Paris-Brest Recipe: Classic French Almond Praline Choux 2026

Paris-Brest is a showstopping French dessert built from a ring of crisp choux pastry, split open and filled with a silky hazelnut praline cream. It was created in honor of a famous bicycle race between Paris and Brest, and the wheel-shaped ring is a nod to that ride.

It looks like something from a fancy patisserie, but the components are all simple: a classic pastry cream, a quick praline buttercream, and an easy choux dough piped into a circle. Our step-by-step guide walks you through each part so the whole thing comes together smoothly.

You can make the pastry cream and the hazelnut praline a day ahead, which makes the final assembly feel almost effortless. Just pipe, bake, cool, and fill. The result is a golden, nutty crown with a rich, nutty cream that tastes like pure indulgence.

Ingredients for Paris-Brest

This recipe makes 12 servings.

• 250 ml whole milk
• 75 g sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 25 g cornstarch
• 125 g butter, at room temperature
• 75 g hazelnut praline
• 75 ml water
• 75 ml whole milk
• 1 pinch salt
• 50 g butter
• 75 g all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 egg
• 20 g sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

How to Make Paris-Brest Step by Step

1. Make the Pastry Cream

Start with the filling. Heat 250 ml of milk with 40 g of sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk 2 egg yolks with the remaining 35 g of sugar. Add 25 g of cornstarch and mix. Pour a little of the hot milk over the yolk mixture and whisk well. Return this mixture to the saucepan with the rest of the milk and let it thicken over low heat, stirring so it doesn't burn. Spread the pastry cream on a plate, cover it with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface so it doesn't dry out, and let it cool first at room temperature and then in the fridge.

2. Mix the Butter with the Praline

Beat 125 g of room-temperature butter for 3 minutes, until it turns pale and creamy. Then add 75 g of hazelnut praline and beat the mixture until both ingredients are fully combined.

3. Add the Pastry Cream to the Praline

Gradually add the pastry cream — which should now be at room temperature — and beat until you have a smooth, homogeneous mixture. Transfer the praline cream to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.

4. Make the Choux Pastry

To make the choux dough, combine 75 ml of water with 75 ml of whole milk and 1 pinch of salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add 50 g of butter cut into cubes and stir. Add 75 g of all-purpose flour all at once and mix with a wooden spoon. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and let the dough cool slightly. Then gradually incorporate 2 beaten large eggs, stirring continuously, until you have a glossy dough with the texture shown in the photo below.

5. Shape the Paris-Brest and Decorate with Almonds

Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm plain nozzle (or just snip the tip off the bag). Pipe a circle about 20 cm in diameter onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pipe another circle next to the first one and a third on top of the two, as shown in the photo. Brush the surface with 1 beaten egg and scatter 20 g of sliced almonds over the top.

6. Bake the Paris-Brest

Lower the oven temperature to 160 °C and bake the Paris-Brest for 50 minutes with both top and bottom heat. Remove it from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.

7. Fill the Paris-Brest

Once cool, cut it in half horizontally and fill it with the praline cream, piping little mounds of cream over the bottom half using the piping bag and star nozzle.

8. Serve the Paris-Brest

Top the Paris-Brest with the upper half and keep it in the fridge. Just before serving, dust it with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar.

Tips for the Best Paris-Brest

Nail the Choux Pastry

The only part that really needs your attention is the choux pastry. Follow the steps closely and it will turn out beautifully; if it's your first time making this dough, it helps to read up on the technique so you know exactly what texture to aim for.

Prep the Praline and Pastry Cream Ahead

Hazelnut praline is a basic preparation you can make in advance, or you can buy it ready-made from supermarkets, specialty baking shops, or online. As for the pastry cream, we like to make it the day before and keep it in the fridge until it's time to use it.

Chill Before Serving

When you're ready to assemble, all that's left is to make and bake the choux, let it cool, mix the pastry cream with the butter and praline to make the hazelnut mousseline, and fill the ring. Once assembled, chill the Paris-Brest in the fridge so the filling firms up and it's easier to slice.

30 Go-To Recipes I Keep Coming Back to in My Own Kitchen

Like a lot of home cooks, I like having a rotation that covers cozy classics, dishes from around the world, and sweets that make everyone happy.

