These gougère bites are the perfect party appetizer! This dairy-free version tastes as "cheesy" as the real thing.
Gougères. They sound fancy, right? There's a backward accent in the name and everything!
I stumbled upon a Martha Stewart recipe for these fantastic French appetizers when I was in my twenties and we were hosting Christmas dinner. They impressed guests back then, and they are still crowd favorites to this day - two decades later!
We love throwing parties and serving a variety of appetizers is always a surefire crowd pleaser. We love making Dairy-Free Spinach Dip, Antipasto Skewers, and Ceviche-Style Tequila Shrimp.
And these bite-sized savory appetizers are the perfect addition to any special occasion party or family gathering!
Jump to:
✨ What is a gougère?
Gougères may sound fancy, but they are simply pillowy puffs of cheese-filled dough. When kids ask me what they are, I just say "cheese puffs." In essence, that's what they are.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
I love making gougère bites for parties. These French appetizers are perfect for entertaining a crowd:
- They can be made up to two months ahead. In fact, it's a great recipe to make well ahead of the busy holiday season so you have one less thing to worry about come party time!
- The bite-sized bundles of cheesy (dairy-free) joy deliver a lot of flavor in one little bite.
- Gougères are fantastic finger food: easy for people to snack on as they are mixing and mingling. No plates required!
- They taste delicious both hot out of the oven, and at room temperature.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
A full list of ingredients and detailed instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. But here are some step-by-step photos and brief instructions to show you how to make these delicious appetizers.
I've made this recipe exactly as it is with both regular dairy products AND dairy-free alternatives. The appetizers turn out deliciously addictive using both options, and I love that it's an easy 1:1 substitution across the board.
First, preheat oven to 375° F degrees. Prep two baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.
- In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring almond milk, water, vegan butter, and salt to a boil.
- Lower heat to medium-low, then add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients and form the dough. Soon the dough will start to form a ball and pull away from the edges of the pan. Stir until the dough is smooth.
- Add the dough to a stand mixer with paddle attachment (or large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon). With the mixer on low, beat in eggs one at a time. The dough will be shiny and smooth.
- Mix in the dairy-free cheese shreds, chives, salt, and pepper just until fully incorporated into the dough (do not overmix in this step!).
- Spoon dough into a large pastry with a #4 pastry tip (or plastic ziplock bag with one corner cut out to pipe) and pipe about 1 tablespoon of dough onto the prepared parchment sheet-lined baking sheets. Pipe them about 2 inches apart.
- In a small bowl, whisk together one large egg yolk with 1 tsp water. Use a small pastry brush to brush yolk wash onto the tops of each piped gougere.
- Bake at 375°F for 24-26 minutes, rotating and switching out pans halfway through. Allow to cool slightly on pans at room temp before serving.
The egg wash before baking gives each bite a beautiful shine. You can forego this step if you want to make this egg-free. Or, you can melt a little dairy-free butter and do a light butter wash on top instead. My preference is for the egg wash.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! If you want to make these well in advance, you clan pipe them onto parchment-lined baking sheets then put in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer gougères to freezer bags or freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to two months.
Yes! You can reheat gougères that are baked but not frozen in a 350° oven for 3-5 minutes.
More appetizer recipes
Gougère Bites: Dairy-Free Cheese Puff Appetizers
Ingredients
- ½ cup almond milk
- ½ cup water
- 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted vegan butter cut into cubes
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 large eggs at room temperature
- 1-½ cups dairy-free cheddar-style shreds
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 large egg yolk + 1 tsp water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Prep two baking sheets with parchment paper
- In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring almond milk, water, vegan butter, and salt to a boil.
- Lower heat to medium-low, then add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients and form the dough. Soon the dough will start to form a ball and pull away from the edges of the pan. Stir until the dough is smooth.
- Add the dough to a stand mixer with paddle attachment (or large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon). With the mixer on low, beat in eggs one at a time. The dough will be shiny and smooth.
- Mix in the dairy-free cheese shreds, chives, salt, and pepper just until fully incorporated into the dough (do not overmix in this step!).
- Spoon dough into a large pastry with a #4 pastry tip (or plastic ziplock bag with one corner cut out to pipe) and pipe about 1 tablespoon of dough onto the prepared parchment sheet-lined baking sheets. Pipe them about 2 inches apart.
- In a small bowl, whisk together one large egg yolk with 1 tsp water. Use a small pastry brush to brush yolk wash onto the tops of each piped gougere.
- Bake at 375°F for 24-26 minutes, rotating and switching out pans halfway through. Allow to cool slightly on pans at room temp before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
Inspired by a recipe by Martha Stewart and an Epicurous recipe.
Adam says
How are these vegan if they contain eggs? What would you use for an egg substitute?
Marlynn Jayme Schotland says
I never said these were vegan :) They are dairy-free, but not vegan.
Mica says
These sound so tasty! Thanks for sharing! :)
Hope that you are having a lovely weekend :)
Jere Cassidy says
These are so adaptable. I love they still taste good a room temperature,and can be frozen.
Tonje says
Ooh, these sound really fancy but look easy enough. I'll definitely try this recipe on the weekend, it sounds like something we'd like a lot!
Chef Mireille says
Never thought of trying a Vegan gougere. But these look awesome and so tempting. You are definitely inspiring me to try these!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I agree, the perfect party nibble. Now pass my some and a glass of red.
Sharing!
Pam Greer says
I had these at a party and they were amazing! I can't wait to make my own at home - sounds so doable, especially with all your tips!