45+ Quick & Delicious Puff Pastry Desserts That Require Zero Effort

My guide to the best sweet puff pastry desserts contains the most delicious desserts with trustworthy recipes and tutorials on how you can make them yourself.

This collection of recipes was first posted on the blog in 2023. Puff pastry offers endless dessert possibilities, and I’ve been updating this article regularly with new recipes to keep my readers inspired!

Jump to:

• Katalin´s Key Take On Why Puff Pastry Is One Of The Best Base to Make Desserts
• The best sweet puff pastry dessert recipes
• 1. Cream cheese puff pastry danish
• 2. Chocolate puff pastry
• 3. Pear puff pastry tarts
• 4. Apple roses with puff pastry
• 5. Nutella puff pastry Christmas tree
• 6. Mille Feuille
• 7. Palmiers
• 8. Cinnamon twists
• 9. Nutella twists
• 10. Napoleon cake
• 11. Apple turnovers
• 12. Pumpkin turnovers
• 13. Tarte Tatin
• 14. Almond croissants
• 15. Raspberry lemon tartlets
• 16. Puff pastry cannoli cones
• 17. Cranberry Apple Danish
• 18. Spiced wine and plum tarte Tatin
• 19. Galaxy puff pastry donuts
• 20. Poached pear puff pastry dessert
• 21. Brown Butter and Salted Maple Pecan Sticky Buns
• 22. Strawberry cardamom mascarpone tartlets
• 23. Butterfinger pumpkin stuffed donuts
• 24. Halfway homemade cinnamon sugar cruffins
• 25. Cinnamon sugar chocolate cream horns
• 26. Raspberry cream cheese pastries
• 27. Puff pastry berries and cream wreath
• 28. Chocolate almond braided Danish
• 29. Puff pastry peach galette
• 30. Lemon cream cheese puff pastry braid
• 31. Blood Orange And Ricotta Puff Pastry Tarts
• 32. Easy Cherry Puff Pastry Tart
• 33. Fig And Pear Puff Pastry Turnover With Fresh Honeycomb
• 34. Puff Pastry Cherry Strudel
• 35. Nutella and Pecan Puff Pastry Swirls
• 36. S'mores Puff Pastry Tart
• 37. Puff Pastry Chocolate Pecan Palmiers
• 38. Chocolate Stuffed Puff Pastry Braid
• 39. Upside Down Peach Puff Pastry
• 40. Gorgeous Ginger Pear Tart 
• 41. German Cinnamon Rolls
• 42. Quesitos (Puerto Rican Cream Cheese Pastries)
• 43. Matcha Cruffins
• 44. Apple Puff Pastry
• 45. Puff Pastry Apple Pie
• 46. Cream Cheese Cherry Danish with Puff Pastry
• As a bonus, this is how you can make puff pastry at home:
• 45+ Quick & Delicious Puff Pastry Desserts That Require Zero Effort

Puff pastry is characterized by its flaky layers, which are made from folding dough around a butter block several times. It is a French delicacy and tastes like buttery heaven. Whether you use homemade traditional French puff pastry from scratch, rough puff pastry, or (store) bought puff pastry; there are many desserts to make with puff pastry.

Katalin´s Key Take On Why Puff Pastry Is One Of The Best Base to Make Desserts

There are a few reasons why I recommend making puff pastry desserts at any level.

First, puff pastry is easily accessible, whether fresh or frozen, and it's an affordable ingredient for baking.

Next, the possibilities are endless. Puff pastry can be used to create everything from twists and Tarte Tatin to Mille Feuille, Napoleon cake, pies, turnovers and so on.

Finally, puff pastry allows you to create patisserie-style desserts in just 30 minutes. Whether it’s fruits, cream cheese, vanilla pudding, or chocolate, puff pastry pairs beautifully with them all—and that’s why we love it!

The best sweet puff pastry dessert recipes

1. Cream cheese puff pastry danish

This easy cream cheese puff pastry Danish tart recipe is a fantastic way to turn sheets of store-bought puff pastry into pretty little pastries. With layers of flaky pastry, cream cheese, and vibrant fresh berries, they are perfect for a simple family breakfast or part of a brunch spread.

2. Chocolate puff pastry

Perfect for chocolate lovers, this super simple chocolate puff pastry recipe rolls decadent chocolate chips into store-bought puff pastry to create a melt-in-your-mouth sweet treat. You can serve this chocolate pastry for breakfast, brunch, or as dessert with a scoop of ice cream.

