Chouquettes (French Sugar Puffs)

Chouquettes are like cream puffs without the cream (but you can absolutely fill these!) - airy, light choux puffs with crunchy pearl sugar on top. They can also be called French Sugar Puffs.

These Chouquettes are ADDICTING; I'm serious - I can never stop at one, or two, or three. Topped with that crunchy pearl sugar, they're deliciously golden on the outside and soft and hollow on the inside. This small batch Chouquettes recipe uses only FIVE main ingredients, and the puffs are ready within an hour! They're bite-sized and easy to make, especially if you follow my tips below.

If you're a fan of profiteroles (cream puffs), éclairs, French crullers or churros - then you'll love Chouquettes!

Mini French Puffs (Chouquettes) - A Girl and a Spoon — Chouquettes - French Sugar Puffs

What are Chouquettes, or French Sugar Puffs?

The word Chouquette is the diminutive (small) form of Choux, so named because these are small, bite-sized portions of pâte à choux (choux pastry). This is the base pastry for many well-known delicacies, such as profiteroles (cream puffs), éclairs, gougères, churros, and many more.

Choux pastry can be baked, like these chouquettes, or fried, like Churros. They can be filled or left hollow, which is what the Chouquette will be.

New to Pâte à Choux (Choux Pastry)? Start HERE with Chouquettes.

If you're new to Choux pastry, especially a baked version, then Chouquettes are a great way to become familiar with the dough. The base of the Choux pastry is pretty much the same, whether you're making Chouquettes, éclairs, or churros. So, once you have the basics down, you can elevate your choux and make so much more!

What are Chouquettes Made of?

Chouquettes are made of Choux Pastry, which is a very basic dough, or batter.

Water
Butter
Sugar
Eggs
Flour

Some optional (or not so optional ingredients) are:

Salt
Vanilla
Pearl Sugar for the topping - optional, but pretty much a requirement

Chouquettes rely on the moisture within the batter to generate steam while they bake, which makes them rise and puff up. There is no yeast, or baking powder, or any other rising agent.

How Do you Make Chouquettes?

The process of making Chouquettes is fairly straightforward, but it took me some practice to get it right. Here's how I make my Chouquettes.

I bring my water, butter and a little sugar just to a boil before adding in my flour.
I continue to cook this until the mixture has dried some (basically, the water has been fully absorbed by the flour.)
I wait a few minutes and than add in my room-temperature eggs until a pipeable dough or batter is formed.
I pipe small mounds onto a baking sheet, sprinkle with pearl sugar, and then bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 175 degrees Celcius for 25 minutes. I DO NOT open the oven during this time.
After 25 minutes, I open the oven door quickly to let out steam, and then I continue to bake for another 12-15 minutes until they are dried out and golden brown.

Tips for Successful Chouquettes

The success of Chouquettes really is success and mastery of Pâte à Choux, or Choux Pastry.

Measure your ingredients by weight, if possible. I use a kitchen scale, like this sleek kitchen scale or this more precise coffee scale, great for smaller amounts.*
I LOVE using Vanilla Sugar. I prefer this Vanilla Sugar, which is sustainably and ethically sourced from the Kingdom of Tonga (Polynesia)*
Whisk your eggs separately. Start with the lower amount, but have an extra egg handy just in case you need it.
Pearl sugar is, in my opinion, an important element for Chouquettes, because they aren't very sweet. They also provide a lovely textural contrast. I buy Swedish Pearl Sugar.*
Do NOT open the oven door until after about 25 minutes. The Chouquettes need the steam to rise.
Make sure your Chouquettes are nicely browned before taking them out of the oven. They need to be fully baked and dried, so they do not collapse once they're out of the oven.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

Small Batch Chouquettes Recipe

This small batch recipe makes about 10-12 Mini French Puffs. You can easily double or triple the recipe.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 50 mins

Ratings: 5 from 1 votes

Cooking Method: Baking, Boiling, Stovetop

Cuisine: European, French

Courses: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Difficulty: Beginner

Servings: 10

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Description

These Chouquettes are ADDICTING; I'm serious - I can never stop at one, or two, or three. Topped with that crunchy pearl sugar, they're deliciously golden on the outside and soft and hollow on the inside.

This small batch Chouquettes recipe uses only FIVE main ingredients, and the puffs are ready within an hour! They're bite-sized and easy to make, especially if you follow my tips below.

