Easy Cream Puffs with Almond-Coconut Cream
A simple recipe for cream puff shells using Pâte à Choux dough, with an almond and coconut whipped cream filling. These are an easy and impressive treat!
Servings 20 Puffs
Calories 122kcal
Ingredients
Cream Puff Shells (Pâte à Choux)
- 1 Cup Flour
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 Cup Water
- 1/2 Cup Butter
- 4 Eggs room temperature
Almond Coconut Whipped Cream
- 2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 1/4 tsp Almond Extract
- 2 Tbsp Shredded Coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Prepare a sheet pan by lining it with parchment paper or lightly greasing. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and salt until combined.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil, and then add in the butter and stir gently until it melts. Do not let the water boil off, but as soon as the butter is melted, reduce the heat to low.
- Add the flour mixture all at once into the pot, and stir vigorously, with a wooden or silicone spoon, over medium heat, until the dough begins to form a ball and pull away from the edges. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, stirring each one in completely until the mixture is smooth, using a wooden or silicone spoon.
- Use a teaspoon or cookie scoop to drop the dough onto the baking sheets, about 2-inches apart. These will puff up and spread while they bake.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until fluffy and golden brown. Immediately move to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely to room temperature before filling.
- While the cream puffs cool, add the heavy cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer). Begin mixing on low, slowly increasing the speed to prevent splashing, until high.
- Mix until soft peaks form, then add in the almond extract and coconut flakes. Continue mixing on high until the whipped cream is stiff and holds its shape.
- Fill the cream puffs just before serving. Slice each in half horizontally, like a hamburger bun. Then spread or pipe (using a wide star tip) the whipped cream onto the bottom half, and gently place the other half on top.
Notes
- For another way to fill the cream puffs, you use a paring knife to cut a small x-shape in the bottom or side. Then use a piping bag to inject the whipped cream into the puffs.
- Make Ahead Tip: You will need to eat or freeze the shells within one day of baking. To freeze the uncut and empty shells, place them on a baking sheet, and freeze overnight. Then transfer to a zip-top bag to store for up to three months. To reheat, let the shells thaw on a baking sheet, and then bake at 350F for 10 minutes.
- Make Ahead Tip: You can make the whipped cream 3-4 days in advance, and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Variations: Cream puffs are so versatile. You can pretty much fill them with anything from pudding, to pastry cream, to frosting. Try adding different flavors to the whipped cream, using pie filling, or adding in fresh berries. You can sprinkle the filled puffs with powdered sugar or drizzle with a chocolate ganache.