Cream Puff
A satisfying vegetarian built around water, shortening and plain flour — roughly 70 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 8 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 8 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (1)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegetarian — no meat or fish, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Gluten Dairy Egg
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Preheat the oven to 200 C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Bring the water, shortening and salt to a rolling boil in a saucepan, then reduce the heat, add the flour all at once, and stir vigorously until the dough forms a smooth ball that pulls away from the sides.
- Remove from the heat, let it cool for 5 minutes, then beat in the 4 eggs one at a time until the paste is glossy and smooth.
- Spoon or pipe mounds of dough onto the sheet, bake for 20 minutes, then reduce to 175 C and bake 10 to 15 minutes more until deep golden and firm; do not open the oven early or they will collapse.
- For the filling, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks and a splash of the milk into a smooth paste, then heat the remaining milk until steaming and whisk it in gradually.
- Cook the custard over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and bubbles for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Cool the custard with a sheet of plastic wrap pressed onto its surface, then chill until cold and set.
- Once the puffs are completely cool, slice them open or pierce the bottoms, fill generously with the chilled custard, and dust with sugar before serving.
You'll use: Oven · Saucepan · Pan · Whisk · Baking sheet
Ingredient substitutions
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
- Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp flour per 1 tbsp cornstarch (as thickener)
Tips & common questions
How long does Cream Puff take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 8 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of eggs?
Try ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Cream Puff vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat, fish or shellfish, so it is suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheese for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Cream Puff is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Cream puff (cropped and edited).jpg by Stu Spivack, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.