The first time I ever tasted Gougères was in my favorite bakery in Paris, La Maison d’Isabelle (in the 5th).
I was grabbing my daily dose of croissants (I swear, they have the BEST in the world) and impulsively adding to my order as more pastries caught my eye.
I noticed these little puffed balls covered in cheese, and immediately added two to my order. The next day, I bought several more. I was in love.
Little puffs of crisp-on-the-outside, soft-yet-airy on the inside, carrying the most perfectly intense cheesy goodness … aka heaven!
Since then, Gougere have become my go-to appetizer if we have company (along with a cheese board – because there’s no such thing as too much cheese). They’re so simple to whip up, and look and taste like a fancy patisserie made them. What’s not to love?
Are Gougères Hard to Make?
No! That’s the best thing about this recipe. The most difficult part of making Gougères is shredding the cheese (which isn’t hard … it’s just a pain lol). The rest of the choux pastry is very simple and quite fun to make – and it’s all ready to pipe out in about 15 minutes!
What Cheese Should I Use for Gougères?
I like to use Intense Gruyère (I find this at any Wegmans) for the most flavorful, cheesy Gougères possible. If your supermarket doesn’t label their Gruyère with any age indicators, that’s okay.
Alternative Cheeses: If you can’t find Gruyère, use Emmental or Swiss cheese. Of course, the more intensely flavorful the cheese, the better your Gougères will taste, so I don’t recommend using a mild cheese – it just won’t provide enough flavor.
You could probably use an aged cheddar instead, if that’s your favorite – just don’t tell the French 😉
Shredding the Cheese
I highly recommend shredding your cheese yourself. Pre-shredded cheeses don’t taste as intense and won’t melt as nicely, so as annoying as it is, I promise it’s worth the extra effort.
The Eggs
It’s very important to use large eggs that are about 55 grams in their shells. If your eggs are too small, your Gougères won’t have enough liquid and they may be dry and harder in texture. If your eggs are too large, your Gougères batter will be too runny, which will make it difficult to pipe, your Gougères may be flat and the texture will be all wrong.
If you’re worried, crack 4 eggs into a bowl, combine, and weigh – it should be about 200 grams without their shells. If you have more or less egg than 200 grams, add/remove some egg until it weighs 200 grams. Then add in 4 increments, as the recipe states.
Nutmeg?
It’s traditional to include a little nutmeg in Gougères, but I personally don’t like nutmeg. If you’re a fan, or just want to do everything as traditionally as possible, feel free to include about 1/4 teaspoon with the cheese and black pepper.
How to Pipe Gougères
I like to use a large disposable piping bag (I get these on Amazon – check out my Essential Baking Items page for my go-to brand) with a large, plain/round piping tip. You could probably just use a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped instead, if needed.
As you pipe, try your best to shape the Gougères into Tablespoon-sized round balls. Don’t worry if they’re not perfectly even or perfectly round – they’ll still look and taste great! Plus, the extra cheese on top helps camouflage the shape a bit!
How to Serve
Gougères are best served piping hot, straight from the oven – but if you need to make them a bit ahead, or are taking them to a party, I recommend reheating for a few minutes, just to refresh them and make them nice and crisp again. If that’s not an option, don’t worry – they’re still amazing at room temp.
Gougeres make the perfect appetizer before a nice meal, and are also a fantastic addition to a potluck. They’re also a great side, pairing beautifully with French Onion Soup, casseroles, other soups, or really anything your heart desires.
How to Store
Place leftover Gougères inside an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day, or in the freezer for 1 month. Thaw and reheat in a 350°F / 175°C for a few minutes, until hot and crisp, before serving.
More Dinner Party Recipes:
Gougères Recipe
Ingredients
- 113 grams (½ cup) water
- 113 grams (½ cup) whole milk
- 113 grams (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 130 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs, about 55 grams in shell per egg
- 150 grams (1 ½ cups) shredded Gruyère cheese, as aged as possible (look for 'intense' on the label)*
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For Topping:
- 50 grams (1/2 cup) shredded Gruyère cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F / 205°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, place the water, milk, butter, and salt. Stir to combine and melt the butter. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
- Add the flour all at once and stir to combine and form a smooth dough. Continue to stir over low heat until the dough dries out and pulls away from the side of the pan – about 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if you don't have a stand mixer). Allow to cool for slightly for about 2 minutes.
- Using the paddle attachment, beat the eggs one at a time into the dough, mixing thoroughly between each egg until completely combined. Don't worry if the batter separates and looks curdled as you add your eggs. Just keep beating and it will come together nicely.
- Add the cheese and black pepper and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe into tablespoon-size mounds onto the baking sheets, spaced a couple inches apart. If your piped Gougères come to a point, you can use a damp finger to gently press the pointy part down. Sprinkle each with more Gruyère.
- Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until puffed, crisp, and golden brown. Serve immediately.
- Once completely cooled, leftover Gougères can be placed inside an airtight container and frozen for up to 1 month. To serve, reheat in a 350°F / 175° oven until hot and crisp.
