Shellfish Free Classic Cheese Gougères
These airy French cheese puffs are the kind of appetizer that disappears from the tray before you even set it down. Built on a classic choux base of butter, milk, water, and flour, they get their irresistible richness from a generous amount of finely grated Gruyère folded right into the dough — plus a little more sprinkled on top for a golden, cheesy crust. The technique is straightforward once you get the hang of it: cook the dough on the stove, beat in the eggs one at a time until glossy, then pipe and bake until deeply puffed and hollow-sounding. Every single ingredient here is naturally free from shellfish, so there's no label-scanning or substitution gymnastics required — just clean, classic French pantry staples doing exactly what they're supposed to do. A touch of Dijon mustard is optional but adds a subtle sharpness that plays beautifully against the nutty Gruyère. Serve them warm straight from the oven and watch them vanish — they're equally at home at a dinner party or a casual weekend snack spread.
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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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