Profiterole is a French word indicating a a small ball of choux pastry (salty or sweet), cooked in the oven and then stuffed. If savoury, the profiterole can be filled with cream cheese, ham or fondue and served as an appetizer, but it can be even stuffed with game cream and then served in consommé.

On the other hand, the sweet profiterole is filled with custard or whipped cream, in this case it is used to prepare the «croquembouche» and the Saint-Honoré. "Profiteroles" in the plural indicates a dessert made of these cream puffs, mounted in a pyramid and covered with chocolate.