These savoury profiteroles with smoked salmon and cream cheese are a delicious canapé or finger food with drinks, and are a light and different dish for buffet or special brunch. Light and crisp, these are a different type of savoury choux buns to my cheese grougeres, but both recipes are fantastic for entertaining (and both freeze really well too!)
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Why we love this recipe
- Delicious canapé – they are eaten in 2-3 bites, and aren’t crumbly, making them a perfect finger food.
- They look impressive, when actually they are very easy to make!
- The profiteroles can be made ahead and frozen, making them a perfect make ahead party food.
Ingredients notes
- Plain flour – or AP flour
- Eggs – support the light structure of the choux buns and create that lovely crisp outer shell.
- Butter – unsalted butter.
- Cream cheese – I like to use full fat cream cheese in this recipe.
- Smoked Salmon – lox would also be delicious.
- Horseradish – Horseradish is optional. Here I have used creamed horseradish (aka horseradish cream), but if you can get jarred grated horseradish, use that, but try adding ⅓ teaspoon first, test it’s not too fiery, then increase to your taste.
- Dill – fresh dill. You can use chopped chives or a little fresh basil in place of the dill.
How to make savoury profiteroles
(For full, detailed recipe please see recipe card at the end of the post. These points and images are to assist you.)
- Heat the water and butter until the butter has melted.
- Add the flour and beat with a spoon until smooth.
- Add the beaten egg a little at a time.
- Whisk until thick.
- Spoon onto a lined baking tin.
- Bake for 10 mins, reduce the oven temperature and bake until lightly golden and crisp.
- Make a small hole in each profiterole to let the steam out and cool on wire rack.
- When completely cold, fill with smoked salmon and horseradish cream cheese.
FAQ
How do you keep profiteroles from getting soggy?
Place the cooked profiteroles on a wire cooling rack, and make a small slit in the side to let the steam out.
Will profiteroles keep overnight?
Yes they will keep, unfilled, for 2 days. To make them crispy again, reheat in a low oven at 150˚C/300˚F for 5 minutes. You can also freeze them.
Do you eat profiteroles hot or cold?
You can eat profiteroles warm or cold. They are best eaten on the day they are made though.
My recipe tips
- Add the flour all in one go – gluten is activated by water, this way all of the flour is activated at the same time, and therefore the choux buns will rise evenly.
- Make a small hole in the side of the profiterole as soon as you take them out of the oven. This will allow steam to escape, leaving them crispy.
- These canapés can be filled an hour or two ahead of time.
- No horseradish – mix the cream cheese with a little cracked black pepper, or add some finely chopped fresh herbs. Dill, basil and chives would all be delicious.
- You can leave the cream cheese plain if you wish, but give it a few stirs with a spoon to soften it to make it easier to fill the profiteroles.
Serving Ideas
- As a canapé – alongside pork and apple sausage rolls, smoked salmon blinis, mushroom tapenade (and see other ideas below)
- As a starter/appetiser – serve 2-3 smoked salmon profiteroles with a crisp green salad.
Storage/freezing
- You can store profiteroles, unfilled, in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. They will lose some of their crispness, so I recommend popping them in the oven at 150˚C/300˚F for 5 minutes to make them crisp again. Cool before filling.
- Freezing: Place the unfilled cooled profiteroles on a tray or freezer proof plate, not touching, and place in the freezer. Once completely frozen, transfer to a container or bag and freeze for up to 4 weeks. Defrost in the fridge overnight on a wire rack (to stop the bottoms from becoming soggy) then place in a warm oven (150˚C/300˚F) to crisp them up.
More finger food recipes for you
Savoury Profiteroles with Smoked Salmon
Author: Robyn
These crisp and light savoury profiteroles are filled with smoked salmon and cream cheese, and make a delicious canapé or finger food. The choux buns can be made ahead and frozen too!
Ingredients
- 110ml (⅓c + 2 tablespoons) water
- 40g (1.4oz) butter unsalted
- 55g (⅓c) plain flour AP flour
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
Filling
- 360g (1½c) cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons creamed horseradish *
- 200g (7oz) smoked salmon
- fresh dill to serve, optional
- cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200˚C fan / 220˚C / 392˚F convection / 428˚F.
- Line two baking trays with baking paper.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the water and butter until the butter has melted and it just begins to boil.
- Take off the heat, add the flour all at once, and then return to a medium heat and beat for 1-2 minutes with a spoon until the mixture is smooth and comes away from the sides of the pan.
- Take off the heat and leave to cool slightly in the pan – around 5 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs a little at a time with an electric whisk until the mixture is thick and glossy. (Once the eggs are incorporated, it is easier to use a spoon to get into the corners of the pan).
- Place teaspoons of mixture onto the trays, leaving a gap of 3-4 cm (1.2 – 1.6") as they will rise slightly.
- Dip a finger into a little water, and use it to gently tidy any points or ribbons of mixture (these can catch and burn in the oven before the profiteroles are ready).
- Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180˚C fan / 200˚C / 356˚F convection / 392˚F and bake for another 15 minutes, until the profiteroles are golden and firm.
- Leave on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Make a small hole in the side of each profiterole to let the steam out. Leave to cool completely.
- When completely cold, fill the profiteroles.
To fill the profiteroles:
- Whisk the cream cheese with the horseradish (if using) and season with black pepper.
- Slice the smoked salmon into 4-5cm (1.6 – 2") thick slices.
- Tear off small fronds of dill, if using.
- Carefully slice the profiteroles across the side and then fill with a teaspoon of the cream cheese, fold a slice of smoked salmon and place on top of the cream cheese, and add a small frond of dill, if using.
- Place on your serving dish and serve straight away.
Notes
Plain flour – or AP flour. Add the flour all in one go – gluten is activated by water, this way all of the flour is activated at the same time, and will make the buns rise evenly.
Eggs – support the light structure of the choux buns and create that lovely crisp outer shell.
Butter – unsalted butter.
Cream cheese – I like to use full fat cream cheese for this recipe. You can leave the cream cheese plain if you wish, but give it a few stirs with a spoon to soften it to make it easier to fill the profiteroles.
Smoked Salmon – lox would also be delicious.
Horseradish – This is optional. I buy creamed horseradish (aka horseradish cream), but if you can get jarred grated horseradish, use that but try ½ teaspoon, test, then increase to your taste. No horseradish – mix the cream cheese with a little cracked black pepper only, or add some finely chopped fresh herbs. Dill, basil, chives would all be delicious.
Fresh Dill – You can also use chopped chives or a little fresh basil.
You can pipe the cream cheese filling into the profiteroles if you wish.
Make a small hole in the side of the profiterole as soon as you take them out of the oven. This will allow steam to escape, leaving them crispy.
Make ahead: These canapés can be filled an hour or two ahead of time, or the cold unfilled choux buns can be frozen for up to 4 weeks. Defrost in the fridge on wire rack to stop the bases from becoming soggy, and place in a warm oven (150˚C/300˚F) to crisp them up. Cool before filling.
Nutrition
Calories: 200kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 7gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 290mgPotassium: 99mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 646IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 1mg
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