Profiteroles Recipe

This classic profiteroles recipe is all about contrasts: crisp golden pastry shells filled with cool vanilla ice cream and finished with a cascade of warm chocolate sauce. It’s the kind of dessert that feels special enough for Christmas or New Year’s Eve, yet simple enough to make ahead and pull together on a weeknight when you want something elegant without the fuss. 

The choux pastry shells can be made ahead of time and frozen. Then all you have to do is pop them in the oven to reheat and crisp up! Fill them with ice cream and drizzle with my homemade chocolate sauce, and you’re done!

For more French desserts that are sure to impress, try my French Apple Tart, Crème Caramel, and French Macarons.

A Little Background:

Profiteroles have long been a staple at French bistros, beloved for their simple choux pastry and decadent toppings. I first discovered them while living in France, where nearly every local bistro has its own version, usually served with ice cream rather than pastry cream as cream puffs. What struck me most was how humble ingredients (flour, butter, water, eggs) could transform into something so refined. With a few practical tips, like drying the pastry shells in the oven so they don’t deflate, this French classic becomes completely doable in your own kitchen.

 

Ingredients:

• Flour: The backbone of the choux pastry, giving structure and lightness once baked. Use all-purpose flour for best results. If you are in France I find the T55 all-purose flour works the best.
• Kosher Salt: Sharpens the flavors and balances the sweetness of the pastry.
• White Sugar: Adds a subtle sweetness to the shells, enhancing their golden color as they bake.
• Unsalted Butter: Creates richness and flavor in the dough, but not too much. The ratio of butter to flour is key; otherwise, your shells will leak out the butter while baking. 
• Water: Essential for steam, which makes the choux pastry rise and form its hollow interior.
• Large Eggs: These provide lift and shine while keeping the pastry light and airy. Add them one at a time so they incorporate well; otherwise, your choux pastry will not be as stable and will deflate in the oven.
• Bittersweet Chocolate or Dark Chocolate Chips: Personally, I think the hallmark of a sophisticated and authentic profiterole recipe is the use of dark bittersweet chocolate (at least 70% cacao); it acts as a counterbalance to the sweet ice cream and shells. 
• Heavy Cream: Gives the chocolate sauce its silky, pourable consistency while adding richness.
• Strong Coffee or Espresso: Just a tablespoon deepens the chocolate flavor without overpowering it. For the best flavor, this should be brewed coffee, not instant espresso or instant coffee.
• Honey: Adds a touch of sweetness and a gooey finish to the chocolate sauce.
• Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the sauce with a warm, aromatic note. For holiday entertaining you could also add a drop or two of peppermint extract.
• Ice Cream: Traditionally, vanilla ice cream is used in a class profiterole, but you could certainly use any flavor that pairs well with chocolate sauce, such as Salted Caramel or Mint Chocolate Chip. Ice cream is a lovely choice, too.
• Toasted Almonds: Adds a bit of crunch and a nutty finish, providing one more texture to this delicious dessert.

Cream Puff vs. Profiterole

A cream puff is typically filled with pastry cream and sometimes topped with chocolate ganache, whereas a traditional French Profiterole is filled with ice cream and then drizzled with warm bittersweet chocolate sauce. The contrast of cold ice cream and hot sauce is classic, elegant, and truly unbeatable. In French, the word “profit” can mean a treat—something to enjoy and take advantage of. The name profiterole definitely fits the definition of a treat!

Step 1: Make the Choux Pastry

• Choux pastry is the basis of profiteroles and is the same dough used to make other wonderful French desserts like eclairs, Paris-Brest, or Gougeres. It’s relatively simple to do if you follow a few key tips highlighted below.

• Place the butter and water in a large saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour, salt, and sugar all at once with a wooden spoon for at least 1-minute to cook the flour.

• The dough is ready when it pulls away from the sides and forms a ball.

Adding the Eggs

• Let it cool slightly, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until smooth and sticky.
• At this stage, I prefer a wire whisk to fully incorporate the egg and the butter/flour/water mixture.
• TIP: To prevent scrambling, add the eggs on top of the dough instead of directly on the hot pan.

Transferring the Choux Pastry Dough to a Pastry Bag

• Pâte à choux dough is notoriously sticky! If the bag is stable, it’s easier to transfer the dough into a pastry bag for piping.
• Place the bag around a 2-cup Pyrex pitcher or glass to keep at least half the bag upright.
• Then transfer the dough inside with a rubber spatula.

Preventing The Shells From Deflating

• If the dough ball is not formed and you rush to add the eggs, the flour doesn’t get a chance to cook long enough, making your choux pastry more unstable and likely to fall and deflate.
• Once your dough ball has formed, turn off the heat and add the eggs, one at a time, stirring quickly in between each addition.
• It’s really important to allow each egg to fully incorporate before adding the next; otherwise, it will be hard to combine them, and the result will be a bit of a slimy mess.
• Transfer your choux pastry to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (13mm) round tip.
• Pipe your dough into 1 1/4″ (32mm) mounds on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper or onto a baking mat.
• The dough will be sticky! After forming the mounds, it can be helpful to use a sharp knife to cut the dough from the tip.
• The pastry tip will create little peaks on the dough mound. Use the back of a spoon dipped in cold water to flatten the peaks and round off the mounds.

Choux Dough Expands in the Oven

Don’t be concerned if your mounds look too small at this stage. Choux pastry is known for its impressive ability to expand in the oven. Once baked, they will double in size and height.

