If you're craving a delicious treat that is quick, easy, and made with simple ingredients you likely already have at home, these Cinnamon Puff Pastry Twists are perfect! With flaky, buttery pastry, cinnamon sugar, and a sweet drizzle of icing, these twists come together in just a few minutes. They are a great crowd-pleaser and an ideal snack to whip up in a pinch. I always keep puff pastry in the freezer for moments like this—trust me, you should too!
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If you like puff pastry sweets, you should try my mini puff pastry pear tartlets, the galette des rois or the Cuban pastelitos de guayaba.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Only 4 simple ingredients: Chances are, you have everything you need in your kitchen already!
- Really quick: An easy recipe for a perfect impromptu treat for your afternoon snack.
- Totally delicious: Everyone loves these sweet, cinnamon-y twists!
- Perfect for kids: Get your little ones involved in the kitchen—they’ll love twisting the dough!
Ingredients & Variations
This quick recipe keeps things simple with just a handful of pantry staples! You'll need:
- Puff pastry: which you can find in the freezer section—just remember to thaw it before using
- Butter: I used salted butter but unsalted butter works too
- Granulated sugar and ground cinnamon create that classic sweet and spiced flavour. Brown sugar would work too
- For the icing, a quick mix of icing sugar and milk gives these twists the perfect finishing touch for a sticky mess.
Other ideas to adapt according to what you have or your taste:
- Canadian twist – Swap the icing for a simple maple syrup glaze by mixing icing sugar, maple syrup, and a little milk.
- Chocolate Lovers – Drizzle with melted chocolate instead of icing for a decadent twist.
- Nutty Crunch – Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts on the cinnamon-sugar before layering the second pastry sheet.
- Spiced Up – Add a pinch of nutmeg, cardamom, or pumpkin spice to the cinnamon-sugar mix for extra warmth, it will taste like Christmas.
📖 Instructions
First, take your puff pastry dough out of the freezer and let it thaw on the counter for a couple of hours, or overnight in the fridge. Once soft to the touch, it’s ready to use. Preheat oven to 400°F.
Next, brush with butter: Unroll the puff pastry sheet on parchment paper or a lightly floured surface if you feel the need (and if the dough is sticky). Melt the butter and use a pastry brush to evenly coat the dough. In a small bowl, mix the white sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the pastry spread with melted butter. Then, unroll the second pastry sheet and place it on top, creating a sandwich with the cinnamon sugar in the middle (picture 1).
Then, using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, slice the pastry into half-inch long strips. Twist each thin strip a few times and place them on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper (picture 2). Sprinkle cinnamon sugar if you have any left.
Lastly, bake in the hot oven for 14–15 minutes, or until the twists are golden brown and puffed up.
Tip: You can brush with an egg wash for a shiny and an even more flaky puff pastry.
The final touch: While the twists are baking, make the icing by mixing powdered sugar with a few tablespoons of milk. Stir until smooth. Once the cinnamon pastry twists are slightly cooled, drizzle the icing over them and enjoy!
💭 Recipe FAQs
Once completely cooled, store them in an air-tight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days if they last that long!
Yes! If you love making homemade dough, go for it! Christina from Dessert for Two has a great 15-minute puff pastry recipe otherwise a store-bought puff pastry is just fine.
If it becomes too soft, pop it into the fridge for 30 minutes before handling.
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📖 Cinnamon Puff Pastry Twists
Equipment
- Pizza cutter
Ingredients
Cinnamon Twists
- 2 sheets puff pastry (10" x 11") size vary slightly depending on the brand
- 2 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 and ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Icing
- ⅓ cup icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
Cinnamon Twists
- Take your puff pastry dough out of the freezer and let it thaw out for a couple of hours on the counter or overnight in the fridge.
- Pre-heat the oven to 400F.
- Unroll one pastry sheet on parchment paper.
- In a small ramekin, melt the butter - 15 seconds in the microwave will suffice - and using a baking brush, brush the butter on all the dough.
- In a bowl, mix the sugar and the cinnamon, sprinkle generously the sugar mixture on the puff pastry. You can now unroll the 2nd pastry and place it on top of the other one covering the cinnamon sugar.
- Using a pizza cutter or a knife, cut into strips about half an inch thick. Twist each strip and place them on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Icing
- In a small bowl, combine some icing sugar and a couple of tablespoon of milk, stir well until combine. This is your icing to drizzle on your sugar twists!
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Store in an air-tight container up to 3-4 days and drizzle with icing sugar just before serving.
- If you forgot your puff pastry on the counter and it is too soft, Put it in the fridge for 30 minutes and use a little bit of flour to dust to handle it if needed.
Nutrition
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Doris says
Do you put the left over puff pastry back in freezer or do you use it all.
Mélanie says
Hi Doris, No I would recommend using up all the puff pastry.
You can not put it back in the freezer.
Claudia Lamascolo says
I just love puff pastry and cinnamon these twists would be so addicting and I would eat every one of them! great recipe!
Gloria says
What a fun and delicious idea for Thanksgiving brunch. I know these will be a hit with my guests.
Natalie says
What a great idea. I always make these with different seeds but adding a sweet cinnamony twist is brilliant. I'm making this for sure.
Julie says
These were so perfect for my brunch! Everyone loved them and they disappeared off the buffet. Such a yummy recipe.
Dana says
Making these are so easy, even my kids can help.
Tatiana says
You can get so creative with the puff pastry dough. Really loved this cute cinnamon twists!