Mango Pastry Cream Puffs (Print Version)

Airy choux puffs filled with rich mango cream and dusted with powdered sugar for a tropical touch.

# Components:

→ Choux Pastry

01 - 1/2 cup water
02 - 1/2 cup whole milk
03 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
04 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
05 - 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
06 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 4 large eggs, room temperature

→ Mango Pastry Cream

08 - 2/3 cup mango puree from fresh or canned ripe mangoes
09 - 1 cup whole milk
10 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
11 - 3 large egg yolks
12 - 3 tablespoons cornstarch
13 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
14 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Assembly

15 - Powdered sugar for dusting

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
02 - Add flour all at once to the boiling liquid and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball and pulls cleanly away from the saucepan sides, approximately 2 minutes.
03 - Remove saucepan from heat and allow dough to cool for 3-4 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition until the dough becomes glossy and smooth.
04 - Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe 12 mounds approximately 1.5 inches wide onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Do not open oven door during baking.
05 - Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Prick each baked puff with a skewer to release steam and prevent deflation. Bake for an additional 5 minutes to dry the centers. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
06 - In a saucepan, combine milk and mango puree over medium heat until the mixture reaches a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.
07 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until the mixture is pale and smooth. Slowly pour half of the hot mango-milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly to prevent curdling.
08 - Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining mango-milk mixture. Cook over medium heat while whisking constantly until the cream thickens and reaches a gentle boil, approximately 2-3 minutes.
09 - Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla extract until completely smooth and well incorporated.
10 - Transfer the pastry cream to a mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface to prevent skin formation. Refrigerate until completely cold and set, at least 1 hour.
11 - Once the puffs are completely cool and the pastry cream is set, carefully slice each puff horizontally into two equal halves using a serrated knife.
12 - Transfer the chilled mango pastry cream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe a generous amount of cream onto the bottom half of each puff. Place the top half over the filling.
13 - Dust the assembled cream puffs generously with powdered sugar immediately before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The choux pastry puffs up beautifully with minimal fuss once you understand the technique—it feels like magic the first time it works.
  • Tropical mango filling tastes fancy enough for guests but requires just basic pantry ingredients and no special equipment.
  • You can make both components ahead and assemble right before serving, which means less stress when people arrive.
02 -
  • Don't open the oven door while the puffs are baking or the temperature drop will deflate them—I learned this the hard way with a batch that came out flat and sad.
  • Tempering the eggs is non-negotiable; if you dump hot cream directly into raw yolks, you'll have scrambled bits instead of smooth filling.
03 -
  • If your mango puree tastes a little thin or watery, strain it through a fine sieve for 15 minutes to remove excess liquid, or it'll make your cream too soft.
  • The moment your choux dough pulls away from the pan in a smooth ball, stop stirring—overshooting this step makes the pastry dense instead of airy.
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