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Delightful layers of flaky pastry balance airy texture with a satisfying crunch in these simple, buttery Palmier Cookies. These are hands-down one of my favorite sweet treats. It is also one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever made. Coincidence? Probably not!
When I’m looking for desserts, I have to admit that I tend to prefer sweets that are light and refreshing. I mean, I can appreciate a decadent chocolate dessert as much as the next girl. But there are definitely days that I’m looking for something more like my lemon posset. And, these palmiers satisfy my sweet tooth like nothing else.
Palmier Cookies
I couldn’t stop grinning when I first sat down to write about these flaky, sweet, French cookies. I adored them so much, I made a batch of them for my birthday in lieu of a cake a few years ago. And, my feelings haven’t changed!
If that doesn’t say a lot about how much I enjoy these flaky, slightly crunchy, palmier cookies, I don’t know what will. Not only are these the simplest cookies I have ever made, but from the very first bite, they became one of my very favorite treats.
I made these as a special treat for my French students. They loved them, and I loved how easy they were to put together! Merci
Ingredients and Substitutions
Puff Pastry – This recipe for palmier cookies is designed to work with frozen puff pastry. I actually prefer it over homemade versions of puff pastry that I’ve tried.
Sugar – I use just enough refined sugar to give these cookies the perfect sweetness.
Recipe Tip
- Rolling pin – once you’ve used a quality French rolling pin, you’ll understand my love for this one. It’s truly amazing what a difference it makes when rolling out doughs and pie crusts.
- Sharp knife or pizza cutter
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Cooling rack
How to Make Palmier Cookies
Letting the Pastry Rest: You’ll want to let the puff pastry rest on the counter for about 30 minutes. It should unfold easily.
Preheating the Oven: I preheat the over to 400°F when I am ready to begin working with the dough.
Sprinkling the Sugar: Sprinkle half of the sugar onto the workspace, then unfold the puff pastry on top of it. Then, I scatter the rest of the sugar evenly across the top of the dough.
Rolling it Out: Using a rolling pin, I gently roll and even out the dough.
Rolling it Up: Roll the outside edges of the pastry sheet up and toward the center, keeping the rolls tight. I use gentle pressure during this process to help the pastry keep its shape.
Chilling Out: I pop the rolled puff pastry onto a parchment-lined sheet and then let it chill in the fridge for about an hour.
Slicing the Cookies: Once the dough has firmed up, transfer it to a cutting board. Then, you’ll slice it into 1/2-inch wide cookies.
Baking: I lay the cookies flat on the parchment paper lined baking sheet, giving them plenty of space. Press down on each cookie to flatten them. Then, just pop them into the preheated oven for 12 minutes, until they are all a light golden brown.
Serving: I transfer the cookies from the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool.
Expert Tip
Puff pastry can be intimidating for a lot of bakers, but don’t worry! It’s really not that hard to work with. Just make sure to give it plenty of time to thaw. If it starts to crack when you unroll it, give it another 5 minutes. Then, just roll back over the cracked dough with your pin and it will come back together as good as new.
Roll Gently – When you’re rolling out the dough, do not press down too heavily. We’re not trying to stretch the dough out. Only trying to make it uniform and wake it up a bit so that it becomes more pliable. Rolling the dough with a heavy hand is likely to give you uneven layers.
Don’t Rush the Chill – Once you’ve got it rolled how you want it, make sure that the dough gets thoroughly chilled in the fridge before trying to slice it. Otherwise, the pressure of the knife will end up flattening your beautiful palmier cookies.
Watch the Oven – These cookies will go from golden to badly burnt very quickly. My oven takes about 12 minutes for the pastry to develop the perfect, golden-brown edges. But, keep a close eye on your oven as the time starts to get close!
Serving Suggestions
Is there anything better than crisp, buttery palmiers paired with a warm and cozy drink? I adore these cookies with a homemade chai latte. And, you simply can’t go wrong with a London fog. I know, I know. The scandal. English tea and a French cookie? But, it works!
If you’re hosting some friends and want something a little more indulgent, may I suggest pairing these cookies with a hot buttered rum? It brings out a slightly different side of these cookies, and I’m not complaining!
Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead: Yes, these cookies can be made ahead!
How to Store: These cookies keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for several days.
Frequently Asked Questions
If your pastry dough starts cracking as you try to unfold it, it likely hasn’t been resting at room temperature for long enough. Just let the pastry thaw for another five before continuing with this palmiers recipe.
