Inspired by one of Dubai’s most famous desserts, these light and airy cream buns are filled with creamy and fluffy vanilla whipped cream. They bring a taste of deliciousness and nostalgia, all in one bite!
Very few desserts stand the test of time, but there’s one dessert in Dubai that has been everyone’s favorite for over a decade, and that’s Habib Bakery’s cream bun.
Unlike your “modern, Instagram-able” bakeries, Habib Bakery is a humble spot that started all the way back in 1987 and has been serving delicious desserts ever since. While they’re known for many things, it’s their cream buns that have stood out and loved for generations.
They’re really the simplest dessert, a choux bun filled with sweet vanilla whipped cream, that’s really it. But their simplicity is what makes them so delicious. There are no fancy packages, just a simple plastic box filled with loads of cream buns. Yet, they sell thousands every day.
So of course, when it came to recreating viral Dubai desserts, I had to make these!
Honestly, I absolutely love the OG cream buns from Habib Bakery, they’re a classic for a reason, but there’s still something special about recreating your famous desserts at home, right? Especially when they’re so simple to make.
All you need to make is choux pastry and a sweet vanilla whipped cream, and if you find choux pastry intimidating, don’t worry! I will walk you through the whole process and show you how easy it is to make!
Let’s get into the details.
Choux Pastry
Choux (pronounced as SHOE) pastry, is a classic French Pastry that’s made with simple ingredients – milk, water, butter, sugar, salt, flour, and eggs. What makes this pastry different is that it’s cooked twice. The dough is cooked on the countertop before being baked in the oven to create the choux buns.
Choux pastry is used for many famous desserts, including profiteroles, eclairs, and churros, and while it has a rep for being “tricky”, it’s honestly quite simple to make once you know the right technique. You don’t ever need any fancy equipment, just a saucepan and a spatula.
I have broken down the process into three parts to make it easier to understand
Here are the steps for making choux pastry.
PART 1 – Cooking the milk and butter
- In a saucepan, add the milk, water, butter, salt, and sugar and cook it on medium-low heat.
- Once the butter has fully melted, mix it all together and take it off the heat.
PART 2 – Making the Panade
- As soon as you take the saucepan off the heat, add the flour and immediately mix it with the milk and butter mixture until combined. It’s important to do this quickly, or the flour will create lumps in the mixture. Once the mixture is fully smooth, you will have a thick dough.
- Press the dough down towards the surface of the pan evenly, then cook it on low heat. At this step, we want to dry the dough out by reducing the moisture in it.
- The dough will start to crackle, this means that the moisture is evaporating from it. Continue cooking for a few minutes.
- The dough will be done once it starts sticking to the bottom and forms a thin film on the pan. This means that enough moisture has been evaporated from it. It’s important to dry the dough out properly or the moisture will create a lot of steam while baking, causing the buns to collapse or explode post-baking. This mixture is called the Panade.
PART 3 – Adding the eggs
- Once the panade is done, take it off the heat. Mix the dough until all the steam has been released from it, then add the beaten eggs, one at a time.
Important note: the amount of eggs should be the same as the total amount of the liquids (milk+water). This is why it’s important to measure the cracked eggs.
- DO NOT add all the eggs together. You may need more or less eggs based on how much moisture was removed from the dough in the previous step. Add a little egg at a time and mix until the dough is smooth and it hangs off the spatula when you pick it up, but still holds its shape and is not runny. If you add all the eggs at one time and it’s too much, the dough will become very runny and you will not be able to pipe it.
PART 4 – Piping and baking
- Once the dough is ready, transfer it into a piping bag and cut a 1/2-inch opening at the tip. Preheat the oven to 230 degrees Celsius.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper. I highly recommend making a template on the paper using a round jar/bottle cover or cookie cutter based on how big you want the buns to be. This allows the buns to be consistent in size.
- To pipe the dough, place the piping bag on the baking sheet at a slight angle and start piping. Do not move the piping bag or stop piping in between, continue in one motion until you have a circle as big as your template, then lift the piping bag and release the dough. The dough needs to be piped in one go without moving the bag so that the whole circle can rise as one without any breakages in between. Fill the tray with piped dough, keeping a 1-inch gap between each.
- Cover the piped dough with a gentle egg wash using a pastry brush.
- Place the baking tray into the oven and reduce the temperature to 170 degrees Celsius. Let the buns cook for 20 minutes, then open the oven door for just 5 seconds to release the steam, then continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes until the buns are lightly golden. Don’t overbake or they will dry out.
Once the buns are done, take them out carefully without banging the tray anywhere (or they may deflate), and let them cool completely.
Vanilla Whipped Cream
The cream buns are filled with a simple, creamy, and super vanilla-e whipped cream, so to keep to the original, I have filled the buns with sweet vanilla whipped cream.
Here are the steps for making the whipped cream filling.
- In a bowl, add the liquid whipped cream, icing sugar, and vanilla essence.
- Whip on medium speed until you reach medium stiff peaks. Do not overwhip as we want the cream to be light and fluffy.
