Easy Smoked Salmon Cream Puffs (video)
If you’ve never had a savory profiteroles, this easy appetizer recipe is a must-try! My smoked salmon cream puffs are so easy to make and perfect for a special occasion, holiday party or family get-together! Whatever the occasion, I promise you these will be a huge hit! These salmon profiteroles made with a simple pate a choux pastry dough and filled with rich and fluffy cream cheese, dill and smoked salmon filling!
Watch My Salmon Puffs Video!
Watch my video recipe for step-by-step instructions and tips for making these easy salmon puffs! Want to receive new recipe emails in your inbox? Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and turn on notifications! I publish new video recipes every week!
Ingredients for Smoked Salmon Cream Puffs
Here are the main ingredients you’ll need for making these seafood appetizers:
- Salt, Water, Eggs, Butter: for making the simple pate a choux dough, or the cream puff shells.
- Smoked Salmon: use lox or thinly sliced smoked salmon for the filling. Hot smoked salmon, which is flaky and juicy, will also work well.
- Cream Cheese: soften the cheese for about 30 minutes at room temperature before making the filling.
- Heavy Cream: use well-chilled heavy cream for best results when making the filling.
Making the Cream Puff Shells
This easy savory profiterole recipe starts with my basic pate a choux pastry dough to make the cream puff shells! This dough might seem intimidating but it’s actually pretty hard to mess up and it requires just 5 ingredients. Pipe medium-sized dollops for this recipe using a star tip to make the puffs extra pretty; I used this Ateco tip #847 (affiliate link). When baking the puffs, do not open the oven door!! Any cool air in the oven will cause the pate a choux to fall flat. Bake the puffs until they are a rich golden brown color, then remove to cool completely.
How to Make Smoked Salmon Cream Puffs
Here’s how I put together these salmon cream puffs. They’re so easy to make!
- Prepare the cream puff shells first. They take about an hour to make and bake. Allow the shells to cool completely, use a serrated knife to cut the puffs in half but not all the way through; cut 2/3 into each puff.
- Next, prepare the creamy salmon filling. Have your cream cheese softened at room temperature, then whisk for a few minutes until it’s creamy and smooth, to prevent any cheese clumps in the filling.
- Then add the cream and salt and whisk to stiff peaks. The combination of cream cheese and heavy cream makes the filling extra fluffy and lighter.
- Chop the smoked salmon into small bits so there’s salmon in every bite! Then season with fresh dill and smoked paprika, transfer into a pastry bag and fill!
- For filling the salmon puffs, gently open the puff shell and fill it entirely with the smoked salmon filling, then gently close. I like to pipe extra cream so it’s visible from the outside. Keep the puffs refrigerated if not serving right away. These savory profiteroles are great to make ahead of time, too! Just fill them, place into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Can I make these ahead of time?
These smoked salmon cream puffs are great to make ahead of time, too! Just fill them, place into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
More Recipes!
Enjoyed this easy appetizer recipe? Check out some of my other recipes for more ideas!
- Russian Salmon Coulibiac – the most delicious fish pastry ever with flaky salmon, mushroom rice and a zesty dill and lemon sauce!
- Smoked Salmon Crepes – savory crepes filled with smoked salmon and avocado!
- The Best Crab Cakes – my favorite recipe for flaky and delicious crab cakes, served with a homemade tartar sauce! So easy and impressive!
- Cheesy Smoked Salmon Dip – creamy warm salmon dip with smoked salmon and loads of cheese!
- Spinach Panela Tartlets – delicious spinach and cheese filled tartlets!
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Easy Smoked Salmon Cream Puffs (video)
Ingredients
For Pate a Choux:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
For Salmon Filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 8 oz smoked salmon
- 3 to 4 tbsp fresh chopped dill
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
Making Pate a Choux:
- Preheat the oven to 425F/218C and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat. Prepare a large pastry bag tipped with a star tip, I used Ateco tip #847. Place the butter into a medium-sized saucepan and melt it over medium heat. Add the water and salt to the melted butter and allow the mixture to come to a simmer. Add the flour in all at once and whisk for about 20 seconds, until a dough ball forms. Switch over to a spatula and continue mixing and pressing the dough for about 30 seconds.
- Allow the dough to cool for about 20 minutes, until it’s just lukewarm to touch. Begin adding the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition; do this with a hand whisk or hand-held mixer. The dough will look funny at first but keep mixing; it will come together after the last egg is added. Transfer the dough into the prepared pastry bag. Pipe medium-sized dollops onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1-inch apart. Watch my video recipe to see how it’s done.
- Bake the puffs in the preheated oven at 425F/218C for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375F/190C and continue baking for another 35 to 40 minutes, until the puffs are a deep, golden color. Do not open the oven door at any time during the baking process, otherwise the pastries will fall flat! Remove the puffs from the oven and let them cool completely. Once cooled, use a serrated knife to cut the puffs in half but not all the way through; cut 2/3 into each puff. Watch my video recipe to see how it’s done.
Making the Salmon Filling:
- For the smoked salmon filling, first place the softened cream cheese into a mixer bowl and whisk on medium speed for a few minutes, until the cheese is creamy and smooth. Add in the chilled heavy cream and salt and whisk again on medium-high speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. Chop the smoked salmon into pea-sized pieces and finely chop the dill. Add the salmon, dill and paprika into the cream filling and fold thoroughly with a spatula. Transfer the filling into a plastic bag or pastry bag for easier filling.
Assembling the Cream Puffs:
- For filling the salmon puffs, gently open the puff shell and fill it entirely with the smoked salmon filling, then gently close. I like to pipe extra cream so it’s visible from the outside. Keep the puffs refrigerated if not serving right away. These savory profiteroles are great to make ahead of time, too! Just fill them, place into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
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Instead of heavy cream for healthier what can I use pls?
Hi Carmen! The heavy cream is what gives the filling its shape and fluffy texture. I don’t recommend making the filling without it. You could make the filling with just cream cheese, increasing the amount, but that would not make the filling ‘heathier’.
THESE ARE AMAZING!!!
Hi Olga! I’m so glad you enjoyed them! One of my favorites 🙂