By: Oriana Romero/Published: /4 Comments
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This Easy Palmiers recipe, made with just two ingredients, is one of my family’s all-time favorite treats! Perfect for sharing with family and friends during “Cafecito“ time. The recipe includes a how-to video, step-by-step photos, and lots of tips.
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Table of Contents hide
1.Palmiers: The Easiest Treat You Can Ever Make
2.What are Palmiers?
4.Thaw Puff Pastry
5.How to Make Palmier Cookies Step-by-Step
6.Recipe Variations
7.My 5 Top Tips For Working With Puff Pastry
9.Frequently Asked Questions
10.More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love!
11.Recipe Card 📖
Palmiers: The Easiest Treat You Can Ever Make
I can’t tell you how often this Easy Palmiers recipe has saved me when unexpected visitors knock at my door. Palmiers, Elephant Ear Cookies, or Palmeritas as we call them, are really the easiest treat you can ever make.
It’s kind of silly to write out a whole post on these when they’re really so easy to make. However, every time I bring Palmeritas to a party, someone asks me how I made them, so I thought I’d share this recipe.
What are Palmiers?
Palmier are classic french cookies that are made with puff pastry and sugar. Yep…just two ingredients! You can use homemade puff pastry, which I never do, or simplify your life by using the super convenient store-bought version.
I love that they are super customizable, so If you want to be creative, check out my variations section below.
One of the things that I enjoy the most when I make these cookies is that my children can help me. When the cookies come out of the oven, they cannot believe that those cute cookies were made by them. And my daughter LOVES to shape the palmeritas one at a time.
Ingredients You’ll Need, Substitutions & Notes
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions(scroll down).
- Puff Pastry: You can use homemade or store-bought. If using store-bought puff pastry dough, make sure that it’s made with just butter, not shortening or other oils. My favorite is Dufour Pastry Kitchen. If you have dairy restrictions, they even have a puff-pastry dairy-free version.
- Sugar: For this recipe, I like to use a mix is demerara and granulated sugar for extra texture; however, you can totally use only granulated sugar.
Thaw Puff Pastry
The best way to thaw puff pastry is to place it in the refrigerator overnight. If you forgot to do it and are short on time, you can also place it on the counter to thaw for about 30 minutes. Once the pastry is bendable but still cool, it’s ready to use.
How to Make Palmier Cookies Step-by-Step
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions(scroll down).
- Unfold the Puff Pastry
Pour ¼ cup of the sugar onto a flat surface. Unfold a sheet of puff pastry onto the sugar.
- Top with Sugar
Pour ¼ cup of the sugar mixture on top, spreading it evenly on the puff pastry. With your hands or a rolling pin, press down the dough until the sugar is pressed into the puff pastry on top and bottom.
- Roll
Starting from one of the long edges, roll the pastry up tightly to the center, then repeat from the other side. Repeat with the other puff pastry sheet.
- Cut
Cut the pastry roll into 3/8-inch slices. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Freeze for 15 – 20 minutes.
- Bake
Meanwhile, the Palmiers are in the freezer preheat oven to 400º F (200º C).
Bake the cookies for 6 – 8 minutes until caramelized and brown on the bottom, then turn with a spatula and bake another 3 to 5 minutes until caramelized on the other side. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.
Recipe Variations
I love that that recipe is super versatile! You can spruce them up with spices and dried fruits. Or you can also skip the sugar altogether and make savory palmiers. These are some of my favorites flavors:
Sweet: You can add chopped nuts, dried fruit, lemon or orange zest, and/or spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, etc. But my all-time favorite combination is what I call, easy baklava, with chopped pistachios and a generous drizzle of honey.
Savory: Make them salty by adding salt and black pepper, pesto, or shredded Parmesan cheese.
My 5 Top Tips For Working With Puff Pastry
Keep the dough in the freezer until ready to use.
Thaw your frozen puff pastry in the fridge overnight.
If you see any cracks or holes, use your fingers to squeeze the pastry back together gently.
Puff pastry is kind of delicate, so do NOT roll out too hard, or it won’t puff as much. To prevent sticking, roll the puff pastry out on a lightly floured surface using a lightly floured rolling pin.
Chill the pastry again before baking to help the butter re-solidify and get an even better result.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
Store: Palmiers are best eaten the day they’re baked if you have some leftovers store them for a day or two in an airtight container at room temperature.