Some nights I want something luxuriously rich, and that's when I reach for this La Viña Molten Cheesecake recipe, this refined Original French Crème Brûlée recipe, or a truly indulgent Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe. And on days when I'm after something fruity and soothing, this timeless French Tarte Tatin recipe is my reliable pick.

For mornings that call for something easy and for lighter plates, I'll whip up these airy Oatmeal and Banana Pancakes recipe, a hearty Stuffed Sweet Potato recipe, or these bright Eggs Stuffed with Avocado and Salmon recipe. And whenever I need a gluten-free staple for the pantry, this straightforward Gluten-Free Rice Flour recipe does the job.

When tapas and Mediterranean cooking are calling, I tend to cycle through this punchy Basque Tuna with Tomato recipe, crispy Patatas Bravas Air Fryer recipe, silky Tirokafteri Greek Dip Sauce recipe, and a cool Burrata Salad with Tomato and Pesto recipe. This crisp Italian Vitello Tonnato recipe is another one I love to serve when the occasion feels a bit more special.

Hearty midday meals and comforting suppers? These are the ones I'm always recommending: this warming Meatballs in Spanish Sauce recipe, traditional Meatballs in Almond Sauce recipe, deeply savory Italian Bolognese Sauce recipe, and velvety Chicken Croquettes in Thermomix recipe. When I'm after something more substantial, I'll bake up this Greek Pastitsio Pie recipe, rustic Potatoes and Squid Stew recipe, or the deeply comforting French Boeuf Bourguignon recipe.

Street-food cravings and party spreads usually lead me to this juicy Homemade Chicken Doner Kebab recipe, crispy Salchipapas recipe, punchy Mexican Pork Carnitas recipe, or these crackly Korean Hobak Jeon recipe. These effortless Air Fryer Zucchini Rings recipe are another favorite of mine for a quick appetizer or snack.

And when I'm hosting and putting together drinks alongside a full menu, I'll often serve dinner with this refreshing Original Cuban Mojito recipe, this potent Long Island Iced Tea recipe, or a pitcher of this fruity Bleeding Spanish Sangria recipe. To bring the whole table together, I like setting out this zesty French Remoulade Sauce recipe on the side, or finishing things off with this eye-catching Mediterranean Black Rice with Squid recipe.

Even More Tasty Recipes to Cook for Your Family

After years of cooking, testing, and tweaking in my own kitchen, I've come to believe the greatest dishes boil down to three things: straightforward methods, techniques you can trust, and serious flavor.

Every recipe gathered here is one I genuinely cook over and over—whether it's a fast meal just for me or something a little more celebratory for friends and family.

On the sweet side, the rich, silky Orange Chocolate Mousse Recipe is a go-to when I want something that feels fancy yet comes together without fuss. Another dessert I adore is the caramelized Trdelnik Slavic Pastry Recipe, modeled on the well-known Central European chimney cake. If baking is your thing, knowing how to make syrup for better dessert texture helps a lot, and my Inverted Sugar Recipe walks through exactly how I do it at home.

When something light and uncomplicated is what I'm after, I'll usually make the classic Italian Caprese Salad Recipe or a flawlessly cooked Simple Poached Egg Recipe. For cozier, more filling meals, I frequently point people to the satisfying Meatball Sandwich Recipe, the creamy Russian Stroganoff Beef Recipe, and the fast weeknight winner One Pot Pasta Recipe.

I'm also a big fan of sharing dishes with roots in other countries, such as the authentic Sorropotún de Bonito Fish Stew Recipe, crispy Chilean Pumpkin Sopaipillas Recipe, and the traditional Spanish Cochifrito Segovian Fried Pig Recipe.

Air fryer cooking is another category I turn to often, since it cuts down on time without sacrificing texture. The ones I make most include Air Fryer Pork Ribs Recipe, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipe, Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Peppers Recipe, Air Fryer Mixed Sandwich Recipe, Air Fryer Toasted Bread Recipe, and Air Fryer Hard-Boiled Eggs Recipe.

And for those steering clear of wheat, my cozy Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe shows that a classic baked pasta can still be rich, cheesy, and deeply satisfying without any gluten.

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