11 Puff Pastry Recipes That Look Impossible to Make but Are *So* Easy (2024)

There’s a reason puff pastry is so intimidating. There’s just no way achieving perfectly golden, ultra-flaky bites could be simple. Right? Actually, thanks to pre-made frozen puff pastry dough, that notion couldn’t be more wrong. These 11 puff pastry recipes are not only easy to master, but they also look and taste like you could run your own bakery.

1. Puff Pastry Donuts

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The cronut craze may have simmered down, but our appetite for airy, layered donuts remains (as much as we wish we could squash that sweet tooth). To make these puffs of joy, simply brush puff pastry dough with egg yolk, fold the dough into thirds, freeze for 15 minutes, cut donut-size pieces with a circle-shaped cookie cutter, and either pop them into a deep fryer (props to you for having one!) or bake in an oven (our preferred method). Smother with homemade vanilla sauce, sprinkle with powdered or cinnamon sugar, or enjoy as is.

2. Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

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Sure, party platters covered in fresh produce, cured meats, and homemade dips are impressive (and beautiful), but sometimes the best appetizers involve a little ham and cheese—not the fancy kind. These five-ingredient pinwheels only take 10 minutes to prep and 15 minutes to cook, making them one of the easiest pastry recipes we’ve ever seen. The sneaky addition of Dijon mustard and fresh parsley also makes them all kinds of grown-up—if that’s the vibe you’re going for.

3. Caramel Apple Turnovers

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Add this to the list of pastries we thought we’d never be able to master at home. These turnovers are ready to eat in five simple steps (one of which is optional) and better than anything we’ve tasted at coffee shops. Start by making the apple filling and prepping the frozen pastry by cutting it into sections and then fill ’em up, fold and seal the dough, pop ’em in the oven, and appreciate your masterpiece for at least a minute before diving in. (Plus, it helps to let them cool a little.)

4. Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Pastries

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If you value mellow evenings but love a good get-together, try hosting brunch instead of dinner. The recipes are just as fun—if not more—and you can even incorporate cocktails, like mimosas. Better yet, brunch provides an awesome excuse to load up on hearty-healthy smoked salmon and palate-friendly cream cheese.While bagels may be what you’re picturing, we actually prefer popping the toppings onto freshly baked puff pastry squares to make them extra special. We love the simplicity of chopped chives and fresh dill, but the bites also taste great with chopped tomato, diced red onion, and a sprinkle of everything bagel spice.

5. Easy Blueberry Peach Tart With Vanilla Glaze

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Sometimes dessert really is the best thing for breakfast. (OK, not when it comes to nutrition, depending on the recipe, but how fun is starting the day with leftover pie?) For mornings when you’re in need of a little treat, try this blueberry and peach puff pastry tart, which is as simple as thawing dough, brushing it with egg, filling it with fruit, and baking. You can even skip the sauce and opt for sprinkles of brown sugar if you want to keep it extra easy.

6. Asparagus, Pancetta, and Puff Pastry Bundles

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Pigs in a blanket just got a serious upgrade—and a green one at that. The recipe still delivers plenty of pig by bundling pancetta into the wraps, but the main stars are the asparagus spears and shaved Parmesan. The perfect appetizer, side dish, or hearty snack, these veggie-filled bundles are on at the top of our list when it comes to entertaining guests—and ourselves. Serve with roasted lean protein (salmon or chicken with lemon goes particularly well) or with a side sauce, like honey mustard.

7. Baked Puff Pastry Wrapped Brie With Fig Jam

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Perhaps the most genius use of puff pastry dough is simply wrapping it around a hunk of Brie. Divine with only dough and cheese, this recipe jolts this dish into melty heaven by spreading fig jam on top of the circle of Brie and along the inner layers of the pastry dough. The only things left are the ever-important brushing of the egg yolk (this is what makes the pastry so golden—and prevents it from burning), a sprinkle of sea salt, and the patience to let it bake. Spread onto apple slices or crackers, or eat by the spoonful.

8. Puff Pastry Spinach and Artichoke Pinwheels

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Sometimes the wheels on the bus go round and round, and sometimes they go directly into your mouth. After all, how could anyone resist wheels filled with four types of cheeses—please hold while we wipe up our drool—lots of savory spices, and even some hearty greens? Breakfast, brunch, dinner, lunch… these fiber-filled bites are great for any time of day. In fact, they’re so good you don’t even need an occasion or time of day as an excuse to gobble ’em up.

9. Easy Twisted Nutella Danish

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Don’t let the shape fool you. These twisted danishes are just as easy to whip up as the rest of them—and they just happen to be a lot more fun. This recipe doesn’t even save the best for the last. It actually starts with the best step, which is spreading Nutella all over the thawed pastry dough and sprinkling chopped hazelnuts on top. What comes next is another layer of pastry dough, simple slicing, a little twist, a little twirl, and you’re done. (But don’t tell your guests it was that easy.)

10. Easy Puff Pastry Baked Eggs

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Sick of the same old egg dish? We feel you. Make things more special by breaking eggs into puff pastry bowls and cooking them with white cheddar cheese and a handful of chopped herbs (we’re partial to parsley). For all you meat eaters out there, we love placing a piece of prosciutto under the egg so it bakes to crispy perfection. Prefer to live meat-free? Sauté sliced mushrooms with a splash of balsamic vinegar and pour on top of the pastry when it’s ready to eat.

