ball. After cooling slightly, eggs are beaten in one at a time until the dough reaches a glossy, pipeable consistency.
Once piped into small rounds on a baking sheet, the dough puffs up beautifully in the oven, creating hollow centers perfect for filling. The shells should be golden brown and crisp, with a light and airy texture inside. After baking, allow the puffs to cool completely before filling.
The fun begins with the filling and toppings. Classic profiteroles are filled with cold vanilla ice cream and stacked into towers or served in bowls, then generously drizzled with warm chocolate sauce. For a more traditional patisserie-style, you can fill them with sweetened whipped cream or flavored pastry cream. Use a piping bag fitted with a small tip to neatly fill the center of each puff.
Top them with a silky chocolate ganache made from melted chocolate and heavy cream. You can also dust them with powdered sugar or drizzle caramel for extra flair.
Profiteroles are not only elegant but also incredibly versatile. They make a stunning dessert for dinner parties, holidays, or special occasions. Plus, both the pastry shells and ganache can be made ahead, making them surprisingly convenient for entertaining.
Light yet rich, crisp yet creamy, profiteroles deliver a perfect balance of textures and flavors in every bite. Once you master the choux, the possibilities are endless!
Ingredients
- 120 ml water room temperature
- 60 g unsalted butter cut into cubes
- 75 g all-purpose flour sifted
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 300 ml whipping cream for filling
- 100 g chocolate for sauce, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a saucepan, bring the water and butter to a boil over medium heat.
- Add the flour all at once, stirring constantly, until the mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Gradually beat in the eggs until the dough is smooth and shiny.
- Spoon or pipe small mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
- Let cool on a wire rack. Meanwhile, whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
- Once cooled, slice open each profiterole and fill with whipped cream.
- Top with melted chocolate and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Easy to make if ya follow the instructions. My kids helped and it was fun! Will make again.
Sounds like a great time! I love that your kids helped. Cooking together is the best!
Why do they call them PROFITrolls? Sounds like a scam with that name, haha. But seriously, they taste great!
Haha, right? The name is kinda weird but they are so yummy! I could eat a whole batch in one sitting!
I don’t think they turned out right. The dough was too runny and they didn’t puff up properly. Maybe I did something wrong?
I don’t really understand the hype. They were okay, but I’ve had better desserts. Meh.
These were a hit at my party! So light and fluffy, everyone loved them! Definitely a 5/5 from me!
Delicious, but too sweet for me with all that cream and chocolate. I’ll try with less next time.
So fancy! I felt like a pro chef, but mine were a bit tough, maybe I overbaked them? 🤔
These are the best things ever! I made them for my party and everyone loved them! 😍
I wish I would’ve used more cream. They needed a little extra filling.
Too complicated for me. I just wanted something quick. Ugh.
Complicated? It’s not that hard! Just follow the steps. You’ll impress everyone!
I get it! Sometimes you just want something easy. Maybe try a pre-made puff pastry instead?
Seems easier than it looks, but I’m still skeptical. 🤔
This recipe is super easy if you follow the steps! My fam loved them! 💖
So glad to hear that! They are my family’s favorite too! 😍
Deliciousness alert! My family loved them. Took a while but sooo worth the effort!
Eh, they were just OK. I prefer donuts. Don’t know why people rave about these.
Profiteroles? More like profita-yawwwn! Not very exciting, but my kids liked them.
Baked these last night, and they were a hit! The chocolate sauce is a must!
I tried this recipe and it turned out flat. What did I do wrong? They looked nothing like the picture.
Profiteroles are like, super easy and fun! Kids loved them, we made a mess but it was worth it!
How can anyone think these are hard? Just follow the steps! It’s so easy if you keep your head in the game!
I completely agree! I made these in no time! Just need to stick to the steps and it’s perfect. Can’t believe people find it hard! 🤷♀️
Easy?? I tried and it was a mess. What’s a ‘room temperature’ butter? Ain’t that the same as sitting out? I dunno. Not for me. 😩
I dunno, mine came out flat. After I mixed the eggs, they just didn’t puff up like I thought they would. What went wrong?
Can you use margarine instead of butter? Asking for my cooking-challenged friend.
Yeah, you can use margarine if that’s what you have! It might change the flavor a bit, but it should still work for the dough. Just don’t expect it to be exactly the same as butter.
These are amazing! I’ve made them twice already and they never fail to impress. Easy to follow too!
They look great but this is too much work for a snack! Who has time for all those steps? 🤷♂️
Um, how much cream do we mix in? I might have missed it or something. Still gonna try though!
Wait, so you don’t add cream to the dough? I thought it was mixed in like a cake.
The cream is for filling! About 300 ml. You mix that in after baking.
Absolutely delicious! These are the best profiteroles I’ve ever had! 🥳
They are good, but I feel like mine didn’t come out right. The dough was too runny. 🤔
I’m glad you loved them! These little treats are amazing, aren’t they? 🎉
Profiteroles are French diplomacy! 😂 They are classic and fancy.
I tried making these but they turned out flat. What did I do wrong?
what do you mean bake it for 20-25 min? i just burned mine! 😡