Strawberry Cream Puffs

These adorable little Strawberry Cream Puffs are filled with light and creamy strawberry cheesecake mousse – the perfect bite-sized dessert! A delicious and gorgeous addition to any dessert table, these cream puffs are perfect for holidays, baby showers or a quick and easy summer dessert!

If you’re looking for more strawberry recipes, try my Strawberry Muffins, Strawberry Cupcakes and Strawberry Shortcake Cake!

Strawberry Cream Puffs Recipe

These strawberry cream puffs are such a dream, especially considering you don’t have to spend hours making and perfecting choux pastry dough! The puffs are made with pre-made pastry cups that are perfectly baked and then filled with a decadent strawberry cheesecake mousse for a satisfying texture combination. 

They make the perfect dessert for any time of year, but imagine how good summer strawberries would be in this recipe! The homemade whipped cream gives the strawberry filling a smooth and creamy texture, while the fresh strawberry topping gives each puff a bite of juicy fruit. Just a delicious as they are stunning!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• So easy! These delicious little treats are made with Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Cups and my Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse filling! Starting with the pastry cups makes this recipe so quick and easy – it has become one of my go-to recipe options! (See notes below and in the recipe card for using puff pastry sheets.)
• They’re bursting with strawberry flavor! The rich and fluffy mousse is made with a strawberry puree, and then the tops of the puffs are studded with fresh diced strawberries. There’s so much pure fruity flavor in these bites.
• Guests love bite-sized desserts! These cream puffs are so much easier to serve at a party than a hefty slice of cake. Everyone can grab one or two puffs and satisfy their sweet tooth without feeling wasteful.

How to Make Strawberry Cream Puffs

I’ve made this recipe super simple for you! It’ll amaze you how quickly everything comes together. Keep in mind, the whole recipe is in the complete printable recipe card below.

Bake Pastry Cups

1. Bake the puff pastry according to the directions on the box. Check them after 15 minutes of baking. 
2. Once baked, cool the pastry and use a small knit to remove the centers of the cups. 
3. If desired, sprinkle the cups with powdered sugar. 

Make Strawberry Puree

1. In a food processor or blender, blend the strawberries until they’re chopped, juicy, and no piece is larger than a pea. 

Prepare Whipped Cream

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), whip the heavy cream until it begins to thicken. 
2. Add powdered sugar and continue to whip until it’s thick and can hold stiff peaks. 
3. Move the whipped cream to a separate bowl if you’re using an electric mixer. 

Strawberry Cheesecake Mixture

1. Beat the cream cheese until it’s smooth. 
2. Add the powdered sugar.
3. Add vanilla extract and then start adding the strawberry puree a little bit at a time. Continue mixing until it’s completely incorporated. 
4. Fold the cheesecake mixture into the whipped cream. 
5. Taste for sweetness and, if necessary, add a tablespoon or so of powdered sugar. 

Assemble Strawberry Puffs

1. Add the prepared cheesecake filling to a large ziplock bag and cut off about ½ inch of one corner. Use this to squeeze the filling into the baked (and cooled) pastry cups. 
2. Top each puff with a few pieces of finely chopped strawberry. 
3. Serve immediately, or chill in the fridge for up to one hour. 

Storage

The strawberry filling can be made one full day ahead of time and then kept covered in the fridge until it’s ready to use. 

The assembled cream puffs, however, should be served immediately or after refrigerated for one hour. 

Variations To Try

As always, there are modifications you can make to suit your (or your guests’) preferences. Small changes make a big difference!

• Swap strawberries for blueberries, raspberries, mangoes, etc. 
• Make a simple vanilla or chocolate cheesecake filling if you want to forego the fruit. 
• Get creative! Make a chocolate filling and then top your pastry puffs with a mini bar of chocolate and a couple of mini marshmallows for s’mores puffs. 
• Use a variety of berries for a beautiful summer dessert!

I can’t find puff pastry shells. Can I make these with puff pastry sheets?