11. Puff Pastry Almond Croissants

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Oh, the beloved almond croissant. Do pastry dreams get better than this? Though we were hesitant to master this dish due to fears of eating almond croissants all day every day (wait, that doesn’t sound so bad… ), we quickly changed our tune when we realized this recipe simplifies things by using almond extract instead of almond filling to provide that perfectly almond flavor. A little less sweet and a little bit smaller than the average bakery buy, this recipe makes us feel like we found a lovely happy medium. (Meaning we’ll be eating them every other day.)

11 Puff Pastry Recipes That Look Impossible to Make but Are *So* Easy (2024)

FAQs

What are the three 3 methods of making puff pastry? ›

Methods of Making Puff Pastry:
  1. These methods are as follows:
  2. Three Fold or Single Turn: ...
  3. Book Fold or Double Turn: ...
  4. Combination Method: ...
  5. The main agent for success in the preparation of puff pastry is the dough. ...
  6. Roll the dough into a ball and let it rest before incorporating the fat. ...
  7. Make the butter block.

What is the process of making puff pastry known as ___________? ›

Puff pastry is made using a method known as lamination, where a block of butter is wrapped fully and sealed inside a dough. The dough then goes through a series of folds, where it is rolled out to a certain thickness and folded over onto itself.

Why is puff pastry so hard to make? ›

Puff pastry does need some gluten development but, because of the amount of rolling out that will happen during lamination, it is very easy to overwork a dough which makes it incredibly hard to use and can cause a lot of shrinkage.

What is a puff pastry or better yet what makes a pastry a puff pastry? ›

Puff pastry is a light, buttery, flaky dough used in both sweet and savory dishes, from appetizers to main courses to desserts. It contains only three ingredients—flour, butter, and salt—yet it rises to a great height with no added leavening agent.

What are the 7 main types of pastry? ›

The different types of pastry are:
  • Choux.
  • Filo.
  • Flakey.
  • Hot water crust pastry.
  • Puff.
  • Shortcrust.
  • Suet crust pastry.
Feb 27, 2024

What is the secret to puff pastry? ›

The trick is to work large pieces of cold butter into dry ingredients and hydrate it all with ice cold water (as if you were making pie crust). Sometimes bakers grate butter into the mix or use a food processor. There's lots of ways to make rough puff pastry.

What are the characteristics of puff pastry? ›

Puff pastry, also known as Pâte Feuilletée or feuilletage in French, is a very delicate and rich pastry that consists of many thin alternating layers of dough and fat. This lamination is what gives puff pastry its light, crispy and flaky texture upon baking.

What things should we avoid with puff pastry? ›

Heat is the enemy of Puff Pastry—it handles best when cold. So avoid working with it on hot, humid days, in a stifling hot kitchen or next to your oven.

What foods are flaky? ›

Flakey Foods
  • Favorite Ham & Cheese Puff Pastry Appetizer - The Clever Carrot. Favorite Ham & Cheese Puff Pastry Appetizer - The Clever Carrot. ...
  • Rosemary Goat Cheese Biscuits - Baker by Nature. ...
  • Rustic Pear Tart Recipe with Goat Cheese - Home & Plate. ...
  • Chicken Roll Ups Crescent Rolls are Fabulous! -

What stops puff pastry puffing? ›

If egg drips down the sides of the pastry, those flaky layers can stick together and prevent the dough from puffing up.

How to stop sausage rolls from going soggy on the bottom? ›

To prevent soggy sausage rolls, make sure your oven is preheated before cooking. Ensure to space out the sausage rolls on the baking tray when cooking to ensure there is enough room for the air to circulate and allow them to crisp up. Once cooked, transfer from the baking tray to a wire tray to cool.

What is an interesting fact about puff pastry? ›

The story goes that Lorrain was making a type of very buttery bread for his sick father, and the process of rolling the butter into the bread dough created a croissant-like finished product. The modern French puff pastry was then developed and improved by the chef M. Feuillet and Antonin Carême.

Why do you relax puff pastry before baking? ›

While making puff pastry, it is imperative that you allow adequate time for the pastry to rest in the fridge between folds. This gives the butter time to cool down.

Can I use oil instead of butter in puff pastry? ›

Puff pastry is mainly made by 3 important ingredients, flour, water, and fat (butter or oil). Unfortunately, I learned that butter and oil, consist of 100% fat. I've successfully created puff pastry using oil in a pan before. It works!

What are the three 3 basic rules for pastry making? ›

General rules

Measure the ingredients carefully. Use good quality flour. Mix together the flour and salt by sieving. Keep everything as cool as possible otherwise the fat may melt which would spoil the finished dish.

What are the 3 types of pastry dough? ›

Brisée, Sucrée, & Sablée: The 3 Types of Pastry Dough You Need to Know.

What are the methods of making pastry? ›

The process of making pastry includes mixing of the fat and flour, adding water, chilling and then rolling out the dough. Chilling before rolling is essential since it enables the fat (lard, butter, etc.) to harden again and thus create flaky layers in the dough.

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