French cheese puffs (gougères) are light, airy, and irresistibly cheesy. Made with classic pâte à choux dough-the same base used for cream puffs and profiteroles-these savory bites are surprisingly easy to make. Traditionally made with Gruyère, I often use Parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh chives for a flavorful twist. Serve them warm from the oven for cocktail hour, brunch, or alongside a glass of wine. And yes-this recipe works with either all-purpose flour or a gluten-free blend.
I still remember making gougères (goo-ZHAIR) for the first time. It was funny how the dough looked a little strange as it came together-then it baked up beautifully. Total triumph. Pâte à choux has a reputation for being finicky, but don't let that deter you. If you can stir and pipe (or scoop) dough, you can make these French cheese puffs-it's easier than it looks.
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Why You'll Love French Cheese Puffs
- Light, airy, and cheesy - Classic pâte à choux turns into crisp, puffed bites with a tender center.
- Easier than they look - Simple technique, big payoff (and very impressive for guests).
- Make-ahead friendly - Bake ahead or freeze and rewarm for easy entertaining.
- Gluten-free option - Works with all-purpose flour or a good gluten-free blend.
Chef's tip: What are gougères?
Gougères are French cheese puffs made from pâte à choux (the same dough used for cream puffs), baked until light, airy, and cheesy. Serve them simply or open them up and stuff them for a savory or sweet dish.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Butter - Use unsalted butter so you control the salt level of the finished cheese puffs. I prefer a higher-butterfat, European-style butter.
- Milk - Whole milk is best for richness, but lower-fat milk works in a pinch.
- Flour - This recipe works with either all-purpose flour or a gluten-free flour blend.
- Eggs - Use standard large eggs.
- Cheese - Traditionally gougères use Gruyère, but I often use finely grated Parmesan for extra savory flavor (hello, Parmesan puffs).
- Herbs - Finely chopped green chives add a mild oniony flavor and a little color. Optional, but a lovely addition.
For measurements and quantities, please see the recipe card.
Substitutions and Variations
- Try different herbs - Swap chives for finely chopped Italian parsley, thyme, or tarragon.
- Change the cheese - Gruyère is the classic French choice, but sharp cheddar works well too (hello, cheddar cheese puffs). Comté is another great option if you want to stay French.
- Use water instead of milk - You can make pâte à choux with water instead of milk. The puffs will be slightly less rich, but they still work beautifully.
Chef's testing notes: I tested three types of flour: organic white whole wheat flour, organic whole wheat pastry flour, and a gluten-free blend called Cup4Cup flour. All three came out great. Pastry flour is a soft wheat which contains less gluten and provides a more tender baked good. Additionally, I've included a homemade GF blend in the recipe notes.
How to Make French Cheese Puffs (Gougeres)
The formal name for this pastry dough is choux (shoo) pastry or pate a choux (pot-ah-shoo). Bring milk and butter to a boil, dump in flour, and stir like mad until the dough pulls away from the side of the pan. Add eggs, one at a time and again, stir like mad until they are well incorporated and the dough smooths out. It's like magic.
The pastry will look odd while you stir. At first it looks curdled and slippery from the eggs and you wonder if it will come together. Suddenly it does, and forms a smooth pastry dough.
Add cheese and chives, then stir some more. You'll have a thick, savory dough to portion out and bake.
I've piped them and dropped dollops with spoons in the past. Now I use what's called a disher.
Chef's tool tip: Call them dishers (the professional term) or cookie scoops, this is a terrific little tool I can't live without in my kitchen. I have 5-6 sizes of them in various sizes for various tasks. They make portion control and handling ingredients easy. For small puffs I use a #40 disher that is 1 ½" across. For truly bite-sized puffs, use the #60 disher.
Notes for Gluten-Free Bakers
This recipe works well with a good gluten-free 1:1 flour blend. I've tested it with Cup4Cup, and it turns out great-the process is the same, but the puffs may not rise quite as high as the wheat version. For best results, bake at 350°F until golden; timing will vary by oven, but plan on about 20-25 minutes. King Arthur and Bob's Red Mill gluten-free blends also work well.
If they seem a little moist inside, let them sit on the tray with the oven off and the door cracked for a few minutes to dry slightly.
Serving Suggestions
Gougères (French cheese puffs) are perfect with a glass of wine and make an easy, elegant nibble for appetizer hour. Make them bite-sized for cocktails or slightly larger for brunch or parties.
For entertaining, you can slice them in half and fill them with a savory cheese spread or whipped herbed cheese.
For another terrific cocktail nibble, try these sweet and spicy roasted maple cashews.
Storage and Freezing
Storage - Keep well wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days. For best texture, warm briefly in the oven before serving.
Freezing - After baking, freeze the puffs on a sheet tray. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container, label and date, and freeze for up to 2 months. Rewarm from frozen in a 325°F oven until hot and crisp.
Recipe FAQs
They're best warm, but they're still good at room temperature. For the best texture, rewarm briefly in the oven before serving.
