Cream puffs from Live Well Bake Often are a classic French dessert consisting of a delicate pastry dough filled with sweetened whipped cream or pastry cream. Cream puff shells are made from pâte à choux, also known as choux pastry. It’s a pastry dough made from water, butter, flour, and eggs that can also be used to make other desserts, like eclairs. Cream puffs are an incredibly impressive looking dessert, but they’re not too difficult to make!