Top 10 Types of Choux Pastries That You’ll Love | French Pastries
When you think of classic French pastries, one special dough immediately comes to mind: choux pastry, or pâte à choux. It sits right at the heart of what we do at Profiterole Patisserie and it is even part of our name!
But what exactly is this golden pastry, and what makes it so different from other doughs around the world? In this guide, I will take you on a delicious tour of 10 irresistible French choux pastries you are bound to love.
TL;DR
Choux pastry is a versatile French dough that relies on steam during baking to create light, hollow, golden shells. This unique dough serves as the foundation for a wide range of sweet and savoury treats:
| Choux Pastry Type | Signature Filling / Topping | Flavour & Texture Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Profiteroles | Cold vanilla ice cream or custard, drenched in warm dark chocolate | Crisp shell, cold creamy core, and bold bittersweet chocolate warmth |
| Croquembouche | Vanilla pastry cream, bound by crunchy caramelised sugar threads | Festive, dramatic tower with a satisfying caramel snap and silky cream |
| Cream Puffs | Fluffy whipped Chantilly cream, dusted with fine icing sugar | Light, airy, and gently sweet—an effortless crowd-pleaser |
| Saint-Honoré Cake | Caramel-dipped choux puffs, Chiboust cream, and puff pastry base | Luxurious multi-textured dessert with rich caramel and light cream |
| Éclairs | Silky vanilla or chocolate pastry cream, topped with glossy fondant | Oblong shape with a velvety custard filling and sweet glazed top |
| Choux au Craquelin | Pastry cream inside a choux shell topped with a crisp cookie disc | Delightful contrast between a crunchy biscuit lid and smooth cream |
| Chouquette | Unfilled hollow choux puffs, generously sprinkled with pearl sugar | Light, bite-sized snack with a sweet, crunchy sugar pop |
| Religieuse | Double-stacked choux puffs filled with custard and piped butter cream | Traditional French favourite resembling a nun, rich in pastry cream |
| Choux à la Crème | Rich French pastry cream (custard) piped into a sliced choux bun | Classic, comforting French bakery staple packed with silky vanilla cream |
| Gougères | Savoury dough mixed with sharp Gruyère or Comté cheese | Warm, golden, cheesy puffed rolls with a savoury, airy centre |
What is a Choux Pastry or Pâte à Choux?
Choux pastry (known traditionally in French as pâte à choux) is a light dough used in many famous French pastries. What makes it completely unique compared to shortcrust or flaky puff pastry is how it is prepared.
Choux dough is cooked twice:
- First: in a saucepan on the stovetop to combine the liquid, butter, and flour
- Second: it is then baked in a hot oven after eggs are whisked in.
Because the dough holds a high amount of liquid, something magical happens when it enters the oven. The moisture inside rapidly turns to steam, causing the dough to puff dramatically and expand into a hollow, golden ball with a crisp outer shell.
Made from simple kitchen staples, water or milk, butter, flour, and fresh eggs, choux pastry has a neutral, buttery flavor on its own. This makes it the ultimate blank canvas for bakers, ready to be filled with velvety custards, fluffy whipped creams, or even sharp melted cheeses.
And now, let us jump into my top 10 choux pastries that I’m sure you’ll surely love too!
01. Profiteroles
Profiteroles are small, round choux balls split open and filled with chilled vanilla ice cream or smooth custard.
They are famously served in generous portions under a blanket of warm dark chocolate ganache. The temperature contrast between the cold filling, warm pastry, and bittersweet chocolate makes every bite unforgettable.
We have a lot of profiterole-based desserts in Profiterole Patisserie. In any of our stores, you’ll find:
- Mousse profiterole cake
- Profiterole ice cream cake
- Boxes of assorted profiteroles
- Profiterole towers, and more!
02. Croquembouche
The Croquembouche is the undisputed star of traditional French celebrations and weddings.
This dramatic centerpiece is built by stacking dozens of cream-filled choux puffs into a high cone shape, bound together by spun golden caramel threads that add a delicate, crunchy snap.
At Profiterole Patisserie, we put a spin on the traditional croquembouche tower. Instead of using this type of choux pastry, we use profiteroles (available with various kinds of glaze and fillings) to build that towering cake.
03. Cream Puffs
Cream puffs are simple, delightful treats enjoyed all over the world.
A golden choux shell is piped full of fluffy whipped Chantilly cream and finished with a light dusting of icing sugar. They are soft, airy, and gently sweet, making them perfect for afternoon tea.
