Profiteroles
There are some desserts that instantly feel impressive the moment they land on the table. Profiteroles are absolutely one of them. Light choux buns, filled with vanilla-flecked cream and finished with glossy chocolate, they look like the kind of thing that belongs in a French patisserie window, not something you casually make at home on a Tuesday night.
But here’s the thing. Profiteroles are nowhere near as complicated as their reputation suggests.
They’ve somehow earned this mythical status, lumped in with soufflés and croissants, as something best left to professionals. In reality, profiteroles are built from a handful of basic ingredients, made using one pan, and rely far more on timing and confidence than technical wizardry.
This recipe strips profiteroles back to exactly what they should be. Light, crisp choux pastry. Proper vanilla chantilly cream. A simple, silky chocolate ganache. No unnecessary steps, no cheffy nonsense, and no stress.
If you’ve ever thought, “I could never make those”, this is the recipe that proves you absolutely can.
Why profiteroles feel intimidating (and why they shouldn’t)
Choux pastry scares people. That’s the main issue. It’s different to most baking, there’s no creaming butter and sugar, no rubbing in, no rising agents. You cook the dough first, then add eggs, then bake it and hope it magically puffs up.
That unfamiliarity puts people off.
But choux pastry is actually one of the most forgiving doughs you’ll ever make. There’s no yeast to kill, no delicate lamination, no exact proving times. You don’t even need a mixer. Just a pan, a wooden spoon, and a bit of trust in the process.
Once you understand what’s happening, it becomes almost impossible to mess up.
What makes choux pastry work
Choux pastry rises because of steam, not baking powder or yeast. The high water content turns to steam in the oven, expanding the dough and creating that hollow centre that makes profiteroles perfect for filling.
That’s why two things matter more than anything else:
• Cooking the flour properly on the hob
• Letting steam escape before the final crisping
This recipe nails both, without overcomplicating them.
Cooking the flour briefly removes raw flour taste and creates structure. Cutting a small slit before the final bake lets steam escape so the shells don’t collapse. That’s it. No fancy piping, no weighing eggs to the gram, no panic.
Simplifying without cutting corners
Classic profiterole recipes often overdo it. Piped spirals, egg washes, sugar syrups, elaborate fillings. All of that can be great, but none of it is essential for a perfect profiterole.
This version keeps the technique tight and the flavour front and centre.
The choux buns are crisp on the outside and light inside.
The chantilly cream is rich, but not heavy.
The chocolate ganache is glossy and just bitter enough to balance the sweetness.
Every component does its job. Nothing more, nothing less.
Why chantilly cream is the perfect filling
Chantilly cream is simply whipped cream sweetened with icing sugar and flavoured with vanilla. It’s classic for a reason.
It’s light, smooth, and doesn’t overpower the pastry. Using vanilla bean paste gives you those little black specks and a deeper vanilla flavour without complicating things.
The key is not overwhipping. You want stiff peaks that still look soft and luxurious. Once it starts looking grainy, you’ve gone too far. Stop early, not late.
Chocolate ganache, made easy
Ganache is another thing that sounds more intimidating than it actually is. Hot cream poured over chopped chocolate, stirred until smooth. That’s it.
No boiling, no splitting, no tempering.
Dark chocolate works best here because it balances the sweetness of the cream and pastry. You want contrast. Profiteroles should be indulgent, but not sickly.
You can dip the profiteroles, drizzle the chocolate, or pile them up and pour it over the lot. There’s no wrong answer.
When to serve profiteroles
These are perfect for:
• Dinner parties
• Family get-togethers
• Celebrations
• “I want dessert but can’t be bothered with a cake” moments
They can be made in stages too. Bake the choux buns earlier in the day, fill and finish just before serving. That flexibility makes them far more realistic than people realise.
They also scale brilliantly. Double the recipe and suddenly you’ve got a show-stopping dessert with very little extra effort.