3. Pear puff pastry tarts

These pretty pear puff pastry tarts may look like they came out of a professional bakery, but they are incredibly easy to make and unbelievably delicious! Crafted from fresh, tender pears arranged atop flaky puff pastry, this recipe only requires 6 basic ingredients and a mere 15 minutes of prep time, making it the perfect quick and easy dessert.

4. Apple roses with puff pastry

These apple roses made with puff pastry aren't just visually impressive, but they are scrumptious too. Crafted with just a few simple ingredients, all you need to make this picture-perfect dessert is some fresh apples, cinnamon, sugar, and puff pastry. That's it!

Apple roses come together in just about an hour and are perfect for dinner parties, date nights, Mother's Day, and Valentine's Day!

5. Nutella puff pastry Christmas tree

For chocolate hazelnut lovers, this Nutella puff pastry Christmas tree is the ultimate holiday dessert! Its flaky puff pastry and creamy Nutella intertwined and baked before being dusted with some sweet powdered sugar to finish. This dessert is beautiful, delicious, and fun to make.

Whether you serve it for breakfast with a cup of coffee or as a dessert with creamy ice cream, your family will fall in love!

6. Mille Feuille

This is one of my favorite puff pastry recipes; sweet and delicious. Whilst we normally aim for a beautiful rise with puff pastry, it is weighed down during baking to prevent this from happening in Mille Feuille. The compacted pastry becomes deliciously crisp and is then stacked into a tower held in place with vanilla pastry cream (crème Pâtissière) and decorated with powdered sugar, fresh fruit, or chocolate.

7. Palmiers

Sweet and sugary palmiers are such an easy and crisp puff pastry recipe. They contain just two ingredients, and if you use store-bought puff pastry - take just 40 minutes! Serve palmiers with a cup of coffee; it's one of the quickest easy dessert pastry recipes. The ideal choice of sweet puff pastry recipes for beginner bakers.

8. Cinnamon twists

Cinnamon twists make an easy dessert appetizer to share around and enjoy with coffee. Puff pastry is brushed with rich butter and then sprinkled with fragrant cinnamon sugar before being twisted up and baked in the oven. Don't miss their crunchy, spiced warmth!

9. Nutella twists

Nutella is a pantry staple you can use in so many delicious desserts. Puff pastry desserts with Nutella are unbelievably easy to make, too; consequently, I eat them a lot! Puff pastry twists are kid-friendly yet simultaneously adult-taste-approved. You'll love them.

10. Napoleon cake

Make a statement with Napolean cake made with sweet puff pastry and layers of silky pastry cream. Guests will love being served such an impressive-looking dessert and then subsequently be amazed at how good it tastes!

11. Apple turnovers

Flaky puff pastry with warm apple pie filling inside? Sign me up. Turnovers are a fruity puff pastry recipe that anyone can make. Create your own personal apple pie with puff pastry that you can serve on its own or with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.

These are the best apple desserts with puff pastry!

12. Pumpkin turnovers

Pumpkin season is not complete without a puff pastry turnover. Crisp and flaky on the outside and deliciously sweet and creamy on the inside, these warm pumpkin treats are super easy to make.

13. Tarte Tatin

Tarte Tatin is one of the most famous French puff pastry tarts invented by the Tatin sisters back in the 1880s. Sticky caramelized apples make these puff pastry tarts sweet, perched on a buttery puff pastry base so that they ooze an utterly irresistible sticky sweet sauce. Whilst this puff pastry apple tart might seem complicated, it is actually simpler to make than you think.

Tatins are the most fancy puff pastry desserts with apples!

14. Almond croissants

Puff pastry almond croissants are a more advanced take on puff pastry desserts, as you must make a yeasted dough that is laminated with the butter block and proofed before baking. But how could I not include these delicious-looking croissants? The nutty, creamy filling and crunchy flaked almond topping are too good to miss.

15. Raspberry lemon tartlets

Make mini puff pastry desserts as a party appetizer. Lemon curd is folded into freshly whipped cream for a light but tangy filling encased in a sweet puff pastry cup and finally topped with a fresh raspberry. Who doesn't love a mini puff pastry tart! They are so cute and pretty and the perfect bite-size treat!

16. Puff pastry cannoli cones

A genius shortcut for an otherwise pretty complex recipe. Buttery puff pastry cannoli cones stuffed with decadently creamy sweet ricotta filling are much easier to make than you think if using a rough puff or store-bought puff pastry! The pistachio crunch topping is out of this world.

17. Cranberry Apple Danish

Undoubtedly one of the best ways to use up leftover cranberry sauce - make cranberry and apple Danish pastry! This easy recipe comes together in minutes if you already have puff pastry to hand. A tart yet sweet pastry recipe that's easy enough for busy cooks at Thanksgiving or Christmas.

