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    Home » Recipes » Choux Pastries

    Cinnamon Apple Cream Puffs

    Published: September 22, 2021 | Last Modified: October 19, 2022 by Gail Ng | 4 Comments

    JUMP TO RECIPE PRINT RECIPE
    Apple cream puff cut in half to show whipped cram filling inside.
    Red cinnamon apple cream puffs that look like apples.

    These apple cream puffs are made with choux au craquelin pastry filled with cinnamon apple whipped cream. They're topped with a cute little white chocolate stem and leaf. These cream puffs are coloured red and styled like actual apples to make them extra fun. The crunchy craquelin cookie topping helps the cream puffs hold their rounded shape. The crunchiness is also a nice contrast to the creamy filling.

    Apple cream puff cut in half to show whipped cream filling inside
    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to make cinnamon apple cream puffs
    • Storage
    • Frequently asked questions
    • More cream puff recipes to try
    • Recipe

    I always thought the round puffy shape of cream puffs was super cute. Cream puffs are always so much fun to decorate in creative ways. Inspired by Cedric Grolet's hyper-realistic desserts that look like real fruits, I decided to make these cinnamon apple cream puffs look like the apples that they taste like. While I'm not nearly as skilled as Cedric, this is a fun way to make a dessert look like a fruit in a fun way with much less effort.

    The filling of these apple cream puffs is a light and creamy cinnamon apple whipped cream. Cooking the apples brings out the flavour and juiciness of the apples. When paired with the whipped cream, you get bites of bursting flavour from the apples through the creaminess.

    I actually tested this filling twice and the second iteration tasted the best and it's what this recipe makes. For my first try, I made the filling with a pastry cream base but the texture needed work and it was also harder to make. The photos you see here were taken of the first version of the cinnamon apple filling. The version that this recipe below makes looks and tastes better than the photos. Trust me!

    Why you'll love this recipe

    • These apple cream puffs literally look like apples. They're so cute and unique!
    • The craquelin topping makes these choux lightly sweet and crunchy on the outside.
    • The cinnamon apple cream filling is so creamy and delicious! It adds all the Fall flavour to these cream puffs.

    Ingredients

    • Unsalted butter - Soften your butter to room temperature before using.
    • Granulated sugar
    • All-purpose flour
    • Red gel food colouring - Be sure to use gel colouring instead of liquid food colouring so that it doesn't change the consistency of your dough.
    • Water
    • Milk - Any dairy or non-dairy milk works here.
    • Eggs - Eggs vary in size so it's very important to weigh out your eggs to get the correct ratio. Crack three eggs into a bowl, whisk them, and then weigh out the exact amount into another bowl.
    • Apples - Use any tart apples. Peel and dice into pieces that are small enough to eventually fit through a small hole in the cream puff.
    • Brown sugar - This gives the apple filling such a warming and cozy flavour!
    • Ground cinnamon
    • Vanilla extract
    • Cornstarch - This helps absorb any extra liquid that cooks out of the apples.
    • Whipping cream - Use any whipping cream or heavy whipping cream.
    • White chocolate - This is for making the little apple stems. You can also just use cinnamon sticks if you prefer!
    • Brown & green gel food colouring

    How to make cinnamon apple cream puffs

    Make the craquelin cookie topping

    In a small bowl, use a spatula to cream together softened butter, granulated sugar, and red gel food colouring until creamy and evenly coloured. Mix in the flour until it becomes a smooth and soft dough.

    Sandwich the dough in between two sheets of plastic wrap (or one sheet folded in half). Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about ⅛" thick. Fold over the remaining edges of plastic wrap and freeze until it becomes a solid and flat sheet, about 1 hour.

    Making craquelin cookie topping for cream puffs

    Note: These process photos show adding the red gel food colouring after mixing in the flour. But I found that it is much easier to mix if you add the colouring to the softened butter first.

    Make the choux pastry

    Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

    In a small pot on medium heat, bring the butter, water, milk, and red gel food colouring to a simmer. It is at the right temperature when small bubbles start coming to the surface. 

    Add in all of the flour at once and quickly stir together until it becomes a soft dough. 

    Keep cooking the dough on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes to dry it out. Use a spatula to stir it around, break it apart, and reform it into a dough. It should look like dry mashed potatoes.

    Let the dough cool in the pot or transfer to a bowl for faster cooling until warm to the touch. 

    Add the egg to the dough in three parts, stirring thoroughly after each addition until the egg has been “absorbed” by the dough. It might look like it’s curdling at first but just keep stirring.

    The dough is right the right consistency when it’s smooth and glossy. Scoop up some dough with your spatula and let it drop back into the bowl. The dough should leave a V-shaped triangle of dough hanging off the spatula.

    Making red choux pastry dough

    Use a 2” cookie scooper to scoop mounds of dough and place them on the lined baking sheet leaving at least 2” in between each mound. 

    Take the craquelin out of the freezer. Use a 2” round cutter to cut rounds out of the craquelin sheet. Place the rounds on top of each mound of choux dough.