You want the dough to be tightly curled to achieve the distinctive look of this cookie. But, you do not need to press the dough hard at any point to achieve this goal. Gentle pressure and a steady hand will do the trick!
Did you skip chilling the dough? It really needs to firm up in the fridge to be sliced without getting flattened. The only other possible reason for this would be an exceedingly dull knife.
How To Make Palmiers
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
Instructions
- Let the puff pastry rest on the counter for about 30 minutes, it should unfold easily. Sprinkle your work surface with 1/4 cup of sugar. Unfold the pastry and place it over the sugar. Sprinkle the top with another 1/4 cup of sugar. Use a rolling pin to lightly roll and smooth the dough a bit.
- Roll the shorter side of the dough in towards the middle, attempting to make it as snug as possible. Now roll the other side in towards the middle. Once the two sides have been rolled to the center, press them together lightly and place the rolled tube of dough on a parchment lined baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the rolled dough from the refrigerator and place on a cutting surface. Slice the cookies approximately 1/2-inch in width and place them a few inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Press down on the little rolls of cookie dough before baking.
- Bake for 12 minutes, until the edges of each cookie are a light golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely and then store in an airtight container. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 9/11/15 – recipe notes and photos updated 3/26/26
Palmiers are one of my all time favorite treats that I can't find anywhere (now that we live near no where… lol) I had no idea they were so easy to make. This is dangerous! That texture is just dreamy!! Now that sugar looks big, is it really just normal?
I know, right?! That's just plain white granulated sugar. It always impresses me the way it stands out on the puff pastry.
I love everything about these pretty cookies!
I made these just recently and they were awesome! I made a Nutella version too – delish! Thanks, Mary!
I adore palmiers! I actually like mine a little overcooked because it carmelizes the sugar more and that's my favorite part. I'm just drooling over these!
I recently made these for my husband. He was so impressed. I always add cinnamon too.
Looks great and soveasy
Thank you for sharing
Just made my first batch and encountered a few
Problems was hoping someone could help??? First batch I had difficult time getting cookies off of paper so second batch I did no paper and had even more difficult time getting cookies off the pan??? Am I doing something wrong?? Any suggestions I would appreciate it!!
I’m sure that they would be delicious with a little cinnamon sprinkled on them!
Sigh, I was really excited to finally have a recipe for these. I followed the directions to the letter and they were DRY, not flavorful and spread out on the pan.
Now I wish I would have followed my original and used the puffed pastry to make something else.
I can’t even imagine what went wrong here. The recipe has two ingredients and it’s always worked flawlessly for me, and for everyone else who makes them. I honestly can’t even imagine anything that would cause store bought puff pastry to spread out on the pan. That’s truly bizarre. I’m sorry for your frustration, but there had to be another contributing factor. Puff pastry as a rule, simply doesn’t act that way.
My son is a coeliac. Could you use gluten free pastry?
Yes, if you have GF puff pastry, it will work fine. Happy baking!
Very nice and crispy. Easy to make and nice to serve w/ tea or coffee.
These look great! Does one sheet of puff pastry yield 18 cookies? I noticed that you mentioned that you put 9 on each sheet so that is the yield I came to but wanted to know directly from you. Thanks
Looks GREAT. FOR SURE I’LL MAKE THEM
Thanks for the helpful video! I’ve been wondering how to bake palmiers without the puff pastry puffing too much in the oven. Rolling and Pressing down before baking will help keep the pastry down. thank you!
I couldn’t get the sugar to stick on the pastry. Sugar was inside from where I rolled it up but the sugar the pastry was sitting on stayed on my countertop even though I patted the dough down. The Palmiers still turned out ok but not very sweet. Maybe if I brushed the outside with a little butter??
Palmiers aren’t typically a very sweet cookie. If you’d like them a little sweeter, you can sprinkle the tops with a bit more sugar right before baking. I wouldn’t recommend adding butter, as it might make them greasy.
Hi Mary,
Love making these palmiers. So easy. My granddaughter and I made them together! She’s 8! They are absolutely delicious! Everyone loves them. I’ve made them at least 4 times! Have you ever used cinnamon sugar instead of just white sugar?
Marguerite
They’re delicious with cinnamon sugar as well, Marguerite! I’m so happy you’re enjoying the palmiers.
Made today, really easy but not many made it into the container lol
I’m familiar with that myself, Karla. I’m glad you liked them!
EZ & the Gkids love them
I’m happy to hear that, Nancy!