31 Puff Pastry Recipes for Effortless Sweets, Appetizers, and More
Flaky, buttery puff pastry recipes are always an elegant addition to the table—even if the dough comes from the grocery store. Could you make homemade puff pastry? Sure. But, while the process only requires four ingredients (all-purpose flour, salt, unsalted butter, and cold water), the main factor is time. Additionally, you'll need a large work surface, a stand mixer, a rolling pin, a bench scraper, plastic wrap, plenty of fridge space, and a lot of patience.
Considering that, store-bought frozen puff pastry is our not-so-secret weapon for entertaining. (Those seeking a happy medium can consider rough puff pastry, a shortcut version that uses grated butter—use a food processor’s grating attachment if your hands run warm—instead of lamination with a butter block.) Dufour and Pepperidge Farm are the most common brands in the US, and both are excellent. Once thawed in the fridge, you can quickly assemble impressive appetizers or pastry case-worthy desserts with ease.
Speaking of time, it has arrived: Here are our favorite sweet and savory recipes with puff pastry.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Lillian Chou1/31Cheesy Samosa Puffs
Salty cheddar cheese melts into the spiced potato mash as these handheld savory pastries bake. Perfect for a party appetizer, serve them with hot sauce or green chutney for dipping.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell3/31Chocolate-Hazelnut Napoleons
Photo by David Loftus4/31Bombay Rolls
Cookbook author and Guardian columnist Meera Sodha riffs on the multilayered Bombay sandwich (hot green chutney, cheese, and onion) in a pastry roll that’s assembled and baked in minutes—and gobbled up just as quickly.
Photograph by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Mieko Takahashi, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon5/31Easy Cherry Turnovers
A compote of sweet and sour cherries (you can use frozen) makes for a dynamic filling for these charming hand pies.
Photo by Joff Lee6/31Halloumi Puff Pastry Twists
Crunchy cheese twists are a classic, crowd-pleasing cocktail party appetizer. These ones call for salty halloumi and Pecorino—and a crisp, dry gin Martini.
Photograph by Rana Duzyol, Food Styling by Jesse Szewczyk, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua10/31Easy-Fancy Pear Galette
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht11/31Galette des Rois
In France, you’ll find these treats in patisseries throughout the month of January. Essentially a large-format almond croissant, there’s a layer of frangipane baked inside the puff pastry dough.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton12/31Pigs-in-a-Blanket With Sauerkraut and Mustard
When it comes to pigs in a blanket, why restrict yourself to hot dogs and soft dough? Instead, fill flaky pastry with German-style sausage, sauerkraut, and whole-grain mustard.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson13/31Bacon and Egg Casserole
This lattice-topped, make-ahead breakfast casserole is perfect for holidays: The recipe serves 8-10 people and includes crispy bacon, soft-boiled eggs, and Gruyère cheese.
Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich14/31Glazed and Flaky Apple Tart
Photo by Massimo Pessina and Blandine Boyer15/31Mille-Feuille
This French dessert is a delicate tower of crisp puff pastry and dollops of vanilla pastry cream. The flaky layers are achieved by compressing the dough with a sheet pan during baking.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Grace Parisi16/31Savory Mushroom and Parmesan Palmiers
Store-bought puff pastry makes these savory “elephant ears” stuffed with crimini mushrooms, herbs, and Parmesan an easy vegetarian appetizer to prepare. Bonus: The filled pastry logs can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the freezer.
Photo by Sarah Leung and Kaitlin Leung18/31Chicken Curry Puffs
These savory puffs feature ground chicken stirred into a smooth curry sauce and punctuated by umami-rich caramelized onions. Don’t forget the egg wash; that’s how they get that shiny, golden-brown finish.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Jerri Joy, Food Styling by Anna Hampton19/31Carrot Tart With Ricotta and Almond Filling
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams21/31Cheesy Green Curry Palmiers
Photography by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco22/31Apple-Cranberry Tarte Tatin
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Marina Bevilacqua23/31The Creamiest Turkey Pie With Puff Pastry Crust
The secret to the creamiest pot pie filling? American cheese, which melts into a velvety sauce with cooked turkey (although, feel free to use leftover chicken if you have it).
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Anna Hampton25/31Potato, Leek, and Pea Pot Pie With Spinach-Arugula Salad
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Nicole Louie26/31Blackberries and Vanilla Cream With Crispy Puff Pastry
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Emma Ringness, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell27/31Harissa Sweet Potato Tarte Tatin
Photo by David Loftus28/31Portobello Mushroom Wellington
This vegetarian take on beef Wellington is an ideal holiday centerpiece—and the amount of prep involved is holiday-worthy. If you need a pep talk (prep talk?): This may seem like too much work, but remember, the creamy sauce and caramelized onions can be made in advance.
Photograph by: Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Thu Buser29/31Simplest Plum Tarts
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Paola Andrea31/31Zucchini Sausage Rolls
This puff pastry recipe is stuffed with a nearly equal mix of ground meat and vegetables, and is just as welcome as a party appetizer as it is for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
