Get ready to enjoy cream puffs again! My classic gluten-free cream puff recipe takes you step-by-step through the process of making this delicate pastry without gluten. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
A cream puff, also known as a choux à la crème or a profiterole, is an artistic French pastry made from a light and airy dough called pâte à choux. A classic cream puff consists of a light and airy hollow pastry shell filled with a delectable cream filling.
Every cream puff is a miniature masterpiece meant to be savored by all the senses. It’s visually beautiful, smells of sweet vanilla, and each bite offers a refreshing sweet combo of pastry and whipped cream.
Don’t let anyone tell you that just because you can’t eat gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, you can’t enjoy this delightful French pastry. Rather, I’ll show you how to make it without gluten and without skipping a beat.
Preparing the Choux Pastry (Cream Puff Dough)
To prepare the dough (choux pastry), combine 1/2 cup of butter, 1 cup of water, and 1/4 tsp of salt in a pot over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Once the mixture boils, remove the pot from the heat and immediately stir in 1 cup of gluten-free flour, working quickly to avoid large lumps. The dough will pull away from the sides of the pot and appear gummy. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes.
When choosing a gluten-free flour for this recipe, it’s essential that you use a “gluten-free flour blend” vs. plain old rice flour.
A flour blend consists of various flours, starches, and xanthan gum that work in tandem to mimic the texture and “glue” properties of gluten.
I used Bob’s Red Mill’s 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour, but you could use another flour blend (with xanthan gum). Results may vary, and I’ve noticed each flour blend measures slightly different, so it may take some trial and error when using a different flour blend.
I also provided a homemade flour blend you can make at home in the Notes of the Recipe Card below.
While the dough cools, preheat your oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Transfer the dough to a medium/large bowl, then add four eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth. You’ll want to use a hand-held or standing electric mixer to get this job done.
This is what the dough looks like after all four eggs have been incorporated:
To transfer the dough to the baking sheets, you can (1) place the dough into a piping bag fitted with your tip of choice (optional) OR a large zip-lock bag with the corner snipped off, or (2) use a spring-loaded cookie scoop.
Pipe or place the dough onto the prepared baking sheets three inches apart.
For regular-sized cream puffs, pipe or scoop approximately one heaping tablespoon of dough into a ball shape.
If piping, hold the bag perpendicular to the pan, pipe, and then release. Smooth the top of each cream puff using a slightly wet finger so the gluten-free pate choux doesn’t stick to your fingers. (For mini cream puffs, pipe approximately two teaspoons of choux dough.)
Bake the cream puffs in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes (regular sized) or 25-30 minutes (minis). The dough will be a darker (not blonde) golden brown color and will be set.
Immediately after removing the cream puffs from the oven, poke a small hole into the bottom of each cream puff to allow the steam to escape. This will prevent them from getting soggy. Let them cool completely on the pan.
Filling the Cream Puffs
Using your standing or handheld mixer, beat 1 & 1/2 cups of heavy cream into soft peaks. Add 1/2 of powdered sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla extract and beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.
Once the cream puffs are cool, you can fill them one of two ways: (1) Cut them in half, scrape out any soft dough from the inside, and fill them with a scoop of whipped cream. (2) Using a pastry bag fitted with a round tip, gently poke the tip into the steam escape hole in the bottom of each cream puff and squeeze the whipped filling inside.
Dust the tops of the cream puffs with powdered sugar before serving.
The cream puffs taste best when enjoyed the same day, but for longer storage, store them in a freezer-safe container in the freezer. Thaw for a few minutes before serving.
Tips to Ensure Cream Puff Success
(1) Use a sturdy spoon to stir the gluten-free flour into the boiling water and butter. It will get very stiff and gluey! Keep stirring until it pulls away from the sides of the pan.
(2) Wait the full 10 minutes before adding your eggs. The eggs will scramble on contact if the flour paste is too hot.
(3) Use an electric hand mixer or transfer the gluten-free pate choux to a stand mixer to beat in the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, waiting for each to become fully incorporated before adding the next.
(4) Do not underbake the cream puffs. They will deflate as they cool if they are not fully set during baking.
(5) Don’t open the oven to check them! Opening the oven for a few seconds may deflate the cream puffs.
(6) When they first come out of the oven, poke a small hole in the bottom of each cream puff to let out the steam. This helps the shells stay crisp.
(7) Let the cream puff shells fully cool before filling, or the whipped cream will melt.
(8) Unless you’re freezing your cream puffs for another day, fill them the same day you plan to eat them so they don’t get soggy. Store them in the fridge to keep the whipped cream firm in place.
(9) Never bake regular-sized and mini cream puffs on the same pan or simultaneously. They require different cook times and should be cooked separately.