    Prepping red choux pastry before baking

    Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes then turn down the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes until the walls are stiff. A few minutes before they’re finished baking, use a chopstick to poke a small hole in the top of each puff to let the steam out. This will also be the hole to insert the chocolate stems later. Let cool completely before filling.

    Make the cinnamon apple whipped cream

    In a small pot, stir together chopped apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Cover and bring to a boil on medium heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the juices are released from the apples.

    Quickly stir in the cornstarch until the juices thicken into a jelly-like sauce consistency. If it's too dry, you can add a tablespoon or two of water. Transfer to a small bowl to cool completely either on the counter or in the fridge.

    In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer or whisk to whip the cream until it thickens and becomes soft peaks.

    Add the cooled apple compote to the whipped cream and use a spatula to fold together until thoroughly combined.

    Cooking cinnamon apples and mixing with whipped cream

    Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip that is big enough for the chopped apple pieces to pass through.

    Use another piping tip or chopstick to poke a hole in the bottom of each choux puff. Insert the nozzle of the piping bag into the hole and pipe the cream into the pastry until you can feel the walls slightly expand and when you remove the piping tip, the filling should ooze back out slightly. Use a clean finger to wipe away any excess that comes out.

    Filling cream puffs with cinnamon apple whipped cream

    Make the chocolate stems

    In a small pan or bowl, melt the white chocolate on the stovetop on low heat or in the microwave, heating in 15 second increments.

    Divide the melted chocolate into two small bowls and add brown gel food colouring to one bowl and green gel food colouring to the other. Stir well to mix.

    Transfer the chocolate into two tiny piping bags and cut off the tip of each bag. 

    Line a small cutting board with a sheet of wax paper. Use the brown chocolate to pipe straight lines about 2” long for the stems. 

    Use the green chocolate to pipe a round dollop about ⅓ from the end of each stem, right on top of the stem. With a small offset spatula, press down on the dollop to flatten and then gently pull away from the stem at an angle to smear the chocolate. Use the side of your finger to shape the smear into a point for the leaf.

    Piping white chocolate stems and leaves

    Chill these stems in the fridge for about 15 minutes until hardened. Gently peel off them off the wax paper and insert into the holes on the top of each cream puffs where you poked them to release stem during baking.

    Storage

    These apple cream puffs are best enjoyed on the same day as you assemble them. The choux pastry becomes soft after the first day. Leftovers can be covered and stored in the fridge for 1-2 days but just keep in mind that the texture will change!

    Unfilled choux can be covered and stored at room temperature overnight before filling the next day. Optionally, you can bake the shells again the next day to crisp them back up before adding the filling.

    Red cinnamon apple cream puffs that look like apples

    Frequently asked questions

    How to store cream puffs?

    Filled cream puffs should be eaten right away or on the same day but leftovers can be stored wrapped in the fridge for 1-2 days.

    Can you freeze cream puffs?

    You can freeze filled cream puffs but they will no longer be crunchy after thawing. Frozen unfilled choux pastries can be wrapped and frozen for up to 3 months. They can be thawed in the fridge overnight and baked again at 350°F for about 10 minutes to crisp them up again.

    How do you keep choux au craquelin cream puffs crunchy?

    To keep craquelin crunchy, make sure you bake the choux for enough time. They should be golden brown and the walls should be stiff straight out of the oven. Poke a hole in the choux a few minutes before they finish baking to let the steam out and dry out the inside walls of the puffs. Cream puffs should only be filled right before eating.

    Can you make ahead cream puffs?

    The choux pastry dough can be made ahead and stored in the fridge or frozen. The craquelin cookie sheet can be frozen for even longer. Baked and unfilled choux puffs can be stored in the fridge or frozen - just bake them again to crisp them up.

    More cream puff recipes to try

    • Matcha Cream Puffs (Choux au Craquelin)
    • Mini Egg Cream Puffs (Choux au Craquelin)

    Recipe

    Apple cream puff cut in half to show whipped cram filling inside

    Cinnamon Apple Cream Puffs

    Author: Gail Ng
    Cinnamon apple cream puffs made with crunchy choux au craquelin pastry and filled with cinnamon apple whipped cream. They’re coloured and styled to look like apples!
    5 from 1 vote
    PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE
    Prep Time 1 hr 50 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    Total Time 2 hrs 35 mins
    Yield 8 cream puffs
    Category Desserts
    Cuisine French

    Ingredients
      

    Craquelin Cookie Topping

    • 60 g unsalted butter, softened
    • 40 g granulated sugar
    • 60 g all-purpose flour
    • red gel food colouring

    Choux Pastry

    • 60 g unsalted butter
    • 60 g water
    • 60 g milk
    • red gel food colouring
    • 70 g all-purpose flour
    • 125 g whole eggs, whisked (about 2.5 large eggs)

    Cinnamon Apple Whipped Cream

    • 2 medium apples, peeled and finely chopped
    • 100 g brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 700 g whipping cream

    Chocolate Stems

    • 50 g white chocolate
    • brown & green gel food colouring

    Instructions
     

    Craquelin Cookie Topping

    • In a small bowl, use a spatula to cream together softened butter, granulated sugar, and red gel food colouring until creamy and evenly coloured.
    • Mix in the flour until it becomes a smooth and soft dough.
    • Sandwich the dough in between two sheets of plastic wrap (or one sheet folded in half) and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about ⅛" thick. Fold over the remaining edges of plastic wrap and freeze until it becomes a solid and flat sheet, about 30 minutes.

