Valentine Strawberry Cream Puffs (Printer View)

Choux pastry puffs filled with luscious strawberry whipped cream and topped with powdered sugar.

# What You'll Need:

→ 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 - Sliced strawberries for garnish, optional

# Method Steps:

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 of the pan, approximately 1-2 minutes.
04 - Transfer dough to a mixing bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well 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 25-30 minutes until golden 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 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 tops.
09 - Dust finished puffs with powdered sugar and garnish with sliced strawberries if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste restaurant-quality but actually come together in an hour, which means you can make them the morning of and still have time to get ready.
  • The choux pastry technique works for savory versions too, so once you master this, you've unlocked a whole category of impressive appetizers and desserts.
  • Fresh strawberries and whipped cream keep things light and elegant without feeling heavy or overly sweet.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling step after baking—the puffs need time to set completely, otherwise they'll collapse when you cut into them or become soggy quickly.
  • The strawberry cream can be made up to 2 hours ahead and kept refrigerated, but don't fill the puffs until you're ready to serve, or they'll get soft and lose that satisfying crunch.
03 -
  • If your cream filling seems too runny after folding in the strawberries, you likely diced them too large and they're releasing juice—next time dice them finer and they'll stay dry.
  • Sifting powdered sugar over the tops just before serving makes them look bakery-perfect and adds that final touch of elegance.
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