Caramel Chocolate Cream Puffs (video)
Almond caramel chocolate cream puffs – the dessert you didn’t know you needed! This epic, over-the-top, decadent chocolate dessert is made with chocolate pate a choux, filled with caramel frosting and topped with GOLD! Not too sweet, silky smooth with crunchy clusters of Almond Roca candy and sliced almonds. If there was a dessert for French royalty, this is it!
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How to Make Chocolate Cream Puffs
There are so many amazing things going for these chocolate cream puffs, starting with the chocolate pate a choux, or the base for the pastries. The dough has no sugar, resulting in the perfect shell for the sweet filling. Pate a choux is can seem a bit intimidating but it’s actually super easy to make and requires very few ingredients. The most important step about making any puff pastry is the baking process – keep that oven door closed! Any cold draft of air will knock the pastry flat!
The Caramel Buttercream
To complement the simple chocolate cream puff shells, I use an almond-flavored caramel French buttercream. If you haven’t tried my French buttercream recipe, try it here! It’s simply the best; my favorite buttercream! It’s super silky, smooth and not too sweet. This almond caramel buttercream is the perfect filling, making this dessert taste like an authentic French pastry!
My French buttercream calls for 5 egg yolks. If you’re looking for a way to use up those egg whites, try out some of my recipes, such as these Almond Roca Macarons, or this stunning Chocolate Pavlova Cake.
Homemade Caramel Sauce
For the caramel component of the frosting, I add the most amazing home-made caramel sauce! I use this caramel sauce for any recipe that calls for caramel. It’s really easy to make and perfect with your morning latte. If you don’t have the time to make your own caramel sauce, a store bought caramel or dulce de leche will work great, too!
And, for some texture and flavor, I add crushed Almond Roca candy and sliced almonds. Just place the candy into a plastic bag, grab a rolling pin or meat mallet, and crush the candy to bits. For my video recipe, I also added bits of gold leaf to each chocolate cream puff. I purchased mine online on Amazon! It’s a great addition to any dessert!
You can also use this recipe to make eclairs! They look just as impressive!
More Recipes!
Enjoyed this decadent French pastry? Check out some of my other recipes you’re sure to enjoy!
- Chocolate Coffee Eclairs – classic eclairs with chocolate glaze and coffee cream filling!
- Chocolate Pistachio Profiteroles – these profiteroles are filled with the most amazing pistachio cream!
- Nutella Cream Puffs’ – made with fluffy Nutella filling and dipped in chocolate!
- Strawberry Cream Puffs – delicate puffs with strawberry whipped cream filling!
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Supplies/Tools
Need some supplies to make this recipe? You can get them here (Amazon affiliate links):
- I love these silicone baking mats – they’re so convenient, especially along with these aluminum baking pans.
- Use this set of jumbo cake decorating tips for piping and filling. Use them with these disposable pastry bags so you never have to wash another bag again!
- This simple KitchenAid handheld mixer gets the job done!
Caramel Chocolate Cream Puffs Recipe (video)
Ingredients
For Chocolate Pate A Choux:
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 4 large eggs
For Caramel Filling:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 cup caramel sauce
- 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
Additional Ingredients:
- 7-8 Almond Roca candy, crushed
- 1/3 cup caramel sauce, for garnish
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the chocolate cream puff shells first. Preheat the oven to 425F and line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Prepare a pastry bag with a star tip; I used a French star tip #8FT.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter and salt. Bring the mixture up to a simmer over medium heat, allowing the butter to melt completely. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until dissolved, then add the flour. Mix in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, until a dough ball forms and pulls away from the sides of the saucepan. Remove the dough from heat and allow it to cool for 15 to 20 minutes, until it’s lukewarm.
- Begin adding the eggs once the dough is cooled. Add one egg at a time and use a hand mixer or whisk the batter well after each addition. Once the dough is ready, transfer it into the prepared pastry bag. Pipe medium-sized rings onto the prepared baking sheet, piping to layers of dough for each puff pastry. Bake the pastries at 425F for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350F and bake for an additional 40 minutes. Do not open the oven door during the baking process! Once the pastries are done baking, allow them to cool on a wire rack.
- Meanwhile, prepare the caramel French buttercream. Place the egg yolks in a stand mixer bowl and whisk for a few minutes until the yolks are pale. In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Heat the sugar over medium-high heat until the syrup reaches 238F, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Keeping the mixer running on medium speed, pour the sugar syrup in a steady stream into the egg yolks. Once all the syrup has been added, turn the mixer up to high speed and whisk until the mixture is thick, pale and has cooled down, about 8 minutes. Once the mixture has cooled, begin adding the butter a few tablespoons at a time. Make sure the butter is well incorporated after each addition and scrap down the sides of the mixing bowl often. Once all the butter is added, add the caramel sauce and almond extract. Whisk for a few more minutes, then transfer the buttercream into a pastry bag tipped with a star tip; I used tip #4FT.
- To assemble the cream puffs, use a sharp serrated knife to split each pastry in half. Pipe the bottom half with a generous amount of cream, then drizzle with caramel sauce, sprinkle with crushed Almond Roca and sliced almonds. Pipe the top half full of cream and sandwich the pastries together. If desired, add more cream on top and garnish with more caramel, candy and gold leaf.
- If not enjoying right away, keep the pastries refrigerated. Take them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before enjoying to allow the buttercream to soften.
The most delicious dessert I have ever tasted!! The buttercream is a new favorite of mine! 🙂
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! These are so delicious and the buttercream is my favorite, too! 🙂 Thanks for leaving a review!