Elegant Swan Mini Pastries

Featured in: Simple Sweet Treats

These delicate mini pastries feature light and airy choux dough shaped into elegant swans. Each is filled with smooth vanilla cream and finished with a dusting of powdered sugar, offering a delightful balance of textures and flavors. Perfect for a sophisticated dessert or a charming tea-time treat, they showcase classic French pastry techniques. Preparation involves creating the choux dough, piping the shapes, baking until golden and crisp, and assembling with rich cream filling and decorative wings, making these mini pastries both visually stunning and delicious.

Updated on Thu, 04 Dec 2025 11:56:00 GMT
Golden baked Elegant Swan Mini Pastries, ready to delight; these desserts are filled with creamy vanilla. Save
Golden baked Elegant Swan Mini Pastries, ready to delight; these desserts are filled with creamy vanilla. | poppyhearth.com

Charming, light choux pastry swans filled with vanilla cream and dusted with powdered sugar—perfect for an elegant dessert or tea-time treat.

I have often made these mini swan pastries for special occasions and they never fail to impress guests with their delicate flavor and beautiful presentation.

Ingredients

  • Choux Pastry: 125 ml water, 40 g unsalted butter, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 75 g all-purpose flour, 2 large eggs
  • Vanilla Cream Filling: 200 ml heavy cream, 1 tbsp powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Decoration: Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

Step 1:
Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 2:
In a saucepan, combine water, butter, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in flour all at once. Return to medium heat, stirring until dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides (about 2 minutes).
Step 3:
Let dough cool slightly. Beat in eggs one at a time until smooth and glossy.
Step 4:
Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip. Pipe 12 oval shapes (bodies) onto the prepared tray. With a small round tip, pipe 12 S-shaped necks on the same tray.
Step 5:
Bake bodies for 25–30 minutes and necks for 10–12 minutes until golden and crisp. Cool completely.
Step 6:
For the filling whip cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
Step 7:
Slice the top third off each choux body. Cut the tops in half lengthwise to create wings.
Step 8:
Pipe or spoon cream into the bottom halves. Insert two wings on each side and an S-shaped neck at the front. Dust lightly with powdered sugar.
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My family loves gathering in the afternoon to enjoy these pastries with tea and share stories from our day.

Notes

For extra flavor add a few raspberries or a spoon of lemon curd inside the cream Serve immediately for best texture Pair with a glass of Champagne or Moscato for a festive touch

Required Tools

Saucepan Mixing bowls Electric mixer or whisk Piping bags with round tips Baking sheet Parchment paper Sharp knife

Allergen Information

Contains Eggs Milk Wheat (Gluten) Double-check ingredients if preparing for those with food allergies

Elegant Swan Mini Pastries sit beautiful on a plate, dusted with sugar, a lovely treat to serve. Save
Elegant Swan Mini Pastries sit beautiful on a plate, dusted with sugar, a lovely treat to serve. | poppyhearth.com

With careful preparation these elegant swan pastries will delight any dessert lover making every occasion special.

Recipe Questions

What is choux pastry?

Choux pastry is a light dough made by cooking water, butter, flour, and eggs together, resulting in a hollow, airy pastry perfect for filling.

How do I shape the swans?

Pipe oval shapes for the body and S-shaped necks separately, then bake until crisp before assembling with the cream filling.

What cream is used for filling?

A whipped mix of heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract creates a smooth, sweet filling.

How do I prevent the pastry from collapsing?

Bake the choux pastry until golden and crisp, and allow it to cool completely before filling to maintain structure.

Can these pastries be prepared in advance?

They are best served fresh, but the choux shells can be baked ahead and filled just before serving to preserve texture.

What are good serving suggestions?

Serve with a light dusting of powdered sugar and pair with Champagne or Moscato for an elegant touch.

Elegant Swan Mini Pastries

Delicate choux pastry shaped as swans filled with creamy vanilla and dusted with sugar.

Prep duration
40 minutes
Cooking duration
30 minutes
Total duration
70 minutes
Created by Grace Holloway

Recipe type Simple Sweet Treats

Skill level Medium

Cuisine type French

Makes 12 Portions

Dietary details Meat-free

Required Ingredients

Choux Pastry

01 1/2 cup water
02 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 1/2 teaspoon sugar
05 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
06 2 large eggs

Vanilla Cream Filling

01 7 fluid ounces heavy cream
02 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
03 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Decoration

01 Powdered sugar for dusting

How-To Steps

Step 01

Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet: Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 02

Make choux pastry dough: In a saucepan, combine water, butter, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and stir in flour all at once. Return to medium heat and stir continuously until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides, about 2 minutes.

Step 03

Incorporate eggs: Allow the dough to cool slightly, then beat in eggs one at a time until the mixture is smooth and glossy.

Step 04

Pipe shapes: Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip. Pipe 12 oval shapes for the swan bodies onto the prepared tray. Using a smaller round tip, pipe 12 S-shaped necks on the same tray.

Step 05

Bake pastries: Bake the oval bodies for 25 to 30 minutes and the necks for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Allow to cool completely.

Step 06

Prepare vanilla cream filling: Whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.

Step 07

Assemble swans: Slice the top third off each choux body. Cut the tops lengthwise in halves to form wings. Pipe or spoon the cream into the bottom halves, insert wings on each side, and place an S-shaped neck at the front. Dust lightly with powdered sugar.

Tools needed

  • Saucepan
  • Mixing bowls
  • Electric mixer or whisk
  • Piping bags with round tips
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Sharp knife

Allergy notices

Check ingredients for allergens. Reach out to your healthcare provider with any questions.
  • Contains eggs, milk, and wheat (gluten). Confirm ingredient safety for allergy sufferers.

Nutrition breakdown (per portion)

These details are meant for general advice, not medical guidance.
  • Energy: 120
  • Fats: 8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 9 g
  • Proteins: 2 g