Common profiterole mistakes (and how this recipe avoids them)
Flat profiteroles
Usually caused by not drying the dough enough or not letting steam escape. This recipe does both properly.
Soggy centres
Solved by returning them to the oven after cutting a slit. That final dry is crucial.
Runny cream
Whip to stiff peaks, stop early, and keep it cold until needed.
Split ganache
Avoid boiling the cream and use good quality chocolate.
None of this is complicated. It just needs clear instructions and a bit of confidence.
Why this recipe works for home cooks
This is not a restaurant recipe scaled down. It’s a home recipe designed to actually work in a normal kitchen, with normal equipment, by normal people.
Two teaspoons instead of piping bags.
One pan for the pastry.
Straightforward timings.
No unnecessary extras.
The result still feels special, still looks impressive, and still tastes exactly how profiteroles should.
Light. Crisp. Creamy. Chocolatey. Proper.
Ingredients
Choux Pastry
50 g butter
125 ml water
85 g plain flour
2 eggs
Chantilly Cream
300 ml double cream
2 tsps vanilla bean paste
40 g icing sugar
Chocolate Ganache
150 ml double cream
100 g dark chocolate
Method
Choux Pastry
Preheat the oven to 200℃.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Pour in the water and bring it to the boil.
Reduce the heat slightly, add the flour, and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon while still over the heat until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
Beat in the eggs one at a time until the mixture is smooth, thick, and glossy.
Grease and line two large baking trays. Use two teaspoons to spoon small balls of mixture onto the trays, leaving space between them as they will double in size.
Bake for 18 minutes.
Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 180℃.
Cut a small slit in each profiterole to release steam, then return them to the oven for a further 5 minutes until golden and crisp.
Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Chantilly Cream
Pour the double cream into a bowl with the vanilla bean paste and icing sugar.
Whisk until it holds stiff peaks, being careful not to overwhip.
Transfer to a piping bag. Once the profiteroles are cool, pipe the cream into the centre through the slit.
Chocolate Ganache
Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl.
Heat the cream until just simmering, then pour it over the chocolate.
Whisk until smooth and glossy.
Dip or drizzle the chocolate over the filled profiteroles.
Serve immediately, or pile them high and let people help themselves.
Classic, elegant, and far simpler than you’ve probably been led to believe. These profiteroles prove that impressive desserts don’t need to be complicated, they just need to be done properly.
Ingredients
Choux Pastry:
- 50 g Butter
- 125 ml Water
- 85 g Plain flour
- 2 Eggs
Chantilly Cream:
- 300 ml Double cream
- 2 tsps Vanilla bean paste
- 40 g Icing sugar
Chocolate Ganache:
- 150 ml Double cream
- 100 g Dark chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200℃.
- Melt the butter over a medium heat. Then pour in the water and bring it to the boil.
- Turn it back down to a medium heat, tip the flour in and whilst still over the heat, beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together and it starts to pull away from the sides.
- Take it off the heat and set aside for ten minutes to cool down.
- Once it has cooled, beat in the eggs one at a time until you have a smooth, thick and glossy mixture.
- Grease and line two large baking tins. Use two teaspoons to make small balls, place them onto the baking tins a few cm apart. They will double in size.
- Bake them for 18 minutes.
- Take them out of the oven, then turn the oven down to 180℃.
- Use a knife to cut a small hole in each profiterole, this will let steam escape.Place them back into the oven for a further 5 minutes, until they are golden and crisp.
- Transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, you can make the chantilly cream. Pour the cream into a large mixing bowl along with the vanilla paste and icing sugar. Beat it with an electric whisk until it holds stiff peaks. Be careful not to over whip it.
- Place the cream into a piping bag, then once the pastry is cool, poke the nozzle into the slit you made earlier and squirt the cream into the middle.
- To Make the chocolate topping, chop the chocolate into small chunks.
- Pour the cream into a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and beat with a whisk until smooth.
- You can dip each profiterole in the chocolate or drizzle it over, it is up to you.
