This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
TIS THE SEASON for puff pastry dessert — the easiest way to get the flaky restaurant awesomeness at home. Dessert using puff pastry is some kind of wonderful, isn’t it? I keep adding to this list of puff pastry holiday dessert because it’s just so easy to use your favorite fillings and make something with that crispy snap.
Puff pastry dessert is the cheat code for crisp, rich treats that use a handful of ingredients but still come out bakery-perfect. From turnovers to tarts, I think you’ll be happy with how good these come out for you.
8 Easy Puff Pastry Desserts
1. Easy Apple Danish
This is an open-faced treat made with store-bought puff pastry and canned apple pie filling (or make your own if you have lots of apples to use up). You get 12 danishes from this recipe, so if it’s a special brunch, you may want to double the amounts.
WANT TO SAVE THIS?
Don't lose this! Enter your email and we'll send it instantly.
2. Easy Apple Turnovers with Puff Pastry
These apple turnovers use a simple can of apple pie filling, a shortcut version of a bakery classic. Add a simple glaze after they cool and you have a brunch classic ready to go.
3. Apple Rose Tarts
These pretty party desserts are easy, albeit a little time consuming until you get the hang of rolling pastry dough up with apple slices. But it all gets tucked into muffin cups and each comes out golden and awe-inspiring.
4. Pumpkin Hand Pies with Puff Pastry
When baked, the puff pastry turns crisp and golden, the layers separating just enough to cradle the spiced pumpkin filling. The mixture of pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice thickens in the oven, perfuming the kitchen with warm cinnamon and clove.
5. Cherry Danishes
As the puff pastry bakes, the scored edges rise into golden walls while the center stays level, holding a soft layer of sweetened cream cheese. The contrast is striking: crisp, buttery layers yielding to a tangy-smooth filling.
6. Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Danishes
This recipe makes a dozen chocolate chip cream cheese danishes, the shortcut version of a coffee shop classic: puff pastries with scored borders that rise and bake up golden, a lightly sweet vanilla cream cheese filling, with a smattering of mini semi-sweet chips that soften but keep their shape.
7. Lemon Pastries with Puff Pastry and Cream Cheese
These lemon pastries bake up with a crisp-tender puff pastry crust and a center that settles into soft, rich cream cheese filling. The edges rise and bronze in the oven, while the lemon curd warms just enough to loosen into a glossy layer that sits bright and sharp against the sweet filling.
8. Easy Mixed Berry Pastries
These mixed berry pastries became my secret weapon when I need an impressive dessert without the fuss. Fresh berries nestled in buttery, flaky puff pastry create individual treats that look like they came from a fancy bakery, but take just 20 minutes of prep!
The bottom line
Can you make your own puff pastry? Yes, but why. Quick puff pastry dessert is as easy as the box of Pepperidge Farm you can find in the grocery store freezer. Quick tip though: The date on the end is the expiration for FROZEN puff pastry. It won’t keep in your fridge thawed for more than a few days. I should have taken a picture of how I learned this the hard way.
