I’ve always had a soft spot for French palmier cookies. There’s something almost magical about how a few simple ingredients transform into delicate, crisp, caramelized little bites. These are one of my favorite french pastries to get whenever I am in Paris. I love that these puff pastry cookies look elegant without requiring any real baking skills, and that satisfying sugary crunch gets me every single time. They’re the sort of cookie that feels far more impressive than the effort behind them. With their flaky layers, buttery aroma, and golden caramelized edges, palmiers are a must-try anytime you want something easy, beautiful, and irresistibly delicious.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love These:
- This is such a quick and easy recipe to make; your kids will love helping you with this one.
- These are perfect for gifting to friends and family, especially around the holidays.
- You get crisp, buttery, and caramelized cookies with almost no effort in this simple recipe.
- Whether you like coffee, tea, or hot cocoa, this buttery cookie is ideal for cozy snacking by the fireplace.
- Store them in your favorite cookie container, and they stay crisp for days, so they’re perfect to make ahead.
Ingredients You Will Need:
- Puff Pastry: You will need one frozen puff pastry sheet for these. If you want the challenge, you can make your own puff pastry dough.
- Sugar: Granulated, fine white sugar is what you’re looking for, so it spreads evenly throughout.
- Chai Spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice give you the warmest, coziest Chai spice.
- Butter: You need a little melted butter to help the spices adhere to the dough.
Kitchen Tools You Will Need:
- Rolling Pin
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Pastry Brush
- Small Bowl
- Sharp Knife
Don’t Crowd The Pan
Don’t overcrowd the cookie sheet. They spread a lot, resembling elephant ears, as the sugar melts and the pastry expands.
How to Make Chai Palmier Cookies:
- Thaw the puff pastry on the counter. In a bowl, stir together the sugar and all of the spices.
- Sprinkle ½ of the sugar mixture on a clean work surface and then place the sheet of puff pastry over the sugared surface. Use a rolling pin to press the sugar into the base of the puff pastry.
- Brush the top of the puff pastry with the melted butter, and sprinkle sugar mixture over the top. Use the rolling pin to gently press the cinnamon sugar mixture into the puff pastry.
- Gently, fold the puff pastry tightly until you get to the middle of the dough, and then roll the other side until you get to the center. Finally, fold one side so it stacks on top of the other side. Transfer the rolled dough to the fridge while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Remove from the fridge and cut the log into thin pieces, and place them 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle any additional sugar on top of each cookie.
- Transfer to the oven to bake for 7 minutes, and then flip each cookie and cook for an additional 8 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to Modify:
- If you don’t want to use store-bought puff pastry, have at it and make your own homemade puff pastry.
- Simplify it and use just a cinnamon-sugar mixture, or use only sugar for this classic French cookie.
- Play around with different flavors. Add cardamom or try a pumpkin pie spice combination.
Dietary Customizations
- Gluten-Free: Sweet Loren’s and Schar both have gluten-free puff pastry that will give delicious results.
- Low-Calorie: You can use your favorite sugar substitute to customize to your dietary restrictions or use less sugar.
Use A Rolling Pin
Roll the sugar-spice mixture into the dough. This helps the chai flavor bake right into the layers and gives you a caramelized crunch.
Serving Suggestions:
Pour your favorite cup of warm beverage, whether it be with your morning coffee, Chai tea, hot cocoa, or Dairy Free Eggnog.
Serve these airy cookies alongside other delicious sweet treats like White Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels or Hawaiian Roll Sticky Cinnamon Rolls.
For a savory companion, Creamy Artichoke Dip with pita chips, or grab a Cranberry, Brie, and Pecan Crostini.
Take that second sheet of puff pastry and try your hand at savory palmiers. Try a delicious combination of bacon, Gruyere, and caramelized onion to get you started.
Common Questions
Stored in an airtight container, they stay crisp for about 3–4 days.
The dough may have gotten too warm. Chill the shaped dough for 10–15 minutes before baking. The goal is to make sure the dough doesn’t get to room temperature.
Absolutely! Simply reduce the sugar by a few tablespoons, but keep enough to caramelize the edges.
Yes! Freeze the unbaked sliced palmiers in a freezer-safe container, then bake straight from frozen—just add a couple extra minutes.
More Irresistible Treats You Will Love:
- Blueberry Lemon and Cream Cheese Puff Pastries
- Lemon Blackberry Loaf
- White Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels
- The Best Banana Bread
- Carrot Cake
If you make these Chai Palmier Cookies, let me know in the comments section below. I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram. I love seeing your photos!
Chai Palmiers
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp ginger
- ½ tsp all spice
- 1 tbsp melted butter
Instructions
- Thaw the puff pastry on the counter for 20-30 minutes
- In a bowl stir together the sugar and all of the spices.
- Sprinkle ½ of the sugar mixture on a clean surface and then place the sheet of puff pastry overtop. Use a rolling pin to roll out the puff pastry to press the sugar into the base of the puff pastry.
- Brush the top of the puff pastry with the melted butter and then sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture over the top. Use the rolling pin to gently press the sugar mixture into the puff pastry.
- Gently starting on the left side roll the puff pastry tightly until you get to the center and then roll the right side until you get to the center. Finally fold the left side so it stacks on top of the right side. Transfer to the fridge for 5-10 minutes to firm up
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit
- Remove from the fridge and cut the log into ½ inch thick slices and place them 2 inches apart on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Sprinkle any excess sugar that has fallen out of the rolls overtop of each cookie
- Transfer to the oven to bake for 7 minutes and then flip each cookie and cook for an additional 8 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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