Strawberry Cream Puffs (Choux Craquelin)
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These Strawberry Cream Puffs are made with crunchy choux au craquelin pastry, filled with pastry cream (cream Patissiere) and strawberry compote. They may look very fancy but are easy to make at home. Follow the basic recipe and assemble this amazing dessert.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Choux Puffs is a fancy dessert that can be made at home. Check also Eclairs or Madeleines.
- This recipe includes simple ingredients that can be found in every fridge, like Pumpkin Muffins or Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- This dessert always gives a “wow” effect at every event. Check Pistachio Raspberry Macarons or Tart.
Ingredients Note For Pastry Cream
- Milk. Use full or fat-free milk. You can use heavy cream, too.
- Egg yolks. This is the main ingredient; do not substitute with a full egg or egg whites.
- Sugar. White Granulated Sugar was used in this recipe.
- Corn Starch. This will thicken and firm the pastry cream.
- Vanilla. You can also use vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract.
- Butter. Unsalted butter. Use good quality butter for this recipe.
How to Make This Recipe
- Make choux pastry with craquelin. Read the instructions before baking in my separate post. This can be done a day before assembling puffs.
- Prepare pastry cream. Make cream ahead of time so it has time to chill down.
- Make strawberry compote. You can also make a different flavor compote, like blueberries or raspberries.
- Assemble puffs. This is the fun part. You can decorate puffs with fresh sliced strawberries.
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How to Assemble Puffs
When you have all parts of the puffs ready, only then assemble the dessert. Unfilled choux buns can be kept at room temperature in an air-tight container for up to 2-3 days. Compote and pastry cream also can be made a day ahead. Slice the top off of the cream buns. Pipe the pastry cream (cream Patissiere) into the cream buns until 3/4 fill. Then, pipe strawberry compote right in the center of the cream bun. Cover with sliced top and decorate with pastry cream and fresh strawberries.
Expert Tips
- Keep the oven door closed when baking choux puffs.
- Cream puffs should be the same size and have enough space between them.
- The size of the craquelin disk should be larger than the pipped puff.
- Use an air baking mat.
- Craquelin can be colored with food coloring.
- Pastry Cream can be flavored with pistachio paste or other extracts, like Amoretti.
Tip from Marina: assemble the dessert and keep it in the fridge. Decorate the top with the fresh strawberries right before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Store Strawberry Cream Puffs in an air-tight container in the fridge for 1-2 days. Usually, I assemble this dessert a few hours before serving.
I would not recommend to freeze this dessert.
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If you make these Strawberry Cream Puffs, please tag me on social media and make sure to leave a rating down below. I would love to see your creations!
Recipe
Strawberry Cream Puffs (Choux Craquelin)
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- 1 rabber spatula
- 2 pipping bag
- 1 whisk
- 2 baking mat
Ingredients
Craquelin
- 100 gr unsalted butter
- 100 gr granulated white sugar
- 100 gr all-purpose flour
Choux Puffs
- 113 gr unsalted butter
- 125 gr whole milk
- 125 gr water
- 150 gr all-purpose flour
- 250 gr large eggs room temperature (5 eggs)
- 5 gr granulated white sugar
- ยฝ tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp sifted powdered sugar for dusting
Strawberry Compote
- 200 gr fresh strawberries, plus more for decor
- 10 gr granulated white sugar
- 5 gr lemon juice
- 5 gr corn starch
- 10 gr water
Pastry Cream (Cream Patissiere)
- 480 gr whole milk
- 5 gr vanilla bean paste
- 6 egg yolks
- 150 gr granulated white sugar
- 45 gr corn starch
- 55 gr unsalted butter
Instructions
How to make Craquelin
- Place all ingredients in a bowl of a stand mixer with a pedal attachment. Beat a medium speed until all are combined.
- Roll out dough to 1-2 mm in thickness between two pieces of parchment paper. Place dough on a baking sheet and put in the freezer for an hour or until ready to use.
How to make Pastry Cream ( Cream Patissiere)
- In the saucepan, add milk and vanilla bean paste. If you are using real vanilla string, then cut and scrape seeds into milk. Cook the milk over medium heat until it only just comes to a boil.ย
- While the milk is heating, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a mixing bowl until pale.ย Add the cornstarch to the egg mixture and whisk well until combined.ย
- Pour the hot milk in a slow and thin stream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.ย
- Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, with constant whisking, until thickened, and it comes to a boil. This will take 1-2 minutes. When the mixture comes to a boil, cook for about 1 minute more. This helps the cornstarch to achieve its full thickening power.ย
- Remove the pastry cream from the heat and add the butter. Stir until the butter has melted and fully incorporated into the cream. Transfer the cream to a heat-proof bowl and cover it with plastic wrap "to contact." Allow the cream to cool completely to room temperature. Refrigerate the pastry cream until needed.
How to make Strawberry Compote
- Rinse the strawberries and clean them with a paper towel. Remove the leaves and stems, and then cut the strawberries in half or quarters for the compote.ย
- In the saucepan, add strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Cook strawberries over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes. Stir strawberries as they cook and break them down with a spatula if you want less large pieces.ย
- Dissolve the cornstarch and water in a small bowl or cup, pour it into the saucepan, and stir to combine. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat, allow to cool, and transfer into a glass jar or container. Compote will continue to thicken as it cools and will thicken even more in the fridge.ย
How to make Choux Puffs
- In the saucepan, place butter, water, milk, sugar, and salt. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and add the sifted flour. Mix well with a rubber spatula until it forms one smooth ball and no flour bits are visible. It should look like mashed potatoes.
- Place the saucepan back on the stove and cook the dough for about 2-3 minutes over medium heat, mixing constantly. It is ready when a skin forms on the bottom of the saucepan.
- Remove the dough from the heat, place it in the bowl of a stand mixer, and let it cool slightly before mixing the eggs in.
- Whisk eggs in the small bowl before adding to the dough. Add a small amount of egg at a time, consistently whisking after each addition. The consistency of the dough should be not too runny and not too firm, just right to pipe.ย
- Preheat oven to 350oF.
- Place the dough into a pipping bag with a round tip. Pipe equal-sized choux puffs on the baking mat. Make sure to leave enough space between puffs. Dust with powdered sugar.
- Take the craquelin sheet out of the freezer. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out circles slightly larger in diameter than the choux puffs you just pipped. Add craquelin circles on top of each choux puff.ย
- Bake choux puff in the oven for 40-50 minutes; do not open the door of the oven in the first 30 minutes or until the choux are fully puffed. The puff should be golden in color and, when you cut, not wet in the middle.ย
- Transfer choux puffs to the wire rack to cool completely.ย
How to assemble Strawberry Cream Puffs
- Slice the top off of the cream buns. Pipe the pastry cream (cream Patisserie) into the cram buns until 3/4 fill. Then, pipe strawberry compote right in the center of the cream bun. Cover with sliced top and decorate with pastry cream and fresh strawberries.ย