Rice Free Classic Cheese Gougères
These airy French cheese puffs are the kind of appetizer that disappears from the platter before you've even set it down. Built on a classic choux base of butter, milk, water, and flour, they get their incredible hollow, golden structure entirely from steam and eggs — no grains beyond the all-purpose flour, and absolutely no rice or rice-derived ingredients anywhere in the recipe. The sharp, nutty depth of Gruyère folded into the dough and sprinkled on top means every bite is rich and savory with a satisfying crisp shell giving way to a soft, eggy interior. A touch of Dijon mustard in the mix is optional but quietly brilliant, adding just enough tang to make the cheese flavor pop. The technique is more straightforward than it looks — once you've stirred together the panade and beaten in the eggs, the oven does the heavy lifting. 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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