Originally a French desert, these cream puffs were a regular on our dinner table when we were expecting guests. I'm glad I can recreate this using cassava flour to make it entirely grain free.
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Growing up, my Mom would always make this desert for special occasions like birthdays, holidays and when having guests for dinner. Thankfully for us, that was pretty often as my parents valued hospitality and having guests over was a frequent occurrence in our household. I would often walk into the kitchen only to find these unfilled cream puffs scattered on our kitchen table. Without the cream, they are rather bland. But the luscious buttercream is a total game changer.
The Puffs
Choux à la crème is a filled French choux pastry ball with a delectable filling. The puffs may be decorated or left plain and garnished with either chocolate ganache, caramel sauce or dusted with powdered sugar. There are a myriad of ways to deck out these puffs so it really is a matter of preference and tastebuds.
The making of the puffs is actually quite easy with four simple ingredients: water, butter, flour and eggs. The addition of eggs, one at a time, creates a smooth but thick paste that can easily be spooned or piped through a pasty bag onto the baking sheet. This paste is commonly referred to as choux paste and when baked in small balls creates largely hollow puffs.
I modified my Mom's traditional cream puffs to make it completely grain free using cassava flour. The result is nearly the same as my childhood treats, only better because...grain free., duh! I use only Otto's brand of cassava flour as they take great care to offer the best quality on the market. And they offer free shipping too!
The cream
After the puffs are cooled, they are filled with a sweet cream. The most common fillings are pastry cream, whipped cream, custard, fruit or even ice cream. My favorite filling is this buttercream that is started with custard but when butter is mixed in well, it creates this smooth, rich cream. It's slightly more time consuming that the traditional whipped cream, but because these cream puffs are a special treat, it's worthwhile doing the extra step of cooking the custard. The copious amount of pastured butter makes it all the better. It's rich, luscious, and oh-so-delicious.
Grain Free Cream Puffs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and grease the parchment well with coconut oil or butter. Set aside.
It's important to actually start with the cream since the custard first needs to be cooked and cooled. In a small saucepan on medium heat, whisk one egg, milk, cassava flour and cup of sugar together. Gently bring to a boil and continue to cook another 3-4 minutes on low heat. Set aside for it to cool and thicken.
In a small thick-bottomed saucepan, melt butter with water together. Take off heat and add cassava flour. Stir vigorously to combine well. Transfer this mixture into a stand-up mixer with a paddle attachment. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition on low-medium speed.
Spoon about the size of a ping-pong ball onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving enough space between them for a slight rise. I was able to fit all 24 on one sheet.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to completely cool.
Meanwhile, transfer the custard (it should have cooled and thickened by now) into medium size mixing bowl or the KitchenAid mixer. Add 1 cup of pastured butter (2 sticks) and beat well. This usually takes a good 10 minutes. You want to make sure that the butter has been incorporated well into the custard and you should have no white chunks.
Make slits in the cream puffs with a serrated knife being careful not to go all the way through. Alternatively, you can cut straight through, fill with cream and assemble back together. But I like "hiding" the cream inside without cutting through the puffs.
Using a small teaspoon, scoop about two teaspoons of cream and gently slide it in the puff opening, using the top half to help slide the cream off the spoon. Do this for all 24 cream puffs. Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with chocolate ganache. Or just enjoy without any toppings.
Grain Free Cream Puffs with Buttercream
Ingredients
- Puffs:
- ⅔ cup pastured butter
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup <a href=http://www.idevaffiliate.com/32360/idevaffiliate.php?id=180>cassava flour</a>
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- Cream:
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 cup <a href="http://amzn.to/1U6Bbz9" target="_blank">organic sugar</a>
- 2 tablespoon <a href=http://www.idevaffiliate.com/32360/idevaffiliate.php?id=180>cassava flour</a>
- 1 cup pastured butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and grease the parchment well with coconut oil or butter. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan on medium heat, whisk one egg, milk, <a href=http://www.idevaffiliate.com/32360/idevaffiliate.php?id=180>flour</a> and cup of <a href="http://amzn.to/1U6Bbz9" target="_blank">sugar</a> together. Gently bring to a boil and continue to cook another 3-4 minutes on low heat. Set aside for it to cool and thicken.
- In another saucepan, melt butter with water together. Take off heat and add <a href=http://www.idevaffiliate.com/32360/idevaffiliate.php?id=180>flour</a>. Stir vigorously to combine well.
- Transfer this mixture into a stand-up mixer with a paddle attachment. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition on low-medium speed.
- Spoon about the size of a ping-pong ball onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving enough space between them for a slight rise. I was able to fit all 24 on one sheet.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to completely cool.
- Meanwhile, transfer the custard (it should have thickened by now) into medium size mixing bowl or a Kitchen Aid mixer. Add 1 cup of pastured butter (2 sticks) and beat well. This usually takes about 10 minutes. You want to make sure that the butter has been incorporated well into the custard and you should have no white chunks.
- Make slits in the cream puffs with a serrated knife being careful not to go all the way through. Alternatively, you can cut straight through, fill with cream and assemble back together.
- Using a small teaspoon, scoop about two teaspoons of cream and gently slide it in the puff opening, using the top half to help slide the cream off the spoon.
- Do this for the remaining cream puffs.
- Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with chocolate ganache. Or just enjoy without any toppings.
The information shown is an estimate provided for your convenience by an online calculator. It should not be considered as a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice. See our complete Nutritional Information Disclaimer.
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Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says
Swoon! These look amazing!!! Truly a special recipe. Sharing this in my newsletter today.
Anya says
Thanks Emily. I saw that in the newsletter. So sweet of you.
Marla says
Hi Anya
Wow these look yummy and no grain in them. I love the healthy ingredients in your recipe. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & tweeted!
Jamie @ Medium Sized Family says
My Mom served cream puffs, too. They were always one of my favorite desserts. As much as I love to cook and bake, I'm surprised I've never tried them!
Bethany says
These look great!
Raia says
Wow. Those look amazing. I think I might have all the ingredients, too! It must be a sign... 😉 Thanks so much for sharing these at Savoring Saturdays, Anya!
Leigh says
I can see why these were special occasion treats, but I think they'd make any occasion special! Thanks for sharing at the Healthy Living Link Party!
Blessings, Leigh
Anya says
Yes, they would, Leigh. Thanks for stopping by.
H says
Could I make the buttercream with Cashew or Almond milk to cut the calories?
Anya says
Yes, I've tried almond milk with great success for the custard but you would still need to add the copious amount of healthy, pastured butter to get that right texture. Butter from healthy sources can be healthy.
Deborah Davis says
My hubby is a huge pastry lover so thank you for sharing your healthy and delicious grain free cassava cream puffs with us at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop. I’m Pinning and sharing.
Denise Maxa says
Just tried your cream puff recipe and couldn't believe how much they were like the cream puffs I remember my mom making when I was a kid! But question ... they looked so nice, golden brown and puffy when they came out of the oven and then fell a little as they cooled. Any thoughts on why they might have fallen?