Valentine Strawberry Cream Puffs (Printable)

Choux pastry puffs filled with strawberry whipped cream and dusted with powdered sugar for a sweet, light dessert.

# Components:

→ Choux Pastry

01 - 1/2 cup water
02 - 1/2 cup whole milk
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
06 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 4 large eggs

→ Strawberry Cream Filling

08 - 1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
09 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
10 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - 3/4 cup fresh strawberries, finely diced
12 - 2 tablespoons strawberry jam, optional

→ Topping

13 - Powdered sugar for dusting
14 - Fresh strawberry slices for garnish, optional

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
03 - Remove from heat and stir in flour all at once. Return to medium heat and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
04 - Transfer dough to a mixing bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
05 - Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe 12 mounds approximately 2 inches wide onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.
06 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Do not open the oven during baking. Cool completely on a wire rack.
07 - While puffs cool, whip the chilled cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Gently fold in diced strawberries and jam if using.
08 - Slice each cooled puff in half horizontally. Fill the bottom half generously with strawberry cream mixture, then replace the top half.
09 - Dust puffs with powdered sugar and garnish with sliced strawberries if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They look fancy enough to impress but honestly come together faster than you'd expect.
  • The contrast between the crispy shell and soft, fruity filling keeps surprising your mouth in the best way.
  • You can make the puffs ahead and fill them just before serving, which means less kitchen panic.
02 -
  • Opening the oven mid-bake is the fastest way to end up with deflated, dense puffs instead of airy clouds—trust the timer.
  • If your choux dough looks broken when you add the eggs, don't panic; keep mixing and it'll suddenly smooth out, which is one of the oddly satisfying moments of cooking.
03 -
  • Room temperature eggs incorporate more smoothly into the choux dough; if you forget this step, whisk them together first before adding them gradually.
  • The moment between piping and baking is when you can adjust spacing—if puffs are too close, they'll bake into each other, so give yourself an inch or two beyond what you think you need.
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