Espresso Cream Puffs
These espresso cream puffs combine two things I absolutely love: strong coffee flavor and light, airy pastry. The filling is basically a coffee-spiked pastry cream that’s rich but not heavy, and it works perfectly with the crisp choux shells.
They’re ideal for dinner parties since you can make all the components ahead and just fill them before serving. Fair warning though: people tend to eat more than they expect to. Something about the light texture tricks you into thinking you have room for “just one more.”
What you need for Espresso Cream Puffs
Ingredients You’ll Need For This Recipe
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredients You’ll Need For chocolate glaze
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
How to make Espresso Cream Puffs
Let me walk you through making these cream puffs – they’re actually easier than you might think!
For the Choux Pastry:
1. Start by positioning your oven racks in the upper and lower thirds, then preheat to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Trust me, don’t skip the parchment or they’ll stick like crazy.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, and salt. Heat over medium, stirring occasionally until the butter melts completely and the mixture comes to a rolling boil – you’ll see bubbles all across the surface.
3. Remove from heat and dump in all the flour at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. This happens pretty quickly, about 30 seconds.
4. Return the pan to medium-low heat and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. You’re looking for a light film to form on the bottom of the pan – this tells you you’ve cooked out enough moisture. The dough will also look a bit glossy.
5. Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes. It should be warm but not hot when you touch it – if it’s too hot, it’ll cook your eggs.
6. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. The dough will look separated and slimy at first – that’s normal! Keep mixing until it becomes smooth and glossy. You’ll know it’s ready when the dough slowly falls from the spoon in a V-shaped ribbon.
7. Transfer the dough to a piping bag (or use two spoons). Pipe 2-inch rounds about 2 inches apart on your prepared sheets. If you get little peaks, wet your finger and gently pat them down – they’ll burn otherwise.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Don’t open the oven door before 20 minutes or they might collapse! They’re done when they’re deeply golden brown and feel light and hollow when you pick one up.
9. As soon as they come out, poke a small hole in the side of each puff with a knife to let steam escape. This keeps them crisp. Let them cool completely on the baking sheets.
For the Filling:
1. Combine cream, powdered sugar, espresso powder, and vanilla in a large bowl. The espresso powder might look grainy at first – that’s fine, it’ll dissolve as you whip.
2. Beat with an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Watch carefully near the end – if you overbeat, you’ll end up with coffee butter! You want the cream to hold its shape but still look smooth and creamy.
For the Chocolate Glaze:
1. Chop the chocolate into small pieces – this helps it melt evenly. Place in a bowl.
2. Heat cream until it just starts to bubble around the edges. Pour over chocolate and let sit for 1 minute.
3. Add corn syrup and stir until smooth and glossy. Let cool for about 5 minutes until it thickens slightly but is still dippable.
Assembly:
1. Cut the puffs in half horizontally. If there’s any soft dough inside, just pull it out.
2. Fill each bottom generously with espresso cream – don’t be shy here!
3. Dip the top of each puff in chocolate glaze, letting excess drip off. Place on top of the filled bottom.
4. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to set the chocolate. These are best eaten the same day, but they’ll hold up for about 24 hours in the fridge.
🔍 Recipe Notes & Tips
- Don’t try this on a humid day – moisture ruins choux pastry
- Room temp eggs work best – they incorporate more easily
- No piping bag? Use a zip-top bag with corner snipped
- If puffs are browning too fast, lay foil loosely on top
- Test one puff first – if it’s too runny, add a bit more flour
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
- Perfect with dark roast coffee or espresso
- Pairs well with Vin Santo or other dessert wines
- Add fresh berries on the side for color
- Dust with cocoa powder just before serving
- Consider an afternoon tea spread with mini versions
🎯 Make it Work for
- Dinner Party: Make shells day ahead, fill just before guests arrive
- Brunch: Skip chocolate, dust with powdered sugar instead
- Wedding/Shower: Make mini versions (1-inch) for bite-sized treats
- Holiday: Add peppermint extract to filling for Christmas
- Casual: Skip glaze, serve deconstructed with cream on side
📦 Storage & Leftovers
- Unfilled shells keep 2 days in airtight container
- Freeze unfilled shells up to 1 month
- Filled puffs last 24 hours max in fridge
- Don’t freeze filled puffs – they’ll get soggy
- Cream filling keeps 2 days separately in fridge
Espresso Cream Puffs
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Chocolate Glaze
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
Instructions
For the Choux Pastry:
- Start by positioning your oven racks in the upper and lower thirds, then preheat to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter, and salt. Heat over medium, stirring occasionally until the butter melts completely and the mixture comes to a rolling boil.
- Remove from heat and dump in all the flour at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- Return the pan to medium-low heat and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes. It should be warm but not hot when you touch it.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. The dough will look separated and slimy at first – that’s normal! Keep mixing until it becomes smooth and glossy.
- Transfer the dough to a piping bag (or use two spoons). Pipe 2-inch rounds about 2 inches apart on your prepared sheets. If you get little peaks, wet your finger and gently pat them down – they’ll burn otherwise.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Don’t open the oven door before 20 minutes or they might collapse! They’re done when they’re deeply golden brown.
- As soon as they come out, poke a small hole in the side of each puff with a knife to let steam escape. This keeps them crisp. Let them cool completely on the baking sheets.
For the Filling:
- Combine cream, powdered sugar, espresso powder, and vanilla in a large bowl. The espresso powder might look grainy at first – that’s fine, it’ll dissolve as you whip.
- Beat with an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Watch carefully near the end – if you overbeat, you’ll end up with coffee butter! You want the cream to hold its shape but still look smooth and creamy.
For the Chocolate Glaze:
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces – this helps it melt evenly. Place in a bowl.
- Heat cream until it just starts to bubble around the edges. Pour over chocolate and let sit for 1 minute.
- Add corn syrup and stir until smooth and glossy. Let cool for about 5 minutes until it thickens slightly but is still dippable.
Assembly:
- Cut the puffs in half horizontally. If there’s any soft dough inside, just pull it out.
- Fill each bottom generously with espresso cream – don’t be shy here!
- Dip the top of each puff in chocolate glaze, letting excess drip off. Place on top of the filled bottom.
- Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to set the chocolate.
