Learn how to make French chouquettes from scratch from the comfort of your home! These small hollow choux puffs topped with pearl sugar are sweet, delicate, and perfect as an afternoon snack. You’ll want to eat them by the dozen!

Learn how to make French chouquettes from scratch from the comfort of your home! These small hollow choux puffs topped with pearl sugar are sweet, delicate, and perfect as an afternoon snack.

Email me this recipe

We’ll send it straight to your inbox, along with weekly food inspiration!

I still have vivid memories of me as a child, eating chouquettes frenetically in the back of the car, after a quick stop at the local bakery on the way back from school. Rare were the times when there were any left once we reached home (a 5-minute drive), except for the extra pearl sugar fallen at the bottom of the bag – that we would eat until the very last one.

Learn how to make French chouquettes from scratch from the comfort of your home! These small hollow choux puffs topped with pearl sugar are sweet, delicate, and perfect as an afternoon snack.

It’s only when I moved abroad where I couldn’t find them in local bakeries, that I decided to bake chouquettes myself. It turns out that making chouquettes from scratch is actually very simple. It’s a basic choux pastry recipe, piped into mounts and topped with sugar. I since baked hundreds of chouquettes, and perfected the recipe along the way. Today I create new memories with my kids eating them as an afternoon snack, rotating with other French classics such as Chocolate Chip Brioche Buns and Chocolate Chip Vienna Baguettes.

What are French chouquettes?

Chouquettes (pronounced ‘shoe-ket’) are bite-size hollow choux puffs, topped with pearl sugar on top. Originated in France, they’re served in small paper bags in every French bakery, typically as an afternoon snack for kids after school. Delicate, soft and crispy, sugar puffs are best eaten the day of baking. Don’t worry though, they disappear fast!

Learn how to make French chouquettes from scratch from the comfort of your home! These small hollow choux puffs topped with pearl sugar are sweet, delicate, and perfect as an afternoon snack.

Why you’ll love French chouquettes

  • An irresistible sweet French afternoon snack
  • Basic ingredients and the recipe is ready within 1 hour!
  • A crowd-pleaser (kids and grownups alike!)

A few basic ingredients

  • All-purpose flour. Use it sifted for best results.
  • Unsalted butter. No need to choose salted butter, since the recipe contains salt already.
  • Milk + water. Using half milk and half water is the base for sweet choux pastry. If needed, you can do water only (just remember to double the quantity).
  • Salt (+ sugar). To bring flavor to the choux pastry dough.
  • Eggs. I recommend 4 large eggs to make chouquettes. If you’re using medium size eggs, you can add one more.
  • Pearl sugar (see note below). Pearl sugar is a key ingredient of chouquettes, providing their signature crunchy bite. It consists in sugar nibs made from crushing blocks of white sugar that do not melt at normal baking temperatures.
Learn how to make French chouquettes from scratch from the comfort of your home! These small hollow choux puffs topped with pearl sugar are sweet, delicate, and perfect as an afternoon snack.

Important note about pearl sugar

Choose the right type. The type of pearl sugar used for French chouquettes consists in small sugar nibs. Make sure you’re looking for this type, not the larger ones (usually used for Belgian waffles) ; they are too heavy and would make the puffs to collapse.

Where to find it? You can find pearl sugar in most European grocery stores and everywhere in the world in IKEA stores (look for Dansukker Svenskt Pärlsöcker).

How to make chouquettes

  • Start with the choux pastry. If you’re new to puff pastry, check my step-by-step choux pastry recipe before you start. Choux pastry is often considered as advanced, but it’s not that difficult and I believe everyone can do it. Quick tip: measure your ingredients in advance.
  • Now pipe the dough into a piping bag and pipe mounts onto the baking sheet, spacing them from each other to allow to rise while baking.
  • Sprinkle pearl sugar on top, and tilt the tray to allow the extra pearl sugar to stick to the sides of the choux puffs.
  • Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the choux are golden. Remember: do NOT open the oven door while baking or the puffs will collapse.

Pro tips for success

  • Make sure you have all of your ingredients measured and equipment ready before you start. A successful choux pastry is all about timing, and chouquettes are no exception.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well until fully incorporated before adding the next one. Do not rush this process.
  • If the dough is a little runny, place in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before piping. That should do the trick.
  • Do not open the oven door while baking. This will allow the chouquettes to rise nicely. If you do open the oven door, it creates humidity and the chouquettes will most likely collapse.
Learn how to make French chouquettes from scratch from the comfort of your home! These small hollow choux puffs topped with pearl sugar are sweet, delicate, and perfect as an afternoon snack.

How to store chouquettes

French chouquttes are usually best eaten the day of baking, and ideally within 2 to 4 hours. Once they cooled off, transfer to a paper bag and keep on the countertop. They will stay fresh and crispy.

More French baking recipes:

Print

French Chouquettes (Sugar Puffs)

Learn how to make French chouquettes from scratch from the comfort of your home! These small hollow choux puffs topped with pearl sugar are sweet, delicate, and perfect as an afternoon snack.
  • Author: Delphine Fortin
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 25 chouquettes 1x
  • Category: Breakfast

Learn how to make French chouquettes from scratch from the comfort of your home! These small hollow choux puffs topped with pearl sugar are sweet, delicate, and perfect as an afternoon snack.

Email me this recipe

We’ll send it straight to your inbox, along with weekly food inspiration!

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ (120ml) cup water
  • ½ (120ml) cup milk
  • ½ cup (120g) unsalted butter, diced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 ¼ cup (150g) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 4 large eggs
  • 23 Tablespoons (about 30g) pearl sugar, to decorate

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 410°F( 210°C). Before you start, line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside. Place an empty clean mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer) in the refrigerator.
  2. In a saucepan, heat water, milk, butter, salt and granulated sugar on low heat, until melted. Remove the pan when the mixture begins to simmer.
  3. Add in the sifted flour off the heat all at once, and stir with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms. Return the saucepan back to the heat and keep stirring on low until the dough pulls away from the side and forms a ball. Transfer the dough to the cold mixing bowl and allow the dough to cool for a couple of minutes.
  4. Still using a wooden spoon or using the stand mixer running on low, add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated before adding the next. If the dough separates, keep beating and it will come together again.
  5. Transfer the dough into a piping bag fitted with a plain round ½ inch tip (1 cm), and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Whilst holding the piping bag upright and keeping the tip of the piping tip touching the choux pastry, pipe 1 to 1.5-inch (2,5 cm to 4 cm) mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 1-inch (2,5 cm) apart.* Sprinkle the pearl sugar on top, and tilt the baking sheet slightly to allow the extra pearl sugars to stick to the sides of the chouquettes.
  6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the puffs are golden brown (the baking time depends on the size of the puffs). Do NOT open the oven door while baking or the puffs will collapse. When ready, carefully transfer to a wire rack, allow to cool, and eat the same day, ideally within 4 hours.

Notes

Note. For step-by-step instructions, check my choux pastry recipe (it also comes with a video tutorial).

* Some recipes recommend to brush the pastry dough with egg wash before adding the pearl sugar. I personally doesn’t find it necessary. The chouquettes are delicious and nicely golden brown just as they are.

Did you make this recipe?

Lastly, if you make this French Chouquettes (Sugar Puffs), be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!