A classic and foolproof recipe for Profiteroles served with a vanilla pastry cream and drizzled with a decadent chocolate ganache. Recipe with step-by-step photos.
Profiteroles with Chocolate Ganache
If I had to name one dessert as my “desert island dessert”, it would probably have to be profiteroles. It seems most people are abuzz with French macarons these days (which I also adore) but, to me, the profiterole is what encapsulates a typically French dessert.
What are Profiteroles?
Profiteroles are small choux buns filled with a sweet pastry cream and covered with a decadent chocolate sauce.
In the US, they are commonly referred to as cream puffs.
Profiteroles Filling
Growing up in Australia, the profiteroles which I ate from the local French cake shops were typically filled with a vanilla custard and coated in chocolate.
However, when I first ate profiteroles in France (where it is commonly offered on most bistro menus), I was surprised to discover that, first, it was about the size of a small hamburger and, second, that it was filled with vanilla ice-cream.
My husband is French and he insists that profiteroles are only ever served with ice-cream; those which contain a vanilla custard are simply a choux bun.
And this has turned out, even until today, to be quite a contentious topic between us. Are profiteroles meant to be served with vanilla ice-cream or crème pâtissière?
What are Profiteroles Filled with?
It appears that, in France, profiteroles are traditionally only served with vanilla ice-cream and drizzled with dark chocolate sauce (called a chocolate ganache).
Indeed, this has has also been my experience of restaurants in France and other parts of Europe. Even at a meal at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon in Las Vegas, his exquisite profiteroles were served with cold, cold vanilla ice-cream.
For me, this has been a stark change to what I grew up knowing as profiteroles. I actually happen to prefer the custard-filling; I love the soft pastry against the unctuous custard with the bitter contrast of the dark chocolate sauce.
With vanilla ice-cream, the profiteroles are less of a snack and more of a proper, sit-down dessert.
How to Make Profiteroles
The first time I tried my hand at making profiteroles, I was so wowed by my own effort that I quickly forgot the lengthy, yet relatively easy, steps in order to arrive at the finished product.
Making profiteroles requires three components:
- Choux pastry for the profiteroles
- Pastry cream (crème pâtissière or vanilla custard) for the filling
- Chocolate ganache for drizzling over the profiteroles
This is one of those recipes where there are a few components to make, but each one is relatively easy, and they all come together beautifully at the end.
If you decide to make everything on the same day, it might take a few hours as each batch of choux buns will take about 20-30 minutes to bake in the oven. However, you can then make the pastry cream and chocolate ganache during this time.
How to Make Choux Pastry
For detailed instructions on how to make choux pastry (pâte à choux), please see my choux pastry recipe with step-by-step photos.
How to Make Pastry Cream
For detailed instructions on how to make pastry cream (also called crème pâtissière or vanilla custard), please see my crème pâtissière recipe with step-by-step photos.
Profiteroles Recipe
My profiteroles recipe is largely based on that by Nigella Lawson from her baking bible, How to be a Domestic Goddess. Her recipe for choux pastry has, quite frankly, been the only recipe that has ever worked for me, and so I return to it faithfully time and time again.
To turn the choux pastry into profiteroles, simply place the choux pastry mixture into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle.
You can make the profiteroles as big or as small as you like, but just remember to adjust the baking time accordingly.
Bake the choux buns until they are puffed and golden, and they should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Once the choux buns have cooled, they are ready to be filled with the pastry cream. I like to find an opening on the side of the choux buns, but if there are no gaps, simply use a small knife or the tip of a chopstick to poke a hole large enough to fit the nozzle of the piping bag.
Making Profiteroles in Advance
You can get ahead with this profiteroles recipe by making all of the components separately and ahead of time.
The pastry cream can be ahead of time and kept in the fridge for 1-2 days, and even stored directly in the piping bag.
The chocolate ganache can also be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge. To serve, reheat it gently on the stove over medium heat and give it a good whisk if it looks like it is separating.
