Apple Butter Puff Pastry Twists
Said it before and I’ll say it again: apples are a summer fruit (at least predominantly), though they’re often associated with fall flavors. These apple butter puff pastry twists are the perfect blend of that crisp summer produce with all the cozy fall vibes.
One of the simplest dessert hacks for a quick treat: store-bought puff pastry. While you can absolutely make your own puff pastry from scratch, sometimes we just can’t be bothered, amiright?
For this, I did make my own homemade apple butter, but you can just as easily use a jar you have on hand (cause honestly, something feels right about buying one from your seasonal apple orchard).
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APPLE BUTTER PUFF PASTRY TWISTS
This couldn’t be an easier fall dessert recipe, I’m tellin’ ya. Just lightly roll out your puff pastry, spread on your apple butter, sprinkle with the spiced brown sugar, cut, twist, and bake.
To balance some of that sweetness and bring some unique flavors, drizzle with salted maple glaze to make all that flaky goodness pop.
Where can you find pre-made puff pastry? Check the freezer section of your local grocery store! You’ll usually find 1-2 options. I personally love Pepperidge Farm’s puff pastry.
INGREDIENTS
- Brown sugar: Adds sweetness and a warm flavor to the apple butter filling.
- Cinnamon: Adds warm spice to both the filling and maple glaze.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and makes the flavors pop.
- Apple butter: Provides the fruity, spiced filling for the puff pastry twists.
- Puff pastry: Creates the flaky, buttery base for the twists.
- Egg: Helps the pastry brown and gives the coarse sugar something to stick to.
- Coarse sugar: Adds a crisp, sweet finish to the pastry.
- Powdered sugar: Forms the smooth, sweet base of the maple glaze.
- Maple syrup: Adds rich maple flavor and sweetness to the glaze.
- Milk: Thins the glaze to a smooth, drizzlable consistency.
Do I need to brush my pastry with egg wash before baking? Technically no, but the egg wash will give your apple butter puff pastry twists that golden finish and a little extra crisp.
HOW TO MAKE APPLE BUTTER PUFF PASTRY TWISTS
Assemble and chill your puff pastry dessert…
Line a large plate or tray that fits in your refrigerator with parchment paper.
Make your spiced brown sugar mixture by combining the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.
Unfold the chilled puff pastry and gently roll it with a rolling pin just enough to smooth out the seams and even the edges. Spread the apple butter evenly over one half of the puff pastry, going all the way to the edges, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the apple butter.
Fold the unfilled half of the puff pastry over the apple butter like closing a book, then gently press down to seal the layers together. Turn the pastry so the longest side is facing you, then cut it into 10 strips, approximately ¾-inch wide each.
Working one strip at a time, twist the pastry and gently stretch it an extra inch or two. Place each apple butter puff pastry twist on the parchment-lined tray as you work, then cover and refrigerate the twists for 20 minutes.
Bake your easy apple dessert…
While the puff pastry twists chill, preheat your oven to 375°F. Transfer the chilled twists to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1–2 inches apart.
In a small bowl, beat the egg with a splash of milk to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash on the exposed pastry and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake the apple butter twists for 22–25 minutes, or until deeply golden, puffed, and visibly flaky. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 1–2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the salted maple glaze…
Whisk the powdered sugar, maple syrup, milk, cinnamon, and salt together in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the warm, but not hot, puff pastry twists and let it set for a few minutes before serving.
3 reasons you’ll love these apple butter puff pastry twists
TIPS & VARIATIONS
- This recipe can be made in a regular oven or toaster oven! You’ll likely only be able to bake a few twists at a time on a toaster oven tray so there is enough space between for a good bake.
- I made my own apple butter for this recipe. It’s very easy, and your kitchen will smell delicious. You’re welcome to buy your own or substitute for another jam filling!
- This recipe can be made vegan and dairy-free by using a vegan puff pastry dough!
- Puff pastry has a lot of butter (unless you’re using a vegan version), so you want the dough to be cold before it hits the oven to prevent the butter from melting out. Don’t skip the fridge time before baking!
- This recipe calls for one sheet of puff pastry, but if you want to use both sheets in your box (assuming your box comes with two), you can double the filling and spread it across one whole sheet before topping with the other. Then press, cut, and twist as directed!
MAKING AHEAD & STORING
You can prep these apple butter puff pastry twists a day in advance and keep them wrapped on your parchment-lined plate in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
If you want to freeze them raw, allow them to firm up in the fridge for 20 minutes before placing them in a freezer-safe container, with parchment paper between each layer if stacking. To bake from frozen, you don’t need to thaw the puff pastry twists, but expect that they will take a little extra time to bake fully.
Once baked, these easy apple desserts should be eaten within a day for optimal freshness, though they will keep for up to 4 days.
MORE EASY FALL DESSERT RECIPES
- Mini Apple Cakes for Two
- Coconut Spice Loaf Cake
- Sweet Potato Blueberry Scones
- Oreo Mummy Cake Pops
- Soft Ginger Cookie Sandwiches
EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED
Equipment
- Baking Tray
- Rolling Pin
- Pastry Cutter
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cups
- Pastry Brush
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup apple butter
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed but chilled
- 1 egg for brushing
- Coarse sugar optional
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon milk
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Line a large plate or tray that will fit in your fridge with parchment paper
- In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt
- Unfold the chilled puff pastry onto your counter, lightly flouring if needed, and gently roll it with a rolling pin just enough to flatten out any seams and even out the edges
- Carefully spread the apple butter along the longest side of your sheet of pastry, going right up to the edges, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture
- Fold the unfilled half over the apple butter like closing a book and gently press the top down to seal
- Turn your dough if needed so the longest side is facing you, then cut 10 strips, roughly ¾-inch wide each
- One by one, grab a strip, twist it, and gently stretch to add an extra inch or two. Place your twist on your parchment-lined plate and repeat with the remaining strips of dough
- Cover the twists and pop them in the fridge for 20 minutes
- While your twists chill, preheat your oven to 375°F
- Place your twists on a parchment-lined baking tray about 1-2 inches apart
- In a small dish, beat your egg with a little bit of milk. Remove the pastry from the fridge and brush the exposed dough with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar if using
- Bake for 22-25 minutes until the twists are deeply golden and puffed, with visible flaky layers
- Cool for a minute or two on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely
- For your salted maple glaze, whisk together all the ingredients in a bowl – sugar, syrup, milk, cinnamon, and salt
- With your warm (not hot!) twists on the rack, drizzle your glaze over them and leave to set a few minutes before enjoying warm!
