Wisconsin State Fair cream puff
Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0

History

The cream puff was introduced at the Wisconsin State Fair in West Allis in 1924 by the Wisconsin Bakers Association, which still operates the booth. By 2026 the Cream Puff Pavilion sells more than 400,000 cream puffs during the 11-day fair each August, making it the fair's most-ordered single item. The recipe has not changed in over 100 years; choux pastry, sweetened whipped cream, powdered sugar dust.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Eggs

Make it at home

Yield 12Hands-on 30 minTotal 1 hr 30 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 120ml water
  • 120ml whole milk
  • 100g unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt
  • 140g all-purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • 500ml heavy cream
  • 50g powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
  2. In a saucepan, combine water, milk, butter, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
  3. Remove from heat and add flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until dough comes together into a ball.
  4. Return to low heat and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly, to dry out the dough.
  5. Transfer to a bowl and let cool 5 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time until smooth and glossy.
  6. Pipe or scoop large mounds onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches across.
  7. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until puffed and deep golden brown. Cool completely on a rack.
  8. Whip the heavy cream with 50g powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks.
  9. Split each cream puff horizontally and fill with whipped cream. Dust generously with powdered sugar.

Tip from the editors. Don't open the oven during baking or the puffs will collapse. Fill the puffs as close to serving as possible; the shells go soggy if filled more than a few hours ahead.

Where to eat wisconsin state fair cream puff

Wisconsin State Fair cream puff in Milwaukee

Milwaukee Public Market ★ 4.7

$ Market

Milwaukee Public Market on North Water Street in the Third Ward, opened in 2005, houses 20 vendors including Thief Wine, West Allis Cheese and St Paul Fish.

Directions

Grebe's Bakery ★ 4.5

$ BakeryPolish-American bakingWalk-in only

Grebe's Bakery on West Lincoln Avenue is a Polish-American bakery, founded in 1937, with babka, donuts, paczki on Fat Tuesday and a long South Side following.

Worth the queueBabka

Directions

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