Made from a simple choux pastry, Gougères are cheesy, savory puffs that are so tasty as an appetizer or snack.
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Oh brother, are these tasty! Gougères are puffy, savory, and very hard to stop eating, especially when they are warm from the oven.
They're an excellent appetizer, not just because of the tastiness but because they are quick to pull together.
The traditional gougère is made with Gruyère cheese, and my version here uses shredded Swiss cheese.
What are Gougères?
Pronounced "goo-ZHAIRS," gougères are similar to cream puff shells—that's because they're both made with French choux pastry. Choux (pronounced "SHOO") is created on the stovetop with butter, water, and eggs. The hot dough bakes into taut, puffed shapes that are crisp and light, and can hold fillings once cooled
The choux for gougères has spices and Swiss cheese folded in. Scooped onto a baking sheet and popped in the oven, that dough transforms into savory puffs that are just delectable.
Why you'll love this recipe
Gougères are basically a savory version of a cream puff shell, and the dough comes together with the same choux pastry method.
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!)
You'll be surprised at how fast the dough for these pastries comes together. Give it a try!
The Gougères are delicious served on their own, or you can also use them to hold savory fillings like ham or chicken salad, or a dollop of Boursin herbed cheese.
🔪 How to make Gougères: Baked Cheesy Puffs
Ingredients:
- Butter: Not only does butter contribute flavor, but it also creates a tender dough
- Flour: Use all-purpose, like King Arthur Unbleached Flour
- Swiss Cheese: Use regular Swiss or Gruyère, and grate it yourself for shreds that melt easily
- Eggs: Use large eggs, ideally from local producers and cage-free birds
- Spices: Onion powder, thyme, pepper, and salt
- Water: This is a dough with a lot of moisture, which helps it steam up into little puffs
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Step 1: Begin the choux pastry
Bring water, butter, and spices to a boil, then stir in flour over medium heat to create the first stage of the dough.
Step 2: Add eggs
Beat eggs into the hot mixture to create the silky dough.
Step 3: Then the cheese
Fold the grated Swiss cheese into the dough.
Step 4: Bake!
Scoop the cheesy dough onto a lined baking sheet. Bake them for about 20 minutes until you have airy, golden-brown puffs. Serve them while they're hot!
Gougères are an obvious choice for parties and any get-together where appetizers, cheese boards, and snacks are set out. But they're so easy to make that they can easily be whipped up for an after-school or late-night snack. Surprise your family with a batch on your next lazy weekend.
The recipe for these easy, cheesy Gougères is below. Here are more easy appetizers to try, too.
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below!
📖 Recipe
Gougères
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Ingredients
- 1¼ cups water
- ½ cup butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, salt, onion powder, thyme and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat: once the mixture boils remove the pan from the heat.
- Add in the flour and stir until the flour is no longer visible in the mixture. Return the pan to medium heat and stir the dough constantly for 2-3 minutes: the mixture will become drier and will pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix it on low speed for 2 minutes to cool it down—this is important because if the dough is too hot it will cook the eggs when you add them. Test the dough with your finger: if it's still too hot to touch let it sit for a few minutes longer.
- Once the dough has cooled, add the eggs in one at a time and mix each at medium speed until incorporated. Touch the batter—when you pull your finger away a small peak should form.
- Add in the grated Swiss cheese and mix the dough on low just until the cheese is incorporated.
- Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls or use a small, 2 teaspoon-sized ice cream 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.
- Bake the gougères for about 18-20 minutes until they are puffed and golden brown.
- Serve them warm if possible! If you are planning to fill them, allow them to cool before splitting them open to do so.
- Makes about 40 Gougères.
Notes
- The Gougères are delicious served on their own, or you can also use them to hold savory fillings like ham or chicken salad, or a dollop of Boursin herbed cheese.
Heidi
Yum! I'm definitely making these for New Years Eve!
Nancy Mock
Thanks Heidi, I hope you get to try them! They're so tasty!
Heidi
I'm about to start making them--I'll let you know how they turn out!
Nancy Mock
I'm so happy to hear from you that they turned out well! 🙂