Cheese Puffs
These cheddar cheese puffs make a perfect cocktail party app! Also known as “gougeres,” they’re light as air and so snack-able!
Very much like a savory cream puff, these bite-sized little flavor bombs are so perfect for snacking. They’re made from pate a choux and loaded with lots of yummy cheese! This classic French pastry is a perfect appetizer to serve at your holiday party.
Hey I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
My kids are finally back at school after TEN DAYS off! They were on break for all of Thanksgiving week, and then yesterday they got a snow day even though there wasn’t really even any snow. :/
It was great to have them home with me but they were starting to get a little stir crazy, so it’s good they’re finally back into their normal routine.
And here I am, with TONS of Christmas recipes to get out to you!
I started last week off with a few great cookie recipes for you to add to your baking list, so if you haven’t seen them yet, be sure to check out these pecan sandies and these chocolate crinkle cookies. They are sure to be a big hit with your friends and family!
But it feels like it’s about time for something savory, so today I’m sharing these delicious little cheese puffs!
WHAT ARE CHEESE PUFFS?
They are a scrumptious little baked nibble that’s so perfect with a glass of wine or champagne!
Super savory and garlicky, with tons of sharp cheese, these babies are light as a cloud and so full of flavor.
They’re a classic French pastry that also goes by the fancy-pants name of “gougeres au fromage.”
And as much as I keep talking them up as cocktail party food, the truth is, my kids go crazy for these. I first introduced them to my older son when he was just 5 years old! He was a cheese fiend back then and he still is now, 7 years later!
Check out this old pic of him, in cheese heaven!
Cheese Heaven
He had been inhaling those artificial cheese balls that are sold by the barrel at our local grocery store. I loved watching him enjoy them, but I thought it would be much nicer if he could snack on a homemade treat.
Now he can’t get enough of my homemade cheese puffs!
HOW TO MAKE CHEESE PUFFS AT HOME
Cheese puffs are easy to whip up in less than 30 minutes of active time, and they will make your whole house smell amazing!
Start by placing water, milk, butter, and salt in a medium pot and cooking that on the stove until the butter is melted and things are just starting to simmer.
Then, add in the flour. I know, this is a really weird way to make dough, but I promise this is how it’s done!
Stir the flour in. At first it will look like a lumpy mess.
But after stirring for a bit, all the lumps will dissolve and you’ll have a smooth ball of dough. Continue to cook this for a minute or so, stirring, just to get the rawness out of the flour.
Then transfer the dough to a mixing bowl and start working in the eggs.
You’re going to want to mix in the eggs one at a time, allowing each one to fully incorporate before adding the next.
Once all the eggs have been mixed in, you’ll have a dough that’s very stretchy and a little loose.
Toss in the cheese and spices. I like to use extra sharp cheddar cheese, garlic, and a little bit of dry mustard. But you could use any kind of cheese you like!
I’ve made blue cheese gougeres and they are fantastic! Gruyere and parmesan are also great choices.
You could even fold in some finely crumbled sausage or chopped ham or bacon. That would be outstanding!
Next just pipe or spoon the batter onto baking sheets. I like to pipe them about 1-inch in diameter, using a 16-inch featherweight bag fitted with a jumbo round tip.
Keep in mind that these will puff up and expand quite a bit as they bake, so you need to give them some breathing room!
The last step is to hit them with another pinch of cheese on top, and then into the oven they go!
You’ll know they’re done baking when they’ve doubled in size and they’re looking nicely browned on their bottoms.
HOW TO EAT GOUGERES
These cheese puffs can be enjoyed warm from the oven OR at room temperature.
They’re fantastic with a cocktail, and they’d be a gorgeous addition to your cheese/charcuterie/fruit/crudite platter.
They’d also be delicious as a side dish to a nice pot of soup. Try them along with my favorite corn chowder or gazpacho!
CAN YOU FILL THEM?
You may notice when you take a bite that these are hollow in the center! That is the magic of baking and one of the things that makes these cheese puffs so impossibly light and airy.
It also makes for a perfect little hidey-hole to fill with something delicious. Think about stuffing your gougeres with any kind of savory mousse or soft herbed cheese.
