If you love Korean flavors and classic French pastries, these cream puffs with injeolmi cream are the perfect dessert fusion. Made with light and airy choux pastry and filled with a rich, nutty injeolmi cream, this recipe combines the nutty roasted soybean flavor of Korean injeolmi with the delicate crispness of cream puffs. The result is a dessert that’s lightly sweet and creamy.

While freshly baked cream puffs are delicious, I also enjoy them frozen. Have you tried the frozen cream puffs in the grocery freezer section? We used to buy them in big boxes from Costco or our local grocery store when I was in middle school. I recently had a craving for them during the holiday season. Since I needed to bring dessert to a potluck, this version felt like the perfect dessert to create a fusion. I made them a day in advance and froze them which made them super easy to prep ahead. The kids were thrilled, calling them “little ice cream balls.”

What is Injeolmi?

Injeolmi is a traditional Korean rice cake coated in roasted soybean powder. It’s known for its earthy, toasted flavor and subtle sweetness. You’ll often see this powder sprinkled over Korean desserts like bingsoo (shaved ice). Roasted soybean powder, also called injeolmi-garu, can be found at Korean grocery stores or even Amazon.

In this recipe, injeolmi (roasted soybean powder) is folded into a smooth milky whipped cream, creating a filling that’s rich yet light and perfectly balanced without being overly sweet. The perfect compliment to Korean desserts is always “it’s not too sweet!”

Whether you’re already familiar with Korean desserts or looking to try something new, this cream puff with injeolmi is an easy way to bring Korean-inspired flavors into your baking! You can also customize the filling by skipping the injeolmi for a classic vanilla cream or swapping it with chocolate to create a variety that’s perfect for parties and gatherings.

They taste best freshly assembled within a few hours but I also really enjoy it frozen! I like them completely frozen, but many like to defrost it for about 10 minutes. They became like a delicious ice cream puff. Enjoy!

Tip: Since this recipe is adapted from a Korean recipe, grams are listed first for accuracy, as they provide more precise measurements than cups.

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Cream Puff with Injeolmi Cream

These Inejolmi Cream Puffs are a Korean-French fusion dessert made with crisp choux pastry and a creamy injeolmi filling flavored with roasted soybean powder. Lightly sweet, nutty, and refreshing when frozen, they’re an irresistible twist on classic cream puffs for anyone who loves Korean desserts.

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Assemble Time10

Course: Baking, Dessert

Cuisine: Korean

Servings: 12 cream puffs

Jennifer | Chopsticks and Flour

Ingredients

Choux Pastry: makes 12-18

65 g all purpose flour (1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
57 g unsalted butter, cut into pieces (1/4 cup)
120 ml water (1/2 cup)
2 large eggs lightly beaten

Milk cream

112.5 ml milk (½ cup)
16.25 g sugar (1 Tbsp + 1 tsp)
11.25 g all purpose flour (1 ½ Tbsp)
½ tsp cornstarch
11.25 g butter (¾ Tbsp)
150 g heavy cream (5 oz)
15 g sugar (2 Tbsp)
50 g roasted soy bean powder, injeolmi-garu (7 Tbsp)

Instructions

Choux pastry

Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a bowl, sift together the flour, sugar and salt. Set aside.
In a heavy saucepan, combine butter and water over medium heat. Bring to a boil, making sure the butter fully melts before the water boils. Tip: I cut the butter into smaller pieces to have it melt faster.
Remove from heat and add the flour mixture into the saucepan and stir well. Return the pan on to medium heat and stir until the dough forms a smooth ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 1–2 minutes.
Transfer dough to a mixing bowl. Beat for about 1 minute to release steam. Once the dough is warm (and not hot), add in one egg at a time; mix until smooth and then add in the next egg until the dough is smooth and glossy.
Transfer dough to a piping bag or large zip-top bag. Pipe 12–18 rounds onto the prepared baking sheet. Lightly tap the tops of the dough with a wet finger if there are any peaks to make sure it doesn’t brown or burn. Brush the dough with an egg wash.
Bake for 15 minutes at 400 and reduce the oven to 350° F (180° C). Bake for about another 25 minutes. Remove briefly, and poke a hole in the button of the puff to make sure the bottom dries. Put back in the oven for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Milk Cream (similar to custard)

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the milk, sugar, flour and cornstarch until smooth. Strain it through a sieve into a small saucepan to remove any lumps.
Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and the custard slowly falls from the whisk. Add butter until combined and melted into the mixture.
Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap touching the surface, and refrigerate until fully chilled, 1–2 hours.

Injeolmi Whipped Cream

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the whipping cream ingredients in the bowl. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Tip: All ingredients should be cold for the whip cream to get peaks.
Gently fold the chilled milk cream into the whipped cream until smooth and evenly combined.

Assemble

Split the pastry shells in half and fill with injeolmi cream. Best if enjoyed within a few hours! You can store in fridge or freeze them for longer enjoyment!