Simple Puff Pastry Cinnamon Twists
Cinnamon Puff Pastry Twists are a sweet treat, perfect to have with morning coffee or as a quick recipe for a holiday party dessert.
Made with simple ingredients like flaky puff pastry, butter, and cinnamon sugar, it’s an easy recipe that packs in a cozy flavor without a lot of work.
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Using pantry staples and premade puff pastry dough, these Homemade Cinnamon Twists couldn’t be easier! This recipe inspired my puff pastry cinnamon roll recipe and is just as flaky, sweet, and simple. If you’re looking for more delicious cinnamon swirl treats to bake this season, check out my Flaky Cinnamon Pinwheels, or my Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls!
Why You’ll Love This Cinnamon Twists Recipe
- This is a super simple recipe that doesn’t require you to make homemade dough. I use store-bought puff pastry sheets from the freezer aisle of my grocery store.
- Twists are a fun dessert and a total crowd-pleaser
- The combination of buttery flaky pastry and warm cinnamon sugar makes your house smell amazing and super cozy!
- This recipe only takes a couple of minutes to prep and can be made ahead for an easy dessert
Ingredients You Will Need
- Frozen puff pastry dough – I love using the ready-made puff pastry sheets from the grocery store. Make sure to thaw the dough in the fridge before using.
- Unsalted butter – This adds more flavor and richness to the pastry vs. an egg wash.
- White sugar – I love using granulated sugar for the cinnamon sugar filling. I always have it on hand and it doesn’t compete with the butter and cinnamon flavors in these twists.
- Ground cinnamon – For best results, use fresh cinnamon.
Instructions
Make sure your puff pastry sheet is completely thawed but still very cold. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Whisk together and set aside.
Line two sheet pans with parchment paper, and set those aside as well. Preheat the oven to 400°.
Remove one sheet of puff pastry from the fridge and set it on a lightly floured surface. Gently unfold the pastry sheet, so that the long end is running from left to right.
With a rolling pin, lightly roll out your puff pastry into a 10×13″ rectangle, about 1/8″ thick.
Use a pastry brush to coat the entire surface with the melted butter. Next, sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the melted butter.
Use your hand to spread the cinnamon sugar mixture out in an even layer over the pastry, allowing the butter to moisten the sugar in the process.
Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to cut 12 thin strips, from left to right.
Fold the puff pastry strips in half and lightly press the cinnamon sides together to adhere.
Working one at a time, pinch each end of the cinnamon twist so that it’s flat at the end and sealed. Don’t flatten the entire twist, just pinch the ENDS flat.
Now it’s time to twist! Holding each of your pinched ends, twist dough 4-5 times, or until you feel the strip is sufficiently twisted.
TIP: make sure to press the ends of each twist flat to the sheet pan, this will help keep them in place.
Lay the twist on a prepared baking sheet.
Repeat the above steps until all your cinnamon sugar strips are folded, pinched, and twisted. Line up the cinnamon pastry twists 1 1/2-2″ apart on a sheet pan.
Bake in a 400° degree oven for 14-15 minutes until puffed and golden brown. The ends will separate a little, but will keep most of their shape during baking.
Once the twists have cooled, transfer to a serving dish and enjoy.
Pro Tips
After several tests, these are my tips for forming twists that are even, appropriately sized, and won’t come apart during baking.
- Keep the puff pastry cold until ready to use. This will make the pastry easy to work with and the twists will bake up nice and flaky.
- Fold your strips in half, cinnamon sides touching. This will ensure that your twists are appropriately sized, while also making sure there is enough cinnamon mixture in each twist.
- Twist 4-5 times. This will create nice and even twists with a nice pattern of cinnamon and puff pastry. And they’ll look super pretty!
- Flatten the ends of each twist to the pan. Make sure to press the ends of each twist flat to the sheet pan. This helps to keep the twists in place and keep them from unraveling in the oven.
Storing Your Baked Puff Pastry Twists
Leftover cinnamon twists should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Make Ahead Instructions
Yes! You can form your twists the day before you need them and store them in the fridge. When you’re ready to bake, place twists on a parchment paper lined sheet pan and bake at 400° for 14-15 minutes.
Freezing Instructions
Fully baked twists can be stored in a freezer safe bag or airtight container in the freezer for several months. When you’re ready for cinnamon twists, pull out the quantity needed and let thaw at room temperature. I just let my twists thaw right in a freezer bag on the counter for an hour or two.
Variations and Substitutions
- Use dark brown or light brown sugar instead of white sugar. This will give the cinnamon filling a richer flavor.
- Swap the ground cinnamon for apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice.
- Drizzle on a vanilla glaze for extra sweetness. I suggest the pumpkin spice glaze that was used in our Cake Mix Pumpkin Muffin recipe.
- Frozen puff pastry usually comes with 2 sheets per box, you can use both sheets if you’d like, just double the amount of butter, cinnamon, and sugar called for in this recipe and divide it between the two puff pastry sheets. Bake per the recipe instructions.
FAQs
Baked cinnamon twists do not need to be refrigerated. They can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
Yes. Puff pastry needs to be very cold until you’re ready to use. Work with one sheet of dough at a time and keep any unused dough in the fridge until ready to roll. This will make the dough easier to work with and give you flaky and light cinnamon twists.
Absolutely. If you have a favorite homemade or rough puff pastry recipe, definitely use that! I love John Kanell’s homemade puff pastry recipe. His recipe is so easy to make and the pastry is super flaky. I’ve used it to make a savory version of puff pastry twists at Christmas, and they were a hit!
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Pairs Well With
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Cinnamon Puff Pastry Twists
Flaky and buttery puff pastry twists coated in cinnamon and sugar. The perfect to pair with coffee or to be enjoyed as a mid-afternoon treat!
Ingredients
- 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Make sure your puff pastry sheet is completely thawed but still very cold. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
- In a small bowl, add the sugar and cinnamon, and whisk with a fork to combine evenly. Set aside.
- Line two sheet pans with parchment paper, and set those aside as well. Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Remove your puff pastry sheet from the fridge and set on a lightly floured surface. Gently unfold the pastry sheet, so that the long end is running from left to right.
- Use a rolling pin to lightly roll out your puff pastry into a 10x13" rectangle, about 1/8" thick.
- Brush the entire surface with the melted butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Make sure the cinnamon sugar has been absorbed into the butter.
- Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to cut 12 thin strips, from left to right.
- Fold the strips in half, and lightly press the cinnamon sides together to adhere.
- Working one at a time, pinch each end of the cinnamon twist so that it's flat at the end and sealed. Again, don't flatten the entire twist, just pinch the ENDS flat.
- Now it's time to twist! Holding each of your pinched ends, twist your puff pastry 4-5 times, or until you feel the strip is sufficiently twisted.
- Lay the twist on a prepared sheet pan. Press the ends of the dough flat on the sheet pan, this will help to keep the twists in place.
- Repeat the above steps until all your cinnamon sugar strips are folded, pinched, and twisted. Line up the twists 1 1/2-2" apart on a sheet pan.
- Bake in a 400° degree oven for 14-15 minutes until puffed and golden brown. The ends will come unraveled a little but will keep most of their shape during baking.
- Once the twists have cooled, transfer to a serving dish and enjoy.
Notes
You can make these twists a day in advance and store in the fridge before baking. When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 400° and pop your cold twists into the oven. Bake for 14-15 minutes as the recipe states.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 47Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 6mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 0gSugar: 4gProtein: 0g