Although I prefer to make the choux buns on the day of serving, you can make these up to a day ahead and keep them in a covered container. To crisp them up again, gently reheat them in the oven at 150° (350°F) for 5 to 10 minutes. Allow them to cool before assembling them.
Once the choux buns have been filled with the pastry cream, they will start to soften. So you try to fill them only at the last minute.
FAQs
How many profiteroles per person? This depends on how big the profiteroles are, but I recommend 3 to 4 profiteroles per person.
How do you serve profiteroles? I recommend filling the profiteroles just before serving, and serve them with a jug of the warm chocolate ganache for everyone to pour over their profiteroles just before eating.
How far in advance can profiteroles be made? You can make all of the components for profiteroles separately and up to 1 to 2 days in advance.
How far in advance can profiteroles be filled? Profiteroles should be filled at the last-minute just before serving so that the choux buns remain crisp for as long as possible. Once they have been filled, they will start to soften.
How do you store profiteroles? The unfilled choux buns can be kept in an airtight container for 1 to 2 days, and you can crisp them up again by re-heating them in a low oven at 150°C (300°F) for 5 to 10 minutes. Once the profiteroles have been filled, they should be kept in the fridge.
What are profiteroles filled with? Profiteroles can be filled with a thickened custard (pastry cream or crème pâtissière), or split in half and filled with a scoop of ice-cream. Vanilla custard or vanilla ice-cream are the most popular, but chocolate or caramel flavours are also popular.
Why did my profiteroles deflate or collapse? Opening the oven door too soon can cause choux buns to deflate or collapse. Bake them for the suggested amount of time and only open the oven door once they look lovely and golden in colour.
More Choux Pastry Recipes
For other choux pastry recipes, you might like:
Profiteroles with Chocolate Ganache
- Prep Time: 60 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6 to 8
- Category: Desserts
- Cuisine: French
A classic and foolproof recipe for Profiteroles served with a vanilla pastry cream or custard, and drizzled with a decadent chocolate ganache. Recipe with step-by-step photos.
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RateIngredients
For the Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière or Vanilla Custard)
- 250 ml (1 cup) full cream milk (4% fat)
- 250 ml (1 cup) double cream (heavy cream) (35% fat)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 6 large egg yolks
- 100 g (½ cup) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 30 g (4 tablespoons) plain flour (all-purpose flour)
For the Choux Buns (Profiteroles)
- 350 ml (1 ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon) water
- 150 g (1 ⅓ stick) unsalted butter, diced
- pinch of salt
- 200 g (1 ⅓ cup) plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 4 large eggs
For the Chocolate Ganache
- 350 ml (1 ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon) double cream (heavy cream)
- 350 g (12 oz) dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate (or a mix of dark and milk chocolate)
Instructions
For the Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière or Vanilla Custard) (Please see my crème pâtissière recipe with step-by-step photos and cooking tips)
- Pour the milk and cream into a medium-sized saucepan.
- Add the vanilla extract.
- Warm the mixture until it just starts to simmer.
- In a large bowl or jug, beat together the egg yolks and sugar, and then whisk in the flour.
- Slowly pour the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture (not the other way around or else you will have scrambled eggs), whisking as you do so until the custard is smooth.
- Pour this mixture into a clean saucepan and whisk gently over medium heat until the custard thickens. This should take only a few minutes.
- Continue whisking for another 1-2 minutes to allow the mixture to release a few bubbles.
- Pour the custard into a bowl and set aside to cool.
- I recommend covering the bowl with a layer of clingfilm pressed against the custard to stop a skin from forming.
For the Choux Buns (Profiteroles) (Please see my choux pastry recipe with step-by-step photos and baking tips)
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F) (without fan).
- Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- Place the water, butter and salt in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until the butter has melted and the water just begins to boil.
- Take the pan off the heat.
- Add the flour.
- Beat everything together with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together in a dough and comes away from the sides of the pan.
- Tip the dough into the bowl of an electric stand mixer.
- Using the flat paddle attachment, beat the mixture for a few seconds to knock out the air and to cool the dough a little.