Freeze: You can only freeze unbaked palmiers. To do so, form and cut as instructed in the recipe. Then place them on a baking sheet and freeze until hard, about 30 minutes. And then, transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 2 months. When ready to eat them, bake them from frozen, do not need to thaw them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best store-bought puff pastry?
My favorite is Dufour Pastry Kitchen. When buying pre-made puff pastry dough, make sure it’s made with just butter, not shortening or other oils.
Can I make a savory version?
Absolutely! This recipe is super versatile. See the “Variations” section to get some ideas.
Can I freeze-baked palmiers?
No, I don’t recommend freezing baked palmiers because they will become quite soggy.
Is there such a thing as dairy-free puff pastry?
Yes! My favorite is Dufour Pastry Kitchen. Their puff-pastry dairy-free version can be found at Whole Foods or online at Amazon.
More Cookie Recipes You’ll Love!
- Easy Eggless Soft Sugar Cookies
- The Best Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies [Video]
- Eggless Snickerdoodle Cookies
- Browse more recipes…
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Recipe Card 📖
Easy Palmiers Recipe (Palmeritas or Elephant Ear Cookies)
Oriana Romero
This Easy Palmiers recipe, made with just 2 ingredients, is one of my family’s all-time favorite treats! Perfect to share with family and friends during “Cafecito“ time.
4 from 9 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Servings 32 cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar (see notes)
- ½ cup (100 g) demerara sugar
- 14 – 17 oz (500 g) puff pastry, defrosted (about 2 sheets)
Instructions
Thaw the Puff Pastry:
First, you need to thaw the puff pastry. The best way to thaw puff pastry is to place it in the refrigerator overnight. If you forgot to do it and are short on time, you can also place it on the counter to thaw for about 30 minutes. Once the pastry is bendable but still cool, it's ready to use.
Make the Cookies:
If using a mix of sugars, combine sugars in a small bowl.
Pour ¼ cup of the sugar onto a flat surface.
Unfold a puff pastry sheet onto the sugar.
Pour ¼ cup of the sugar mixture on top, spreading it evenly on the puff pastry. With your hands or a rolling pin, press down the dough until the sugar is pressed into the puff pastry on top and bottom.
Starting from one of the long edges, roll the pastry up tightly to the center, then repeat from the other side. Repeat with the other puff pastry sheet.
Cut the pastry roll into 3/8-inch slices. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Freeze for 15 – 20 minutes.
Bake:
Meanwhile, the Palmiers are in the freezer, preheat oven to 400º F (200º C).
Bake the cookies for 6 – 8 minutes until caramelized and brown on the bottom, then turn with a spatula and bake another 3 to 5 minutes until caramelized on the other side. Remove from the oven and transfer to a colling rack to cool.
Video
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Oriana’s Notes
Sugar: I love to mix a few different sugars together to make this recipe. My favorite mix is demerara and granulated sugar, but you can use only granulated sugar if that is what you have handy.
Thaw Puff Pastry: The best way to thaw puff pastry is to place it in the refrigerator overnight. If you forgot to do it and are short on time, you can also place it on the counter to thaw for about 30 minutes. Once the pastry is bendable but still cool, it’s ready to use.
Store: Palmiers are best eaten the day they’re baked if you have some leftovers store them for a day or two in an airtight container at room temperature.
Freeze: You can only freeze unbaked palmiers. To do so, form and cut as instructed in the recipe. Then place them on a baking sheet and freeze until hard, about 30 minutes. And then, transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 2 months. When ready to eat them, bake them from frozen; you do not need to thaw them.
My 5 Top Tips for Working With Puff Pastry
- Keep the dough in the freezer until ready to use.
- Thaw your frozen puff pastry in the fridge overnight.
- If you see any cracks or holes, use your fingers to squeeze the pastry back together gently.
- Puff pastry is kind of delicate, so do NOT roll out too hard, or it won’t puff as much. To prevent sticking, roll the puff pastry out on a lightly floured surface using a lightly floured rolling pin.
- Chill the pastry again before baking to help the butter re-solidify and get an even better result.
If you’re making this recipe, please read the whole post content to get lots of tips, tricks, variations, frequently asked questions, and step-by-step photos.
★Did you make this recipe? Please don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Please note that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary depending on the products used.
Nutrition
Calories: 108kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 38mgPotassium: 9mgSugar: 6gCalcium: 2mgIron: 0.4mg
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Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Calories 108
Keyword cookies puff pastry
This recipe was originally published in September 2018. The recipe remains the same, but more notes, tips, photos, and information have been added to the post in December 2022 to make it as helpful as possible!
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