18. Spiced wine and plum tarte Tatin

Variations on tarte Tatin are always a good puff pastry idea at any time of year. Dark and moody purple plums baked on flaky homemade puff pastry and glazed with aromatic cinnamon and vanilla spiced wine syrup? Seriously, this is elegant dessert territory.

19. Galaxy puff pastry donuts

Aren't these just the cutest? Faux donuts made with frozen puff pastry dough are super fast, super cute, and super tasty. I'd serve them as mini puff pastry desserts for kid's parties, and the chocolate glazing and sprinkles make them even more fun and delectable.

20. Poached pear puff pastry dessert

Even friends who claim to dislike fruit will surely love this puff pastry dessert. Pears poached in sweet vanilla cinnamon liquid are then baked in a flakey puff pastry crust. The softness of the pears contrasts with flaky puff pastry and tastes absolutely divine, served warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

21. Brown Butter and Salted Maple Pecan Sticky Buns

Sticky puff pastry buns with pecans, maple, and brown butter? Do I even need to say anything else? You'll love this variation if you love brown sugar puff pastry cinnamon rolls. The sticky maple sauce is something else paired with buttery puff pastry rolls and crunchy pecans. I'd serve this sweet puff pastry dessert for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

22. Strawberry cardamom mascarpone tartlets

Aromatic cardamom lends a sophisticated edge to this easy puff pastry tartlet recipe. Meanwhile, creamy mascarpone and crunchy pistachios finish the texture jackpot, and ripe strawberries deliver the most amazing fruity flavor. I'd serve these sweet puff pastry appetizers in the summertime.

23. Butterfinger pumpkin stuffed donuts

Are you looking for ways to use canned pumpkin? Try these pumpkin stuffed donuts; they'll certainly use it in a delicious new way. Furthermore, they are topped with a sticky, sweet chocolate glaze; you won't be able to get enough.

24. Halfway homemade cinnamon sugar cruffins

The sweetest, warmest cruffins recipe made from puff pastry! While you might think cruffins are a challenge too far, this recipe uses puff pastry for a cheat version yet still achieves a similarly delicious effect.

25. Cinnamon sugar chocolate cream horns

Cream horns are a must! A crispy puff pastry exterior coated with cinnamon sugar, chocolate ganache, and chocolate whipped cream interior. Without a doubt, puff pastry horns are a dessert to make.

26. Raspberry cream cheese pastries

Smooth cream cheese filling gives a tangy cheesecake taste to these puff pastry desserts. A twist on a cream cheese Danish, the texture is almost like cream puffs with a sweet fruity flavor. This is surely becoming one of my favorite easy puff pastry desserts with cream cheese.

27. Puff pastry berries and cream wreath

Now, this is certainly a showstopper. Flaky puff pastry layers with a simple and easy cream filling before being garnished with your favorite fresh berries. A perfect flavor and texture combination and a real statement dessert. Perhaps you could serve it after a summer lunch party, so long as you made enough for seconds.

28. Chocolate almond braided Danish

Gooey, warm chocolate, crunchy flaked almonds, and buttery puff pastry? Where do we sign? You could serve this as a sweet breakfast recipe or as a puff pastry dessert. Certainly, I can imagine how good it must smell baking in the oven.

29. Puff pastry peach galette

A galette is undoubtedly one of the easiest pastry desserts to make. Regardless, it is also one of the most delicious, and a puff pastry galette is a personal favorite of mine. Serve this peach galette with puff pastry in summer with ripe and juicy stone fruit, and elevate it even further with a scoop of ice cream.

30. Lemon cream cheese puff pastry braid

Citrus zing, tangy cream cheese, and flaky puff pastry unite in this dream dessert recipe, a fruity twist on a cream cheese Danish. Full of creamy lemon curd and lighter flavors, this is an ideal Spring dessert and works wonderfully well for brunch.

31. Blood Orange And Ricotta Puff Pastry Tarts

Cute and dainty puff pastry tarts filled with ricotta and tangy blood orange are the simple puff pastry dessert you must make. They’re so quick and easy to put together yet incredibly delicious. I never compromise on taste!

32. Easy Cherry Puff Pastry Tart

Need a recipe for sweet, ripe cherries? Make this easy tart. It takes minutes to put together, but it looks and tastes incredible. Serve topped with whipped cream, ice cream, or custard.

33. Fig And Pear Puff Pastry Turnover With Fresh Honeycomb

How beautiful are these little fig, pear, and honeycomb puff pastry turnovers! While they might look fancy, they are much easier to make than you think. The fig and honeycomb is the perfect sweet combination, and it all sits in a flaky puff pastry case.

