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You’re in for a pleasant surprise today with these Elegant and Easy Gluten-Free Party Puffs!
Long ago when I was eating gluten,my friend, Sandra, sharedher puffs recipe with me. She called them party puffs or cream puffs.
This was in the early days of our nowwell-established Valentine’s Day parties. Sandra swore these puffs were incredibly easy to make, but would make the hostess look like a gourmet chef, and she was so right!
The puffs could be made savory or sweet, but I always had plenty of sweet options (it doesn’t take much looking around here at gfe to determine that!), so I always made my puffs savory. My favorite filling was chicken salad, with shrimp salad and tuna salad puffs sometimes making an appearance was well.
When I went gluten free, of course, I gave up any recipe that was made with all-purpose flour–or any other wheat-based flour; e.g., whole wheat, graham, spelt. So, sadly, the puffs went off the party menu for at least one Valentine’s Day party (and a few Christmas open house events).
Then I came across the Two-Ingredient Gluten-Free Flour Mix that I most often use today. So I decided to try the puffs again, just replacing the all-purpose gluten flour with the Two-Ingredient Gluten-Free Flour Mix, now “my gluten-free flour mix”—and without adding xanthan gum to the recipe.
To my surprise, the puffs were as wonderful as ever. Same taste, texture … everything.
So puffs went back on the party menu—much to everyone’s delight. But now I’m calling them Elegant and Easy Gluten-Free Party Puffs. Because they are!
After I figured out that this recipe could be easily be made gluten free (gfe!), I saw others report on their gluten-free puff variations on the celiac listserv. If you do an online search for puffs, cream puffs, etc. (even gluten-free puffs), you’ll get many variations of this basic recipe.
However, this one has so few ingredients and just works beautifully, why change it? Admittedly, I do the cutting/stuffing part a little differently than most folks would.
I serve my puffs “open faced,” because again I like to keep the preparation simple and because I also like my guests to be able to see what they are eating. But, I’ve added notes in the recipebelow if you want to have a top “cover” on your puffs.
Saved “Tops” from Party Puffs
Having just made these for a tea party with my girlfriends, I really wonder why I save them for our special events and don’t make them more often. They are so easily and quickly made and truly make any event special.
It would be fun to whip up a batch for the family and then have each member fill them with the fillings of choice—savory or sweet, or some of each.
A bruschetta puff, a mini-chopped salad with olive oil puff, a lox and cream cheese puff, a Nutella puff, a peanut butter and Nutella puff … oh, the possibilities are endless and so very appealing … and distracting, I might add.
The Process of Making Elegant and Easy Party Puffs Gluten Free Easily
One final note: I don’t want to mislead you …these puffs are not like gluten-free phyllo or flaky croissants. The original gluten-full puffs weren’t like that either. Butthese gfe puffsdo have that same lovely “eggy,” pastry taste, and their texture is tender and irresistible, too.
The biggest problem I always have when serving these puffs is how quickly they disappear! These simple puffs are out of this world and will be a very special addition to any celebration.
Reader Michelle made these Eclair Puffs using my recipe and a dairy-free filling.
However, I sayfollow Erma Bombeck’sheartfeltadviceand don’t save these puffs for a special occasion. Make them now and have your own little party!
Other Gluten-Free Appetizers That Will Make Your Party
~ Mini Everything Latkes with Smoked Salmon
~ Mom’s Deviled Eggs
~ Spiced Party Meatballs
~ Tasty Two-Ingredient Chicken Wings
Elegant and Easy Gluten-Free Party Puffs Recipe
Yield: 30 puffs (2 to 3 inches in diameter) Nobody will believe these Elegant and Easy Gluten-Free Party Puffs are actually gluten free! They will make you look like a goddess/god of entertaining. Prep Time10 minutes Cook Time20 minutes Inactive Time10 minutes Total Time10 minutes Adapted from a recipe given to me by my friend Sandra. If you do a search online or look in the celiac listserv archives, you will see tons of variations on these puffs. Some add vanilla extract to the recipe, some add salt, some add sugar, and some add all three (or even more ingredients). As I stated, different gluten-free flour mixes can be used. Use your favorite gluten-free flour mix, preferably one that is not overly heavy. One gluten-free flour mix that was used in a recipe on the celiac listserv for puffs was a mix of ¼ cup millet flour, ¼ cup sweet rice flour, and ½ cup potato starch. A reader makes hers using half sweet rice flour and half cornstarch. Non-dairy butter (I recommend soy-free Earth Balance--pink tub) can be used for those who are dairy intolerant. I just tried making these with coconut oil and the flavor and texture are great, but the batter was not the right consistency. You can only use this recipe to make éclairs or savory rolls. Insert batter in a pastry bag (or zipper-type plastic bag with corner snipped to appropriate width) and make a tube of batter. Bake. Slice off top of roll and reserve. Cool. Fill. Replace top. My friend Sandra would make hers ahead and freeze; then she’d simply thaw and fill them. Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on PinterestElegant and Easy Gluten-Free Party Puffs
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
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