These easy cream puffs are perfectly fluffy and filled with homemade vanilla whipped cream. This is the cream puff recipe for how they're commonly eaten in Germany, where they are called Windbeutel (translating to 'wind bags'). They're so much better than the store-bought, frozen version!
These simple cream puffs (which originated in France) remind me of afternoons in my German hometown Trier, ordering coffee at the American restaurant Lousiana. Which my mom and I only did, so we could eat a mini cream puff (it's served with it on the saucer).
Get creative with this recipe, make them large, make them small, add fresh berries or fruit compotes to the filling. Cover the top in chocolate ganache for an éclair-like experience (traditional éclairs are filled with a vanilla pudding pastry cream instead of the vanilla whipped cream).
Other German pastry recipes that go extremely well with coffee are my Berliner (German donuts), Franzbrötchen (German cinnamon roll croissants) and Martinsbrezeln (German sweet pretzels).
What are cream puffs?
Cream puffs are little baked pastries made from filled Pâte À Choux. A dough is made by combining water, butter, sugar, salt and flour in a hot saucepan and cooking it partially, then mixing in the eggs until combined.
The dough is often piped onto a baking sheet using a pastry bag and a star-shaped decorating tip. While baking, it puffs up in the oven like a souffle (and will also collapse when you open the oven door too early).
The German classic cream puff is called Windbeutel and filled with a simple whipped cream. In France, the same dough is also used for éclairs, which are elongated pastries filled with pastry ceream and covered in chocolate ganache.
How to store cream puffs
Cream puffs are best stored covered in the refrigerator and are enjoyed cold. They will keep for up to 3 days if made with whipped cream filling. Although they would never be around for that long at our house! Leftovers can also be frozen.
Can you freeze cream puffs?
These cream puffs also freeze incredibly well. When ready to eat, simply let sit out at room temperature for about 15 minutes before enjoying. I actually really love it when there is still a little bit of frozen whipped cream in the center (similiar to when you eat Spaghettieis).
Tips
Cream puffs are pretty easy to make once you know what you need to pay attention to, but here a couple of tips I learned after messing up (almost) 2 batches before getting them just right.
- Cook the dough until a white film forms at the bottom of the pan. Keep pressing the dough down using a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula, turn it over, and continue this motion until a white film starts to show up at the bottom of the pan.
- Work in one egg at a time using an electric mixer. I used my stand mixer for this part. I messed up my first batch because my hand-held electric mixer is broken and thought I could whisk the eggs in by hand. Big mistake. Not only is it a massive arm workout, but it's hard to not get lumps in the dough if working the eggs in by hand. On my second try I used my electric standmixer and the paddle attachment. I adjusted the speed from medium when just adding the eggs to high once they started getting worked in (to prevent dough from flinging everywhere). The final dough will be a stretchy, batter-like consistency.
- After piping the dough onto the baking sheet, get rid of any spiky tops by patting them down with a wet finger, so they don't burn.
- Don't open the oven door. Check on your cream puffs through the glass door instead. Just like souffles, the cream puffs will deflate if they're checked on too soon (and that's very sad). Bake them for the whole 25 minutes (I usually bake them on the convection setting).
Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients for homemade cream puffs. The classic German Windbeutel version also has a simple whipped cream filling.
- Flour. I use all-purpose wheat flour.
- Butter. I use salted butter for all of my baking (the salt helps to bring out the flavor). Skip adding extra salt if you're using salted butter.
- Sugar. Just a teaspoon.
- Salt. Just a pinch (or skip if using salted butter).
- Heavy Whipping Cream. I always make homemade whipped cream and it's worth it.
- Powdered Sugar. Just a touch to sweeten the cream and an optional dusting for the tops of the cream puffs.
- Pure Vanilla Extract. I love to add a touch of vanilla to my whipped cream filling.
Tools
You'll also need a few essential tools for making cream puffs.
- Electric handheld mixer (use the traditional beaters) OR standmixer with paddle attachment
- Piping bag is useful to have for piping the whipped cream filling
- A large star-shaped decorating tip can be used (like I do) for creating the pretty swirl effect with the whipped cream filling.
Video
Watch this short video showing you how to make my easy German cream puffs.
My Windbeutel experience
Come with me on a brief walk down Memory Lane. After a Saturday afternoon of shopping, my mom and I stroll through Trier's historical Fußgängerzone (pedestrian zone), and find ourselves craving a good Latte Macchiato to help us gain back some energy. But that void can't be filled by just any Latte Macchiato.
The best ones are served in a nice, relaxing setting, and with some kind of miniature treat on the side. The kind you don't come to expect because you didn't order it. Often that little treat is just a packaged cookie (Butterspekulatius or Spritzgebäck are often the choice).
