Mustard Free Classic Cheese Gougères
These airy French cheese puffs are the kind of appetizer that disappears from the platter before you even set it down. Built on a classic choux base of butter, milk, and eggs, they get their irresistible savory depth from a generous amount of finely grated Gruyère folded right into the dough and sprinkled on top for a golden, cheesy crust. The recipe does list Dijon as an optional add-in, and skipping it entirely is all it takes to keep things completely free of mustard — the puffs are absolutely delicious without it, relying on nutmeg, black pepper, and that nutty melted cheese to carry the flavor. What makes these so satisfying is the technique: cooking the dough on the stovetop before adding the eggs creates a tight, steam-powered structure that puffs dramatically in the oven into hollow, crisp-shelled little rounds. No specialty ingredients, no complicated swaps — just pantry staples and good cheese doing exactly what they're supposed to do. Serve them warm straight from the oven 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)
Can be omitteddijon mustard
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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