Absolutely! Cut thawed puff pastry into small squares using a pizza cutter and place the squares in a mini muffin pan, gently pressing the dough into the bottom and up the sides of each well. Poke a few holes in the bottom of each shell with a fork, being careful not to go all the way through the dough to the pan. Bake as directed on the package and proceed with the instructions in the recipe card.

Trish’s Tips

• Everyone’s always asking, how do you keep cream puffs from getting soggy? The thing is, you can’t! If you don’t serve them soon after making them, they will inevitably get soggy. I suggest making the filling the day before and then making the puff pastry and assembling everything just an hour or so before you serve them. 
• If you don’t have fresh strawberries, use frozen! Let them thaw for a bit before you blend them so they don’t add too much moisture to the filling. 
• Dust on your powdered sugar at the last minute before serving, otherwise the sugar will absorb into the fresh strawberry topping and filling.

More Berry-Delicious Recipes

1. Chocolate Raspberry Cake
2. Raspberry Sweet Rolls
3. Blueberry Cookies
4. Blackberry Crumb Bars
5. Cranberry Orange Bread

Strawberry Cream Puffs

These adorable little Strawberry Cream Puffs are filled with light and creamy strawberry cheesecake mousse – the perfect bite-sized dessert! A delicious and gorgeous addition to any dessert table, these cream puffs are perfect for holidays, baby showers or a quick and easy summer dessert!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 24

Calories 174 kcal

Ingredients

 

Puff Pastry Cupcs

• 1 box Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Cups 24 cups
• powdered sugar for sprinkling on baked pastry

Strawberry Puree

• 1 cup strawberries fresh or frozen (thawed)

Whipped Cream

• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Strawberry Cheesecake

• 8 ounces cream cheese 1 block
• ⅓ cup powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Garnish

• 4 to 5 fresh strawberries

Instructions

 

Bake Pastry

• Bake pastry cups according to directions on box (check after 15 minutes of baking).
  1 box Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Cups
• Once baked, cool pastries and use a small knife to remove the centers of the cups.
• If desired, sprinkle pastry cup with powdered sugar.
  powdered sugar

Make strawberry puree

• In a food processor, or blender, chop/blend fresh or frozen (and slightly thawed) strawberries. Process until the berries are chopped, juicy, and no piece is larger than a pea.
  1 cup strawberries

Make whipped cream

• In the bowl of an electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), whip heavy cream until it begins to thicken. Add powdered sugar, and continue to whip until thick and holds stiff peaks. Move whipped cream to a separate bowl (if using bowl of electric mixer).
  ½ cup heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Make cheesecake mixture

• In the bowl of an electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, and continue to beat. Add vanilla, then add strawberry puree, a little at a time. Continue mixing, and beat until fully incorporated.
  8 ounces cream cheese, ⅓ cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Fold cheesecake mixture into the whipped cream, and stir gently until fully combined. Taste to check for sweetness. If needed, add an additional tablespoon or so of powdered sugar, and fold in gently.

Assembly

• Add prepared filling to a large ziplock bag, and cut off about 1/2 inch from one corner. Use this to squeeze the filling into the baked pastry cups.
• Top with a few pieces of finely chopped strawberry.
  4 to 5 fresh strawberries
• Serve immediately, or keep in the fridge up to 1 hour.

Notes

Storage Information

The strawberry filling can be made one full day ahead of time and then kept covered in the fridge until it’s ready to use. 

The assembled cream puffs, however, should be served immediately or after refrigerated for one hour. 

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Using the full recipe listed above you will be able to fill 24 mini pastry cups and you may have some filling left over. Feel free to make just half of the filling recipe if you’re baking less than the full package of pastry cups.

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I can’t find puff pastry shells. Can I make these with puff pastry sheets?

Absolutely! Cut thawed puff pastry into small squares using a pizza cutter and place the squares in a mini muffin pan, gently pressing the dough into the bottom and up the sides of each well. Poke a few holes in the bottom of each shell with a fork, being careful not to go all the way through the dough to the pan. Bake as directed on the package and proceed with the instructions in the recipe card.

Nutrition

Calories: 174kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 2gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 82mgPotassium: 42mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 201IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg

Keyword strawberry cream puffs

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Originally published February 6, 2014.