Most often it's one of these: the dough needed a little more drying in the pan, the eggs were added too quickly, or the oven temperature was off. Also avoid opening the oven early, which can cause deflation.
Absolutely. Slice and fill with whipped herbed cheese, pimento cheese, smoked salmon spread, or a savory mousse for parties.
More Appetizer Recipes
If you're putting together an appetizer spread, here are a few more savory favorites-perfect for cocktail hour, holidays, and easy entertaining. Try these crowd-pleasers next, from elegant mushroom duxelles to baked brie and stuffed mushrooms.
If You Make French Cheese Puffs
Please leave me a comment and let me know how you did! I love to hear form you and your comments help other readers too. Thanks for supporting my site.
📖 Recipe
French Cheese Puffs (Gougeres)
Equipment
- Baking parchment
- #40 disher (looks like an ice cream scooper with a spring handle) optional or piping bag
Ingredients
- 2 ounces unsalted butter
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup gluten-free flour blend or white whole wheat flour
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese plus extra to top if desired
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
Instructions
- Ready all ingredients and tools before you start as this goes quickly. Pre-heat oven to 400° for wheat flour or 350° for gluten-free flours. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place butter in a medium saucepan and melt over low heat. When butter is melted, add the milk, turn heat to high and bring to a boil. When the milk and butter get to a full boil, dump in the flour and salt all at once. Turn heat down to medium-low and stir like mad with a wooden spoon. Stir, beat and fold until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan, 1-2 minutes. Move the dough to a medium bowl and cool 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add eggs, one at a time to the bowl, stirring like mad after each one until completely incorporated. It will look like a slimy mess for the first minute but keep stirring. The dough will come together. Lastly stir in the cheese and chives.
- With a #40 disher, piping bag with plain tip or tablespoon, drop portions of pastry onto parchment lined baking sheets. Sprinkle a little extra Parmesan on top if desired. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Check the puffs early and watch them as ovens and timing vary. Allow puffs to stand for a few minutes after baking. Serve immediately or cool completely and place in an airtight container. Puffs can be made a day ahead and served at room temperature or warmed in the oven for a few minutes.
Notes
Flour Options:
I've made gougeres with white whole wheat, whole wheat pastry, gluten-free flour blend or homemade gluten-free blend (see note at end). I prefer organic flours for baking.Homemade GF Flour Blend
If you want to blend your own GF flour, here is my recipe for using with gougeres. With a digital scale, weigh out 40 grams brown rice flour, 35 grams sweet rice flour, 25 grams quinoa flour, 20 grams cornstarch and 24 grams tapioca flour. Whisk together until well blended. You can do it all in one bowl using the tare feature. I used all Bobs Red Mill flours. This makes enough for several batches of gougeres. Use 72 grams for whole wheat pastry flour or gluten-free flour blend.Nutrition
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F morin says
Perfect! Just made them!
I’ll freeze them
We’ll make them again,
Sally Cameron says
Love to hear that! They are yummy, and I think fun to make. Thanks for commenting.
Marci says
I have large eggs. Any idea how many I would use?
Sally Cameron says
Hi Marci, 2 eggs. Hope you enjoy them!
Tera says
Am I able to use all purpose flour?
Sally Cameron says
Hi Tera. I did not develop the recipe or test it with white all purpose flour. It should work I would think. Honestly, please try the white whole wheat flour. King Arthur is available in most stores or use Trader Joes White Whole Wheat. It's better for you than refined white flour. Time to start getting away from refined white flours and products in general. They offer no nutritional value.
Ashley says
I made the gluten free version of these today. My husband and I couldn't stop eating them! Thanks for sharing!
Sally says
Thanks Ashley! I just overhauled my moms 1956 banana bread recipe to be GF. Stay tuned! It will be out in a few days!
Virginia Kahler-Anderson, aka HomeRearedChef says
OMGosh! These things are phenomenal!! I have made these before, but actually haven't in many years. And I just LOVE that you have given us a recipe for making them gluten free. I am saving this recipe of yours. Thank you very much. 🙂
It is really awesome that Genie Grato Featured your post, or I would not have found this recipe for gluten free.
~Virginia
susan says
I am so all over these! These are gorgeous and I cannot wait to make these!!!
Linda P says
I love the step by step pictures. Makes the recipe comprehensible. Thanks for sharing!
M G says
I am SO MAKING these!!! Thanks for the tip. 🙂
It seems there's a lot of versatility to this recipe. I can add some diced chiles and pepper jack cheese too. 😉 Cali touch! 😉
Also, rosemary, parsley..etc.
Yummy!!!!!
Sally says
The herbs sounds great, as do the pepperjack cheese instead of Parmesan, but be very careful with diced green chiles. You don't want to add moisture to the dough. If you use fresh chiles sparingly, roasted, peeled an chopped, it might work. These are not biscuits. They are much lighter, and extra moisture could weigh them down or cause them to still be doughy on the inside. Please comment back and let us know what you do and how it comes out. I'd suggest you start with just pepperjack, as Gruyere is traditional.