My Gougères Cheese Puffs recipe turns New England butter and cheese into a homey, delectable appetizer! They're warm, airy puffs that are easier to make that you think. Bake up a batch for holiday gatherings and game days.
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Oh brother, are these cheese puffs tasty! Crispy Gougères are very hard to stop eating, especially when served warm from the oven.
Gougères are an excellent appetizer, not only because they're tasty but because they're relatively quick to pull together.
The traditional gougères recipe is made with Gruyère cheese or Swiss cheese, grated fresh to fold into the dough just before baking. The puffs are delicious on their own, but can also be used to hold savory fillings. Set them out as an appetizer the next time friends are over or at Sunday brunch!
In a nutshell... 🐿️
- What this is: Golden, airy cheese puffs that are made from a simple, stovetop choux pastry and enriched with Vermont butter and spices. They're an unexpected and tasty appetizer to make for holidays or game nights.
- You'll love this part: The puffs look fancy, but are surprisingly straight-forward to make. And you'll be delighted watching them puff up in the oven. They emerge with crisp shells and a soft, cheese-flavored center.
- How it's made: Simmer butter, water, and spices on the stovetop, then stir in flour. Beat in eggs and grated cheese, then scoop and bake.
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Notes from fellow cooks:
"Yum, I'm definitely making these for New Year's Eve!" — Heidi
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What are Gougères?
Gougères (pronounced "goo-ZHAIRS") are made from choux, a type of French pastry dough. This is the same dough used to make shells for eclairs and sweet, filled puffs like my Lemon Cream Puffs!
Author Jamie Schler shares that the first versions of Gougeres made with choux pastry were created in the early 1800s in France, possibly originating in Paris and then becoming increasingly popular in the surrounding regions of the country.
The unique thing about choux (pronounced "SHOO") pastry is that it's made on the stovetop. Butter, hot water, and flour are stirred together in a saucepan until they look like thick mashed potatoes. This dough goes into a mixer where it's combined with eggs. It's then spooned or piped onto a baking sheet and baked until puffed and crisp.
The choux pastry dough for gougères also includes spices and grated cheese. Swiss or Gruyère cheese is traditional in these French cheese puffs, but other cheeses like cheddar, Parmesan, or Comte will work, too. Scooped onto a baking sheet and popped in the oven, that dough transforms into golden brown puffs. They're cheesy and savory with a crisp outer shell and soft, airy middle.
Why you'll love this Gougères recipe
If you haven't tried making your own choux pastry, you'll be so surprised at how doable it is. The choux dough comes together very quickly, and scoops of dough transform into little puffs once they hit the heat of the oven. They're fun to watch puff up!
The dough can be piped onto a baking sheet, dropped by spoonfuls, or you can do as I did and use a small cookie scoop. The scoop makes the process quick and gives you tidy round balls of dough that puff up beautifully. (My purchase of small, medium, and large spring-loaded ice cream scoops was one of the best investments I have made. I use them for everything!)
Gougères are delicious served on their own, or you can also use them to hold savory fillings like ham or chicken salad, or a scoop of Boursin herbed cheese. They're a versatile snack—fancy enough to make for brunches and wedding showers, but easy enough to make for friends coming over for game night or for your kids as a fun, weekend snack.
Another French fave!
Quiche Lorraine
A savory tart with bacon and Gruyère cheese.
🔪 How to make Gougères cheese puffs
Ingredients:
- Butter: Not only does butter contribute flavor, but it also creates a tender dough. Use unsalted butter, and a quality brand like Vermont Creamery.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour here—my go-to brand is King Arthur Baking.
- Swiss Cheese: For a traditional flavor, use regular Swiss or Gruyère; Parmesan, cheddar, or pepper Jack are other types to try. Use freshly grated cheese; do not use pre-shredded.
- Eggs: Use large eggs, ideally from local producers and cage-free birds.
- Spices: To complement the cheese, my recipe for gougères uses a blend of onion powder, dried thyme, ground black pepper, and salt.
- Water: The liquid brings the dough together in the pan, and then is mostly cooked out before eggs are added.
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Begin the choux pastry
Whisk together the water, butter, and spices and bring them to a boil. Whisk in the flour and cook the mixture over medium heat until the dough looks smooth and thick.
Add eggs
Transfer the dough to a stand mixer and beat in the eggs. Mix until the dough looks shiny and smooth.
Add the cheese
Fold grated cheese into the dough until it's well combined.
Bake!
Scoop the cheesy dough onto a lined baking sheet. Bake the gougères for a short time until you have airy, golden-brown puffs. Turn off the oven, open the door a crack, and let the gougères rest in the oven to cool them slowly. Serve them while they're warm.
