I first shared this French profiteroles recipe on my blog back in 2021 to celebrate the one-year anniversary of my book, French Pastry Made Simple. We held an online bake along and it was so special to see so many people making classic profiteroles in their kitchens all over the world.

This French dessert remains one of my absolute favorites. Profiteroles are light, airy and delicately sweet. They’re the kind of dessert you can eat a lot of (or at least, I can!) and they’re sure to get you named most valuable guest at your next gathering.

Ready to make classic French profiteroles at home? Read on to get all the details on what makes profiteroles so special and get step-by-step instructions for making them in your kitchen. Want to bake along with me? You can still watch the original live baking event here.

What Are Profiteroles?

Profiteroles are one of those French desserts that feel impossibly fancy but are actually wonderfully simple. They’re made from pâte à choux (that magical French choux pastry dough that is also used for éclairs and cream puffs). When baked, the dough puffs up into golden little shells that are crisp on the outside and airy inside. They’re truly just waiting to be filled.

In the U.S., if you see a profiterole at a bakery or restaurant, it’s typically more of a traditional cream puff. In France, however, profiteroles are split open and filled with ice cream, then drizzled with a glossy chocolate sauce. Think of them as France’s answer to the ice cream sundae…but way more impressive when you serve them at a dinner party! 

What I love most about profiteroles is their versatility. They can be as simple as a couple scoops of vanilla ice cream tucked inside and topped with warm chocolate, or you can go all out with flavored creams and caramel sauces.

What’s the difference between a profiterole and a cream puff?

Cream puffs and profiteroles are often confused, because they’re very similar. The main difference is really in the finishing touches.

• Cream puffs are usually filled with sweetened whipped cream or pastry cream and dusted with a little powdered sugar. They’re light, airy, and simple.
  
• Profiteroles, on the other hand, are most often filled with ice cream (though whipped cream or custard is delicious too) and topped with a generous pour of warm chocolate sauce. 

In short: same dough, different presentation. Cream puffs are delicate and sweet, while profiteroles are decadent and dramatic – and sure to make you feel like you’re sitting in a cozy Parisian bistro even if you’re just at your kitchen table.

Elements of a Profiterole

There are three primary elements of a classic French profiterole that make it what it is. These are:

Choux Pastry Dough

Choux pastry (pâte à choux in French) is a light, airy dough made by cooking flour, butter, and milk or water (I use both) together on the stove, then beating in eggs. Instead of using yeast or baking powder, it puffs up in the oven from steam, creating hollow centers that are perfect for filling with cream, custard, or ice cream. 

Choux pastry is the foundation of many classic French desserts, including cream puffs and eclairs.

Profiterole Fillings

While ice cream is the most common French profiterole filling, you can fill them with just about anything that is creamy and delicious! If you want something a bit lighter, filling profiteroles with whipped cream, custard or pastry cream can be really delicious.

Chocolate Ganache 

No profiterole is complete without a generous pour of glossy chocolate ganache. Ganache is simply a mix of chocolate and warm cream stirred together until silky smooth. The result is rich, shiny, and pourable.

Ingredients for French Profiteroles

• Water: You’ll combine water with whole milk to form the liquid base of the choux pastry dough for this recipe. Water makes the dough lighter and crisper, helping the shells puff up beautifully.
• Whole milk: Using whole milk with water for the choux pastry dough adds richness, flavor, and a slightly more golden color when baked (thanks to the natural sugars).
• Unsalted butter: Butter is a key ingredient in choux pastry dough. I recommend using unsalted so you can control the salt level in your dough.
• Granulated Sugar: Sugar adds a subtle sweetness and encourages the pastry to turn a beautiful golden brown in the oven. It also helps stabilize the dough, making it easier to pipe smooth, even shells.
• Salt: Adding a touch of salt to your profiterole pastry dough helps balance the sweetness and enhance the flavors.
• Flour: All-purpose flour is all you need to make the choux pastry shells for French profiteroles. Buying flour in France and need some guidance? Check out our French vs American flour guide.
• Eggs: Eggs add structure, richness, and that perfect golden color. The proteins in the eggs also help the dough hold its shape as it puffs in the oven.
• Chocolate (chopped): You can’t have chocolate ganache without chocolate! Use your favorite kind: semisweet, bittersweet or dark. 
• Heavy cream: This is the other key ingredient for making chocolate ganache at home. Using heavy cream ensures your ganache is rich and smooth.
• Filling: I like to use a simple vanilla ice cream filling for my French profiteroles recipe. You can get as creative as you want!

How to Make Profiteroles

Making profiteroles can be broken down into three primary steps: making the choux pastry dough, making the chocolate ganache and putting the whole thing together.

How to Make Choux Pastry

Step One: Combine the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir as needed until the mixture comes to a full boil and the butter is melted. Then, turn off the heat.

Step Two: Add the flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until a ball of dough forms. Turn the heat back on and continue stirring to try out the dough a bit and cook off any remaining flour flavor.

Step Three: Move the dough from the saucepan to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix the dough on low speed until it’s no longer steaming, then mix in the eggs one at a time, waiting until the first is fully incorporated before adding the next. Test the dough to ensure it’s the right consistency (full details in the recipe below).

Step Four: Pipe 12-15 mounds of dough onto a prepared baking sheet. Each mound of dough should be about 1½ to 2 inches in diameter. Dip your fingers in water and pat down any tips or bumps then bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

How to Make Chocolate Ganache

Step One: Place your chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and set it aside. 

Step Two: Heat the cream in a saucepan until it starts simmering and then pour it all at once over the chocolate. Make sure the chocolate is fully covered with the cream and let it sit for a few minutes to begin melting.

Step Three: Whisk the chocolate and cream together. Go slowly at first and then stir briskly once it starts to thicken. Once it is smooth, thick and glossy, it’s ready!

Putting Profiteroles Together

Step One: Cut the cooled pastry balls in half with a serrated knife and fill each one with a scoop of ice cream. Put the top back on and serve immediately with the warm chocolate sauce.

Step Two: Eat and enjoy (repeat as many times as you want!).

Can you make profiteroles in advance?

Yes, you can! This is one of the best things about making French profiteroles for a party or gathering. You can make and freeze the choux pastry puffs a day or two in advance – you can even freeze them with the ice cream scooped inside! Then, simply take them out when you plan to serve them and top with freshly-made ganache.

Make Your Own French Profiteroles at Home

If you want a special treat or dessert for a party, this French profiteroles recipe is a simple but showstopping option. If you make these at home, be sure to tag me on Instagram and TikTok!