These crunchy puff pastry cinnamon twists are as delicious for breakfast as they are for dessert. Best of all, they're made with just 7 ingredients, including my homemade espresso glaze!
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Flaky, Buttery, Cinnamon Sugar Twists in Just 20 Minutes
I'll be the first to admit that I'm a sucker for puff pastry. Sure, I love to bake from scratch, but being able to make a pastry that looks and tastes like it came from a European café (but in reality took less than half an hour) is basically my love language. And the thing I love most about these puff pastry cinnamon twists is that they feel fancy like an elevated cinnamon roll, but only require 6 ingredients! And just like my puff pastry chocolate twists, I love dunking them into coffee with breakfast & crumbling them over vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Each puff pastry cinnamon stick is filled with a mixture of brown sugar + granulated sugar so they're perfectly sweetened & irresistibly crunchy. And to balance that sweetness, I love drizzling my homemade espresso glaze on top. But feel free to leave yours plain or add a dusting of powdered sugar instead.
Ingredients Needed: brown sugar, granulated sugar, puff pastry, cinnamon, powdered sugar, milk, and espresso powder.
Let's Bake Some Pastries Together!
For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient quantities, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1. Mix the sugars & cinnamon.
2. Roll out the puff pastry sheets.
3. Spread the cinnamon sugar over one sheet of puff pastry.
5. Twist the strips of pastry and arrange on a baking sheet.
4. Place the second sheet on top and cut into 1-inch strips.
6. Bake until golden then drizzle with optional espresso glaze.
Tips to Make Your Twists Bakery-Worthy
- To avoid the cinnamon sugar pastries from unraveling, I try to twist mine uniformly along the entire length of the dough, which is easiest when you start from the middle and twist outwards towards the edges.
- I usually let my frozen puff pastry dough thaw in the fridge overnight, then sit out on the counter for about 5 to 10 minutes. This allows it to be pliable enough to roll & twist, but not too warm and sticky.
- I recommend twisting your pastries on your counter or a different sheet of parchment paper than what you'll bake them on, to avoid any spilled sugar from burning in the oven.
Puff Pastry Cinnamon Twists with Espresso Glaze
Equipment
Ingredients
Puff Pastry Twists
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- ¼ cup brown sugar (55 grams)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 package puff pastry (17.3 ounces, thawed in the fridge)
Espresso Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted (120 grams)
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 2 Tablespoons milk, divided (15 grams)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unfold the two sheets of the thawed, cold puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to gently roll them out until the folds and any tears are sealed together. They should each be roughly 32 cm x 26 cm.
- Sprinkle the sugar + cinnamon mixture evenly on one sheet of puff pastry. Place the second sheet of puff pastry on top.
- Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to slice the sandwiched puff pastry into 1-inch strips widthwise (parallel to the short edges).
- With the first puff pastry strip, start from the middle and twist it several times to form an even spiral along the entire length of it. Repeat with the remaining strips, and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the twists are golden and flaky.
- While the puff pastry twists bake, mix the powdered sugar, espresso powder, and one tablespoon of milk in a small bowl until it's smooth. If the glaze is too thick to drizzle, mix in one teaspoon of milk at a time to thin it out. Allow the pastries to cool for a few minutes, then drizzle the glaze on top.
Notes
- Storing: To prevent them from getting soggy, I allow the pastries to cool completely then store them in a paper bag.
- Reheating: I avoid the microwave & reheat my twists in the oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes to keep them crispy.
- Topping: The glaze is optional, but I think it adds a rich flavor to balance the sweetness of the pastries. You could leave it out, or make a glaze with other flavors like vanilla or citrus, or even cream cheese glaze - yum!
- Espresso Powder: I don't recommend substituting ground coffee which has a less concentrated flavor & won't dissolve as well into your glaze.
I'm eggcited to hear from you :)