    Choux Pastry

    • Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • In a small pot on medium heat, bring the butter, water, milk, and red gel food colouring to a simmer. It is at the right temperature when small bubbles start coming to the surface. 
    • Add in all of the flour at once and quickly stir together until it becomes a soft dough. 
    • Keep cooking the dough on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes to dry it out. Use a spatula to stir it around, break it apart, and reform it into a dough. It should look like dry mashed potatoes.
    • Let the dough cool in the pot or transfer to a bowl for faster cooling until warm to the touch. 
    • Add the egg to the dough in three parts, stirring thoroughly after each addition until the egg has been “absorbed” by the dough. It might look like it’s curdling at first but just keep stirring.
    • The dough is right the right consistency when it’s smooth and glossy. Scoop up some dough with your spatula and let it drop back into the bowl. The dough should leave a V-shaped triangle of dough hanging off the spatula.
    • Use a 2” cookie scooper to scoop mounds of dough and place them on the lined baking sheet leaving at least 2” in between each mound. 
    • Take the craquelin out of the freezer. Use a 2” round cutter to cut rounds out of the craquelin sheet. Place the rounds on top of each mound of choux dough.
    • Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes then turn down the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for another 25-30 minutes until the walls are stiff. A few minutes before they’re finished baking, use a chopstick to poke a small hole in the top of each puff to let the steam out (this will also be the hole to insert the chocolate stems later). Let cool completely before filling.

    Cinnamon Apple Whipped Cream

    • In a small pot, stir together chopped apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Cover and bring to a boil on medium heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the juices are released from the apples.
    • Quickly stir in the cornstarch until the juices thicken into a jelly-like sauce consistency. If it's too dry, you can add a tablespoon or two of water. Transfer to a small bowl to cool completely either on the counter or in the fridge.
    • In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer or whisk to whip the cream until it thickens and becomes soft peaks.
    • Add the cooled apple compote to the whipped cream and use a spatula to fold together until thoroughly combined.
    • Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip that is big enough for the chopped apple pieces to pass through.
    • Use another piping tip or chopstick to poke a hole in the bottom of each choux puff. Insert the nozzle of the piping bag into the hole and pipe the cream into the pastry until you can feel the walls slightly expand and when you remove the piping tip, the filling should ooze back out slightly. Use a clean finger to wipe away any excess that comes out.

    Chocolate Stems

    • In a small pan or bowl, melt the white chocolate on the stovetop on low heat or in the microwave, heating in 15 second increments.
    • Divide the melted chocolate into two small bowls and add brown gel food colouring to one bowl and green gel food colouring to the other. Stir well to mix.
    • Transfer the chocolate into two tiny piping bags and cut off the tip of each bag. 
    • Line a small cutting board with a sheet of wax paper. Use the brown chocolate to pipe straight lines about 2” long for the stems. 
    • Use the green chocolate to pipe a round dollop about ⅓ from the end of each stem, right on top of the stem. With a small offset spatula, press down on the dollop to flatten and then gently pull away from the stem at an angle to smear the chocolate. Use the side of your finger to shape the smear into a point for the leaf.
    • Chill these stems in the fridge for about 15 minutes until hardened. Gently peel off them off the wax paper and insert into the holes on the top of each cream puffs where you poked them to release stem during baking.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 627kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 212mg | Sodium: 71mg | Potassium: 206mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 1787IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 1mg
    Keywords apple choux, apple choux pastry, apple cream puffs, cinnamon apple choux au craquelin, cinnamon apple cream puffs, crunchy apple cream puffs
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment & rating to let us know how it was and tag your Instagram posts with @teakandthyme!

    More Choux Pastries

    • Matcha Cream Puffs (Choux au Craquelin)
    • Mini Egg Cream Puffs (Choux au Craquelin)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. novi

      April 03, 2022 at 11:46 pm

      what kind of whipping cream that you use? dairy on non dairy whipping cream?

      Reply
      • Gail Ng

        April 12, 2022 at 9:19 pm

        I just use regular dairy whipping cream 🙂

        Reply
    2. Elizabeth

      October 20, 2022 at 7:51 am

      Hello Gail!
      Thank you so much for the recipe! It was a real success and everyone loved it. I was wondering, what do you think if I prepare the cinnamon apple whipped cream 2 days before using it and keep it in the fridge? Do you think it is ok if I do it?

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Gail Ng

        October 20, 2022 at 9:54 am

        Hi! Thank you!! You might just get a bit of liquid forming in the bowl due to the moisture from the apples and from the whipped cream separating but overall it *should* be ok. If possible, I would recommend cooking and storing just the apple compote in the fridge for 2 days and then whipping the cream fresh and mixing the apples in right before using it.

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Gail! I'm just a Canadian girl with a major sweet tooth making desserts on the internet. Let me show you how you can make bakery-worthy desserts at home that will have you wondering why you haven't opened your own café yet.

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