Valentine Strawberry Cream Puffs (Print Version)

Choux pastry filled with strawberry whipped cream, dusted with powdered sugar and garnished with fresh berries.

# What You'll Need:

→ Choux Pastry

01 - 1/2 cup water
02 - 1/2 cup whole milk
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
06 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 4 large eggs

→ Strawberry Cream Filling

08 - 1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
09 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
10 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - 3/4 cup fresh strawberries, finely diced
12 - 2 tablespoons strawberry jam, optional

→ Topping

13 - Powdered sugar for dusting
14 - Sliced strawberries for garnish, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
03 - Remove from heat and stir in flour all at once. Return to heat and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides, approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
04 - Transfer dough to a mixing bowl. Cool for 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition until smooth and glossy.
05 - Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe 12 mounds approximately 2 inches wide onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart.
06 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and puffed. Do not open the oven during baking. Cool completely on a wire rack.
07 - While puffs cool, whip the cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Gently fold in diced strawberries and jam if using.
08 - Slice each puff in half horizontally. Fill the bottom half generously with strawberry cream, then replace the top.
09 - Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with sliced strawberries if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They look like you spent hours in a French patisserie, but the actual hands-on time is shockingly manageable.
  • The choux pastry creates this magical hollow center that holds the filling perfectly, making each bite feel intentional and impressive.
  • Fresh strawberry cream tastes nothing like the artificial versions—it's bright, real, and tastes like someone actually cared.
02 -
  • The eggs must be added to dough that's cooled slightly but still warm, or they won't incorporate properly and you'll end up with a lumpy, separated mess instead of glossy dough.
  • Opening the oven door before the puffs are fully set will cause them to collapse, leaving you with sad, flat discs instead of the airy shells you need to hold the filling.
  • Strawberry cream is best assembled no more than two hours before serving because moisture from the berries will slowly soften the pastry—make the cream ahead if you want, but fill closer to eating time.
03 -
  • If you don't have a piping bag, you can drop spoonfuls of dough onto the baking sheet, but the puffs won't be as uniform—use two spoons to create rough mounds and they'll still taste amazing.
  • Room temperature eggs are essential because cold eggs won't incorporate properly into the warm dough and you'll see separation and lumps instead of that glossy, smooth finish.
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