Chouquettes (French Sugar Puffs)

Discover this unbeatable chouquette recipe for authentic French pastry sugar puffs - chouquettes - that disappear in no time straight from the oven. Sixty choux puffs with pearl sugar on top made in 45 minutes are what you need right now.

Nothing beats the easiest and most delicious French sugar puffs - chouquettes.

Forty-five minutes of your precious time and a few ingredients reward you with 60 baked chouquette pastry cuties sprinkled with Belgian pearl sugar.

Add 10 to 20 minutes to finish them off (yes, they do not last long!), and you will be planning to make another batch again!

Chouquettes are one of our family's favorite and easy French snacks, as well as Gruyere cheese puffs.

They are both made with choux pastry (pâte à choux in French), with the only difference being that chouquettes are sweet and cheese puffs are salty.

In France, most French bakeries or pâtisseries sell freshly baked les chouquettes, which are the best example of an afternoon snack called le goûter in French.

For Parisians, chouquettes, financiers, and madeleines also are an excellent accompaniment for afternoon tea or coffee.

What are chouquettes?

Chouquettes (pronounced shoo-kets) are French pastry sugar puffs made with choux pastry (pâte à choux or being precise pâte à chouquettes in French) and sprinkled with pearl sugar.

"Pâte à choux, or choux pastry, is the Madonna of doughs," as per Serious Eats.

The choux dough is really versatile. And chouquettes are the simplest member of the choux pastry family called French petits choux.

It includes - cream puffs, eclairs, profiteroles, Paris-Brest, religieuses, and Saint Honorés.

The dough used to make these pastry puffs is the same as making heart-shaped Cream Puffs and Gruyere Cheese Puffs.

Why you should try this recipe

This chouquettes recipe (recette chouquette in French) is the easiest recipe among French puff pastry recipes.

It calls for a few ingredients you probably have on hand. The only thing you will need to buy is pearl sugar.

Making chouquettes is one of the best baking projects to do with kids. They like to sprinkle choux puffs with pearl sugar and love to eat chouquettes because of these sugar grains.

Sugar puffs make a delightful school snack and a perfect pick-me-up in the afternoon.

They also make a great edible gift during the holidays. And you do not need to pack them fancy! Instead, tiny paper bags holding about 10 of them each are what your friends need.

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for exact amounts and instructions. I recommend making the recipe as written for the best results.

Sugar: use granulated or caster sugar.

Salt: it enhances the flavor of choux pastry.

Butter: use top-quality unsalted butter with a high butterfat content.

Flour: the recipe calls for all-purpose flour. Make sure to sift the flour with a flour sifter.

Eggs: use large eggs for this recipe.

Pearl sugar: use store-bought Swedish pearl sugar. You can also use Belgian pearl sugar by processing it in a food processor for a few seconds.

You need to obtain smaller sugar crystals to cover choux mounds. If you cannot find pearl sugar, you make it yourself.

Egg wash: use 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon of water or milk to make the egg wash.

How to make chouquettes

Preheat the oven to 355 degrees F/180 degrees C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or prepare a silicone baking mat.

Place water, butter, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a small saucepan (photo 1) and bring to boil, stirring, until the butter is melted.

Remove from heat and add all the flour at once. Stir with a wooden spatula until the mixture is smooth.

Bring the saucepan on medium heat and "dry the dough off," continually stirring until it pulls away from the sides of the pan (photo 2).

Remove the saucepan from heat and let the choux pastry dough cool for about 2 to 5 minutes.

Place it in a stand mixer or a regular large bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until the dough is smooth and shiny (photo 3).

If you beat in eggs manually, use a wooden spoon.

Transfer the pate a choux into a pastry bag fitted with a round tip - Ateco plain tip 804.

Pipe choux buns of the walnut-size on the prepared baking sheet with parchment, evenly spacing them out (photo 4).

Brush the top of each mound with the egg wash (one egg yolk combined with one tablespoon of water or milk).

Sprinkle and press pearl sugar over the top and sides of each mound (photo 5).

Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until the puffs are golden brown (photo 6). Let cool on a wire rack.

Recipe variations

Classic chouquettes are topped with pearl sugar, which is small chunks of refined white sugar. That is why they are often called choux puffs with pearl sugar.

When it comes time for the finishing touch that will make your puffs pop, try adding chocolate chips: press them into puffs before baking.

Crushed nuts (hazelnuts, pistachios, etc.) combined with chocolate chips add interest and dimension to these treats.

You can also top your petits choux with caramelized popcorn and pearl sugar to create a new taste and texture. 

Or add grated marzipan, orange flower water, orange zest, and sprinkle choux puffs with flaked almonds to make marzipan chouquettes.

Also, give your guests the treat of their lives by offering up chouquettes with confetti candy sprinkles or crushed pink Praline on top for an extra romantic touch.

To make some twist on classic chouquettes, dunk the cooled puffs in a lemon glaze and then into the sweetened shredded coconut.

Or dip the top of each la petite chouquette in the caramel, then in the toasted pine nuts.

Traditionally, pipe choux pastry using Ateco plain tip 804 or your favorite tip to give chouquette pastry playful variations.

Let your chouquettes cool down after baking and sprinkle them with powdered (icing) sugar if you prefer this simplest way of decoration.

Storing and freezing

The sugar puffs are best eaten the same day they are baked.

To store, place cooled chouquettes in an airtight container and keep them for a few days. 

Can you freeze chouquettes? Yes, you can freeze them. Place them in a Ziploc freezer bag and freeze them for up to one month.

To defrost, bring them to room temperature, warm them up for 5 minutes in the oven at 300 degrees F/150 degrees C, until crisp.

Expert tips

1. Pipe choux mounds with a piping bag and a plain tip to get them uniform, although you can shape them using two spoons or a small cookie scoop.
2. Use your fingertip to apply the egg wash and slightly smooth the tops of piped choux buns instead of brushing them off.
3. Bake one baking sheet at a time for even baking if you prefer. Don't open the oven door while baking.
4. To increase the signature crunch of puffs, poke a hole in the side or bottom with a sharp knife right after taking them out of the oven: let the steam escape.

Frequently asked question

Love choux pastry recipes? Try these next!

Browse all the Choux Pastry recipes

Print

Recipe card

The recipe was originally published in 2018. It has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.

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.