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Palmiers are the crispy, flaky little French cookies, also called elephant ears, that look bakery fancy but start with a sheet of store bought puff pastry. I started making this cinnamon cream cheese version on lazy weekend mornings when Maddie wanted something special with her hot cocoa, and they vanish off the cooling rack every single time. If you love an easy from scratch tasting treat, you will also want our light vanilla meringue cookies.
With a quick cream cheese filling and a roll of flaky puff pastry, these palmiers come together in under 30 minutes and taste like you fussed for hours.
Palmiers Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 14 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 24 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 12 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 180kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet, buttery, and cinnamon spiced (crispy and flaky)
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our classic thumbprint cookies
Quick Answer
Spread a quick cream cheese filling over a sheet of thawed puff pastry, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, then roll both ends in to meet in the middle. Chill the log so it is easy to slice, cut it into half inch cookies, dip them in more cinnamon sugar, and bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes until golden and crisp. These palmiers go from puff pastry to flaky cookies in under 30 minutes.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Puff pastry does the hard work. Store bought puff pastry bakes up into hundreds of crisp, buttery layers with zero effort, so these cookies taste like a French bakery without the work.
- Cream cheese keeps them tender. A thin layer of sweet cream cheese filling adds richness and keeps the inside of each palmier soft against the crispy edges.
- Chilling makes clean slices. Firming the rolled log in the fridge keeps the spiral tight so the cookies hold their pretty heart shape when you cut them.
- Cinnamon sugar caramelizes. Dipping each slice in cinnamon sugar before baking creates a crackly, caramelized coating as the sugar melts in the hot oven.
- High heat sets the layers fast. A hot 400 degree oven puffs the pastry quickly so the layers stay distinct and shatter crisp instead of going soft.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They start with one sheet of puff pastry and a handful of pantry staples, so they are budget friendly and quick.
- They look impressive and bakery worthy but take only about 10 minutes of hands on time.
- They are perfect for holiday cookie trays, brunch, or an afternoon treat with coffee, just like our favorite oatmeal raisin cookies.
Key Ingredients
Just six simple ingredients turn into these flaky little cookies. Here is what each one brings.
- Puff pastry: The flaky, buttery foundation of every palmier. Thaw it just until pliable so it rolls without cracking.
- Cream cheese: Spread thin over the pastry for a rich, slightly tangy filling that keeps the centers tender.
- Powdered sugar and butter: Sweeten and smooth the cream cheese filling so it spreads easily and bakes up soft.
- Granulated sugar and cinnamon: The classic cinnamon sugar coating that caramelizes into a crackly, sweet crust on every cookie.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Palmiers are a blank canvas, so have fun with the filling and coating.
- Go classic: Skip the cream cheese and just use cinnamon sugar for traditional French palmiers.
- Make them chocolatey: Spread a thin layer of chocolate hazelnut spread instead of cream cheese.
- Add citrus: Stir a little orange or lemon zest into the cream cheese for a bright twist.
- Try savory: Swap the sweet filling for pesto, cheese, and herbs for an appetizer palmier.
- Drizzle them: Add a simple powdered sugar glaze once the cookies are cool for an extra sweet finish.
How to Make Palmiers
- In a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and melted butter until smooth. A fork works fine to cut the cream cheese in until creamy.
- Lay out the thawed puff pastry and spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the whole sheet. Stir together the granulated sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle half of it over the cream cheese.
- Starting at one end, tightly roll the pastry into a log and stop at the center. Repeat from the other side so the two rolls meet in the middle. Cover and chill 15 minutes so it is easier to slice.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment. Slice the chilled log into half inch cookies, reshaping any that unroll, then dip each side into the remaining cinnamon sugar.
- Place the palmiers about 3 inches apart on the lined sheets and bake 12 to 14 minutes until slightly golden. Watch closely so the sugary bottoms do not burn.
