21 Recipes To Make With A Box Of Puff Pastry

Puff pastry is the classic dough used to make flaky, ethereal desserts like croissants and Danish. Making puff pastry from scratch requires meticulous technique, temperature control, folding to create flaky layers, and lots of time. Fortunately for those of us who don't have the time or the skill, you don't have to make puff pastry from scratch because pre-made frozen versions exist. And there's no need to feel guilty about taking this shortcut: Even high-end eateries save time with frozen puff pastry. Find it in grocery store freezers or see if your local bakery sells its own puff pastry. The frozen dough thaws fast, is easy to use, and bakes up flaky and light.

You may want to keep a box or two of frozen puff pastry in your freezer at all times as this shortcut ingredient makes it easy to create desserts, dinners, and appetizers in a flash. We've gathered up our best Puff Pastry Recipes, so many tasty possibilities for you to try. The dishes range from simple, 3-ingredient apple pastries for snack or breakfast to Gordon Ramsay's elegant, pastry-covered beef Wellington. Make puffy tacos or sausage rolls for game day grazing or pastry-topped pot pies for family dinner. 

Once you start playing with puff pastry, you won't want to stop — and with over 20 Mashed Puff Pastry Recipes, you won't have to. 

When you think of 30-minute meals, homemade chicken pot pie may not immediately come to mind. That's why this recipe is so exciting and one you should definitely add to your weeknight meal rotation. The chicken stew comes together fast thanks to rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken and frozen veggies. Instead of enclosing it in a pie crust and waiting for a lengthy bake, bowls of stew are topped with baked squares of flaky, golden brown puff pastry. 

Recipe: 30-Minute Chicken Pot Pie

This appetizer is a perfect reason to keep a box of puff pastry in the freezer, and throw a package of mild sausage in there, too. That way, whether for a party, unexpected guests, or to give your family a fun snack, you can easily put together these savory sausage rolls. They bake up in 20 minutes, and the recipe makes 36 little rolls. Serve them warm with ketchup, spicy mustard, chutney, or hot sauce. 

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Sausage Rolls

This is a fun and tasty project for novice bakers or to make with your kids. Thaw out some puff pastry sheets and turn them into little pockets holding a filling of diced apples. Bake them up and they're ready to eat. There are so many ways you can tweak this recipe to make it your own: Use your favorite apple varieties and toss them in brown or granulated sugar. Add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom. Dried fruit like raisins or currants would be delicious mixed with the apples. The recipe makes four turnovers. 

Recipe: Apple Turnovers

A favorite British dish made by one of our favorite British chefs! Gordon Ramsay's Beef Wellington consists of filet mignon, prosciutto, and mushroom duxelles wrapped in puff pastry and baked to perfection. It's a succulent and gorgeous entrée to make for special occasions or just to show off your culinary skills to your family. Our twist on Ramsay's recipe turns the large roast into individual portions, each wrapped in pastry. 

Recipe: Gordon Ramsay's Beef Wellington

Sliced into squares, an asparagus tart can be served as a pre-dinner appetizer or to enjoy with brunch. Frozen puff pastry forms the base and herby Boursin cheese gives the tart lots of flavor. Since the veggie is the star of this recipe, choose the best asparagus you can find. Pick firm spears that are green-colored or have a hint of purple. The recipe yields nine pieces. 

Recipe: Asparagus Tart

For anyone who loves a savory start to the day, they'll love these puff pastry breakfast treats. The pastry squares are topped with scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage, bacon, and shredded cheese, then baked until golden brown and melted. Add other toppings too, like diced onions, diced peppers, and salsa. You can also swap out the meats for plant-based bacon or sausage. They're easy enough to bake on the morning you want them, and you can also make them in advance to reheat. 

Recipe: Breakfast Hand Pies

How beautiful are these pastries? They look like they belong in the window of a French patisserie, and yet you can totally make them at home. Frozen puff pastry is the secret ingredient: Instead of making it from scratch, just thaw and roll out the premade pastry sheets. Our recipe details how to make a simple vanilla custard to pipe between the baked pastry rectangles. They're finished with white and chocolate icing. You'll have eight, perfect mille feuille pastries.

Recipe: Shortcut Mille Feuille

Tarte Tatin is an upside-down fruit dessert, made by baking apples and sugar under a pastry crust, then flipping it over to reveal the caramelized fruit. Try this iconic French dish in miniature-form, with our individual tarte Tatins. Use frozen puff pastry as a shortcut crust to top the apples in a small, silicone tart mold. Serve the tarts with whipped cream, ice cream, or a drizzle of salted caramel. 

Recipe: Mini Apple Tarte Tatins

We showed you how to top individual bowls of pot pie with puff pastry — now we'll show you how to make a family-sized pot pie using that same, short-cut ingredient. This recipe features savory, smoky ham in a rich gravy with peas, corn, and carrots. Thawed puff pastry seals that filling inside a pie dish, and once in the oven becomes a browned and flaky top crust. From start to finish, the pie takes only 40 minutes.

