Gruyere cheese puffs, or gougères, are popular French appetizers made with classic choux pastry dough and Gruyere cheese. This quick and easy recipe serves 28 cheese puffs in just 45 minutes. And they do not last long: both kids and adults love them equally!
Gruyere cheese puffs (Gougères)
Gruyere cheese puffs, or Gougères, are savory French cheese puffs made with a choux pastry (pâte à choux) and loaded with grated Gruyere cheese. Originating from Burgundy, they are typically enjoyed cold in cellars during wine tastings.
These savory cheese puffs are the perfect hors d'oeuvre appetizer and a great choice for French starters before a dinner party. Interestingly, they are made with the same dough as French cream puffs.
These savory morsels are our family favorites. No matter how many I bake, they disappear in minutes. And they are a top choice for our movie nights: extra-crispy outside and hollow inside.
If you have never tried French cheese puffs, you should definitely give it a try. Just spend 45 minutes and make a batch of these drool-worthy cheesy bites!
Ingredients
For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.
- Whole milk or low-fat milk
- Butter - unsalted butter cut into small pieces.
- Flour - all-purpose flour (aka plain flour in the UK). I've never tried to use a gluten-free flour blend to make gluten-free gougeres.
- Large eggs at room temperature.
- Gruyere cheese - fresh and finely grated. Replace Gruyere cheese with Comte, Emmentaler, sharp cheddar cheese, or a mix of cheeses. I would say use your favorite cheese but opt for the aged, drier, and flavorful cheeses.
- Salt, ground pepper, grated nutmeg (optional).
How to make Gruyere cheese puffs step-by-step
Step 1. First thing, heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.
Step 2. To make choux pastry dough, cut the butter into small cubes. In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, place butter, and salt.
Step 3. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted, remove the pan from heat and stir in the sifted flour. Stir the flour in with a wooden spatula or a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth.
Step 4. Bring the pan over medium heat and stir the preparation with the spatula to dry it out. Once the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pot and the bottom of the pan, it is ready to remove from heat.
Step 5. Transfer the dough to a bowl of the stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Run it at low speed to let it cool for 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 6. Continue at low-medium speed and add whole eggs, one at a time. Before adding the remaining eggs, wait until the first egg is well incorporated into the choux dough.
Step 7. Add grated Gruyère cheese, season with black pepper and nutmeg, and mix just to combine.
Step 8. Place the pâte à choux in a piping bag with a wide plain tip of 12 mm - Ateco plain pastry tip 806. Pipe about 28 mounds the size of a small cherry tomato on the prepared baking sheet or a silicone mat.
Step 9. Brush puffs with the beaten egg (egg wash) using a silicone brush. Sprinkle with a generous amount of grated cheese on top of each dough ball.
Step 10. Bake gougères for 25 to 30 minutes. Add a few extra minutes to the bake time to achieve the desired color.
Serve immediately or let cool completely on a wire rack.
Expert Tips
- Stir in the eggs using a stand, hand mixer, or a hand whisk.
- Pipe tablespoon-size mounds or smaller balls to make little cheese puffs.
- Use two spoons or a small cookie scoop to portion the dough onto the parchment if you do not have a pastry bag.
- Don't open the oven door while baking choux pastry: gougères will deflate immediately if they are not golden brown yet.
- Make-ahead option: Pipe or scoop the choux dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet, freeze and store it in an airtight container in the freezer. Then, bake cheese puffs straight from the freezer on the day of serving, increasing the baking time for a few minutes.
Recipe variations
Classic gougères, as savory choux pastry, are best served as appetizers. Their star ingredient is nutty Gruyere cheese, but you can make them with another type of cheese. Also, try the following mix-ins:
- Add minced Italian parsley, chopped chives, or fresh thyme to the Gruyere puff recipe.
- Experiment with adding bacon bits and garlic cloves to make cheese puffs.
- Add a combination of chopped mushrooms, shallots, and crumbled blue cheese to the recipe.
