Puff Pastry Cinnamon Twists (VIDEO)

These super flakey, sweet cinnamony, buttery Puff Pastry Cinnamon Twists are so simple to make and totally delicious! Store-bought puff pastry is brushed with rich butter and then sprinkled with a yummy mixture of cinnamon sugar before being twisted up and popped into the oven to bake. This recipe is the kid-friendly, adult tasty approved, easy peasy homemade sweet treat recipe you've been looking for!

Jump to:

• 💡How to thaw puff pastry (store-bought)?
• 🌟 Why this is the best cinnamon twist recipe
• 📝 Ingredient notes
• 👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe
• 🎓 Expert tips
• 🥣 Equipment Notes
• ❓Cinnamon Twists recipe FAQs
• 🍰 More puff pastry recipes
• Puff Pastry Cinnamon Twists (VIDEO)

💡How to thaw puff pastry (store-bought)?

If you've ever wondered, how to use frozen puff pastry? Frozen puff pastry is a super convenient option and brands like Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry work just as well as homemade puff pastry. However, it needs to be thawed out before it can be used and still be cold. Here are some tips that will help you successfully thaw out puff pastry.

1. To thaw out at room temperature just remove the sheet puff pastry from the packaging. Then allow the sheets to thaw out until they unfold easily. The time it takes can vary but it should not take more than 40 minutes.
2. To thaw the pastry out in the microwave you'll need to watch it carefully. First, remove one sheet of pastry from the packaging and then wrap it in a paper towel. Next, put the sheet into the microwave for 15 seconds on high. Then turn the sheet over and microwave it for another 15 seconds on high. At this point, if it unfolds easily it is done. Yet, if it doesn't, just put it back in the microwave for another 5 seconds on high on each side.

🌟 Why this is the best cinnamon twist recipe

1. Quick and easy – How to make puff pastry cinnamon twists? With this simple 6-ingredient recipe it's super easy. You only need a package of store bought puff pastry and a few basic pantry ingredients. And the cinnamon twist pastry takes just minutes to make and bake, it is one of the easiest puff pastry desserts.
2. Crazy delicious – Made with super flaky buttery puff pastry that is twisted together with a cinnamon sugar mixture, these homemade cinnamon twists are unbelievably good! Your family won't believe you didn't buy them at the bakery.
3. Super versatile recipe – These cinnamon puff pastry twists highlight cinnamon as the star ingredient. However, you can easily use any spices you like such as ginger, cardamon, or nutmeg. You could even use vanilla sugar or add some cocoa powder. You can even make pastry cinnamon rolls just by rolling up the same pastry into a different shape.

📝 Ingredient notes

1. Puff Pastry: Both refrigerated or frozen store-bought puff pastry works perfectly for this recipe and saves time. But I actually made puff pastry and you can too if you like with my easy Rough Puff Pastry recipe.
2. Butter: Always use unsalted butter unless a recipe states otherwise to control the amount of added salt. I myself prefer to use European-style butter with a fat content of 82%.
3. Sugar: Simple granulated white sugar is needed to sweeten the cinnamon pastry twists. However, you could also use cane sugar if you like. To learn more about the different types of sugar and how to use them in baking, please read my sugar guide.
4. Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds a lovely touch of warm spice to the twists and is a star ingredient in this recipe. Yet, feel free to add other warm spices like cardamom, nutmeg, or ginger. Why not also try these Cinnamon Toast Crunch cookies?
5. Egg: One egg is needed to make a simple egg wash, which gives the cinnamon pastry swirls a little bit of shine. Check my egg wash guide for more details.
6. Milk: A splash of milk is needed for the egg wash. Yet, if you don't have any milk on hand, water will work too.

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all Ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe

1. How to twist the puff pastry with cinnamon sugar

If using homemade puff pastry, check my easy rough puff pastry recipe.

1. Mix the ground cinnamon and granulated sugar together in a small bowl
2. Melt the butter in the microwave on low heat and then allow it to cool to room temperature. Hot butter will melt the pastry.
3. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
4. Unfold one sheet of the puff pastry dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Then gently roll a rolling pin over the top of the pastry sheet to seal together any folds.
5. Use a pastry brush to brush the sheet of dough with the melted butter. Then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the butter. Now, fold the top half of the sheet onto the bottom half and then gently press them together.
6. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into 2 cm / 1 inch strips and twist each strip. Then grab the prepared large baking sheet and place twists on the sheet making sure to leave enough space between them so that the dough has plenty of room to puff up. Probably you will fill two baking sheets.

💡 Top Tip: If using frozen puff pastry, thaw it out but make sure it is still cold before you begin. It is impossible to handle warm puff pastry so use the refrigerator wisely, if necessary.

2. How to bake this cinnamon pastry

1. Preheat the oven to 190C / 370F (no fan).
2. Whisk the egg together with a dash of milk in a small bowl to make an egg wash. Then use a pastry brush to apply a light layer of the egg wash on the cinnamon puff pastry swirls. This step is optional but adds a nice finish.
3. Then place the unbaked twists in the fridge or freezer to chill while the oven gets hot.
4. When the oven is heated, bake the tray of twists for about 16 minutes or until they are golden brown on top and the bottom is evenly baked.
5. Allow the baked cinnamon pastry twist to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack.

Serve these cinnamon sugar puff pastry twists immediately or store them at room temperature for up to 3 days.

💡 Top Tip: Keep the second sheet of puff pastry in the fridge while you are making the first tray of twists. This way it stays nice and cold.

🎓 Expert tips

1. Always unfold the pastry sheets on a lightly floured surface or silicone mat so that it doesn't stick to the counter.
2. If the pastry cracks when being unfolded, sprinkle the crack with a bit of water and then press the edges together to seal.
3. The pastry must be cold to work with. If it becomes too warm to handle you need to put it in the fridge or freezer to chill before continuing on with the recipe.
4. Use high-quality 82% fat content European-style unsalted butter for the best flavor.
5. The melted butter must come to room temperature before being applied or it will melt the pastry dough.
6. The twists must chill in the freezer while the oven is preheating. This helps them to maintain their shape.
7. Check the bottom of the pastry before taking the cinnamon twists out of the oven to make sure that they are fully baked.

🥣 Equipment Notes

This easy cinnamon twist recipe requires no fancy equipment!

However, for the best baking experience, you should always use a Digital Scale when measuring ingredients. This holds true for any recipe no matter how simple because it's the only way that you know that you are using the correct ratios. Also, a Digital Oven Thermometer is a super handy tool to double-check your oven temperature. Oftentimes, we don't even realize that our oven being slightly off is the real cause of our baked goods not coming out quite as good.

As for this recipe, it's not absolutely necessary, but a Rolling Pin is really useful to flatten out the puff pastry dough. And a Pastry Brush makes things a little less messy when applying both the melted butter and egg wash.

❓Cinnamon Twists recipe FAQs

🍰 More puff pastry recipes