- Crack the eggs into a small bowl and, with the mixer on, add one egg at a time and beat until the mixture is thick and smooth. The consistency should be such that it should hold its shape once piped into a ball.
- Fit a 2 cm (1 inch) plain nozzle into a piping bag and pipe little rounds onto the baking tray about 5 cm apart.
- Fill a small cup with water to use to wet your fingertips and press down any pointy tips on the rounds of dough.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes until it is a pale, golden colour.
- To check if the choux buns are cooked, they should sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Remove to a cooling rack and pierce the underside of each choux bun with a pin or cake skewer to let the steam out and to prevent them from becoming soggy.
For the Chocolate Ganache
- Simply melt the cream and chocolate together in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk the mixture together until it is thick and smooth.
- The chocolate sauce should be served warm.
- The sauce will thicken as it cools but it reheats easily.
- If the sauce separates upon reheating, give it a good whisk.
To assemble the Profiteroles
- Fit a piping bag with a small plain nozzle and fill it with the custard or pastry cream.
- Fill the choux buns by inserting the nozzle into an opening; if there is none, simply pierce the buns with the tip of a small knife or chopstick to make way for the nozzle.
- The choux buns are quite hollow inside and will fill easily with the custard, but be careful not to overfill them.
- It is up to you how you wish to serve the profiteroles, but I like to put 3 or 4 filled profiteroles on a plate for each person, and to serve the chocolate sauce in a small jug on the side so that each person can pour over as much or as little as they like.
Kitchen Notes
Variations
To make a Burnt Sugar Custard for the filling, mix together 2 tablespoons of sugar and water, and cook over high heat until the mixture boils and turns a dark brown caramel. Pour this caramel into the warm custard and whisk quickly as you do so to prevent any hard bits of caramel forming. Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a bowl and set aside to cool.
To make a chocolate pastry cream filling, please see my recipe for chocolate crème pàtissière in my recipe for Chocolate Éclairs.
To serve profiteroles the traditional French way, simply omit the vanilla custard. Split the choux buns in half and fill with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Drizzle with chocolate ganache before serving.
Make-Ahead Tips
The choux buns can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container for a few days. However, they will soften overnight. To crisp them up again, reheat them in an oven at 150° (350°F) for 5 to 10 minutes. Allow them to cool before assembling them.
The pastry cream can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for a few days. Cover the bowl with some clingfilm, with the plastic directly on top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming.
The chocolate ganache can also be made ahead of time and reheated gently on the stove before stirring.
OVEN TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website state temperatures for a regular oven (i.e. a conventional oven without fan). If you have a convection oven with a fan, please consult the manufacturer’s handbook on how to adjust the temperature and baking time accordingly.
CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Per serving
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 16g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 29.2g
- Carbohydrates: 30.6g
- Fiber: 2.1g
- Protein: 6.8g
- Cholesterol: 169.2mg
Update
This recipe was first published on 25 August 2011. It has been updated with new photos and more comprehensive recipe notes.
Wonderful post Thanh. Had me chuckling! Oh my word, if my husband made profiteroles for me, I’d think he was abducted by aliens! Excellent man! I have never made or ummm, err..eaten profiteroles either. I am not a huge eclair fan either so perhaps thats what put me off perhaps. However, really, seeing your delicious looking golden pastry globes, I really must try it for myself soon. Love the writing on this one too Thanh….:-))
Thanks, Carrie! Ooh yes, we need to rectify this situation soon and get some profiteroles your way! Though, they taste the same as éclairs … just different shape. Once you’ve tried a proper French éclair filled with crème pâtissière, there’s no going back to those dodgy English ones with whipped cream and crunchy chocolate coating! Incidentally, the éclairs sold in France and Switzerland happen to be how I like my profiteroles (i.e. filled with custard). And the bonus is that the éclairs are bigger than profiteroles! 😉
Delicious!!! This looks wonderful, burnt sugar custard…. I am drooling.