Step 3: Baking the Shells 

• Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake for another 15 minutes until golden brown and puffed.
• These baking times are for shells piped at 1 1/4″ diameter (32 mm) if you increase the size of the shell you will need to increase the baking time.
• Your shells will look done at this stage, but they are only done on the outside! They will need the second baking time to fully bake inside; otherwise, they will deflate once taken out of the oven since they don’t have a baked interior at this point.

Step 4: Cooling the Shells

• Once your pastry shells are done baking, the second critical step is to cool them slowly so they don’t deflate. Delating shells is the biggest issue when making pate a choux pastry, and there are two tips to help prevent this.
• Tip #1: Slice a tiny incision in the side of each pastry shell where you will eventually slice them in half, to cool in the oven. This will allow the pastry to release its steam, and dry out a bit inside and prevent your pastry shells from deflating.
• Tip #2: Leave the oven door open ajar to cool for 15 minutes. This allows some of the heat to escape, so the shells cool down slowly and don’t experience a sudden drop in temperature, which can cause them to deflate. 

Step #5: Make the Chocolate Sauce

• The chocolate sauce is so easy to make. Even if you skip the pastry shells, this is a fantastic chocolate sauce recipe that is great anytime over ice cream. You can also make this sauce a few days ahead, place it in a Pyrex pitcher, cover, and refrigerate. Then, reheat it in the microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring each time, until hot and pourable.
• Add the heavy cream to a saucepan, then add the chocolate. Set over medium heat, whisking until the cream heats long enough to melt the chocolate until smooth.
• Add the honey, vanilla, (and coffee if using), and stir until the sauce is glossy and pourable.

Step #6: Assembling the Profiteroles

• Slice each shell with a serrated knife—a bread knife works well. I slice the top all the way off because they are easier to fill when you have a separate top and bottom.
• Fill each shell with a small scoop of ice cream. For the best precision, I recommend doing this with a mini ice cream scoop. I typically serve 2-3 profiteroles per person in large, shallow white bowls for an elegant presentation.

Step#7 Serving Tips

• Then, drizzle the warm chocolate sauce on top. I typically drizzle a bit around the profiteroles so it lands in the bottom of the bowl and then drizzle some more on top. A small ladle (like a gravy ladle) works well for this. You’ll have the best precision.
• Then garnish with lightly toasted slivered almonds. Not only do the almonds look pretty, but they also provide a delicious nutty crunch.
• I’d also recommend serving this with a spoon, a fork, or a spork to help cut through the pastry shells and eat the ice cream.

Substitutions and Variations

• For a lighter option, fill the profiteroles with whipped cream instead of ice cream for a cream puff-style dessert.
• Espresso added to the chocolate sauce deepens the flavor. You can leave it out for a simpler, kid-friendly version (or they’ll be up all night bouncing off the walls!).
• If you’d like a different finish, swap the toasted almonds for hazelnuts, pecans, or even a light dusting of powdered sugar.

FAQs

How to Prevent Profiterole Shells from Deflating

Profiterole shells usually collapse when the dough isn’t cooked long enough before adding the eggs, or if they don’t dry properly after baking. Make sure the flour and butter mixture forms a firm ball in the saucepan and pulls away from the sides before adding the eggs, and always slice a small incision in each shell, leaving them to cool in the oven with the door slightly open so they cool down slowly. 

Common Mistakes When Making Choux Pastry

• The four most common mistakes when making choux pastry are: not cooking the flour long enough in the first stage, the true sign it’s ready is the ball created when it pulls away from the side.
• Not incorporating the eggs well enough. They should be whisked in separately with a wire whisk.
• Not baking the choux pastry long enough. At the end of the first baking stage, they will “look” done, so you may not think the second stage is necessary, but au contraire, you need the second stage to bake the interiors. This is what dries them out and provides the structure to prevent them from collapsing. 
• Not cooling the choux pastry properly. They need the slits in their sides to release the steam and to cool down slowly, with the oven door ajar, so that they don’t experience a drastic temperature drop that can also cause them to collapse.

How do I keep the shells crisp after baking?

After baking, leave the shells out at room temperature on their tray with a sheet of foil placed over them once they are completely cool. Then, you can pop them back in the oven at 300°F to warm back up and stay crisp before serving.

How long does the chocolate sauce keep?

The chocolate sauce should be placed in the refrigerator in an airtight container and will last for 3-5 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan or microwave in 30-second intervals (stirring in between) until pourable.

How long can I make the shells ahead and freeze them?

You can bake and cool the choux pastry shells at least a week ahead of time. Allow them to cool completely. Then slice them in half, but keep them together, like a clam shell. This will make it easier to match up the tops and the bottoms when you slice it all the way off for serving. Store them in a resealable freezer bag and place them in the freezer. When you’re ready to serve, warm empty shells in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5-10 minutes, assemble and serve immediately.

Pro Tips 

• Pipe the dough mounds no larger than a quarter. They’ll puff up beautifully in the oven, and this size gives just the right shell for a scoop of ice cream. 
• If your pastry bag leaves little peaks, dip a spoon in cold water and gently press them down so the tops bake up round and smooth.
• A small 2-inch ice cream scoop works perfectly for filling. It fits neatly inside the shells and makes serving so much easier.
• When drizzling the chocolate sauce, go for a light touch. It looks prettier on the plate and keeps the flavors in harmony.