If you have always wanted to make a proper profiteroles recipe with chocolate sauce at home but felt put off by the butter, heavy cream and sugar load of traditional versions, this recipe is going to change things for you. These little choux buns are made with a clever blend of plain and whole wheat flour to boost fibre without compromising that signature light, hollow texture. The filling swaps out calorie-heavy whipped cream for a lightly sweetened Greek yogurt cream that still feels indulgent and cloud-like. Finished with a glossy dark chocolate sauce made from high-cocoa chocolate and a touch of maple syrup, every bite genuinely tastes like a treat. This recipe is aimed at health-conscious home bakers who want a show-stopping dessert without blowing their nutritional goals.
The choux pastry here uses a smaller amount of butter than classic recipes, just enough to create that perfect puff without the extra saturated fat. A combination of 70 percent whole wheat flour and 30 percent plain flour gives the buns a subtle nutty depth while sneaking in some extra dietary fibre. Eggs do the heavy lifting structurally, creating the steam that puffs the pastry hollow, so no rising agents are needed. The Greek yogurt cream filling combines full-fat Greek yogurt with a small amount of whipped cream and a teaspoon of raw honey, giving you protein alongside the creaminess. For the chocolate sauce, choosing a dark chocolate with at least 70 percent cocoa solids means you get genuine antioxidant benefits, a deeper flavour and less sugar than milk chocolate versions. A splash of oat milk keeps the sauce smooth and pourable without adding dairy cream.
Fresh from the oven, these choux buns are golden, slightly crisp on the outside and beautifully hollow inside. Once cooled and filled, the contrast between the light pastry shell and the cold, creamy yogurt filling is genuinely lovely. The warm dark chocolate sauce poured over the top sets the whole thing off, creating that classic hot-meets-cold moment that makes profiteroles so special. Serve them stacked on a sharing plate for a dinner party centrepiece, or arrange three per person as a plated dessert. A few fresh raspberries on the side add colour and a bright, tart note that cuts beautifully through the chocolate. You can also dust lightly with a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt over the chocolate sauce to amplify the dark chocolate flavour without adding calories.
From a nutritional standpoint, each serving of three profiteroles with chocolate sauce comes in at around 175 calories compared to roughly 350 to 450 calories in a traditional version. The Greek yogurt filling contributes a meaningful hit of protein, helping the dessert feel satisfying rather than leaving you wanting more. Using whole wheat flour adds fibre that slows sugar absorption, and the dark chocolate sauce provides iron, magnesium and flavonoids that milk chocolate simply cannot match. Swapping refined white sugar for a small amount of maple syrup or raw honey in both the filling and the sauce keeps added sugars lower while adding trace minerals. This is genuinely one of those desserts you can serve to guests with pride, knowing it looks and tastes every bit as special as the restaurant version but treats their bodies a little more kindly.
Ingredients
- 75 g whole wheat flour (sifted)
- 35 g plain all-purpose flour (sifted)
- 120 ml water
- 45 g unsalted butter (cut into small cubes)
- 1 tsp coconut sugar (or raw cane sugar)
- 0.3 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 200 g full-fat Greek yogurt (well chilled)
- 80 ml double cream (cold)
- 1 tsp raw honey (or pure maple syrup)
- 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 80 g dark chocolate (70 percent cocoa solids or higher, finely chopped)
- 60 ml oat milk (unsweetened)
- 1 tsp maple syrup (for the chocolate sauce)
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt (optional, for finishing)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C (180 degrees C fan) and line two baking trays with parchment paper. Sift together the whole wheat flour and plain flour into a bowl and set aside.
Sifting the flour mixture is important here. Whole wheat flour can carry tiny bran pieces that disrupt the pastry, so sifting gives you a smoother choux.
- 2
Place the water, butter, coconut sugar and salt into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir gently and bring just to a rolling boil, making sure all the butter has melted before it fully boils.
Do not let the water boil away before the butter melts. If it starts to bubble vigorously before the butter is gone, turn the heat down.
- 3
Remove the pan from the heat and immediately tip in all the flour mixture at once. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until a smooth, thick dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan cleanly.
This stage is called the panade. It takes some effort but you should have a smooth ball within about 90 seconds of beating.
- 4
Return the pan to low heat and stir the dough for about one minute to dry it out slightly. You want a light film to form on the base of the pan. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl and spread it out slightly to help it cool for five minutes.
Letting the dough cool is crucial before adding eggs. If it is too hot, the eggs will scramble rather than incorporate.
- 5
Beat the eggs lightly in a small jug. Add them to the cooled dough a little at a time, beating well between each addition with an electric hand mixer or a sturdy wooden spoon. The finished dough should be smooth, glossy and fall slowly from a spoon in a thick V-shape.
You may not need every drop of egg. Stop adding once you reach that glossy, slowly-falling consistency.
- 6
Transfer the choux dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1.5 cm plain round nozzle. Pipe 18 rounds onto the prepared baking trays, each roughly the size of a large walnut. Leave good space between them. Wet a finger and smooth down any peaks on top.
Keeping your piped rounds as even as possible means they will all bake at the same rate.
