Craving classic cream puffs but trying to stay low-carb or sugar-free? These Keto Cream Puffs taste just as dreamy as the traditional version — with a crisp shell, soft airy interior, and a rich whipped cream filling — but without the sugar and high-carb flour. This recipe uses keto-friendly ingredients like almond flour, butter, and sugar-free sweeteners to create a delicious pastry that fits perfectly into a keto diet.
In this complete guide, you’ll learn:
- What keto cream puffs are (and how they compare to classic choux)
- Key keto-friendly baking techniques
- Full ingredient list and detailed recipe
- Filling variations (vanilla, chocolate, mocha, berry…)
- Expert tips for getting the puff just right
- Troubleshooting and FAQ
- Storing and freezing instructions
Let’s bake a keto dessert that is elegant, satisfying, and completely sugar-free.
⭐ What Are Keto Cream Puffs?
Traditional cream puffs are made with choux pastry, which requires wheat flour. But for keto baking, we swap flour with almond flour and add psyllium husk or xanthan gum to replicate the structure you’d get from gluten.
Keto cream puffs are:
- Low-carb (1–2 net carbs per piece!)
- Sugar-free
- Gluten-free
- Just as airy and crisp as regular cream puffs
- Made with wholesome keto ingredients
They bake up golden and light, and once filled with sugar-free whipped cream or pastry cream, they taste absolutely decadent.
🍰 Ingredients You Need for Keto Cream Puffs
These ingredients are easy to find and staple items in keto baking.
For the Keto Puff (Dough)
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup salted butter
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (for structure)
- 3–4 large eggs (depending on dough consistency)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Keto Cream Filling
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 3–4 tablespoons powdered erythritol or allulose
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional:
- Pinch of salt
- Sugar-free chocolate drizzle
- Keto pastry cream (instructions included below)
🥣 How to Make Keto Cream Puffs (Step-by-Step)
This recipe follows the same method as classic choux pastry, just with keto-friendly ingredients.
1. Preheat the oven
Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Heat water and butter
In a saucepan, bring:
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup butter
to a boil over medium heat.
Once boiling, remove from heat.
3. Add almond flour mixture
In a small bowl, mix:
- almond flour
- coconut flour
- xanthan gum
Add this mixture to the hot water and butter. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon.
Return to heat and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring until the dough thickens and pulls away from the sides.
4. Cool slightly, then add eggs
Remove from heat. Let the dough cool 5 minutes (to avoid cooking the eggs).
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
The dough should be thick, glossy, and pipe-able.
If too thick, add the 4th egg.
Add vanilla extract and mix.
5. Pipe the cream puffs
Transfer the dough to a piping bag with a round tip (or use a spoon).
Pipe 12–16 small mounds onto the baking sheet.
Dip fingers in water and gently press down any peaks so they don’t burn.
6. Bake the puffs
Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 10 minutes.
Then reduce heat to 350°F (175°C) and bake 20–25 more minutes, until golden.
Turn off the oven, open the door slightly, and let the puffs sit inside for 10 minutes to prevent collapsing.
Cool fully before filling.
7. Make the keto cream filling
Whip together:
- heavy cream
- powdered sweetener
- vanilla extract
Beat until stiff peaks form.
8. Fill the cream puffs
Slice each puff horizontally or poke a hole in the bottom.
Pipe in the sweet keto cream.
Dust with powdered sweetener if desired.
🎉 Your keto cream puffs are ready!
Light, fluffy, and perfectly sweet — without the carbs.
🍮 Sugar-Free Pastry Cream Filling Option
If you prefer a thicker, custard-style filling:
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 3 egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons allulose
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum
Directions
- Heat cream and almond milk until warm.
- In another bowl, whisk yolks, sweetener, and xanthan gum.
- Slowly pour warm milk into the yolk mixture (temper it).
- Return to pot and cook until thickened.
- Cool completely before filling puffs.
This creates a smooth, classic pastry cream — keto style.
🍓 Flavor Variations
Try these sugar-free twists:
1. Chocolate Cream Puffs
Add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder to the whipped filling.
2. Mocha Cream Puffs
Add 1 teaspoon instant espresso to the filling.
3. Lemon Cream Puffs
Add 1 tablespoon lemon zest + 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
4. Cinnamon Swirl Filling
Add ½ teaspoon cinnamon + pinch nutmeg.
