Puff Pastry Cinnamon Twists
Puff pastry cinnamon twists are crispy, airy, crunchy little snacks covered in coarse sugar spiked with cinnamon or even better Pumpkin Pie Spice, Chai Spice Blend or Apple Pie Spice. It only takes 5 minutes to get these little treats in the oven, and they are a great way to use up leftover bits of puff pastry. You need these in your life!
| Taste | Texture | ||
| Buttery, cinnamon spice | Flaky, crunchy |
| Active time | Total time | Yield | Difficulty |
| 5 minutes | 25 minutes | 12 twists | Easy |
Puff Pastry Cinnamon Twists Are:
When You Should Make These Cinnamon Twists
- You have leftover pastry: If you’ve made anything with puff pastry and you have any amount of extra pastry leftover.
- You want a coffee shop treat for less: These seriously look fancy enough to be in a bakery but they’re fall off the log easy and actually really cheap to make vs. a coffee shop price.
- You need a quick appetizer or snack: Put out a jar of these for friends, and you have an almost instant treat to go with coffee. Next to a Plum Cake, I can’t think of anything nicer for afternoon coffee.
Why Homemade Puff Pastry is Best (You Can Do It!)
I know I just told you you can make these cinnamon twists in 5 minutes, but you do need to have the pastry on hand, thawed out and ready to go.
Frozen puff pastry, as convenient as it is is per pound 3-4 times or more expensive than homemade. My friends, you can buy straight bougie European butter made from the cream of cows who feast on veritable ambrosia, and you’ll still be money ahead. Plus, homemade will always give you the best flavor with NO cheap or fake ingredients or even acids. Sometimes brands will add lemon juice or vinegar to the pastry as a tenderizing agent. That’s fine, except you can taste it, and it’s not good.
In a recipe like this with so few ingredients, the quality of every single one matters in the final taste.
I promise, making Homemade Puff Pastry is not as hard as you think, and it’s fun too!
Ingredients for Puff Pastry Cinnamon Twists
- Puff pastry (preferably homemade puff pastry, or frozen)
- Sugar, preferably coarse sugar like turbinado
- Ground cinnamon (optional): I added in chai spice blend, but pumpkin pie spice, or apple pie spice are also delicious.
Equipment for Puff Pastry Cinnamon Twists
- Rolling pin : use a solid one that’s comfortable in your hands. The French will tell you that the ones with tapered ends give you the best results, but that’s nonsense. Use what feels good for you. A tool is only as good as the person using it.
- Parchment : There’s likely enough butter in these to keep them from sticking to the pan. Still, lining your sheet tray with a piece of parchment will give you peace of mind.
- Pizza wheel : for cutting the pastry in the cleanest, fastest way possible.
How to Make Puff Pastry Cinnamon Twists
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set out the puff pastry from the fridge for 5-10 minutes–just long enough for it to be easy to roll but still cold.
- Roll: Sprinkle a work surface lightly with flour. Roll out cold puff pastry into a rectangle a little less than 1/8″ thick. It’s perfectly okay if your pastry sheet has uneven edges.
- Cut: Use your pizza wheel to cut the pastry into strips, about 1″ wide along the long edge of the pastry. Cut these pieces then in half.
- Sprinkle: Mix the turbinado sugar with cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice, chai spice blend, or apple pie spice). Sprinkle the top of the pastry liberally with the cinnamon sugar.
- Twist: Hold on to the end of a piece of the pastry with both hands and then twist your hands in the opposite direction so that the pastry forms a twist. Place the twist on the prepared baking sheet and then twist the other pieces of pastry.
- Bake: Bake the twists until the pastry is crisp and golden, about 15-20 minutes.
Tips for Making the Best Cinnamon Twists with Puff Pastry
- Work Cold: Puff pastry consists of many many layers of butter enclosed in a plain dough. If the pastry gets too warm, the butter will leak out, making your twists not quite as flaky and generally make a mess. If you need to thaw your dough, do so overnight in the fridge. Work with it The microwave is not your friend here! If you ever feel like the dough is getting too warm (it will start to stretch if it is), pop it in the freezer for a couple minutes before continuing.
- Be Generous with the Sugar: Make sure to sprinkle the sugar all over the tops of the pastry. That crunch is delightful!
- Don’t Worry if They’re Not Perfect: Any weird ragged edges will puff up into beautiful twists almost no matter what you do. There’s no need to get out a ruler or trim off any scraggly ends.
More Things to Make with Puff Pastry
Puff Pastry Cinnamon Twists
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 twists 1x
Description
These twists are a delight of textures: buttery, crunchy, airy, crisp with cinnamon sugar goodness that only takes about 5 minutes of active work to get one of the tastiest treats that looks extra fancy. Only you will know how easy they were!
Ingredients
- 1 pound puff pastry (preferably Homemde Puff Pastry or frozen, thawed overnight in the fridge)
- 2 Tablespoons turbinado sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, chai spice blend, or apple pie spice
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C).
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Set out the puff pastry from the fridge for 5-10 minutes–just long enough for it to be easy to roll but still cold.
Roll the Puff Pastry
- Sprinkle a work surface lightly with flour.
- Roll out cold puff pastry into a rectangle a little less than 1/8″ thick.
- It’s perfectly okay if your pastry sheet has uneven edges.
Cut the Pastry
- Use a pizza wheel to cut the pastry into strips, about 1″ wide along the long edge of the pastry.
- Cut these pieces in half.
Sprinkle
- Mix the turbinado sugar with cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice, chai spice blend, or apple pie spice). Sprinkle the top of the pastry liberally with the cinnamon sugar.
Twist
- Hold on to the end of a piece of the pastry with both hands and then twist your hands in the opposite direction so that the pastry forms a twist.
- Place the twist on the prepared baking sheet and then twist the other pieces of pastry.
Bake
- Bake the twists until the pastry is crisp and golden, about 15-20 minutes.
Storing
- Serve the twists in a jar, stored vertically. Twists can be kept in an airtight container for up to one week.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
