BHA & BHT Free Classic Cheese Gougères
These airy French cheese puffs are one of those appetizers that disappear from the platter before you even set it down. Made from a classic choux dough, they puff up dramatically in the oven into golden, hollow little rounds with a crisp shell and a soft, cheesy interior that's genuinely hard to stop eating. The ingredient list is refreshingly straightforward — water, milk, butter, eggs, flour, and plenty of Gruyère — which is exactly what makes this recipe such a reliable choice when you're avoiding synthetic preservatives like BHA and BHT that sneak into so many packaged snacks and store-bought pastries. Every component here is a whole, recognizable ingredient with no hidden additives to decode. The technique is more approachable than it looks: you cook the dough on the stovetop, beat in the eggs one at a time until glossy, fold in most of the cheese, and let the oven do the dramatic work. That final sprinkle of Gruyère on top melts into a savory, slightly nutty crust that makes each puff look as impressive as it tastes. Serve them warm straight from the rack and watch them vanish.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup gruyère cheese, finely grated, divided
- 1 tsp dijon mustard (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- 2
Combine the water, milk, butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is fully melted and the mixture comes to a full boil.
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