- Or try to spice it up with cayenne pepper or make the recipe fun by adding some poppy seeds.
How to serve gougères
Gougères are best eaten on the same day they are made. Serve baked cheese puffs hot right from the oven, cold, or warmed up in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 5 minutes.
It is super good to enjoy them accompanied by avocado or chicken salad, French onion soup, or a glass of wine (white or sparkling wine) or champagne.
You can garnish them with a cream cheese mousse, bechamel sauce, or foie gras and serve them as a French starter. But serve the filled cheese puffs (savory profiteroles) immediately to prevent the choux pastry from softening.
Storing and freezing
To store, place cooled cheese puffs in an airtight metal box and keep them for a few days.
To freeze, spread puffs on a baking sheet and freeze them. Then, place them in a zip-top bag and freeze them for up to a month.
To serve, take frozen gougères from the freezer bag and reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 8 to 10 minutes.
Love savory recipes? Try these next!
- Cake Salé (French Savory Cake)
- Buckwheat Crepes
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PrintRecipe card
Gruyere Cheese Puffs (Gougères)
Gruyere cheese puffs, or gougères, are popular French appetizers made with classic choux pastry dough and Gruyere cheese. This quick and easy recipe serves 28 puffs in just 45 minutes.
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 28 puffs 1x
- Category: Choux pastry
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
For the choux pastry dough:
- ½ cup (120 ml) water
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk
- 1 stick (115 g) unsalted butter
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 3.5 oz (100 g) Gruyere cheese, finely grated
- ground pepper to taste
- 1 pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)
For topping:
- 1 egg (for brushing)
- 1.7 oz (50 g) Gruyere cheese, grated
* If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- To make the choux pastry dough, cut the butter into small cubes. In a medium saucepan, pour water and milk, and place the butter and salt. Bring to a boil over low heat.
- Once the butter is melted, remove the pan from heat and stir in the sifted flour. Stir the flour in with a wooden spatula until the mixture is smooth. Bring the pan over medium heat and stir the preparation with the spatula to dry it out. Once the mixture easily comes away from the sides and the saucepan's bottom, it is ready to remove from heat.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl of the stand mixer with a flat beater attachment, run it at low speed, and let it cool for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Continue with the low-medium speed, and add eggs, one at a time. Before adding the next one, wait until the first egg is well incorporated into the dough. Add cheese and season with pepper and nutmeg. Mix well.
- Place the pate a choux dough in a pastry bag with Ateco plain pastry tip 806 (12 mm) and pipe about 28 mounds.
- Using a silicone brush, brush puffs with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with the grated cheese on top of each puff and bake the gougeres for 25 to 30 minutes. Add a few extra minutes to the baking time to achieve the desired color.
- Serve immediately or let cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- Stir in the eggs using a stand, electric mixer, or a hand whisk.
- Replace Gruyere cheese with Comte, Emmentaler, sharp cheddar, or a mix of cheeses, but dry, aged cheese is the best option.
- Pipe tablespoon-size mounds or smaller balls if you want to make bite-sized puffs.
- Use two spoons to portion the dough onto the parchment if you do not have a pastry bag.
- Don't open the oven door while baking choux pastry: the puffs will fall out immediately if they are not golden brown yet.
- Serve cheese puffs hot or cold, or reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 5 minutes.
- Make-ahead option: Pipe or scoop the choux dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet, freeze and store it in an airtight container in the freezer. Then, bake cheese puffs straight from the freezer on the day of serving, increasing the baking time for a few minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 80
- Sugar: 0.6 g
- Sodium: 36 mg
- Fat: 5.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 3.4 g
- Cholesterol: 42 mg
The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.
The recipe was adapted from Alain Ducasse's gougères recipe. It was originally published on October 17, 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos.
Darcey says
I can't wait to make these! My husband has been asking for me to find a recipe for these and I finally found one that looks perfect!