- Transfer the cream into a piping bag with a small round tip.
- Once the buns have cooled completely, make a small hole at the bottom of each using a small knife, insert the whipped cream bag’s piping tip into the whole, and fill the bun until it’s completely full and feels heavy. Do not over-fill or the buns will explore.
- Enjoy fresh or let the buns chill in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving.
If you’ve been afraid of making choux pastry, I highly recommend giving this technique a try, and I guarantee you’ll be making choux buns every week!
Once you make these, trust me, you’ll become everyone’s favorite.
Ready to get started? Let’s go!
PS: I always measure ingredients in grams, never in cups. Using a measuring scale is the only way to bake accurately. Cups are very unreliable and can give different measurements, so I would suggest you buy a measuring scale before you start baking! If you can’t get your hands on one, you can use the online tools for converting grams into cups; however, I do not guarantee their accuracy.
Cream Buns (Inspired by Habib Bakery, Dubai)
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Silicone spatula
- 2 piping bags
- Electric hand whisk
Ingredients
Choux Pastry
- 100 g milk
- 100 g water
- 2 g salt
- 2 g caster sugar
- 90 g butter
- 100 g plain flour
- 200 g egg approx 4 eggs
- 1 egg for egg wash
Vanilla Whipped Cream Filling
- 200 ml liquid whipping cream
- 50 grams icing sugar reduce by 10 grams if you want to make it less sweeter
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
Instructions
Choux Pastry
- In a medium saucepan, combine milk, water, butter, salt, and sugar. Heat gently over medium-low heat.
- Allow the butter to melt completely, then stir the mixture until smooth. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Immediately add the flour to the saucepan and mix. This helps prevent lumps and ensures a smooth consistency. The mixture will form a thick dough.
- Spread the dough evenly across the base of the saucepan and return it to low heat.
- Cook the dough to reduce moisture, stirring constantly. You’ll hear it crackling—this is a sign that the moisture is evaporating.
- Continue cooking until the dough begins sticking to the pan and forms a thin film on the bottom. This indicates that it’s sufficiently dry. Properly drying the dough is crucial to prevent the buns from collapsing later.
- Take the dough off the heat and mix it briefly to release excess steam.
- Gradually add beaten eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add eggs slowly; you may not need all of them depending on how much moisture was removed during cooking. The dough should be smooth, hold its shape, and hang off the spatula without being runny.
- Transfer the prepared dough into a piping bag with a ½-inch opening. Preheat the oven to 230°C.
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper. For consistent bun sizes, use a round template to outline circles on the paper.
- Pipe the dough onto the tray in one continuous motion, following the circle template. Avoid moving the bag or stopping midway to ensure the buns rise evenly. Leave about 1 inch of space between each bun.
- Lightly brush the piped dough with egg wash using a pastry brush.
- Place the tray in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 170°C. Bake for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, briefly open the oven door for about 5 seconds to release steam. Close the door and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the buns are golden and cooked through. Avoid overbaking to keep the buns from drying out.
Vanilla Whipped Cream Filling
- In a mixing bowl, combine the liquid whipping cream, icing sugar, and vanilla essence.
- Whip the mixture on medium speed until it reaches medium-stiff peaks. Be cautious not to overwhip, as the cream should remain light and airy.
- Transfer the whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle.
- Once the choux buns have fully cooled, use a small knife to create a hole at the bottom of each bun.
- Insert the piping bag’s tip into the hole and fill each bun until it feels full and slightly heavy. Avoid overfilling to prevent the buns from bursting.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate the filled buns for a couple of hours before enjoying.
Notes
- Measure Ingredients Precisely: Accurate measurements, especially for liquids and eggs, are key to achieving the right dough consistency.
- Work Quickly with the Flour: When adding flour to the hot liquid, mix immediately to avoid lumps.
- Dry the Dough Properly: Cooking the dough on low heat until it forms a thin film on the pan ensures the buns hold their shape and don’t collapse or explode during baking.
- Control Egg Addition: Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. The dough should be smooth and elastic but not runny. It’s better to stop short of adding all the eggs if the desired consistency is reached.
- Piping Precision: Use a template to maintain consistent bun sizes, and pipe the dough in one continuous motion for even rising.
- Egg Wash Care: Apply the egg wash gently to avoid deflating the piped dough.
- Monitor Oven Temperature: Preheat the oven properly and lower the temperature immediately after placing the buns inside to ensure even baking.
- Steam Release: Opening the oven briefly to release steam halfway through baking helps the buns develop a crisp exterior.
- Cool Completely Before Filling: Wait for the buns to cool entirely before filling to prevent the whipped cream from melting.
- Avoid Overfilling: Fill buns just enough to feel slightly heavy; overfilling can cause them to burst.
Once you make these cream buns, you’ll have to make them over and over again because they are addicting! So tread carefully.
If you give this recipe a try, let me know how you liked it in the comments. And of course, share it with me on Instagram!
Until next time.
