If you are fan of cream puffs you are going to LOVE this Easy Cream Puff Dessert. It’s a seriously impressive but incredibly easy make-ahead dessert that is a great choice for any gathering.
Ahhh, cream puffs. They are hands down my favorite dessert.
My mom was a master at creating the most delectable cream puffs I’ve ever had in my life. I used to request them each year on my birthday and she always obliged. Such wonderful memories.
If, like me, you’re a cream puff nut, you’ve just got to try this recipe!
It really hits the nail on the head in the flavor department. But it’s also completely fuss-free to create and makes enough to serve a crowd.
If you’re looking for something simple but delicious to add to a party dessert menu, this is it, friends! I love 13- x 9-inch desserts for entertaining. They are easy to transport and you can slice and serve pieces of varying sizes depending on who, and how many, you are serving.
Table of contents
Ingredient Notes
- Cream puff pastry – The easy pastry recipe includes water, butter, all-purpose flour, and eggs.
- Custard filling – A rich but super easy custard made with instant boxed pudding mix, softened cream cheese, and a little milk.
- Topping – The whole delicious thing is topped of with whipped topping (I use Cool Whip) and a drizzle of store-bought chocolate syrup.
How to Make Cream Puff Pastry
Creating the cream puff pastry crust for this dessert is magical! The ingredients and method are the same you would use to create individual cream puffs but instead of dropping the pastry dough in small dollops on a baking sheet, it is pressed into the bottom a 13- x 9-inch pan.
As the crust bakes, it rises up the sides of the pan to create the perfect shell-like crust for the filling. This would be a very fun recipe to make with little ones. Watching the crust rise up the sides of the pan is almost like a science experiment.
Do not fear cream puff pastry! It is surprisingly easy to make. In fact, if you can boil water, you can make cream puff pastry. Seriously. Take a look at the recipe card at the end of this post for the details.
How to Make Easy Cream Puff Dessert
- Once the crust is completely cool you’ll fill it with a creamy, custard-y filling that is whipped up in nothing flat. Layer whipped topping over the custard filling and pop it in the refrigerator to chill for a couple of hours.
- Just before serving, drizzle it with a little chocolate syrup.
Valerie’s Tips and Variations
- Spray the backside of an offset spatula with nonstick cooking spray and use it to spread the sticky cream puff pastry dough into the pan.
- Be sure your cream cheese is softened before beginning so it will blend easily. It should sit out on your kitchen counter for 45 to 60 minutes.
- Make sure you pick up instant pudding and not the regular pudding mix that requires cooking on the stove. Instant pudding is clearly labeled as such.
- I love using Jell-O French Vanilla Instant Pudding for this recipe. It really nails that familiar cream puff custard flavor. If your store doesn’t carry the French Vanilla – just go with plain vanilla and add about ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract for a similar effect.
- Not feeling vanilla? Get creative! Browse the instant pudding selection at your store and choose something that calls to you. Cheesecake, White Chocolate, and Coconut Cream would ALL be amazing in this.
- Look for the chocolate syrup in a plastic squeeze bottle to make it super easy to drizzle over the Cream Puff Dessert.
- I like this dessert best after it has chilled for 2 to 4 hours.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Easy Blueberry Cheesecake Dessert
- Fast and Easy Cherry Crisp
- One Bowl Chocolate Cake
- Next Best Thing to Robert Redford Dessert
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Easy Cream Puff Dessert
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 eggs
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 cups milk, divided
- 3 (3.4 ounce) packages Instant French Vanilla Pudding, (see recipe note below)
- 8 ounces whipped topping, defrosted (like Cool Whip)
- chocolate syrup, as needed (like Hershey's)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat a 13- x 9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
For the Cream Puff Pastry Crust
- Add the butter and water to a heavy saucepan and place over MEDIUM heat. Cook until the butter has melted and then bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a soft ball.
- Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl and let it rest for about 5 minutes to cool slightly.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly with an electric mixer in between additions. Once all eggs have been added, continue to mix for a minute or two or until the mixture is smooth.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish. Spread the sticky dough out evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. To make it easier, spray the backside of an offset spatula with non-stick cooking spray and use it to spread the dough.
- Bake for 20 to 23 minutes or until puffed up the sides of the pan and golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
For the Cream Puff Filling
- Place softened cream cheese and 1 cup milk in a large mixing bowl and beat thoroughly with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth. If there are small bits of cream cheese that don’t completely incorporate, it’s fine. Just beat the mixture so that it is as smooth as possible (starting with room temperature cream cheese will make this step easier). Add remaining milk and the pudding mix and beat again for several minutes on high speed until thickened.
- Spread the pudding mixture over the completely cooled crust. Spread the whipped topping over the pudding mixture and use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth it out. Chill for at least an hour or overnight.
- Drizzle with chocolate syrup before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
Every time I make this recipe, I’m glad I did! It’s so yummy and easy to make AND I can swap out for the regular instant pudding and cool whip, sugar free! That makes my husband very happy!
Hello Valerie, this will be my first time making this recipe. I have frozen puff pastry – can I use that. Also, 4 cups of milk seems a lot for my 102 g box vanilla instant pudding. Does 4 cups make the custard thick enough? Looking forward to trying.
Hi Kathy. The cream puff pastry “shell” is what really makes this recipe unique. I don’t recommend substituting frozen puff pastry as it won’t have the same effect.
The recipe calls for 3 boxes of pudding that each 3.4 ounces. So, if you’re converting from ounces to grams, you’d need the equivalent to 10.2 ounces. Hope this helps!
Thanks Valerie, Wow – I missed the three boxes – so glad you pointed that out — I didn’t read it well. I was thinking one box with 4 cups on milk would not work. I will make the shell that you recommended, it does look delicious. That along with the pie I am making for Easter will be a hit. Thanks again for your response and advice. 🙂
You got it! Enjoy 🙂
Can this be made with gluten free four?
I’m not confident it would work well with gluten-free flour If you try it, be sure to let me know how it works out for you!
Would this work with almond flour or some other kind of gluten-free flour
I have never experimented with gluten-free flour in this recipe. However, considering this is a pastry-like crust, I suspect it does depend quite a bit on the gluten in the flour to work properly.
I was so surprised by this recipe. I didn’t have high hopes, because somehow it seemed implausible. But I was making Coq au Vin and thought “why not”? My company LOVED IT! Thanks for the recipe! I did make it the day before using my stabilized whipped cream, and it was just fine.
I know what you mean! The way that crust puffs up is just so cool. So happy you loved it. 🙂
I would love to know if this can be made ahead and frozen. I have seen cream puffs and eclairs in the freezer section at the grocery store. Thank you
I’ve never tried freezing this so I can’t recommend it. I’d be concerned that the crust might get soggy so I think it’s better to refrigerate it until you’re ready to serve.
I have made this before and it turned out fantastic. I was just wondering if I could bake the puff pastry the day before and refrigerate then make the filling the next day?
Hi Kathy. I think you’d be okay making it a day in advance. I think I’d just cover the pan with foil and let it sit at room temperature until you’re ready to fill it. Hope it works out for you!
This recipe is AMAZING!!!! I made it for a Church lunch and everyone loved it
I made this last night not a chocolate lover so just had whip on it yummmmy
sharon
How and when do you incorporate the cream cheese into your home made pudding?
Reminds me of the chocolate eclair in a way
I’ve made this a number of times now, and it’s always a hit! It was requested as a birthday dessert tonight, so I’m making two- one w/French vanilla pudding, and one with Banana!
I use the ghirardelli chocolate syrup for the top, and it’s so good! Thanks so much for this recipe.