Irina says
Perfect! Please, enjoy the recipe, Darcey!
Diana Reis says
These are beautiful and delicious. I've been craving bread and cheese more than anything and I'm going to make these tonight.
Irina says
Please, let me know how it went, Diana! You will love these cheesy cuties.
Nart says
Love these and 28 puffs in 45 minutes...yes, please!
Irina says
Sure thing! Please, enjoy it, Nart.
Carrie Robinson says
Yes, please! I just love how cheesy these are. 🙂
Irina says
I know what you are talking about, Carrie. These cheese puffs' architecture is amazing. Thanks for your comment.
Cookilicious says
They look perfect! Baking them right now. Thanks for the recipe
Irina says
You are welcome. Happy baking and enjoy!
Kushigalu says
How delicious and cheesy they look. My little one would love them very much. Pinned!
Irina says
Yes, these cheese puffs are kids' favorites. Well, it is the same about adults:) Please, enjoy the recipe, Kushigalu.
Pat says
Does the dough need to be baked immediately, or can it be refrigerated for any length of time?
Irina says
According to Cook's Illustrated, the choux dough can be refrigerated for two days. As for me, I always make the fresh dough - pate a choux. It takes 10 to 15 minutes to make it. Then I transfer it in a pastry bag and can leave it at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes. Then I pipe, but you can pipe right away though.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I absolutely love the cheese puffs and can have this all day long. I am in love with the texture of the puffs, and your pictures are amazing.
Irina says
Thank you very much, Sandhya! Please, enjoy the recipe.
Dannii says
I can never have too much cheese in my life, so I am always looking for new ways to enjoy it. These puffs look delicious.
Irina says
Thanks, Dannii. Yes, these puffs are so cheesy; they are just for cheese-lovers 🙂
Cindy says
I have been having so much fun trying new recipes! Today I made your recipe, and it was delish!! My kids made this with me and loved the puffs too!
Irina says
Cindy, it sounds you had a great baking project with kids. Love it. Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Mirlene says
I cannot wait until I make these. The cheese puffs look pleasantly delicious!
Irina says
Thank you, Mirlene! And happy baking!
Kyle says
We had these while in Chablis, France, a couple of years ago. So grateful to find the recipe and give it a go! There they bake them in a 5-6" round little loaf; makes a delightful lunch on the run!
Irina says
WOW! Thank you, Kyle, for this idea to make a round loaf. I will try to Google it. 🙂 Please, enjoy the recipe.
Ginger says
Do you think you could use white cheddar in these? They sound like fun to bake. Thanks, Ginger
Irina says
Hi Ginger, thanks for your interest in the recipe. White cheddar is relatively hard, so I think you should be fine to use it. I have not tried to bake with this kind of cheese, though. Please, let me know how it worked. 🙂 Happy baking!
Steve says
The first attempt at making these, and they came out fantastic! Well-written directions and great photos.. glad I found this! Thank you!
Irina says
Thank you very much for your comment, Steve! I am happy to know that the recipe worked for you. Please, stay tuned for more recipes and subscribe for recipes/news if desired. 🙂
Ursula Weiss says
It is one of my fav recipe cheese puffs looks delicious...really, it looks very yummy. Tonight I will try this at my home; my kids love this!!
Irina says
It sounds like a plan, Ursula! Happy baking, and enjoy it!
Arron says
Great recipe and instructions! I only made 1/4 of a batch. They came out perfect. My picky daughter and I eat them in about 3 minutes after leaving the oven. Nice air pockets and so delicate and delicious. I would request you add baking time for bite-sized, please. I baked 1/2 tablespoon size piped dough mounds uninterrupted for 19 minutes. It yielded 15 from a 1/4 batch. I did broil for a minute after the 19 for some color.
Irina says
Hello Arron; thanks for making the recipe and baking time suggestions. I love to add an extra minute or two for color too!! And I agree that these savory treats disappear in no time! 🙂