Matcha Cream Puffs with White Chocolate Whipped Ganache
Crisp, hollow matcha-flecked choux shells filled with a cloud-light white chocolate and matcha whipped ganache, then dipped in white chocolate and dusted with more matcha. Earthy, gently bitter tea balances the sweet, creamy filling.
- Prep
- 1 hr
- Cook
- 40 min
- Wait
- 2 hr 20 min
- Total
- 4 hr
- Makes
- 12 cream puffs (about 2½ inches / 6 cm wide)
Steps
Before you start
- Start with the ganache: it needs at least 3 hours to chill, and you will make and bake the choux while it chills. The 4-hour total assumes this overlap. It can also chill overnight.
- Measure everything by weight if you can. Choux is sensitive to flour and liquid amounts.
- Use ceremonial or good culinary-grade matcha with a bright green color. Dull, brownish matcha tastes bitter and makes gray-looking shells.
- Have the eggs out of the fridge and lightly beaten in a measuring cup before you start the paste, and set your oven racks to the upper and lower thirds.
Make ganache base
- Put the chopped white chocolate and 1½ tbsp (9 g) sifted matcha in a medium heatproof bowl.
- Heat the ½ cup (120 ml) hot-designated cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until steaming and small bubbles form at the edges, about 3 minutes.
- Do not let it boil.
- Pour it over the chocolate and matcha, let sit 1 minute, then whisk slowly from the center outward until completely smooth, glossy and uniformly green with no streaks or lumps.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Ganache is smooth, glossy and evenly green with no unmelted chocolate pieces.
Tip: If bits of chocolate remain, microwave 5 seconds at a time, whisking in between.
Chill the ganache
- Whisk in the 1 cup (240 ml) cold cream until combined.
- Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 24 hours, until completely cold and thick like pourable pudding.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The mixture is thoroughly cold (below 40°F / 4°C) and noticeably thickened.
Tip: Warm ganache will not whip. If in doubt, chill longer.
Prep oven and pansOven 425°F / 220°C
- Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C).
- Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Using a 2-inch (5 cm) round cutter or glass and a pencil, draw six circles on each sheet, spaced 2 inches (5 cm) apart, then flip the parchment over so the pencil side faces down.
- Sift the flour and 1 tbsp (6 g) matcha together onto a sheet of parchment or into a bowl.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Oven is fully preheated and the flour mixture is an even, pale green with no clumps.
Tip: Use an oven thermometer if you can. Many ovens run 25°F off, which makes the difference between tall puffs and flat ones.
Cook the panade
- In a 3-quart (3 L) saucepan, combine the water, milk, butter, sugar and salt.
- Set over medium-high heat and stir until the butter melts, then bring to a full rolling boil.
- Immediately remove from the heat and dump in all the flour-matcha mixture at once.
- Stir vigorously with a sturdy spatula until a smooth, thick paste forms.
- Return to medium heat and keep stirring and smearing the paste against the pan for 2 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The paste pulls away from the sides into one smooth ball and a thin, dry film coats the bottom of the pan.
Tip: Take the pan off the heat the moment the mixture boils. Boiling too long evaporates water and makes dense puffs.
Cool the paste
- Transfer the hot paste to a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer bowl).
- Spread it up the sides of the bowl and stir for 1 minute to release steam, then let it rest for 4 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The paste is warm but not hot, about 140°F (60°C). You can hold a finger against it for a couple of seconds.
Beat in the eggs
- With a mixer on medium-low speed (or a wooden spoon and strong arm), add the beaten eggs in 4 additions, mixing until each is fully absorbed before adding the next.
- The paste will look split at first, then come back together.
- After the last addition, stop and lift the beater: the paste should be thick, smooth and glossy, and fall from the spatula in a slow, thick ribbon that forms a V-shaped hook.
- If it is stiffer, beat in a little more egg, a teaspoon at a time.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: A scoop of paste slowly falls from the spatula in a thick ribbon, leaving a V-shape hanging. A finger drawn through it leaves a clean trail.
Tip: If the paste is runny, the puffs will spread and collapse. Add eggs slowly and stop as soon as you reach the V.
Pipe the puffs
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch (1.2 cm) round tip with the paste.
- Holding the bag straight above the sheet, pipe 12 mounds, each about 2 inches (5 cm) wide and 1½ inches (4 cm) tall, inside the traced circles.