- Let the cookies rest on the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely and crisp up.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Thaw the puff pastry properly. It should be cold but pliable. Too warm and it gets sticky, too cold and it cracks when you roll it.
- Spread the filling thin. A thin, even layer of cream cheese keeps the cookies from getting soggy or unrolling.
- Chill before slicing. A cold log slices into clean, tight spirals instead of squishing flat.
- Watch the bottoms. The cinnamon sugar can burn fast, so check at 12 minutes and pull them when just golden.
- Space them out. Palmiers spread as they bake, so give them about 3 inches so they do not fuse together.
- Reshape as needed. If a cookie unrolls when you cut it, just pinch it back into its heart shape before baking.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
These cinnamon cream cheese palmiers are made for cozy moments. Serve them warm or at room temperature alongside hot coffee, tea, or cocoa for an afternoon pick me up. They are a gorgeous addition to a holiday cookie tray right next to our vanilla meringue cookies.
Pile them on a pretty platter for brunch or a baby shower, or tuck a few into a cellophane bag tied with ribbon for an easy homemade gift. Their crisp, flaky layers make them feel special on any dessert spread.
For a fun dessert, serve palmiers with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a bowl of berries and whipped cream. Set them out with a plate of chewy oatmeal raisin cookies so everyone gets a little crisp and a little chewy.
Palmiers FAQs
Palmiers are crispy, flaky French cookies made from rolled puff pastry, often called elephant ears or palm leaves because of their pretty spiral shape. This version adds a cinnamon cream cheese filling for extra flavor.
Palmiers can relax open if the pastry was too warm or not chilled before slicing. Chill the rolled log well, slice cleanly, and gently reshape any that open before they go in the oven.
Yes. You can roll and chill the log up to two days ahead, then slice and bake when ready. Baked palmiers also keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days.
Absolutely. Freeze the rolled, unbaked log wrapped tightly for up to three months, then slice and bake from frozen, adding a couple of minutes. Baked palmiers freeze well too.
Store cooled palmiers in an airtight container at room temperature, not the fridge. If they soften, a few minutes in a warm oven crisps them right back up.
No. Traditional palmiers use only cinnamon sugar, so you can skip the cream cheese for a more classic cookie. The cream cheese just adds a rich, tender layer inside.
Craving more easy cookies? Bake a batch of our light vanilla meringue cookies next.
Easy Cinnamon Cream Cheese Palmiers Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and butter. You can do this with a hand mixer, but I just use a fork to cut the cream cheese in and it will be smooth after stirring.1 sheet puff pastry
- Lay out the puff pastry, spread the cream cheese mixture over the entire sheet evenly. Mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle half of this over the cream cheese.1 sheet puff pastry
- On one end of the pastry sheet, start tightly rolling to form a log and stop when you get to the center of the sheet. Repeat on the other side, so the two rolls meet together in the middle. Cover, place in the fridge for 15 minutes to get nice and cold, making it easier to cut.1 sheet puff pastry
- While dough is chilling, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut cookies into about 1/2 inch slices. If they end up unrolling a little, that’s fine just roll them back up. Dip each side into the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture.1 sheet puff pastry
- Place on lined baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes until slightly golden brown. Do not overbake, the bottoms might burn from the sugar.1 sheet puff pastry
- Place sheet trays on a wired rack for about 5 minutes to cool slightly. Transfer cookies directly on to a wired rack to cool completely.1 sheet puff pastry
Notes
- You can easily double this recipe to give to more people.
- These can be frozen, see my tips above.
- Make sure you chill before baking.
- You can use homemade puff pastry dough or store bought.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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Frozen puff pastry from the store comes in two sheets, I use just one of those.
When you say one puff pastry sheet, do you mean all of the layers in the package? Or do you separate one of the layers and use that only?
I love this twist on a classic, perfect for holiday cookie exchanges!
oh my goodness, yum! i love using puff pastry for cookies and these are delightful!