How to Make French Palmiers

Palmiers recipe

The Spruce / Debbie Wolfe

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 30 mins

When one thinks of palmiers, the delightfully sweet, flaky cookies also known as elephant ears come to mind. These Palmiers are all of that and more. You can whip up this palmiers recipe ultra-fast, so they're perfect treats for last-minute gatherings or an untamed sweet tooth.

The palmiers are not unlike the flaky texture of a croissant but are in fact made with puff pastry. Though making puff is not so difficult, there are oodles of ready-made pastries out there and often it is quicker and easier (and puff pastry needs to be handled carefully so as not to flatten it), often it is easier to buy.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/2 pound puff pastry (or 1 sheet store-bought)
  • 1 egg, beaten

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Palmiers cookies
    The Spruce / Debbie Wolfe 
  2. Preheat an oven to 400 F.

  3. Stir together the sugar and melted butter until they form a paste.

    Butter
    The Spruce / Debbie Wolfe
  4. Roll the pastry dough into a large rectangle, about 15-inches by 12-inches.

    Roll pastry dough
    The Spruce / Debbie Wolfe
  5. Using a pastry brush or spoon, spread the sugar paste in a thin, even layer over the dough.

    Use pastry brush
    The Spruce / Debbie Wolfe
  6. Starting at the long ends of the rectangle, loosely roll each side inward until they meet in the middle. To hold difficult pastry together, brush it with the egg if needed.

    Loosely roll each side
    The Spruce / Debbie Wolfe
  7. Slice the pastry crosswise into 1/4-inch palmiers – they’ll look like little scrolls — and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

    Slice pastry crosswise
    The Spruce / Debbie Wolfe
  8. Bake them for 12 to 15 minutes, until they puff and turn golden brown.

    Bake them
    The Spruce / Debbie Wolfe
  9. Remove them from the baking sheet and serve warm or at room temperature.

    Remove Palmiers
    The Spruce / Debbie Wolfe

Recipe Variations

Add a spice like cinnamon or nutmeg to the sugar paste, for a more nuanced flavor.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
64 Calories
4g Fat
6g Carbs
1g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 64
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 10mg 3%
Sodium 22mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Protein 1g
Calcium 3mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)