5. Berry Cream Puffs
Fold in ¼ cup mashed raspberries or strawberries.
6. Chocolate-Dipped
Dip the tops in melted sugar-free chocolate.
🔥 Tips for Perfect Keto Cream Puffs
✔ Don’t skip xanthan gum
Almond flour doesn’t have gluten — xanthan gum mimics the elasticity.
✔ Eggs are crucial
They create the steam that makes puffs rise.
✔ Use powdered sweetener, not granulated
Powdered blends dissolve easily and won’t crystallize.
✔ Let puffs cool slowly
This keeps them from deflating.
✔ If dough is too runny, add 1–2 tbsp coconut flour
Coconut flour thickens exceptionally well.
✔ Measure almond flour correctly
Scoop → level off → don’t pack tightly.
🍽 How to Serve Keto Cream Puffs
They’re perfect for:
- Dinner parties
- Afternoon tea
- Brunch platters
- Holiday desserts
- Low-carb birthday tables
- Keto-friendly desserts
- Special occasions
Or… just enjoying one with your morning coffee.
❄️ Storage & Freezing Instructions
Refrigerator (Filled):
Up to 3 days.
Refrigerator (Unfilled shells):
Up to 5 days.
Freezer:
Freeze shells only, up to 2 months.
Thaw at room temperature and fill before serving.
Filling:
Best made fresh.
🔢 Nutritional Information
(Per cream puff with filling — approximate)
- Calories: 120–150
- Net carbs: 1.5–2g
- Protein: 3g
- Fat: 12g
This makes keto cream puffs one of the lowest-carb desserts you can enjoy while staying fully in ketosis.
❓ FAQ About Keto Cream Puffs
Do keto cream puffs taste like real cream puffs?
Yes — they are surprisingly close! Airy, lightly crisp, and full of rich cream.
Why did my cream puffs collapse?
Either they didn’t bake long enough or cooled too fast. Bake until very golden.
Can I use only coconut flour?
No — coconut flour alone makes them dense and dry.
Will erythritol crystallize?
Use powdered erythritol or allulose for smooth filling.
Can I add sugar-free chocolate inside?
Absolutely — add a spoonful in the center for a fancy surprise.
🎀 Final Thoughts
These Keto Cream Puffs prove you don’t need flour or sugar to enjoy elegant, bakery-style pastries. They’re light, fluffy, decadent, and surprisingly easy — perfect for anyone on a ketogenic, diabetic-friendly, or gluten-free lifestyle.
Print
Keto Cream Puffs: Light, Airy, Low-Carb Pastries You Can Enjoy Guilt-Free
Ingredients
For the choux shells (keto eclairs):
• ½ cup water
• 4 tbsp (½ stick) unsalted butter
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup almond flour (fine)
• 1 tsp psyllium husk powder (helps structure; optional but recommended)
• 3 large eggs
For the keto cream filling:
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened (or dairy-free alternative)
• 2–3 tbsp powdered erythritol or monk fruit sweetener
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk (to soften)
Optional toppings:
• Sugar-free chocolate drizzle (melted sugar-free chocolate + coconut oil)
• Powdered erythritol (for dusting)
Instructions
- Make the shells: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a saucepan, combine water, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low. Add almond flour and psyllium husk (if using). Stir vigorously 1–2 minutes until a smooth dough forms and pulls away from the pan.
- Transfer to a bowl. Cool 5 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each (dough will be thick and glossy).
- Spoon or pipe into 1.5-inch mounds on the baking sheet (they won’t spread much).
- Bake 20–25 minutes, until golden and firm. Do not open the oven during baking.
- Pierce each shell with a toothpick to release steam. Let cool completely.
Make the filling:
8. Beat cream cheese, sweetener, vanilla, and cream until smooth and fluffy.
9. Fill cooled shells using a piping bag or by slicing open and spooning in.
10. Drizzle with melted sugar-free chocolate if desired.
✨ Serve chilled—the ultimate keto dessert showstopper!
💡 Storage: Best eaten fresh. Store unfilled shells at room temp for 1 day; filled puffs keep in the fridge up to 2 days.
PREP TIME & NUTRITION :
Prep Time : 20 mins , Cook Time : 25 mins , Total Time : 1 hr (includes cooling) , Servings : 12 puffs , Calories : 110 per puff , Net Carbs: 2g , Fats: 10g , Protein: 3g