Gougères (Choux Pastry Cheese Puffs)

Gougères are cheesy puffs made from choux pastry. The choux base is quick and easy to whip up, and the puffs bake up golden and crisp.

A pile of gougères resting on a plate

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Why This Recipe Works

  • Using temperatures to determine choux stages of doneness is more reliable than the traditional method's guesswork.
  • A 30-minute rest in the cooling oven after baking ensures crisp gougères that don't soften from the steam initially trapped within.

Gougères are small puffs made fromchoux pastrymixed with grated cheese, usually Gruyère or a similar French alpine cheese (though many other semi-firm cheeses, like cheddar, will work). They're baked until puffed and hollow, crisp and golden on the outside and tender within.

You can read more about the science and technique of choux in ourguide to the basic paste。这道菜依赖l the same key steps: using an instant-read thermometer to gauge when the flour paste has been sufficiently heated, then cooling it just enough to safely beat the eggs in without risk of them scrambling. After that, we mix in grated cheese along with a pinch of nutmeg and black pepper, for extra layers of aromatic complexity. We also like to sprinkle a little extra cheese on top of each puff for an extra cheesy bite.

Gougères are a great snack either before a meal or alongside drinks—just make sure to serve them warm, as the addition of cheese means gougères are less enjoyable when they've fully cooled.

December 2020

Recipe Details

Gougères (Choux Pastry Cheese Puffs)

Prep20 mins
Cook30 mins
Active35 mins
Cooling Time30 mins
Total80 mins
Serves10 servings
Makes20 gougères

Gougères are cheesy puffs made from choux pastry. The choux base is quick and easy to whip up, and the puffs bake up golden and crisp.

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  • 1cup(235g) water ormilk(see note)

  • 6tablespoons(85g)unsalted butter, cut into roughly 1/2-inch cubes

  • 1/2teaspoon(2g)Diamond Crystal kosher salt;食盐使用一半的体积或same weight

  • 4 1/2 ounces (128g)all-purpose flour, sifted

  • 4largeeggs

  • 4 ounces (115g) finelygrated Gruyère cheese, plus more for sprinkling

  • Pinchfreshly grated nutmeg

  • Pinchfreshly ground black pepper

  • Egg wash made from1largeeggwhisked with 1 tablespoon (15ml) water; or nonstick cooking spray

Directions

  1. In a 3-quart stainless-steel saucier or saucepan, combine water (or milk), butter, and salt.

    Overhead view of a saucier with the cubed butter, water, and salt, ready to heat.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  2. Set over high and and cook until liquid comes to a rolling boil and butter has fully melted, about 2 minutes (the small butter cubes should be fully melted just about at the same time the liquid hits a strong boil).

    Overhead view of the butter and water simmering on a stovetop.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  3. Remove from heat and add flour. Using a wooden spoon or stiff silicone spatula, thoroughly mix in flour until no lumps remain (make sure to hunt down and smash out any stubborn ones).

    Collage of flour being stirred into the saucier until it forms a paste. The top left shows ingredients placed in a pot. The top right shows the ingredients being stirred together. The bottom left shows the mixture starting to thicken. The bottom right shows a paste that has been formed.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  4. Return saucepan to medium-high heat and cook, stirring very frequently, until dough registers 175°F (80°C) on an instant-read thermometer; if you don't have a thermometer, other signs the dough is ready include a thin starchy film forming all over the inside of the saucier and the dough pulling together into a cohesive mass.

    A three image collage of paste being stirred and cooked until registering 175 degrees Fahrenheit (79 degrees C) on a thermometer. The top left shoes the past being stirred. The bottom right shows the paste being folded by a wooden spoon. The far right image shoes the thermometer placed into the paste

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  5. To use a stand mixer:Transfer dough to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat at medium speed until dough registers 145°F (63°C) on an instant-read thermometer (you need the dough cool enough that it doesn't cook the eggs when they're added).

    The paste is in the bowl of a stand mixer and registering 145 degree Fahrenheit (63 degrees C) on a thermometer.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  6. Add eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully beaten into the dough before adding the next; it can help to start the mixer at medium-low speed for the first egg and then increase the speed to medium once the choux batter begins to develop.

    A four image collage of eggs being added and mixed with the flour paste. The top left shoes the paste in a stand mixer. The top right shows eggs being poured into the paste. The bottom left shows the paste and the eggs being mixed together. The bottom right shows the mixture fully incorporated.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  7. Scrape down sides of mixer bowl, then add cheese, nutmeg, and black pepper. Mix at medium speed just until cheese and seasonings are fully incorporated, about 10 seconds.

    Shredded cheese is added to the stand mixer bowl.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  8. To finish dough by hand:Let dough cool in saucepan, stirring frequently, until it registers 145°F (63°C) on an instant-read thermometer. Add eggs 1 at a time, stirring well between additions until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next, until a smooth, shiny paste forms. Mix in cheese, nutmeg, and black pepper until well combined.

    Overhead view of eggs being added to the cooled flour paste, one at a time.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  9. Scrape gougères batter into a pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch pastry tip. At this point, the gougères batter can be held in the sealed pastry bag at room temperature for up to 2 hours.

    Closeup of the choux paste being transferred to a pastry bag.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  10. To Bake:Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (see note). If desired, pipe a dab of gougères batter under each of the 4 corners of the parchment to secure it in place.

    Overhead view of a cook piping a daub of choux paste under a corner of the parchment paper to secure it to the rimmed baking sheet.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  11. Pipe gougères batter onto parchment paper in 1 1/2-inch mounds. You should have enough batter to pipe 20 gougères.

    Closeup of choux paste being piped onto a parchment sheet that has been marked with 1 1/2-inch circles.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  12. Using a moistened finger, gently press down any pointy tips on the mounds to smooth them out.

    A moist finger press down on the piped mounds of choux paste.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  13. 使用糕点刷轻轻刷一层光of egg wash on each mound, being careful not to let excess egg wash drip down onto the parchment. Alternatively, spray mounds lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

    Nonstick cooking spray is applied to the choux paste mounds

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  14. Sprinkle a pinch of grated Gruyere on top of each mound, pushing down very gently to ensure it adheres to the surface.

    A pinch of finely grated cheese is added to each choux paste mound.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  15. Bake until gougères are puffed, deeply golden brown, and feel hollow when lifted, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn off oven, crack the door open, and let stand for 30 minutes to dry and fully set the crust.

    Split image of the gougères before and after baking.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

  16. Gougères are best served while still warm; if they cool down too much before serving, briefly reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven before serving.

    Closeup of a finished gougère, ready to serve.

    Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Special Equipment

3-quart saucieror saucepan,stand mixer,rimmed baking sheet, parchment paper,pastry bag and tip

Notes

Water or milk work in this recipe. Because of the richness of the cheese in the choux pastry, water is more than sufficient here; milk, meanwhile, will lead to deeper browning during baking.

If you want to make sure that each puff is the right size, you can prepare a template ahead of time. Take one sheet of parchment paper and, using a 1 1/2-inch round cutter as a guide, trace circles with a pencil, then flip paper upside down and set it on the baking sheet.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The baked gougères can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days or, wrapped tightly in plastic and kept in an airtight container, they can be frozen for up to 1 month. To refresh refrigerated or frozen gougères, transfer to a baking sheet and reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven until crisp, about 5 minutes.

Read More

Nutrition Facts(per serving)
203 Calories
14g Fat
11g Carbs
9g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 203
% Daily Value*
Total Fat14g 17%
Saturated Fat 8g 38%
Cholesterol126mg 42%
Sodium193mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate11g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein9g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 164mg 13%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 94mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)