- 7
Bake for 25 to 28 minutes until deep golden brown and firm to the touch. Do not open the oven door before 20 minutes. Once golden, pierce the base of each bun with a small sharp knife to release steam, then return to the oven for three more minutes.
Piercing and returning to the oven prevents the insides from going soggy as they cool.
- 8
Transfer the buns to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. This takes around 30 minutes and is essential before filling.
- 9
Make the filling by whipping the cold double cream to soft peaks in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, stir the Greek yogurt, honey and vanilla extract together until smooth. Gently fold the whipped cream into the yogurt mixture until just combined. Refrigerate until needed.
Do not over-fold. A few light strokes are enough. You want the filling to stay light and airy.
- 10
Make the chocolate sauce by placing the chopped dark chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Heat the oat milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until it just begins to steam but does not boil. Pour over the chocolate and let it sit for one minute, then stir until completely smooth. Add the maple syrup and stir again.
If the sauce looks grainy, add a tiny splash more warm oat milk and keep stirring.
- 11
Transfer the yogurt cream filling to a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle. Push the nozzle through the base hole you made earlier and pipe filling into each choux bun until you feel gentle resistance. Alternatively, slice the top third off each bun and spoon in the filling.
Filling from the base keeps the presentation cleaner if you are making these for guests.
- 12
Arrange three filled profiteroles per person on plates or stack them on a sharing platter. Spoon the warm dark chocolate sauce generously over the top. Finish with a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt if using, and serve immediately.
The contrast of the warm sauce against the cold yogurt filling is the magic of this dessert, so do not let it sit for long once assembled.
Nutrition per serving
175kcal
Calories
7g
Protein
16g
Carbs
9g
Fat
2g
Fibre
6g
Sugar
115mg
Sodium
Pro Tips
- ✓
Room temperature eggs are non-negotiable for choux pastry. Cold eggs tighten the dough and make it hard to reach the right consistency.
- ✓
Whole wheat flour absorbs slightly more liquid than white flour. If your dough feels stiffer than expected after adding all the egg, add a teaspoon of water at a time until you reach that glossy dropping consistency.
- ✓
The chocolate sauce can be reheated gently in a small saucepan or in the microwave in ten-second bursts. Stir between bursts.
- ✓
Do not fill the profiteroles until you are ready to serve. Filled buns go soft within a couple of hours.
- ✓
For extra depth in the chocolate sauce, add half a teaspoon of instant espresso powder. You will not taste coffee but it amplifies the chocolate beautifully.
- ✓
If the tops of your choux buns are cracking during baking, your oven may be running hot. Use an oven thermometer to check accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Variations
- •
Raspberry Cream Filled Profiteroles
Fold two tablespoons of fresh raspberry puree into the yogurt cream filling for a fruity, pink-tinted version. Top with the dark chocolate sauce and a few whole raspberries for a beautiful contrast.
- •
Espresso Chocolate Profiteroles
Add one teaspoon of strong espresso to the chocolate sauce and a quarter teaspoon of espresso powder to the yogurt cream filling. The coffee notes deepen the chocolate flavour significantly without adding calories.
- •
Dairy-Free Coconut Profiteroles
Replace the butter in the choux with refined coconut oil, use whipped chilled coconut cream in place of the double cream, and swap Greek yogurt for a thick coconut yogurt. Use oat milk in the sauce as the recipe already suggests.
- •
Salted Caramel Drizzle Profiteroles
Make a light date-based caramel sauce alongside the chocolate sauce by blending soft Medjool dates with warm oat milk and a pinch of sea salt until silky smooth. Drizzle both sauces over the profiteroles for a striking two-tone finish.
Substitutions
- •Double cream → Whipped chilled coconut cream (Use the thick solid portion from a chilled tin of full-fat coconut milk. Whips well and keeps the filling dairy free.)
- •Greek yogurt → Thick coconut yogurt or silken tofu blended smooth (Coconut yogurt gives a similar texture. Silken tofu works for a higher protein, lower fat option but has a slightly plainer flavour, so increase the vanilla.)
- •Oat milk → Almond milk or skimmed dairy milk (Any plant milk works in the chocolate sauce. Oat milk gives the creamiest result. Avoid rice milk as it is too thin.)
- •Maple syrup → Raw honey or brown rice syrup (All three add gentle sweetness without refined sugar. Honey is slightly sweeter so use a little less.)
- •Whole wheat flour → Spelt flour (Spelt flour has a milder, slightly nutty flavour and works very well in choux pastry while still providing more fibre than plain white flour.)
🧊 Storage
Store unfilled baked choux buns in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. The yogurt cream filling keeps in the fridge for up to 24 hours in a covered bowl. The chocolate sauce keeps refrigerated for up to five days and can be reheated gently. Once assembled with filling, profiteroles are best eaten within two hours.
📅 Make Ahead
The choux buns can be baked up to two days ahead and stored at room temperature, or frozen for up to one month. The chocolate sauce can be made up to five days in advance and stored in the fridge. The yogurt cream filling can be prepared on the day of serving. Assemble just before bringing to the table for the best texture and temperature contrast.
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