If you love chocolate but want something more interesting than a basic brownie, Benjamina Ebuehi is a baker worth knowing.

The London-based recipe writer first won fans as a quarter-finalist on The Great British Bake Off in 2016. Since then she has written several cookbooks, including The New Way to Cake, A Good Day to Bake and I’ll Bring Dessert, and she writes the baking column for The Guardian’s Feast magazine.

Her style is easy to recognise: simple methods, a few bold flavours and nothing fussy. Her newest recipe, published today, is a seasonal chocolate treat made for autumn. Below you’ll find our own version to bake at home, plus more of her best chocolate ideas.

Her Newest Recipe: Chocolate and Pumpkin Spice Choux Buns

Ebuehi’s latest Guardian recipe, published on October 23, 2026, pairs chocolate with pumpkin, one of her favourite ingredients at this time of year. Light choux buns get a crackly chocolate topping and a creamy pumpkin spice filling, finished with chopped pecans.

It looks impressive, but each part is simple once you break it down. Here’s our own take on it.

Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Choux Buns (Inspired by Benjamina Ebuehi)

Makes: about 12 buns
Prep time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 25–30 minutes, plus cooling

Ingredients

For the chocolate craquelin

• 50g unsalted butter, softened
• 50g light brown sugar
• 45g plain flour
• 10g cocoa powder

For the choux pastry

• 60ml milk
• 60ml water
• 50g unsalted butter
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 70g plain flour
• 2 large eggs, beaten (you may not need all of it)

For the pumpkin spice cream

• 120g pumpkin puree (tinned or homemade)
• 100g full-fat cream cheese
• 60g icing sugar
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or ¾ tsp cinnamon plus a pinch each of ginger, nutmeg and cloves)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 150ml double cream, cold

To finish

• 25g pecans, roughly chopped

Method

Step 1: Make the chocolate craquelin
Beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Add the flour and cocoa powder and mix until it forms a soft dough. Place it between two sheets of baking paper and roll it very thin, about 2mm. Freeze it flat for at least 20 minutes while you make the choux.

Step 2: Cook the choux dough
Put the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and the liquid is just starting to boil, take the pan off the heat. Tip in all the flour at once and stir hard with a wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms.

Step 3: Dry out the dough
Put the pan back on low heat and keep stirring for 1–2 minutes. The dough should pull away from the sides and leave a thin film on the base of the pan. Transfer it to a bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes.

Step 4: Add the eggs
Add the beaten egg a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. The dough will look split at first but will come back together. Stop adding egg when the dough is glossy and slowly drops off the spoon, leaving a “V” shape behind.

Step 5: Pipe the buns
Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) / 400°F / gas 6. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Spoon the dough into a piping bag and pipe 12 rounds about 4cm wide, leaving space between them. Smooth any peaks with a damp fingertip.

Step 6: Top with craquelin
Take the craquelin out of the freezer. Using a round cutter about the same size as your buns, cut 12 discs and place one on top of each bun.

Step 7: Bake
Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the buns are well risen, deep brown and feel light and hollow. Don’t open the oven door during the first 20 minutes, or they may collapse. Once baked, pierce the side of each bun with a skewer to let the steam out, then cool completely on a rack.

Step 8: Make the pumpkin spice cream
Beat the pumpkin puree, cream cheese, icing sugar, spice and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip the double cream to soft peaks. Gently fold the cream into the pumpkin mixture until no streaks remain.

Step 9: Fill and serve
Slice the top third off each cooled bun with a serrated knife. Pipe or spoon the pumpkin cream into the bases, sprinkle with chopped pecans, and put the crunchy chocolate tops back on. Serve straight away so the pastry stays crisp.

Tips for Success

• Make ahead: Unfilled buns keep in an airtight tin for a day. Crisp them in a 180°C oven for 5 minutes before filling.
• Drain the pumpkin: If your puree looks watery, blot it with kitchen paper so the cream stays thick.
• No piping bag? Use a freezer bag with one corner snipped off.

This recipe is inspired by Benjamina Ebuehi’s chocolate and pumpkin spice choux buns, published in The Guardian’s Feast magazine.

More Benjamina Ebuehi Chocolate Recipes to Try

Fudgy chocolate cake with whipped coffee crème fraîche
Ebuehi has called herself a huge chocolate fan, and this cake shows it. It’s a rich after-dinner dessert that’s less dense than a torte and less gooey than a lava cake, topped with coffee crème fraîche to balance the sweetness.

Chocolate fudge and blackberry cake
She has described this as her go-to chocolate cake. It’s a small six-inch cake with a dark, moist crumb and fudge frosting, brightened with tangy blackberries and mascarpone, like a fresh take on Black Forest gateau. It can be made a day or two ahead.

Date night cake
From I’ll Bring Dessert, this mini chocolate cake is sized for two people with leftovers. Cocoa, melted dark chocolate and a splash of hot coffee give it a deep flavour, and it’s finished with a simple buttercream.

More ideas from her cookbooks

• Crispy chocolate and dulce de leche tart: a no-bake dessert that brings back memories of childhood krispie cakes
• Irish cream chocolate mousse: light mousse pots made with just six ingredients
• Halva and smoked salt chocolate cookies: sweet, nutty and slightly salty
• Flourless chocolate, olive oil and almond cake: a naturally gluten-free cake topped with ganache, from A Good Day to Bake

Why Her Chocolate Recipes Work

Ebuehi rarely lets chocolate stand alone. She pairs it with coffee, fruit, spices or a little salt, so each bite is rich without being too sweet. Many of her recipes can also be made ahead, which takes the pressure off when you’re hosting.

The Bottom Line

Whether you want an autumn showstopper like chocolate pumpkin spice choux buns, or a simple chocolate cake for two, Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipes prove that great baking doesn’t have to be complicated. Pick one, preheat the oven, and treat yourself this weekend.