Food Recipes Desserts Bite-Sized Chocolate Profiteroles Are the Perfect Sweet Snack 3.0 (1) 1 Review Serve these chocolate puffs with salted caramel or chocolate sauce for dipping. By Chandra Ram Chandra Ram Chandra Ram leads the digital food strategy for Food & Wine. She has 15 years experience writing and editing food content and developing recipes. A former restaurant cook and server, she also writes cookbooks. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on December 6, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Jordan Provost / Food Styling by Thu Buser Active Time: 15 mins Total Time: 50 mins Yield: 20 puffs This tiny chocolatey pastry bites are just the thing for a cocktail party or dessert platter. Frequently asked questions What are profiteroles? Profiteroles are pastries made with pâte à choux, a French pastry batter. These are a sweet version of gougères, which are similar in style but savory, with Gruyère cheese and herbs in the batter. What is unsweetened cocoa powder? Unsweetened cocoa powder is used in baking when you need a dry version of chocolate with an intense flavor. It can range in color from light to dark brown. Baking recipes often specify Dutch-process cocoa powder, which is alkalized, or natural unsweetened cocoa powder, which is not alkalized. Alkalized cocoa powder is darker in color and slightly mellower in flavor. You can use either in this recipe. Why do the eggs need to be room temperature? Cold eggs are stiff eggs. Warming the eggs to room temperature gives them more flexibility, which means they can better do their job in a dough or batter like this one. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen When making the pâte à choux batter, be sure to cook it on the stove until it pulls away from the sides of the pot; cooking out the water helps the puffs rise and get crispy when they bake. Then, mix the batter for a couple of minutes to let it cool slightly before adding the eggs. Make ahead Once the batter is ready, you can pipe it onto a baking sheet and bake immediately, or freeze the puffs and keep them ready for a last-minute cocktail party or dessert. Frozen profiteroles can bake straight from the freezer; they will need an extra minute or two in the oven. Ingredients 1/2 cup water 3 tablespoons salted butter, cut into cubes 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 cup (about 2 1/8 ounces) all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably dark 3 large eggs Powdered sugar, flaky salt and salted caramel sauce for serving Directions Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Heat the water, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium until butter is melted, about 1 minute. Add the flour and cocoa powder all at once, and stir vigorously using a wooden spoon until the batter dries a bit and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Carefully transfer the batter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment; beat on low speed until it cools and the steam has released, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until fully incorporated, 1 to 2 minutes. (The batter will be lumpy at first but continue beating until it smooths out.) Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a wide plain tip or large ziplock plastic bag with tip of 1 corner cut off to create a 1/2-inch hole. Twist the top of the bag and squeeze from the top of the bag to pipe the dough into 1 1/2-inch mounds (slightly smaller than a ping pong ball) on the baking sheet, spacing each mound evenly apart. Bake the puffs until slightly firm and browned, about 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and pierce each puff in the side using a small knife. Return the puffs to the oven, and bake at 400°F for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven. Let cool on a baking sheet for 10 minutes. Dust the profiteroles with powdered sugar and serve on a platter alongside salted caramel sauce for dipping. Rate It Print