We had a croquembouche as our wedding cake – it was my husband’s only request for that day… That’s how much he loves profiteroles! 😀
I had a distaster with Nigella’s recipe the one time I veered away from my usual one, to this day I do not know why it went wrong, but I’m too scared to revisit it again 🙁
Oh, and I agree with your husband – ice cream with profiteroles 😉
What a lovely post again Thanh – your beautiful photography and styling never fails to amaze me!
Claudine x
Oh thank you, Claudine! 🙂
I remember you mentioning that Nigella’s recipe didn’t work for you. But if you have a tried and trusted recipe, I agree that you may as well stick to it. This is what I often do, to the detriment of trying new recipes. And like your Nigella incident, often when I try a different recipe for the same dish, it either doesn’t work out or doesn’t taste as great. Either way, a total disappointment!
i made these and it is brilliant im only 15 and looking to become a chef
Wow! Not many people attempt profiteroles so I’m very impressed that you gave these a go. Training to become a chef is an aspiring career choice, but be prepared for lots of hard work! All the best with your cooking!
Oh my! Its fantastic! YUM! This looks sooooo good!
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Wise thing to do: marry a guy making profiteroles with ganache from scratch. Lucky you 🙂
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Indeed, lucky me!! 🙂 He also likes to make Gougères, which are savoury cheese puffs, also made from choux pastry. I guess it’s his specialty!
I’m an experienced cook and have made profiteroles perfectly before. Followed everything to the ‘letter’ but sadly the profiterole balls weren’t domed and quite flat. will go back to my old recipe next time 🙁
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Hi Tash,
Sorry to hear that this recipe didn’t work out for you 🙁 There are always lots of variables, so it is hard to pinpoint what went wrong – sometimes the eggs are too big, different types of flour absorb liquid differently, maybe you used a lower heat …
I made your profiteroles on the weekend for my mother-in-law’s birthday and they were beautiful! I also used your recipe for the chocolate pastry cream. I only wish I had made a bigger batch because they disappeared so quickly. Do you think it would be easy make a double quantity of the choux pastry?
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Hi Emily,
So glad everyone enjoyed this profiterole recipe 🙂 Yes, you could double the quantity of choux pastry, but I would then definitely recommend that you use an electric mixer to do the beating, mainly because it will be harder to beat in the eggs with a bigger mixture, and you need to be more careful about getting the pastry to the right consistency. If you are unsure, I would recommend that you make two separate batches. Hope this helps!
My profiteroles turned out quite larger – I must have been more generous with my piping! But I baked them for longer and they turned out beautifully! These were definitely easier to make than I thought. I’m going to try using the recipe to make eclairs next time.
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Fantastic recipe. Everything took a bit of planning but the profiteroles were absolutely worth it. I used milk chocolate for the ganache and it was perfect.
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Excellent recipe. Making the profiteroles was easier than I thought. I served with vanilla ice-cream though. Family loved it!
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This is an excellent recipe for profiteroles. Thank you for the great instructions. The profiteroles required a bit of work but they came together great in the end and tasted wonderful.
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This is an excellent recipe for profiteroles. I’ve made this recipe several times now, and the last time I thought I would try the Burnt Sugar Custard in your notes, just for something different. It was amazing! Your website is just delightful.
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Everything came together perfectly. Excellent recipe! I do have a bit of leftover pastry cream and chocolate ganache, but that is not necessarily a bad thing 😉
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I made these profiteroles for my wife’s birthday and, thanks to your clear steps and photos, I pulled it off magnificently!
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I made these today and they were perfect. I will be making more over the next couple of days to freeze for my husband’s birthday party on the weekend. They are his favorite!
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The profiteroles came out just as pictured. The instructions in this recipe were great!
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Great recipe with excellent instructions. I made the custard a few days in advance, and I made the profiteroles and the chocolate sauce on the day of serving. There are a lot of steps but they are not difficult. I filled the profiteroles just before serving and let everyone pour the chocolate sauce themselves. It was delicious!
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