Recipe: Ham Pot Pie

Think of these pastries as a major upgrade from Pop-Tarts. They're topped with fresh apples and spices and are flaky and light after baking. You only need three ingredients to make them, including a box of frozen puff pastry. Whether you make the pastries to bring to a friend's house or with your kids' help as an after-school snack, it's a versatile recipe to keep on hand. 

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Apple Cinnamon Pastries

With taco-seasoned ground beef and shredded cheese, this might sound like just another taco recipe. However, puff pastry transforms this filling into a fun dinner for your family, or into a party appetizer that will be the first to be devoured. Just fill squares of puff pastry with meat, cheese, and other toppings like salsa or diced peppers. Bake them until the cheese is melted and the pastry is light and crisp.

Recipe: Cheesy Puffy Tacos

A galette is a type of simple pie made on a flat pan. The filling is arranged in the center of rolled-out dough, then the dough edges are folded up around it. This recipe makes a galette-type dessert using frozen puff pastry instead of pie dough, and canned or fresh plums with a hint of cinnamon are nestled in the center. You can't find an easier pie to make from scratch than this one.

Recipe: Rustic Plum Pie

Here's another British classic you can make with a box of puff pastry. The filling in this pie includes sliced chuck steak and lamb kidneys, along with beef stock and a little mustard. This stew-like filling needs time to simmer, so it's a great recipe to make for weekend dinners or special occasions. Topped with puff pastry, it bakes up into a stunning, savory supper pie. 

Recipe: Steak And Kidney Pie

Capture the indulgent flavor of a favorite dip in these little pastry bites. To make them grab a cupcake pan and a box of frozen puff pastry. Squares of dough hold a blend of spinach, artichokes, cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese. You can have a whole pan of them ready for your guests in only 35 minutes. Make them as an appetizer or snack to share at work, at brunch, or for game nights. 

Recipe: Spinach Artichoke Bites

The chicken pot pie at KFC has the classic filling of chicken and gravy with veggies like carrots and peas. What makes them such a fan favorite is that the chain captures those flavors in a miniature pie that's perfect for one hungry person. Use puff pastry to recreate them at home — incredibly, you can have six mini chicken pot pies ready for dinner in less than an hour. The assembled pies can even be frozen to have on hand for future meals. 

Recipe: Copycat KFC Chicken Pot Pie

Dehydrating tomatoes makes them sweeter with an intensified flavor. Jars of sundried tomatoes in oil are easy to find at the store, in the same aisle as Italian ingredients like pasta and tomato sauce. Pick some up along with a box to puff pastry to make this easy and flavorful tart. It takes just 20 minutes to bake, and slices are delicious with soups, alongside salads, and even as an appetizer.  

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Tomato Tart

Caramel-coated apples on a stick are one of the best treats to get when the fair comes to town — but how can you get your caramel apple fix the rest of the year? This recipe does the trick and has the added bonus of being easy to make. Diced tart apples are simmered until soft with brown sugar and spices. There's no stick, but the flaky, browned, puff pastry pockets are just as easy to eat. Don't forget a generous drizzle of caramel sauce.

Recipe: Caramel Apple Turnovers

Egg in a hole or gashouse eggs is a classic breakfast treat where eggs are baked or fried in a hole cut into a slice of bread. This puff pastry recipe is a fun and really delicious twist on that dish. Instead of making a hole in bread, cut out holes in the middle of baked puff pastry squares. Crack in your egg, add cheese, and bake until done. 

Recipe: 3-Ingredient Savory Breakfast Puffs

This easy recipe consists of a puff pastry base topped with a blend of spinach, cottage cheese, and eggs. Sliced into squares, this tart is great for your work lunch or as a side with soup or dinner. Like puff pastry, it's smart to keep frozen spinach on hand to make recipes like this one any time. Recipe developer Kristen Carli notes that it's important to squeeze out all the water from thawed spinach so the tart won't get soggy while baking. 

Recipe: Spinach And Cottage Cheese Pie

We've seen that puff pastry is great for making shortcut chicken pot pies. However, you can also use it to top an old-fashioned chicken pot pie with a filling you won't mind spending a little more time creating from scratch. This recipe includes sliced mushrooms, onions, celery, and carrots in the filling. Use chicken stock to make the seasoned gravy, which comes together in about 10 minutes. An egg wash brushed over the puff pastry gives the crust a gorgeous, deep brown color after baking. 

Recipe: Chicken Pot Pie

In France, these chocolate-filled pastries are known as pain au chocolat, and in some areas as chocolatine. In the U.S. they're simply chocolate croissants, a favorite to enjoy at local bakeries with coffee or tea. When the craving strikes and a trip to a bakery isn't possible, make your own, easy version at home with frozen puff pastry. Our recipe uses dark chocolate chips, but you can also chop solid dark chocolate. The croissants are fun to make and bake up in 30 minutes. 

Recipe: Chocolate Croissants