Puff pastry cinnamon twists are a fun dessert that pairs well with coffee or tea. They're sweet, buttery, and cinnamon-y, and come together quickly with the use of frozen puff pastry dough.
Puff pastry dough is a staple in my freezer. It is easy to work with, thaws in just 30 minutes, and makes baking at home a breeze!
These puff pastry cinnamon twists are no exception. They're fun, whimsical, and surprisingly easy to make. Puff pastry is sliced into thin strips, coated in brown sugar and cinnamon, then twisted up before baking.
They taste like a flaky cinnamon roll without the icing. What's not to love? Serve puff pastry twists with a cup of coffee or tea - they're great for brunch or your next tea party.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Puff pastry - You'll need one sheet for this recipe. Puff pastry can be found in the freezer section of your local grocery store. If you happen to have homemade puff pastry on hand, you're welcome to use that instead.
- Melted butter - Unsalted or salted butter will work in this recipe.
- Brown sugar - Can be substituted with granulated sugar if needed, but brown sugar work best and adds a nice caramelized flavor.
- Cinnamon - Ground cinnamon adds cinnamon flavor to your puff pastry twists. This could be substituted with something like pumpkin pie spice or a chai spice blend if you're looking to mix things up.
Twisting your puff pastry
I tested this recipe multiple times before coming up with the best twisted pastry. What I found is that long, thin pastry strips work best. Shorter and/or thicker pastry does not hold a twist.
I slice my puff pastry into 12 thin strips, but I bet you could go even thinner if you want to give it a try. A wider cut will unravel completely in the oven. A half length twist also unravels in the oven.
Your twists will unravel slightly as they puff up in the oven.
Another tip - twist the cinnamon side inside, leaving the plain pastry on the outside of the twist. If you're having trouble, start by twisting the puff pastry around your finger.
Serving cinnamon twists
Serve your cinnamon twists with coffee, tea, or as a fun appetizer at your next party! They make a cute handheld treat for brunch, a children's tea party, birthday party, or baby shower.
Puff pastry twists can be served warm or at room temperature, and are best enjoyed the same day. They can be prepared several hours ahead of an event or party.
Puff Pastry Cinnamon Twists
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Unfold puff pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface. Roll gently with a rolling pin to remove creases. Using a pastry brush, brush melted butter over the entire surface of the puff pastry.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and ground cinnamon. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over dough and pat gently to adhere with butter.
- With a sharp knife (or pizza cutter), slice pastry sheet from top to bottom into 12 thin strips. Twist each strip about five or six times around, with the cinnamon layer facing inward (if you're having trouble, try starting the twist around your finger to get the plain side facing out).
- Place twists 2 inches apart on two parchment lined baking sheets (they will spread and untwist slightly when baking). Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Serve cinnamon twists warm or at room temperature.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- One sheet of puff pastry should be sliced into 12 thin strips (or more). Thicker strips, or shorter strips (like cutting a twist in half) will unravel completely when baked in the oven.
- Puff pastry is best enjoyed the same day, but will keep for up to two days in a tightly sealed container at room temperature.
This recipe appealed to me because it took just a few ingredients and a few minutes to put together. No matter how I twisted the strips, however, the cinnamon sugar was always on the outside. So I folded each strip in half lengthwise, hiding the sugar, then twisted it. The twists were shorter, and just as delicious.
Good recipe, but the bake time was very off for me. My oven tends to run hot, and even set to 400, my twists needed about 25 minutes total. They were still raw at 15. But once finally baked they were very good!