Both German cookies popular not just during Christmas time). Sometimes you get lucky and find a chocolate covered coffee bean. Other times you hit the jackpot when a tiny, bite-sized Windbeutel (German cream puff) appears on your saucer and you hold your breath for a millisecond trying to contain your excitement (but seriously, anyone else?).
Those little Windbeutel are the whole reason why my mom and I often chose to have a Latte Macchiato at Louisiana, an American-style restaurant at Trier's Kornmarkt, where there is plenty of outside seating at the several restaurants and excellent people watching.
Make Windbeutel with me and I can't wait to hear how you like them!
Easy Cream Puffs (Classic German Windbeutel Version)
Equipment
- 1 handheld mixer with traditional beaters (or stand mixer with paddle attachment)
- 1 piping bag for piping on the dough and whipped cream
- 1 large star-shaped decorating tip for piping on the dough and whipped cream
Ingredients
Cream Puff Dough (Pate A Choux / Brandteig)
- 30 grams butter I use salted butter and leave out the extra salt below.
- 150 milliliters water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 100 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 eggs large
Whipped Cream Filling
- 200 milliliters heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Make The Dough
- Preheat your oven to 220℃/425℉ on the standard/conventional setting (or 200℃/390℉ convection setting).
- Combine the water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium heat until boiling.30 grams butter, 150 milliliters water, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 pinch salt
- Add the flour using a wooden spoon and stir rapidly until the water is soaked up.100 grams all-purpose flour
- Using the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula, press the dough down onto the bottom of the pan and turn it over using the spoon/spatula. Continue for a couple of minutes or until you see white marks on the bottom of the pan.
- Transfer the dough to the bowl of your standmixer (or a large steel or glass bowl if using a handheld mixer) and allow to cool for 3 minutes.
- Using a handheld mixer (and standard beaters) or a standmixer (and the whisk attachment), add in one egg at a time until combined. I start at medium speed, then turn to the highest speed setting until the egg is worked in completely. The dough may become a bit grainy. Just keep going and it will smooth out after a minute or two.3 eggs
- Scrape the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large star decorating tip. Pipe dough into 8 little piles onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Leave plenty of room between each puff, as they will expand in size. I pipe them on in a circular motion. Any spiky tops can be patted down with a wet finger, so they don't burn.
- Bake for about 25 minutes and DO NOT PEAK. If you peak, you risk your Windbeutel collapsing. Remove from oven once finished baking and allow to cool completely before cutting in half and filling. You can also fill them using a filling tip without cutting them in half.
Make The Whipped Cream Filling
- Combine the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks start to form.200 milliliters heavy whipping cream, 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Fill the cream puffs either by cutting the cream puffs in half and piping on the whipped cream (I use the same large star-shaped decorating tip) or by leaving the cream puffs whole and using a filling tip.
- Dust with powdered sugar (optional) for a bakery-like finish.
Video
Notes
- Cook the dough until a white film forms at the bottom of the pan. Keep pressing the dough down using a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula, turn it over, and continue this motion until a white film starts to show up at the bottom of the pan.
- Work in one egg at a time using an electric mixer. I used my stand mixer for this part. I messed up my first batch because my hand-held electric mixer is broken and thought I could whisk the eggs in by hand. Big mistake. Not only is it a massive arm workout, but it's hard to not get lumps in the dough if working the eggs in by hand. On my second try I used my electric standmixer and the paddle attachment. I adjusted the speed from medium when just adding the eggs to high once they started getting worked in (to prevent dough from flinging everywhere). The final dough will be a stretchy, batter-like consistency.
- After piping the dough onto the baking sheet, get rid of any spiky tops by patting them down with a wet finger, so they don't burn.
- Don't open the oven door. Check on your cream puffs through the glass door instead. Just like souffles, the cream puffs will deflate if they're checked on too soon (and that's very sad). Bake them for the whole 25 minutes (I usually bake them on the convection setting).
Barbara
I wasn't able to get the cream part as stiff as it needed to be.
dirndlkitchen
Hi Barbara, did you use a heavy whipping cream that was chilled? This will lead to the best results. Also, make sure to store it in the fridge until you're ready to fill your cream puffs.
Sally
These turned out so good! I had never made Brandteig before, so I was prepared to follow the steps religiously. Initially when I started including the eggs the dough went incredibly gritty but I just went full speed and kept going and suddenly it smoothened out. They baked beautifully! I did use 300ml of cream and it was just enough. Would totally make these again 🥰
dirndlkitchen
Thank you for your lovely review for my cream puffs! Brandteig can be a challenge, but I am glad you trusted the process! I am actually thinking about making these for my son's 2nd birthday tomorrow, as they are easy to make, not very sweet and so fun! I hope you will try many more of my German recipes! Sophie