For a flaky buttery sweet treat, these puff pastry cinnamon twists are so amazing. All you need is 4 ingredients to transform frozen puff pastry into a cinnamon sugar delight. If you love cinnamon toast or churros, these twists will be hard to resist.
Cinnamon sugar twisted inside puff pastries with cinnamon sugar are pretty little treats. They are so fun to eat and irresistibly dunkable. Grab a glass of cold milk or your favorite hot drink - dunk, dip, & devour!
Puff pastry filled with cinnamon & brown sugar is wonderful to eat any time of year. I tend to enjoy them more in the cold weather months since they are so good with a hot beverage.
These are wonderful for breakfast with coffee or tea. In the summer I love these with my favorite Philz copycat Iced Mint Mojito Coffee. Or enjoy some homemade hot chocolate made with chocolate chips & have the ultimate dessert.
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Ingredients
This simple yet fancy recipe for cinnamon twists uses frozen puff pastry sheets. These are great to have as a staple in your freezer since they are so easy to work with and versatile for sweet or savory recipes.
The only other ingredients you need for this 4-ingredient dessert recipe are a few items you likely always have on hand. Grab some salted butter from the refrigerator. Then the filling is sweet & spiced with a combination of ground cinnamon and brown sugar.
- Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets
- Salted Butter
- Cinnamon
- Brown Sugar
See the recipe card for quantities.
Defrost the Puff Pastry
Thaw the puff pastry per the package instructions. It takes about 45 minutes at room temperature. You want to make sure it is soft and pliable so it will roll and cut easily without breaking or falling apart.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Here are the step-by-step instructions to assemble, layer, twist, & bake this puff pastry recipe.
This recipe comes together in a few minutes so once you start it is so quick & easy. First, grab the kitchen equipment needed to make this recipe. I like to begin by making sure I have everything I need ready to go and within arms reach.
Next, grab the other items you will need. To roll, prep, and cut the puff pastry you will need a rolling pin, pastry brush, and pizza cutter. Once everything is ready, it is time to get prepping.
Carefully unfold the puff pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface. You want the surface to have the long edge be top & bottom. I like to use rice flour on a cutting board. Rice flour has no gluten and will not stick to your dough. It is my go-to when baking, rolling dough, kneading sourdough, dusting pans, etc.
The short edges should be the sides. (see image below). Roll gently with a rolling pin to remove the fold creases. You want it a bit thinner than it comes as packaged but not much. You really are just smoothing it out, not rolling it out thinner.
Layer on the Filling
Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush the melted butter over the entire surface of the puff pastry. Make sure you get the edges and corners.
Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the buttered puff pastry surface. Make sure to get it everywhere. It will make a mess but that is ok. Gently pat down on the mixture so it will stick as best it can to the pastry.
Cutting & Twisting the Puff Pastry
Now that the puff pastry is covered with the cinnamon sugar combination, it is time for the final two steps. All that is left is to cut it into strips and then twist each strip.
With a pizza cutter (or sharp knife), slice the pastry sheet into 12 thin strips. You will go from top to bottom along the pastry sheet working your way from side to side.
Baking Math! The puff pastry sheet will be about 24-26cm wide across. (depending on how much you rolled it) To get 12 strips of equal size you will want to make each one about 2cm wide.
Twist each strip six times so that the cinnamon layer faces inward. I like to do this by holding one end down and twisting the other until it will be almost tight enough very little of the cinnamon mixture shows. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
Repeat with each twist until you have 6 on a baking sheet or two baking sheets of all 12 ready. Space them out 2" apart as they will spread and you do not want them to stick together.
Hint: After twisting each strip, place it on the prepared baking sheet. If the twist tries to unravel, gently press each end down onto the baking sheet so it sticks a bit.
How Long to Bake
Thin layers of puff pastry do not take long to bake. Make sure you do not overbake since they can dry out easily.
Bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven once they are puffed up and golden brown.
Let them cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing them. Using a spatula carefully remove these from the baking sheet to a platter. Enjoy!
Substitutions & Variations
This simple recipe can be made in a few different ways. If you have a food allergy or lifestyle diet that you want to know if this recipe fits it, here is all you need to know. With a few changes, this recipe can be even more versatile with some alternative ingredients or substitutes.
