5 from 28 votes
Chocolate Profiteroles with Pastry Cream
Chocolate Profiteroles with Pastry Cream combine airy choux pastry shells filled with smooth vanilla pastry cream and topped with a rich chocolate sauce. The choux dough is piped and baked to create light, hollow puffs perfect for filling. The pastry cream is thickened with cornstarch and enriched with butter and vanilla, delivering a creamy contrast. The chocolate sauce adds a bittersweet finish balanced with optional bourbon notes. This dessert offers an elegant balance of textures and flavors ideal for special occasions or a refined treat.
Prep Time
1 hr 5 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Additional Time
4 hrs
Total Time
5 hrs 35 mins
Servings:
30
Profiteroles
Calories:
133 kcal
Course:
Dessert, Snacks
Cuisine:
European, French
Ingredients
Choux Pastry
- 1 choux pastry dough ingredients as below, batch
- 240 mL water 1 cup. You can also substitute with milk, or use half milk and half water.
- 115 g butter 4 oz / 1 stick, cubed and at room temp, unsalted
- 140 g all-purpose flour 1⅛ cup (spooned and leveled
- 226 g egg 4 large eggs. Weighed with shell. You may not use all eggs, large
- ½ tsp salt use less if using table salt, sea salt
- 1 tbsp sugar optional
- ½ tsp vanilla extract optional
Pastry Cream
- 480 mL milk 2 cups, whole
- 75 g sugar 6 tbsp
- Pinch salt sea salt
- 30 g cornstarch 3 tbsp packed tablespoons
- 15 mL vanilla bean paste 1 tbsp, or extract or 1 vanilla bean pod
- 4 egg large yolks
- 43 g butter 3 tbsp, softened, unsalted
- 45 ml water 3 tbsp, optional
- 5 g gelatin 1½ tsp, 225 bloom strength. Optional
Chocolate Sauce
- 170 g semi-sweet chocolate 6 oz
- 120 g heavy cream ½ cup
- 57 g butter 4 tbsp / ½ stick, softened, unsalted
- sea salt generous pinch
- 1 tbsp agave optional, or corn syrup
- 2 tbsp bourbon optional, replace with water
Instructions
Choux Pastry
- Preheat oven to 375℉ / 190℃.
- Prepare choux pastry dough according to this choux pastry recipe. When the choux pastry dough is ready, place it in a pastry bag that has a large round tip (or simply cut the tip off of the pastry bag).
- Prepare baking trays by lining it with parchment paper or silpat.
- Pipe 1 ½ inch round choux pastry mounds on to the baking sheet, with at least 1 inch space between each. (When piping choux pastry, keep the tip at a 90 degree angle and slightly embedded just under the surface of the piped choux pastry. This is to ensure the piped shape is as smooth as possible).
- Either use a water dipped scissor to "cut" the dough, or gently twist the piping tip away from the pastry once you've piped the dough. Then gently flatten the pointy tip with a damp finger.
- Mist the surface of the baking tray and pastries with water (either using a mister or lightly sprinkle water with your hands - this is an optional step).
- Transfer the piped choux pastry to the preheated oven. Bake in preheated oven for 30 - 40 minutes in the center of the oven, or until the choux pastry shells puff up and are golden brown on top. Do not open the oven door at least until you have reached the 25 minute mark.
- During the last 5 minutes of baking, use a toothpick to quickly pierce each pastry. Bake for the final 5 minutes to allow the pastry to dry out.
- Remove from the oven, and prick each shell with a toothpick again and let them cool down completely.
Cup of Yum
Pastry Cream - Make the day before
- Follow instructions in this vanilla pastry cream recipe to make the pastry cream. I recommend adding gelatin for extra stability. You can also make diplomat cream for a lighter filling option.
- When the prepared choux pastry has been chilled, place the pastry cream in a piping bag with a bismarck filling tip, or round tip (about ½ cm). Keep it chilled until needed.
Chocolate Sauce
- Make the sauce just before you're ready to dip the pastries in the sauce. Place all the ingredients, except for the butter and bourbon, in a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl.
- Heat over medium low heat (or over a double boiler). Stir and almost melt the chocolate - about 90%. Then remove the saucepan from the heat and stir to dissolve all the chocolate with the residual heat. This can be done in the microwave as well.
- While the sauce is warm, add the softened butter and bourbon and whisk to mix completely. Use a stick blender to make sure that the sauce is not grainy and is smooth and shiny.
- Use immediately.
Assembly
- Cut an ‘x’ on the bottom of the choux pastry (see photos in the post). Pipe in the pastry cream (with a bismarck tip), until the pastry cases are almost full. You can also use a small french star tip (1 cm) and cut a hole on the bottom using this tip as well.
- Dip them in the chocolate sauce, and shake off the excess. Place the pastries on a baking tray and allow the chocolate to set a little.
- Place the profiteroles on a plate and keep in the fridge (covered) until ready to serve. The pastries are best filled as close to serving time as possible, to prevent them from getting too soggy.
- You can also choose to pour the warm chocolate sauce over the profiteroles just before serving.
Notes
- Chilled, pre-baked choux pastry shells can be refreshed in a 350°F oven for 5–10 minutes to restore crispness before filling.
- Pastry cream keeps well refrigerated for up to 4 days, supporting ahead-of-time preparation.
- Filled profiteroles freeze well; thaw at room temperature to preserve texture better than refrigeration alone.
- Water spraying on pastry surfaces before baking helps develop a delicate crust on the choux shells.
Nutrition Information
Serving
1pastry
Calories
133kcal
(7%)
Carbohydrates
10g
(3%)
Protein
3g
(6%)
Fat
9g
(14%)
Saturated Fat
5g
(25%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
(6%)
Monounsaturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Trans Fat
0.2g
(10%)
Cholesterol
72mg
(24%)
Sodium
59mg
(2%)
Potassium
65mg
(1%)
Fiber
0.4g
(2%)
Sugar
5g
(10%)
Vitamin A
290IU
(6%)
Vitamin C
0.01mg
(0%)
Calcium
34mg
(3%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 30 Profiteroles
Amount Per Serving
Calories 133
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1pastry | |
| Calories | 133kcal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 10g | 3% |
| Protein | 3g | 6% |
| Fat | 9g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 0.2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 72mg | 24% |
| Sodium | 59mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 65mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 0.4g | 2% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 290IU | 6% |
| Vitamin C | 0.01mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 34mg | 3% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.