Gougères Cheese Puffs FAQs
Cheese gougères are a perfect appetizer; set them out with other snacks like Curry Cheddar Cheese Spread or Bacon-Wrapped Meatballs. Because they're savory but also light, I like to share them at brunch too, where guests can add them to their plate with Fruit Salad and Quiche Lorraine.
Gougères are cheesy shells with an airy open center, a perfect space to add savory fillings to. Poke a hole in them and use a piping bag to fill the puffs with softened, flavored cream cheese. You can also cut the cheese puffs in half and fill the halves with savory chicken salad, tuna salad, or goat cheese.
Once the Gougères are completely cool, transfer them to an airtight container. Store them at room temperature for up to four days. Reheat gougèeres on a baking sheet in a 350°F oven for several minutes until they're warm. To freeze Gougères, arrange them in a single layer on a tray and freeze them until firm. Once they're frozen, transfer the Gougères to a freezer-proof resealable bag. Store them in the freezer for up to three months.
One reason that gougères may deflate is that the dough has too much moisture; when cooking the dough on the stovetop, aim to remove as much of the moisture as possible before adding the eggs. Also, get the oven good and hot before putting the gougères in. Once they're in the oven, don't open the door—if you do, the heat and moisture will escape causing the puffs to flatten. Finally, bake the gougères until they're golden brown; undertaking them is another reason they could collapse.
Tips:
- Grate your own cheese for the Gougères. Pre-shredded cheeses are treated with additives to prevent them from sticking. They don't melt smoothly, and the additives may interfere with the proper baking of the puffs.
- Leave space between the Gougères on the baking sheet; they need room to expand, but they also need room for the hot air to circulate and properly puff the dough.
Gougères are an obvious choice for parties and any get-together where appetizers, cheese boards, and snacks are set out. (Here's how to make a cheese board; you can add your Gougères to it!)
These cheese puffs are also easy enough to make for snacks. Surprise your family with a batch on your next lazy weekend.
The easy, cheesy, best Gougères recipe is below. Here are more savory pastries to try as well:
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Gougères Cheese Puffs
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Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 1¼ cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup freshly grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese
Instructions
Make the pastry dough:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice the ½ cup butter into small pieces. Heat the butter, 1¼ cups water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon thyme, and ½ teaspoon black pepper in a medium saucepan, until the water comes to a boil and the butter is melted. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the 1¼ cups all-purpose flour; keep stirring until no dry flour remains. Return the pan to the burner over medium heat.
- Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir the flour mixture constantly over the heat—it will quickly pull away from the sides and form a sticky lump of dough. Keep stirring the dough for about 3 to 4 minutes. (The bottom of the pan will get covered by a film which is normal.) If you have a digital thermometer you can check the temperature of the dough—it should be 165° to 175°F.
- Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix the dough on low for 3 to 4 minutes to cool it enough to touch.
- Beat the 4 large eggs, one at a time, into the dough, mixing thoroughly and scraping the sides of the bowl before adding the next.
- Add in the 1 cup freshly grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese and mix the dough on low just until the cheese is incorporated.
Make the puffs:
- Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls (or use a small, 2-teaspoon-sized cookie scoop to make one-inch balls) on the prepared sheet. Or if you prefer, transfer the dough to a pastry bag with a large fluted tip and pipe it onto the prepared sheets. Leave space between the dough.
- Use a wet finger to smooth the tops of each scoop of dough.
- Bake the puffs for 10 minutes. Then, reduce the oven temperature to 350° F. (Do not open the door.) Bake the puffs for another 15 to 20 minutes, until they're lightly browned on top and the tops feel sturdy.
- Turn off the oven and partly open the door. Leave the sheet of puffs inside and let them cool on the oven rack for 20 minutes. (This helps prevent deflating and keeps them crisp.)
Serve:
- Serve them warm if possible! If you are planning to fill them, allow them to cool before piping in filling or splitting them open to fill.
- Makes about 40 Gougères.
Notes
- Leave space between the Gougères on the baking sheet; they need room to expand, but they also need room for the hot air to circulate and properly puff the dough.
- Grate your own cheese for the Gougères. Pre-shredded cheeses are treated with additives to prevent them from sticking. They don't melt smoothly, and the additives may interfere with the proper baking of the puffs.
Nutrition
Heidi says
Yum! I'm definitely making these for New Years Eve!
Nancy Mock says
Thanks Heidi, I hope you get to try them! They're so tasty!
Heidi says
I'm about to start making them--I'll let you know how they turn out!
Nancy Mock says
I'm so happy to hear from you that they turned out well! 🙂