- Vegan- instead of butter, you can use vegan products or margarine
- Puff Pastry - use a gluten-free puff pastry like those made by GeeFree or Schar.
This recipe uses Pepperidge Farms puff pastry sheets which are vegan. So the butter swap ensures this is a vegan cinnamon twist recipe.
Equipment
Kitchen tools to help make this recipe are shared below. Having the right equipment ensures this recipe is quick & easy to make. The pizza cutter and rolling pins are needed to roll and cut the puff pastry. I highly recommend these quality products for your home kitchen.
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Storing & Reheating Information
These puff pastry twists are best enjoyed fresh and warm straight from the oven. If you do have leftovers, store them in an air-tight container or ziplock bag. Store them in a cool dry place like the kitchen counter or pantry. They will be good for 1-2 days after baking.
To reheat cinnamon twists, I suggest brushing on a bit of melted butter to the tops. This will help add some moisture back into the puff pastry. Then place them in a 300° warm oven or toaster oven for a few minutes. Do not overheat or they will dry out.
Top tip
These are best when enjoyed hot out of the oven. Only bake enough for what you will eat immediately. You can make ½ a sheet of puff pastry but cut one in half. Puff pastry can be refrigerated for 1-2 days and used later. Make only 6 twists this way.
Or bake 2 sheets and make 2 dozen twists. If you are having these for Christmas morning or a family brunch, baking cinnamon twists for a crowd is so easy.
Puff Pastry Cinnamon Twists
Equipment
- baking sheet
- Rolling Pin
- Pastry Brush
- Pizza Cutter
- parchment paper or foil & cookie spray
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
- 3 tablespoons salted butter melted
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Thaw the puff pastry per the package instructions. It takes about 45 minutes at room temperature. You want to make sure it is soft and pliable so it will roll and cut easily without breaking or falling apart.
- Preheat oven to 400°.Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
- Carefully unfold the puff pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface. You want the surface to have the long edge be top & bottom. The short edges should be the sides. (see image above)Roll gently with a rolling pin to remove the fold creases. You want it a bit thinner than it comes as packaged but not much. You really are just smoothing it out, not rolling it out.
- Using a pastry brush, brush the melted butter over the entire surface of the puff pastry.
- Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the buttered puff pastry surface. Gently pat down on the mixture so it will stick as best it can to the pastry.
- With a pizza cutter (or sharp knife), slice the pastry sheet into 12 thin strips. You will go from top to bottom along the pastry sheet working your way from left to right. Baking Math! The puff pastry sheet will be about 24-26cm wide across. (depending on how much you rolled it) To get 12 strips of equal size you will want to make each one about 2cm wide.
- Twist each strip six times so that the cinnamon layer facing inward. I like to do this by holding one end down and twisting the other until it will be almost tight enough very little of the cinnamon mixture shows.
- After twisting each strip, place it on the prepared baking sheet. If the twist tries to unravel, gently press each end down onto the baking sheet so it sticks a bit.
- Repeat with each twist until you have 6 on a baking sheet or two baking sheets of all 12 ready. Space them out 2" apart as they will spread and you do not want them to stick together.
- Bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven once they are puffed up and golden brown.
- Let them cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing them. Using a spatula carefully remove these from the baking sheet to a platter. Enjoy
Notes
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 12 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 152 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 10.8g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat 2.9g | 15% |
| Cholesterol 8mg | 3% |
| Sodium 73mg | 3% |
| Total Carbohydrate 12.8g | 5% |
| Dietary Fiber 0.6g | 2% |
| Total Sugars 3.1g | |
| Protein 1.6g | |
| Vitamin D 2mcg | 10% |
| Calcium 11mg | 1% |
| Iron 1mg | 3% |
| Potassium 20mg | 0% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
Jessica says
I added a dash of ginger too. It was by accident when I grabbed the wrong container. It was just a bit before I realized it wasn’t the cinnamon. It turned out good, pinch of ginger highly recommend.
Angela says
I love happy accidents. That sounds intriguing for sure and something ginger lovers would enjoy.