- Dip a fingertip in water and gently press down any pointed tips so they don't burn.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Twelve evenly sized, smooth domes sit on the sheets with no sharp peaks.
Tip: Pipe straight away; choux paste that sits will lose some of its lift.
Bake the shellsOven 375°F / 190°C
- Place one sheet on each rack and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 10 minutes without opening the door.
- Reduce the oven to 375°F (190°C) and bake 20 more minutes.
- Quickly swap the sheets' positions, then bake 10 more minutes.
- The puffs should be deep golden-green, very firm, and feel light and hollow when lifted.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Shells are puffed, firm to the touch, dry on the sides and feel feather-light. No pale or damp-looking cracks remain.
Tip: Never open the oven during the first 20 minutes. Escaping steam makes puffs collapse. Matcha browns, so judge doneness by firmness, not only color.
Vent and cool
- Turn the oven off.
- Use a small knife to poke a small slit in the side of each puff to release steam.
- Return the sheets to the oven, prop the door open about 2 inches (5 cm) with a wooden spoon, and let the puffs dry for 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Shells are completely cool to the touch and crisp on the outside, with an empty, hollow interior.
Tip: Venting prevents soggy, eggy interiors. Fill only once fully cool.
Whip the filling
- Scrape the cold ganache into a chilled large bowl.
- With a whisk attachment on medium speed, whip for 1 to 2 minutes until it holds firm, fluffy peaks that stand up when you lift the whisk.
- Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a star tip (or a round tip).
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The cream holds a defined peak and looks like soft, pale green mousse. Stop before it looks grainy.
Tip: Overwhipped ganache turns grainy and buttery. Stop as soon as it holds peaks; if it gets close, whisk in a spoonful of cream by hand.
Fill the puffs
- Use a serrated knife to slice off the top third of each shell, or poke a hole in the bottom with the piping tip.
- Pipe the whipped ganache generously into each shell until it is full, mounding the cream slightly if cut open.
- Replace the tops if cut.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Each puff feels noticeably heavier and the filling is visible and mounded.
Tip: Keep the bag of filling in the fridge between batches if your kitchen is warm.
Glaze and dust
- Put the 2 oz (57 g) chopped white chocolate and the oil in a small microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring each time, until just melted and smooth, about 1 minute total.
- Dip the top of each filled puff (or cut-off tops, if you sliced them) into the chocolate, let excess drip off, and return to the rack.
- Dust lightly with the 1 tsp (2 g) matcha through a fine sieve.
- Let the chocolate set for 10 minutes before serving.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: The chocolate is matte and no longer sticky when touched lightly.
Tip: Overheated white chocolate turns thick and chalky. Stop heating when a few small lumps remain, then stir until smooth.
Good to know
Tips
- Weigh the flour and the eggs. A few extra grams of either changes how much the puffs rise.
- Don't underbake: shells that are pale and soft in the center collapse as they cool. Bake until they feel light and dry.
- Sift matcha every time; it clumps and leaves bitter green specks if added unsifted.
- Fill just before serving to keep the shells crisp, and chill the bowl and whisk for the most stable whipped ganache.
Make ahead
Bake the unfilled shells up to 2 days ahead and store airtight at room temperature, or freeze up to 1 month. Re-crisp frozen shells at 350°F (175°C) for 5–8 minutes, then cool fully. The ganache can be made and chilled up to 24 hours ahead; whip just before filling.
Storage & reheating
Filled puffs are best eaten within 2 hours of filling. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 24 hours (shells soften over time). Do not freeze filled puffs. Unfilled shells keep 2 days at room temperature or 1 month frozen; re-crisp in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5–8 minutes and cool before filling.
Substitutions
- white chocolate → White chocolate chips or baking bars. Choose a brand with real cocoa butter. Cheap 'white baking chips' may not melt smoothly.
- whole milk → Additional water (½ cup / 120 ml). Shells will be crisper and slightly paler; the flavor is a touch less rich.
- all-purpose flour → Bread flour (same weight). Gives a slightly sturdier shell that holds its shape well.
- heavy cream (36% fat) → Mascarpone (120 g) plus cold cream (120 ml). Makes a richer, more stable filling; whip gently to avoid graininess.