This recipe yields around 10-12 Chouquettes. You can easily double or triple the recipe.

Ingredients for Mini French Puffs (Chouquettes)

65 ml Water
30 g Butter (Unsalted)
7 g Sugar (I use Vanilla Sugar, see Notes)
40 g Flour
1 Large Egg (room temperature, have another readily available)
50 g Pearl Sugar (Highly recommended (but optional))
Pinch Salt (Optional)
1 tsp Vanilla (Optional (omit if using vanilla sugar))

Instructions for Chouquettes

Instructions

1
Preheat your oven to 350 F or 175 C. Line a baking sheet or tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
2
Put water, butter, sugar (and salt, if using) in a saucepan and heat on medium hear until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat immediately.
If using vanilla, add it now and stir.
3
Add the flour all at once. Using a firm utensil (like a wooden spoon), mix until everything is combined and place the pot back on medium heat.
4
Keep stirring for about 30 seconds to a minute until a cohesive dough forms. The dough should stick together and not stick to the pan.
By cooking the dough together, added moisture is removed.
5
Leave the dough to cool for about 5-10 minutes.
You can also move the dough to a separate bowl to cool faster.
6
Whisk the egg in a separate bowl. Then, add it to the dough. Mix vigorously until a smooth and pipeable dough/thick batter forms.
- It may look like the dough has separated - this is absolutely normal. As you continue to mix, it will come together to form a cohesive thick batter.
- The dough should be a thick batter that is pipeable. If it is too thick, you may need more egg. Whisk the extra egg in the separate bowl, and add a little at a time to the mix until it becomes pipeable.
- See Notes for Tests on the right consistency.
7
Fill a piping bag or quart-sized Ziploc bag and snip the edge to about 1/2 an inch or 1.3 cm. Pipe small mounds of about a tablespoon onto your baking sheet, leaving a bit of room between each Chouquette. Sprinkle pearl sugar generously over each one.
You should have 10-12 or so Chouquettes.
8
Bake the Chouquettes for 25 minutes. Do NOT open the door. After 25 minutes, open the oven door for a second to allow steam to escape, then close and bake for another 8-12 minutes until golden.
9
Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheet or wire rack. Bon Appétit!
Optional: Poke a small hole at the bottom to release some steam.

Recipe Notes

- Measure your ingredients by weight, if possible. I use a kitchen scale, like this sleek kitchen scale or this more precise coffee scale, great for smaller amounts.*
- I LOVE using Vanilla Sugar. I prefer this Vanilla Sugar, which is sustainably and ethically sourced from the Kingdom of Tonga (Polynesia)*
- Pearl sugar is, in my opinion, an important element for Chouquettes, because they aren't very sweet. They also provide a lovely textural contrast. I buy Swedish Pearl Sugar.*

- Whisk your eggs separately. Start with the lower amount, but have an extra egg handy just in case you need it.

- Do NOT open the oven door until after about 25 minutes. The Chouquettes need the steam to rise.

- Make sure your Chouquettes are nicely browned before taking them out of the oven. They need to be fully baked and dried, so they do not collapse once they're out of the oven.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

How do I know if my Choux Dough/Batter is Pipeable?

Test 1: Run your finger through the dough - it should leave a smooth path and not fill in again.
Test 2: Dip your spatula or spoon in the dough then lift it up. A bit of the batter should hang off the tip. It shouldn't drip, or be too firm that nothing hangs off at all.

Storing Chouquettes

Chouquettes, like other choux pastry, are typically best within 24 hours. They will begin to lose crispiness eventually. You can store them in a airtight container or Ziploc bag, and reheat in a 300 F/ 150 C oven until warm and crisp again.

Keywords: Chouquettes, Choux pastry, pate a choux, easy choux recipe, small choux recipe, easy chouquette recipe, chouquette recipe, french sugar puffs

Read it online: https://agirlandaspoon.com/recipe/chouquettes-french-sugar-puffs/

Rena

A Girl and a Spoon

Hi, I’m Rena! I’m a thirty-something foodie and house-spouse living in Texas. I love sharing and developing recipes from my mixed-race family, world travels and insatiable need to try new things.

I enjoy a mix of culinary traditionalism and innovation to honor history and create my own.

Thank you for supporting me and my blog! <3