34. Puff Pastry Cherry Strudel

Serve up a slice of this cherry pastry strudel still warm from the oven and wait for the compliments to roll in! Especially with a scoop of ice cream. The flaky puff pastry is stuffed with fresh, tart cherries and it makes the perfect fruity dessert.

35. Nutella and Pecan Puff Pastry Swirls

Use store bought puff pastry to make these swirls and they'll be ready in no time! Spread the sheet of puff pastry with Nutella and chopped pecans, roll it up, slice, and bake. Then, simply sprinkle with powdered sugar for a delicious, fancy treat!

36. S'mores Puff Pastry Tart

Get that campfire feeling but with an elegant French edge by making a puff pastry S'mores tart! Flaky pastry, gooey marshmallow, and oozing chocolate. What's not to love?

37. Puff Pastry Chocolate Pecan Palmiers

Give palmiers an upgrade by adding gooey chocolate and crunchy, earthy pecans. Palmiers are one of the fasted puff pastry desserts to make; you will never regret them!

38. Chocolate Stuffed Puff Pastry Braid

A neat braided piece of puff pastry never fails to impress, but it's very simple to do! Try this chocolate stuffed version for a universal crowd pleaser. Fresh strawberries, a sprig of mint, and some dusted powdered sugar elevate it to new heights.

39. Upside Down Peach Puff Pastry

Sticky, sweet, and crunchy, I know you'll love this dessert. It takes the viral upside down pastry recipe and turns it into a seasonal summertime treat featuring flaky puff pastry, sweet honey, creamy ricotta.

40. Gorgeous Ginger Pear Tart 

Have you ever tried pear and ginger together? It's a match made in heaven. The hit of spice works so well against sweet, juicy pears, and I love how the thin slices are arranged on the puff pastry tart base.

41. German Cinnamon Rolls

Franzbrötchen, German cinnamon roll, is a sweet cinnamon sugar-filled pastry roll native to Hamburg, Germany. Think of it as the lovechild of a croissant and a cinnamon bun. Traditionally, it’s made using a laminated pastry dough (called Plunderteig in German), but we’re taking a shortcut using store-bought puff pastry…because…it’s easier. 

42. Quesitos (Puerto Rican Cream Cheese Pastries)

Translated, quesitos mean little cheese. They are a famous pastry in Puerto Rico. They are made from puff pastry dough wrapped around a sweetened cream cheese filling. The pastries are baked and brushed with a simple sugar glaze. Once you feel confident in baking these questions, think about adding other fillings along with the cream cheese.

43. Matcha Cruffins

Cruffins are a portmanteau of a "croissant" and a "muffin." These easy matcha cruffins are truly easy to make at home. They feature flaky puff pastry coated in sugar and matcha powder, filled with a rich and luscious matcha milk jam. Flaky, sweet, earthy, and creamy—the combination of these textures is sublime! 

44. Apple Puff Pastry

An old-fashioned charmer similar to apple pie, this apple puff pastry recipe is a lightened-up version of a classic American dessert! It’s beyond easy to make, a real crowd-pleaser, and makes for the perfect fall and holiday dessert! Perfect for apple season, this recipe is one of the best ways to use up any extra apples you have lying around!

45. Puff Pastry Apple Pie

This easy puff pastry apple pie has a buttery, crisp, and flaky puff pastry crust filled with perfectly cooked soft, juicy, and spicy apples. It is the perfect dessert for a cold winter day, along with a dollop of homemade vanilla custard and/or a scoop of ice cream. The apple filling is flavored with butter and warm spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg.

46. Cream Cheese Cherry Danish with Puff Pastry

This cream cheese cherry Danish with puff pastry is a surprisingly simple and impressive homemade treat! It has golden brown, flaky puff pastry dough filled with an almond-flavored sweet cream cheese mixture and cherry filling, and the sweet pastry gets topped with sliced almonds and almond glaze.

As a bonus, this is how you can make puff pastry at home:

Learning how to make traditional puff pastry might seem daunting, and it is true that you need to follow exact instructions and practice to get it right. But it is certainly a valuable skill to learn. In a word, there is nothing quite like classic homemade puff pastry! My tutorial covers everything you need to know and gives you all my tried and tested tips.

Easy rough puff pastry is a quicker, easier way to make puff pastry that is just as buttery and delicious but less complex and time-consuming. Rough puff pastry cuts a few corners but tastes just as good! I recommend learning to make rough puff pastry for more simple puff pastry desserts when a full classic pastry is not required.