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Light and Fluffy Strawberry Cream Puffs

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A delightful homemade dessert featuring airy choux pastry filled with silky pastry cream and fresh strawberries, perfect for any occasion.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (240 ml) water
  • 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (30 g) cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups (225 g) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
  2. In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
  3. Remove pan from heat and immediately add flour all at once. Stir vigorously until mixture forms a ball and pulls away from the sides, about 1-2 minutes.
  4. Let the dough cool for about 5 minutes to avoid scrambling the eggs.
  5. Beat in eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Dough should be smooth, shiny, and slightly sticky but hold shape when piped.
  6. Transfer dough to a pastry bag or zip-top bag. Pipe 1 1/2-inch mounds spaced 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Wet finger and smooth peaks.
  7. Bake for 15 minutes at 425°F (220°C), then reduce oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake for an additional 20 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Avoid opening oven door during baking.
  8. Remove from oven and transfer puffs to a wire rack. Let cool completely before filling.
  9. To make pastry cream, heat milk in a saucepan until just simmering.
  10. In a mixing bowl, whisk sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch until smooth.
  11. Slowly pour half of hot milk into egg mixture while whisking constantly, then pour mixture back into saucepan with remaining milk.
  12. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and bubbling, about 2-3 minutes.
  13. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla extract until smooth.
  14. Transfer pastry cream to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap pressed on surface, and refrigerate at least 2 hours until cold and firm.
  15. Slice cooled cream puffs in half horizontally. Spoon or pipe chilled pastry cream inside and add sliced strawberries.
  16. Dust with powdered sugar if desired and serve immediately. Refrigerate filled cream puffs up to 4 hours before serving.

Notes

Do not open the oven door during the first 15 minutes of baking to prevent collapse. Cool puffs completely before filling to avoid soggy shells. For ultra-smooth pastry cream, push through a fine mesh sieve. Use almond flour for gluten-free version but expect different texture. Frozen strawberries can be used if thawed and drained well.

Nutrition

Keywords: cream puffs, strawberry cream puffs, choux pastry, homemade dessert, pastry cream, easy dessert, light dessert

Find it online: https://cooksybite.com/light-and-fluffy-strawberry-cream-puffs-recipe-easy-homemade-dessert/