Substitutions
Butter: Instead of butter, use a dairy-free or vegan substitute, like Earth Balance, Melt, or Plant Butter, to make the cream puffs dairy-free. You can also use palm shortening or canola oil to make the cream puffs dairy- and soy-free.
Whipping Cream: You can find dairy-free whipping cream at many supermarkets. Silk and Country Crock make dairy-free whipping cream options.
Flour: I used Bob’s Red Mill’s 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour. If you’re using another flour blend, results may vary. Be sure your flour blend contains xanthan gum or add ¾ teaspoon of it to the flour before adding it to the boiling water. In addition to Bob’s Red Mill’s 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Flour, this recipe has been tested with the following homemade flour blend:
- ½ cup rice flour
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- ¼ cup potato starch
- ¾ tsp xanthan gum
Use the Choux Pastry to Make Eclairs
Did you know that eclairs are made from the same pate choux dough used to make cream puffs? The only difference is that eclairs are piped in a long shape vs. a rounded shape.
To make an eclair, pipe a line of dough approximately 1-inch tall, 1-inch wide, and 3 inches long OR make them larger and pipe 1 ½ inches tall, 1 ½ inches wide, and 5-6 inches long. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.
You can use the same whipped filling when making eclairs.
One difference is that eclairs are typically topped with chocolate ganache, which is chocolate melted with an equal amount of heavy cream (e.g., 4 ounces of chocolate + 4 ounces of heavy cream melted together = chocolate ganache).
PS: I also use the choux pastry for making gluten-free churros.
Filling Ideas
There are no rules to what goes inside a cream puff. In my classic gluten-free cream puff, I used a simple but classic whipped cream filling, but to jazz ’em up, consider the following additions:
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of lemon curd to the whipped cream mixture for a lemony treat.
- Make chocolate ganache and allow it to cool. Then whip the ganache into soft peaks.
- Combine a pinch of instant espresso powder with the vanilla before whipping the cream to stiff peaks for a coffee-infused cream puff.
- Dust the cream puffs with cocoa powder like tiramisu.
Classic Gluten-Free Cream Puffs
Equipment
- 1 Electric Mixer standing or handheld
Ingredients
Pastry Dough
- ½ cup butter see notes for dairy-free options
- 1 cup water
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup gluten-free flour I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten-free flour. You can also use a blend of rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch – see notes.
- 4 eggs room temperature
Filling
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream see notes for dairy-free options
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
To Prepare the Dough (Choux Pastry)
- Bring the butter, water, and salt to a boil in a pot over medium-high heat.
- Once the mixture boils, remove the pot from the heat and immediately stir in the gluten-free flour, working quickly to avoid large lumps. The dough will pull away from the sides of the pot and appear gummy. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes.
- While the dough cools, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- After your dough has cooled for at least 10 minutes, transfer the dough to a medium/large bowl. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until smooth using a hand-held or standing electric mixer.
- To transfer the dough to the baking sheet, you can (1) place the dough into a piping bag fitted with your tip of choice (optional) OR a large zip-lock bag with the corner snipped off, or (2) use a spring-loaded cookie scoop. Pipe or place the dough onto the prepared baking sheets three inches apart. For regular-sized cream puffs, pipe or scoop approximately one heaping tablespoon of dough into a ball shape. If piping, hold the bag perpendicular to the pan, pipe, and then release. Smooth the top of each cream puff using a slightly wet finger so the gluten-free pate choux doesn’t stick to your fingers. (For mini cream puffs, pipe approximately two teaspoons of choux dough.)
- Bake the cream puffs in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes (regular sized) or 25-30 minutes (minis). The dough will be a darker (not blonde) golden brown color and will be set.
- Immediately after removing the cream puffs from the oven, poke a small hole into the bottom of each cream puff to allow the steam to escape. This will prevent them from getting soggy. Let them cool completely on the pan.
To Prepare the Filling
- Using your standing or handheld mixer, beat the heavy cream into soft peaks. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.
- Once the cream puffs are cool, you can fill them one of two ways: (1) Cut them in half, scrape out any soft dough from the inside, and fill them with a scoop of whipped cream. (2) Using a pastry bag fitted with a round tip, gently poke the tip into the steam escape hole in the bottom of each cream puff and squeeze the whipped filling inside.
- Dust the tops of the cream puffs with powdered sugar before serving.
- The cream puffs taste the best the same day, but for longer storage, store them in a freezer-safe container in the freezer Thaw for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- ½ cup rice flour
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- ¼ cup potato starch
- ¾ tsp xanthan gum
- More expert tips on how to get the perfect gluten-free cream puffs.
- Additional filling ideas beyond whipped cream.
- How to use the pastry dough to make gluten-free eclairs.
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