Profiteroles Recipe and Christmas Profiterole Wreath
This Christmas Profiterole Wreath is one of those desserts that looks like you spent hours in the kitchen, but the truth is, it comes together much easier than you’d think. The impressive presentation—cream puffs piled into a festive wreath shape, filled with homemade whipped cream, drizzled with chocolate, and decorated with cranberries and rosemary—makes it perfect for holiday gatherings. Your guests will be wowed, and you’ll know the secret: this profiteroles recipe is surprisingly simple.
The key to making profiteroles is understanding that choux paste isn’t nearly as intimidating as it sounds. You’re basically making a thick batter on the stovetop with four standard ingredients (flour, butter, water, and salt), letting it cool, then beating in eggs until it’s glossy and smooth. The mixer does most of the work, incorporating air, which is what makes these puffs rise so beautifully in the oven. The cream filling is simply vanilla, sugar, and whipping cream. If you can make cupcakes, you can absolutely make profiteroles and this wreath.
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An Elegant Holiday Party Dessert
This is the perfect Christmas party or dinner party dessert. A typical serving is 2 to 3 profiteroles per person, so this recipe, which makes 30 puffs, will serve 10 to 15 people depending on the occasion. If you’re serving this wreath alongside other desserts or after a big holiday meal, plan on 2 per person, which gets you closer to 15 servings. If it’s the star dessert on its own, figure 3 per person for about 10 servings.
Keep in mind that these are bite-sized and easy to eat, so some guests might come back for seconds while others take only one. This wreath works well for a gathering of 10 to 12 people when it’s one of a couple of dessert options. If you need to serve more, the recipe scales up easily—make another batch of puffs and increase the whipped cream.
What’s the Difference Between Cream Puffs and Profiteroles?
They’re basically the same thing—both are made from choux pastry—but there are a few subtle differences in how they’re typically served.
Profiteroles are usually smaller, bite-sized puffs often served with chocolate sauce drizzled over them or as part of an elegant dessert presentation. They’re more commonly associated with French pastry and formal occasions. The filling is often ice cream or whipped cream.
Cream puffs tend to be larger, more casual, and are usually dusted with powdered sugar rather than covered in chocolate. You’d see these at church bake sales or family gatherings. They’re typically filled with whipped cream or pastry cream.
In this recipe, we’re calling them profiteroles because of the chocolate topping and the fancy wreath presentation. But honestly, the terms get used interchangeably all the time, and most people won’t make a distinction. If you made these larger and skipped the chocolate, you could easily call them cream puffs instead. It’s really more about the presentation and serving style than any significant difference in the recipe itself.
Tips for Success with this Profiteroles Recipe
For the Profiteroles
- Use a hand or stand mixer when adding the eggs to the cooled paste. This incorporates the maximum amount of air into the dough, creating the glossy texture you’re looking for. The more air you work in, the better your puffs will rise.
- Keep your piped rounds as uniform as possible to ensure even baking. If some have pointy tops, use the back of a wet spoon to gently smooth them down before baking.
- Don’t open the oven door while the puffs are baking. The temperature drop can cause them to deflate. Wait until they’re fully golden and risen before checking on them.
- Make that small slit in each puff after the first bake. This releases steam and prevents them from getting soggy inside. The extra 2 to 3 minutes in the oven helps crisp them up.
For the Whipped Cream Filling
- Start with cold cream straight from the refrigerator, and if you have time, chill your mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes beforehand. Cold equipment helps the cream whip faster and hold its structure better.
- Beat the cream on medium to medium-high speed, not high. Whipping the cream too fast can turn it from perfect to overwhipped and grainy in seconds. Oversee it as it thickens—you want stiff peaks that hold their shape when you lift the whisk, but not so stiff that it starts to look curdled or buttery.
- If you’re piping the cream into the puffs, you want it on the stiffer side so it doesn’t leak out or make the pastry soggy. Soft peaks won’t hold up well for this purpose.
- You can make the whipped cream an hour or two ahead and keep it refrigerated, but give it a quick whisk by hand before piping if it’s separated. Whipped cream will start to weep and lose volume if it sits too long, so don’t make it more than a few hours in advance.
- If you accidentally overwhip and the cream looks grainy, you can sometimes save it by gently folding in a tablespoon or two of unwhipped cream to smooth it back out.
Step-by-Step Instructions for This Profiteroles Recipe and Making a Profiterole Wreath
Make the Choux Paste
Start by melting the butter and water together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a full boil, then turn off the heat completely. Add the sifted flour and salt all at once, and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball that pulls away cleanly from the sides of the pan. Spread the paste flat in the pan and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes—you want it cool enough that it won’t scramble the eggs when you add them.
Beat your eggs in a separate bowl, then add them gradually to the cooled paste. Use a hand mixer or transfer the ingredients to a stand mixer to beat everything together until the dough is smooth, glossy, and reaches a thick piping consistency. Let it cool slightly while you prepare your baking sheets.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 425°F/218°C (you’ll bake at 400°F/204°C, but preheating higher helps). Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip, like a Wilton 1A. Pipe 15 rounds on each tray—30 total—spaced about 2 inches apart. Try to keep them as round and uniform as possible; a macaron silpat is helpful. If any have peaked tops, dip the back of a spoon in water and gently smooth them down.
Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F/204°C and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the puffs are golden brown and fully risen. Peek through the oven window to see if they are ready. Don’t open the oven door during baking. When they’re done, take them out and use a sharp knife to make a small slit in the bottom or side of each puff to let steam escape. You’ll also pipe the whipped cream in this small slit later. Put them back in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes to crisp up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Whipped Cream Filling
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. The cream should hold its shape when you lift the whisk. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a Wilton 1D or standard star tip, and pipe filling into each puff through the slit you made earlier. Fill them generously, but don’t overstuff—you don’t want them to burst.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each one until smooth. Dip the top of each filled puff into the chocolate. You can enjoy your profiteroles now, or… move on and make a lovely wreath with them!
Assemble the Profiteroles Wreath
On your serving platter, arrange profiteroles in a large circle, leaving space in the center to create the wreath shape. Then make a smaller inner circle. Fit a piping bag with a star tip and fill it with the remaining whipped cream. Pipe whipped cream between and around the puffs to help them stick together. Add a second layer of puffs on top, using more whipped cream to fill in any gaps and secure everything in place. Finish by tucking fresh cranberries and rosemary sprigs into the whipped cream for a festive look.
Keep the wreath refrigerated until you’re ready to serve. For the best texture, serve it the same day you assemble it. Even better, make the puffs ahead and assemble the wreath just before your guests arrive.
Troubleshooting
Puffs don’t rise very much. If your puffs didn’t rise much, the dough may not have had enough air beaten into it, or the oven temperature may have been too low. Make sure you’re mixing vigorously when adding the eggs and that your oven is fully preheated to 400°F/204°C.
Puffs are browning too quickly. If the puffs are browning too quickly but aren’t fully baked inside, lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees and bake a few minutes longer. They need time to develop a sturdy structure.
Whipped cream is too soft to pipe. If your whipped cream is too soft to pipe, it wasn’t beaten long enough. It should hold stiff peaks. Pop it back in the mixer for another minute or two until it firms up.
The wreath is not staying together. If the wreath feels unstable when assembling, use more whipped cream as “glue” between the layers. It serves both as decoration and structural support, so don’t be shy with it.
How to Make the Profiteroles and/or Profiterole Wreath Ahead of Time
The best way to get ahead on this profiteroles recipe is to bake the profiterole puffs in advance and store them unfilled. Once the puffs are completely cooled after baking, place them in an airtight container or a large ziplock bag. They’ll keep at room temperature for up to two days, or you can freeze them for up to a month if you want to prepare even further ahead.
If you freeze the puffs, let them thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes on the day you plan to serve the wreath, then pop them in a 350°F/177°C oven for about 5 minutes to crisp them back up. Let them cool completely before filling.
The whipped cream needs to be made fresh on the day you’re assembling the wreath. Whipped cream doesn’t hold up well when made too far in advance—it starts to weep and lose its structure after a few hours. Plan to whip the cream no more than an hour or two before you fill the puffs. If you do make it a bit early, keep it covered in the refrigerator and give it a quick whisk by hand right before using it to bring back any lost volume.
For the assembly itself, you can fill and build the wreath 4 to 6 hours before serving, as long as you keep it refrigerated. Any longer than that, and the puffs may start to get soggy from the whipped cream. If you want the crispest texture possible, assemble the wreath no more than an hour or two before your guests arrive.
Once it’s built, keep your Profiteroles Wreath in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. This make-ahead approach lets you break the work into manageable pieces without sacrificing quality, which is especially helpful during the busy holiday season when you’ve got a dozen other things on your plate.
Profiteroles Recipe and Christmas Profiteroles Wreath
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Choux Paste:
- ¼ cup butter
- 2/3 cup water
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour sifted
- Pinch of salt
- 2 eggs at room temperature and beaten
For the Homemade Whipped Cream:
- 2 cups whipping cream chilled
- ½ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
To Decorate:
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
- Cranberries
- Rosemary sprigs
Instructions
Make the Choux Paste:
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter with the water and bring to a boil.
- Turn off the heat, add the flour and salt, and stir until a smooth paste forms a ball that separates cleanly from the sides of the pot. Spread it flat and let cool for 10–15 minutes.
- Beat the eggs and gradually add them to the mixture using a hand mixer, mixing until fully incorporated. The result should be a glossy batter with a piping consistency. Let it cool slightly.
- Prepare 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 425°F/218℃.
- Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe 15 puffs on each tray (30 total), keeping them as round as possible. Optionally, use the back of a wet spoon to flatten the tops slightly.
- Lower the heat to 400 °F/204℃ and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the puffs have risen and are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and make a small slit on the bottom or side of each puff to release steam. Return to the oven for 2–3 minutes, then let cool completely.
Prepare the Filling:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. It helps to chill the bowl and whisk before adding the ingredients.
- Transfer to a piping bag with a star tip and fill each puff through the slit. Avoid overfilling to prevent bursting.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave and dip the top of each puff. Don’t worry about perfection—we’ll use additional whipped cream for decoration.
Assemble the Wreath:
- On your serving tray, arrange the profiteroles in a large circle with a smaller circle inside.
- Use a piping bag fitted with a star tip to pipe whipped cream between the puffs.
- Place more puffs on top, filling in gaps with additional whipped cream.
- Decorate with cranberries and rosemary sprigs.
Notes
- For best results, serve the wreath immediately or within a day, keeping it refrigerated to avoid the whipped cream from melting or collapsing. Alternatively, you can assemble just before serving to keep the puffs crisp and the whipped cream firm.
Nutrition
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