Mini Puff Shells – Cream Puff Recipe 

Mini chicken salad puffs are small bite-size sandwiches served as appetizers for luncheons, wedding receptions, and baby showers.

This recipe will make 4 to 6 dozen mini or small puffs for chicken salad sandwiches.

Keep reading to get helpful time-saving tips, serving suggestions, and easy ways to use this recipe.

Ready to start making little puff shells? View Recipe

Mini puffs are made with a traditional french choux dough that is also used for cream puffs. Mini puff shells are hollow when baked which makes them easy to fill with a cream base salad like chicken salad.

Puff sandwiches are perfect for parties because they are easy to make ahead and serve as individual bite-size snacks for guests. 

Make ahead and freeze puff shells: Place cooled shells into a large plastic bag and seal closed. Remove as much air as possible without crushing the shells, twist, and tie closed. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Puff Sandwiches: Cut puffs in half with a sharp serrated knife, fill with a creamy sandwich filling. 

Cream Puffs: use a large wooden dowel to poke a hole in the bottom of each cream puff shell. Fill a pastry bag with thick cream filling and fill through the bottom of the cream puff. Dip into a chocolate ganache or pourable fondant.

How to make small cups for easy serving: Using the tips of your fingers fold a small stack of mini cupcake liners in half between the top edge and bottom crease. Smash the edge down and around creating a larger base for the puff shell. 

Flour white bread flour works best for these little puffs.

Butter unsalted butter or sweet butter

Eggs whole medium or large eggs

• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper or slip mat
• Fine mesh sifter
• Small saucepan
• Wooden spoon
• Plastic 16″ pastry bag with ⅜” opening, or use a round icing tip.

Step 1 – Sift flour with a fine-mesh sifter over a full sheet of baking paper. Sift two or three times more.

Step 2 – In a small saucepan add water and butter to a boil.

Step 3 – Reduce heat to medium-low and quickly dump flour into boiling water. Stir rapidly with a wooden spoon while scraping the bottom of the pan.  Cook and scrape for 2 minutes.

Step 4 – Remove the pan from heat. Stir in one egg until completely combined. Repeat mixing in one egg at a time. The mixture should look soft and break when you lift a heaping spoonful.

Step 5 – Fill a pastry bag with a 3/8″ round tip or cut ⅜” opening.

Step 6 – Pipe 1″ mounds on a baking sheet with parchment paper. Space puffs 2″ apart. Score and milk wash the top of each puff.

Milk washing is the last step before baking cream puff shells, this step is optional. The milk wash gives the puff a shiny golden top and helps the puff raise with the added moisture. Make milk wash by whisking together equal parts egg and whole milk.

Bake 17 to 20 minutes at 425 F

How many puffs will this recipe make? Makes 6 dozen tiny puffs or 4-6 dozen small puffs. Make small puffs by piping or spoon out 1.5″ round mounds on baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.

How to freeze puff shells: Place cooled shells into a large plastic bag and seal closed. Remove as much air as possible without crushing the shells, twist, and tie closed. Freeze for up to 3 months.

How to thaw frozen shells: Before filling let sit at room temperature on a baking tray until completely thawed out. 

How to fill puffs for sandwiches: Cut puffs in half with a sharp serrated knife, fill with a creamy sandwich filling. 

How to fill cream puffs: Use a large wooden dowel to poke a hole in the bottom of each cream puff shell. Fill a pastry bag with thick cream filling and fill through the bottom of the cream puff. Dip into a chocolate ganache or pourable fondant.

How to make puff serving cups: Using the tips of your fingers fold mini cupcake liners down halfway from the top. Smash the edge around creating a larger base for the puff shell.

Make small puffs sandwiches for small parties or mini finger sandwiches for large receptions. There are a variety of creamy salads that can be used to stuff puffs. 

Creamy chicken salad sandwiches are the number 1 favorite for large parties.

Tuna salad sandwiches are kid-friendly.

Easy Egg salad sandwiches are simple to make and budget-friendly.