Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 16 profiteroles

These salted caramel profiteroles are a delightful treat, featuring crisp choux puffs that are filled with a luscious caramel whipped cream and topped with a drizzle of salted caramel! The choux shells have that lovely, subtle eggy aroma that makes them so special. Inside, the whipped cream filling is light and airy, with just the right hint of salted caramel goodness. And let’s not forget the salted caramel on top—it adds a wonderful texture, a rich caramel flavor, and a gorgeous shiny finish.

I have to say, tiny profiteroles filled with ice cream are my absolute favorite! These salted caramel ones pay homage to that classic treat. You can enjoy them in two fantastic ways: either as they are, with that creamy whipped cream filling, or you can pop them in the freezer to give the filling an ice cream-like texture. Both options are incredibly delicious, and I always make sure to freeze half the batch for a little variety!

Ingredients:

Choux Dough:

- 60 g unsalted butter

- 60 g water

- 60 g milk

- 70 g all-purpose flour

- 125 g whole eggs (about 2.5 large eggs)

Salted Caramel:

- 150 g granulated sugar

- 150 g heavy cream (at room temperature)

- 60 g unsalted butter (cubed and at room temperature)

- ½ teaspoon salt

Caramel Whipped Cream Filling:

- 300 g heavy cream

- 45 g salted caramel (cooled to room temperature)

- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Choux Dough:

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a small pot, add butter, water, and milk. Heat on medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture just begins to simmer. Add in all the flour at once and stir immediately until it forms a soft dough.
Cook the dough on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes, pushing it around with a spatula occasionally. It should resemble dry mashed potato. Transfer the dough to a bowl to cool for 5-10 minutes until just warm to the touch.
In a small bowl, whisk together 3 eggs. You can either weigh out 125g of the eggs now or weigh it as you add it to the dough. Add the eggs to the dough ⅓ at a time, stirring well after each addition. It will look like it's curdling at first but just keep stirring until the egg is all absorbed.
Once all the egg has been combined, it should be shiny and when you let a dollop drop off the spatula, it should leave a triangle-shaped piece of batter dangling from the spatula.
Use a small tablespoon-sized cookie scooper to scoop out dough onto your lined baking sheet, leaving about 2" in between each.
Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes, then turn it down to 350°F and bake for another 25-30 minutes until the choux puffs are golden brown. Let them cool completely before filling.

Salted Caramel:

In a small pot, heat granulated sugar on medium heat until it's completely melted and amber-brown in colour.
Slowly pour in heavy cream while stirring constantly. If the cream was too cold and the sugar hardens, leave it at medium heat and keep stirring until it melts again.
When the caramel starts to bubble up, dip a spoon into it. The caramel should be runny but coats the back of the spoon with a thin layer. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter, one cube at a time, until all melted and combined. Finally, stir in the salt to taste.
Transfer the caramel to a bowl to cool and thicken up before dipping your profiteroles in it.

Caramel Whipped Cream Filling:

In a large mixing bowl, add heavy cream, cooled salted caramel that you just made, and vanilla extract. Use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to whip cream until it reaches soft peaks. Transfer this is a piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip.
Use a small piping tip to poke holes in the bottom of each profiterole.
Insert the piping bag tip into the hole and gently squeeze to fill the profiterole. Release pressure when you feel the profiterole stop expanding. Wipe away any excess that comes back out.
Dip the tops of each profiterole in the salted caramel. Add gold flakes on top, if desired. Enjoy immediately or freeze them for ice cream profiteroles. Thaw for about 10-15 minutes before serving.

Tips & Notes:

Add the flour only when the liquids are simmering.

You should be cooking the liquid for the choux dough on medium heat. You're ready to add the flour only when it begins simmering and small bubbles are forming at the edges of the pot.
If you add the flour too early, it won't cook fast enough and the dough won't form. It will be a wet sludge instead.

Add the eggs ⅓ at a time.

Adding a small amount of egg at a time ensures you don't add too much. It's also easier to mix. You can always add more but you can't take it back out if you add too much.
Adding too much egg will cause the dough to be too runny and it won't puff up when baked.
Test the consistency of the dough by scooping some up and letting it drop off the spatula. It's at the correct consistency if it takes a few seconds to drop off slowly and it leaves a triangle-shaped flap of dough hanging off the spatula.

Caramelize the sugar before adding heavy cream.

Leave the sugar in the pot on medium heat until it completely melts and caramelizes to a brown colour. It will seem like nothing is happening at first but don't turn up the heat, which will cause it to burn. Slowly, the sugar will start to dissolve around the edges of the pot first.

The caramel will thicken considerably as it cools.

You might think the consistency of the caramel is too runny and thin when cooking it but it will thicken once you remove it from the heat. As it cools, it thickens even more. If it becomes too hard to dip your profiteroles into, heat it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to warm it up.

Nutrition:

Calories: 223kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 77mg, Sodium: 104mg, Potassium: 53mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 652IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 0.4mg