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? 🤔
Profiteroles look fancy, but this is actually kind of simple. I was impressed!
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.
These are sooo good! They turned out perfect! Total hit at the party! 🥳
Whipping cream until stiff peaks is where I always fail… but this time it finally worked. I used cold cream and didn’t overmix. Profiteroles are officially my new thing.
Yes!! That’s exactly the sweet spot—cold cream and not overmixing. Profiteroles can be so picky 😅 What chocolate sauce did you use—dark or milk?
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!
These were amazing! Perfectly fluffy and the chocolate sauce is heavenly. 5 stars!
These came out super light and crisp—my filling was gone before I even took decent photos. The timing at 20-25 min is key. 5/5!
I followed it pretty closely, but my profiteroles were a bit flat. Not sure if I underbaked or my oven runs cool. Still tasty though.
Oof, flat profiteroles are usually underbaked or steam didn’t “lift” them. I’d try baking a couple extra minutes until they’re really deep golden, and don’t open the oven door early. Also—did you let the choux dough cool just a bit before adding eggs? If it’s too hot, it can mess with the rise.
Mine were flat once bc my oven runs cold 😅 I cranked it to 210°C and added 5 more mins. Also make sure your dough is stiff-shiny and not runny; if it’s too loose, they spread instead of puffin. Still tasted good tho right?
Eh, they were just OK. I prefer donuts. Don’t know why people rave about these.