HOW TO SERVE
Cheese puffs can be tumbled into a basket like you see here, or served on a tray if you want to be a little fancier.
Try garnishing them with fresh or dried fruit for a really nice contrast, or with finely chopped herbs such as sage, rosemary, or thyme.
HOW TO STORE CHEESE PUFFS
These will keep at room temperature for a few days. Just slip them into a zip-top bag so they don’t get stale.
Pop them in the fridge, and they should last around a week or so.
CAN YOU FREEZE THEM?
Pate a choux puffs freeze beautifully!
Allow them to cool completely, bag them up, and they’ll last in the freezer for months.
And because they’re mostly air, they thaw very quickly at room temperature.
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Cheese Puffs
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) water
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) milk
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, (1 stick)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs , (large)
- 1 cup (112 g) shredded cheese, (I used extra-sharp cheddar), plus more for sprinkling
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment.
- Place the water, milk, butter, and salt in a medium pot and cook over low heat until the butter is melted and the liquid is simmering.
- Add the flour, all at once, stirring over low heat until the dough forms a ball.
- Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl, and beat in the eggs one at a time, allowing each one to fully incorporate in before adding the next.
- Fold in the cheese, garlic powder, and dry mustard.
- Spoon or pipe 1-inch balls onto the prepared baking sheets, and bake for 25 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned on the bottoms.
I’m pretty terrible at cooking, but I made something decent (though quite thick), thanks for the recipe I’m gonna keep attempting to perfect my methods because it seems solid enough for me to learn off.
Outstanding recipe!
I needed something different to bring on a camping trip that I am going on starting tomorrow, I seen this recipe, and it just looked so gooooooood! So I made a double batch. Al I can say is yummy yummy yummy! I know it’s gonna be a huge hit!Â
Thank you for sharing it!Â
Total hit in my family. Added a cream cheese and scallion dip and that really set them off..thanks for posting
This is the first time making this type of dough. Â They are delicious, however the inside dough remains sort of soft and doughy after cooking, much like the inside of a cruller. Â Is this the texture it should be, or should I have baked them longer? Â It didn’t stop us from devouring them though!
Would i be able to freeze them if I have extra?
Yes- please read the info I have provided under the heading “CAN YOU FREEZE THEM?”
Thank god, i’m carving for some Cheese puffs but i don’t have none so i’ll do it homemade :’D
Enjoy!
When do you fill the puffs. Â Before or after you bake them?
Hi Mary! If you want to add a filling, you would do that after they have been baked and cooled. Good luck!
Do you serve these at room temp? Or are they better hot from the oven?
That info can be found under the heading “How to Eat Gougeres.” Thanks for reading!
Just made these with kerrygold dubliner cheese…DELICIOUS! Trying not to eat the whole sheet pan myself…
What an awesome idea! I ADORE Kerrygold Dubliner! One of my absolute favorite cheeses… glad you enjoyed the recipe-aren’t they amazing right out of the oven! I did a double take! Thanks, Jamie!
Yum–these look delicious and beautiful. My daughters are coming in for girls weekend–these will be on the menu!
Yay! I hope you guys enjoy them!
God..amazing clicks..drooling here and bookmarked this””
That is the most awesome comment ever, Sireesha. Thank you so much for making my day!
My fiancee is a Cheetos addict, so I am definitely going to have to make these for her! They look ridiculously good!
Dude, they are not even on the same level as cheetos, lol! I hope she enjoys them! Thanks for clicking over and commenting!
I cannot wait to try this recipe! They look amazing and something my whole family would love! Featuring tonight and pinning of course 🙂
Thank you, Trish! So glad you liked and so exited to be a feature!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
These look amazing! I’ve made gougeres once before, but the recipe called for gruyere and that can get a little pricey. I’ll definitely have to try your recipe with the cheddar! I’m drooling just thinking about them! 🙂
So glad you like them! The original recipe I used (by Alain Ducasse) did call for Gruyere, but with my son being a cheddar fiend, I thought I’d mix it up a bit! They taste super cheesy! Let me know if you try it out, how you like it! Thanks for stopping by and for commenting!
They look delicious!! yum!
Thanks Alice! They are seriously addictive! 😉