chou à la crème
/ʃu a la kʁɛm/masculine
In French, cream puff is chou à la crème.
A chou à la crème is a hollow pastry filled with cream or custard. In a culinary context, you may also hear the shorthand term chou to refer to this pastry.
Meaning: hollow pastry filled with cream or custard (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term literally translates to cabbage with cream, which refers to how the shape of the pastry resembles a head of cabbage.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, the term profiterole is used specifically to refer to a cream puff that is filled with ice cream instead of whipped cream.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural, choux à la crème, add an x to the word chou.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃu a la kʁɛm/
Did you know?
- Because of this connection to the vegetable, the word chou is also used in the French expression mon petit chou to mean 'my little cabbage', which is a common term of endearment like 'sweetheart'.
- While chou à la crème usually implies a sweet treat, the same pastry base is used to make gougères, which are savory cream puffs flavored with cheese.
- In France, a large version of this pastry filled with cream and topped with fondant is called a croquembouche when stacked into a high cone for weddings.
Examples in context
- Je voudrais un chou à la crème, s'il vous plaît.I would like a cream puff, please.
- Je veux un chou à la crème, s'il te plaît.I want a cream puff, please.
- Je voudrais trois choux à la crème, s'il vous plaît.I would like three cream puffs, please.
- Ce chou à la crème est délicieux.This cream puff is delicious.
- Il reste un dernier chou à la crème dans la boîte.There is one last cream puff left in the box.
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are at a bakery.
- ChloéEst-ce qu'il reste un chou à la crème ?Is there a cream puff left?
- LucasOui, il en reste un seul.Yes, there is only one left.
- ChloéParfait, je vais prendre ce chou à la crème.Perfect, I will take this cream puff.
- LucasTrès bon choix, il est excellent.Very good choice, it is excellent.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cream puff” translations and entries chou à la crème, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
