Cream Puff Dessert

An easy twist on the classic French dessert, cream puff dessert uses creamy pudding and frozen whipped topping on top of a cream puff crust.

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All the flavors of a cream puff, but without all the work, this easy cream puff dessert is so simple to make yet incredibly impressive and delicious. If you like cream puffs, then you will adore this cream puff dessert.  

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Rather than making individual cream puffs, this cream puff dessert uses creamy pudding and frozen whipped topping on top of a cream puff crust. Enjoy all the sweet flavors of homemade cream puffs in an easy pan recipe. 

With a crispy choux pastry base, a layer of creamy vanilla custard, fluffy whipped topping, and a drizzle of rich hot fudge sauce, think of this dessert as a cream puff cake. Already extraordinary on its own, you could put this cream puff dessert over the top by serving it with a scoop of ice cream on the side. 

An easy twist on the classic French dessert, you can bake everything in one pan in a cream puff pastry for a simple dessert that’s an easy make-ahead dessert. This would be an impressive and scrumptious dessert to whip up for company.

Cream Puff Dessert Ingredients

There isn’t too much difference between French vanilla pudding and traditional vanilla pudding, so you could use the traditional kind for the delicious filling in this easy cream puff recipe if needed. The most important part is to make sure you are using instant pudding and not regular pudding that requires cooking on the stovetop for this recipe.

A wire whisk will help to break down the cream cheese, but it is important that the cream cheese is already quite soft and at room temperature before mixing. A few lumps won’t matter to the end result.

You can either use store-bought or homemade whipped cream in this delicious recipe. For topping your finished dessert, in addition to the hot fudge sauce, you could also drizzle chocolate syrup over the top, add small candy pieces, or add fresh fruit. 

How to Make Cream Puff Dessert

FIRST STEP: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a 9x13 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

SECOND STEP: In a 4-quart saucepan heat butter, water, and salt over medium heat. When the butter has melted completely and the mixture begins to boil, remove it from heat.

THIRD STEP: Immediately mix the flour into the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a smooth ball.

FOURTH STEP: Allow mixture to cool for about 5 minutes.

FIFTH STEP: Adding only one egg at a time, beat each egg into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon. The mixture will separate with the addition of each egg but then come back together, forming a smooth paste-like batter.

SIXTH STEP: Spread batter into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

SEVENTH STEP: Bake for 25 minutes or until the edges have poofed up the sides of the baking dish and the batter is golden brown. Some of the batter on the bottom of the dish may puff up also, which is fine.

EIGHTH STEP: Cool completely.

NINTH STEP: Use the wire whisk attachment on a hand or standing mixer to beat together softened cream cheese, pudding, milk, and heavy cream. A wire whisk will help to break down the cream cheese, but it is important that the cream cheese is quite soft before mixing.

TENTH STEP: Spread pudding mixture to fill the cooled puff. Spread the whipped topping evenly over the pudding filling.

ELEVENTH STEP: Serve with hot fudge sauce drizzled over the top.

Can this cream puff dessert be made in advance? 

This easy recipe is an excellent make-ahead dessert and can be frozen for up to a month.

Can I use a store-bought puff pastry instead of making the crust from scratch? 

Choux pastry is slightly different than puff pastry and therefore, will give you slightly different results. For that reason, it is best to make this choux pastry from scratch 

What toppings can I add to this dessert? 

In addition to the hot fudge sauce, you can make this cream puff dessert extra decadent with sweet toppings such as chocolate chips, candy pieces, nuts, or fresh fruit. 

How to Store Cream Puff Dessert 

IN THE FRIDGE: Store leftover cream puff dessert covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  
IN THE FREEZER: Cream puff dessert can be made in advance and frozen for up to one month. Thaw in the refrigerator before adding the hot fudge drizzle.

Cream Puff Dessert

An easy twist on the classic French dessert, cream puff dessert uses creamy pudding and frozen whipped topping on top of a cream puff crust.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 15

Calories 201 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• salted butter ½ cup
• water 1 cup
• salt ¼ teaspoon
• all-purpose flour 1 cup
• large eggs 4
• cream cheese (softened) 8 ounces
• French Vanilla instant pudding mix (two 3.4-ounce packages) 6.8 ounces
• whole milk 2 cups
• heavy cream ½ cup
• frozen whipped topping ( thawed) 8 ounces
• hot fudge sauce you can try our delicious hot fudge sauce recipe!

DIRECTIONS

 

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Coat a 9x13 glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a 4-quart saucepan heat butter, water, and salt over medium heat. When the butter has melted completely and the mixture begins to boil, remove it from heat.
• Immediately mix the flour into the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a smooth ball.
• Allow mixture to cool for about 5 minutes.
• Adding only one egg at a time, beat each egg into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon. The mixture will separate with the addition of each egg but then come back together, forming a smooth paste-like batter.
• Spread batter into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until the edges have poofed up the sides of the baking dish and the batter is golden brown. Some of the batter on the bottom of the dish may puff up also, which is fine.
• Cool completely.
• Use the wire whisk attachment on a hand or standing mixer to beat together softened cream cheese, pudding, milk, and heavy cream. A wire whisk will help to break down the cream cheese, but it is important that the cream cheese is quite soft before mixing.
• Spread pudding mixture to fill the cooled puff. Spread the whipped topping evenly over the pudding filling.
• Serve with hot fudge sauce drizzled over the top.

Notes

TIP: Make sure you are using instant pudding and not regular pudding that requires cooking on the stovetop for this recipe.

TIP: The mixture will separate with the addition of each egg but then come back together to form a smooth paste-like batter.

TIP: A wire whisk will help to break down the cream cheese, but it is important that the cream cheese is quite soft and at room temperature before mixing. A few lumps won’t matter to the end result.

Nutrition

Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 167mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 625IU | Vitamin C: 0.05mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1mg

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