04. Saint-Honoré Cake
Named after the French patron saint of bakers, the Gâteau Saint-Honoré is a show-stopping dessert.
It features a crisp puff pastry base surrounded by a ring of small, caramel-dipped choux puffs, topped with light Chiboust pastry cream piped decoratively in the center.
05. Éclairs
Éclairs are immediately recognizable by their sleek, oblong shape.
Piped into long strips before baking, these hollow shells are generously packed with rich vanilla or chocolate pastry cream (custard) and finished with a smooth, shiny glaze of fondant or chocolate icing.
You’ll find delicious eclairs in our classic cake box.
06. Choux au Craquelin
Choux au Craquelin takes the classic cream puff to a whole new level of texture.
Before baking, a thin disc of sweet cookie dough (craquelin) is placed on top of the raw choux dough. As it bakes, the cookie dough melts and wraps around the rising ball, leaving a sweet, crackled, biscuit-like crunch over the soft cream filling inside.
07. Chouquette
Chouquettes are charming, bite-sized French snacks.
Unlike most choux pastries, they are kept completely hollow and unfilled. Instead, the raw dough balls are generously coated with coarse pearl sugar before baking, creating a light, airy treat with a sweet, crunchy bite.
08. Religieuse
Translating to "nun," the Religieuse is a classic French pastry created in the 1800s.
It consists of two stacked choux puffs, a smaller one sitting on top of a larger one, both filled with chocolate or coffee pastry cream and joined together with a piped ruffle of buttercream frosting.
09. Choux à la Crème
Choux à la Crème is the classic French bakery staple that started it all.
A golden, hollow choux bun is sliced open and filled to the brim with rich, vanilla bean-flecked pastry cream (custard), offering a comforting, velvety dessert that highlights French baking at its finest.
10. Gougères
Choux pastry is not just for sweet tooths! Gougères showcase the savoury side of pâte à choux.
Freshly grated Gruyère or Comté cheese is folded straight into the warm dough before piping and baking, producing warm, golden, cheesy puffs that are airy on the inside and perfect for appetizer platters.
Ready to Experience Authentic French Choux Pastry in Sydney?
From chocolate-covered profiteroles to light, fluffy cream puffs, the world of choux pastry offers something special for every dessert lover.
The magic of this French dough lies in its versatility, turning simple ingredients into airy, golden creations that bring pure joy to any occasion.
You do not have to fly to Paris to enjoy authentic French baking. We warmly invite you to visit Profiterole Patisserie across our Sydney locations to treat your family to our signature choux pastries and handcrafted desserts today.
At Profiterole Patisserie, choux pastry is more than just a recipe. It is our passion and identity. We honor age-old French traditions every morning, crafting fresh batches of profiteroles, cream puffs, and custom celebration cakes to help you turn everyday moments into memorable celebrations.
Publish date: 17/07/2026
Joey Yaccoub
Head Baker & Operations Manager, Profiterole Patisserie
Joey Yaccoub is the Head Baker at Profiterole Patisserie, bringing over a decade of hands-on experience in artisan cake design and pastry craftsmanship.
He oversees recipe development, product quality, and daily operations across all store locations, ensuring every cake meets the brand’s standards for flavour, presentation, and consistency.
FAQs
How do you describe choux pastry?
Choux pastry is a light, golden French pastry dough cooked first on the stovetop and then baked in the oven. High moisture in the dough creates steam during baking, which causes the pastry to puff up into a hollow ball with a thin, crisp shell.
Is puff pastry the same as choux?
No, they are completely different. Puff pastry relies on alternating layers of butter and dough rolled together to create flaky, paper-thin layers. Choux pastry uses a cooked dough rich in moisture and eggs to puff up into a hollow, rounded shell using steam.
What French pastry is used for weddings and special occasions?
The most famous French celebration pastry is the Croquembouche. It is a tall, dramatic cone-shaped tower made of cream-filled choux puffs bound together with crunchy caramel sugar threads.
What is choux pastry also known as?
Choux pastry is traditionally known in French as pâte à choux. The term translates to "cabbage paste" because the small, round, bumpy baked choux balls resemble tiny heads of cabbage.
What is an example of choux?
Famous examples of choux pastry include chocolate profiteroles, cream puffs, chocolate eclairs, French crullers, and savoury cheesy gougères.
