These quick and easy Puff Pastry appetizer recipes make use of store-bought, all-butter puff pastry, to make 3 varieties of delicious appetizers, perfect for your holiday entertaining!
When it comes to holiday entertaining, store-bought puff pastry is such a life (and time!) saver. Not only is it easy to use, it is also so versatile. And now with all-butter varieties easily available, it’s delicious too!
One of the best things about these quick and easy puff pastry appetizers, is that they can be prepared ahead and frozen before baking. When you need a quick appetizer, they can go straight from the freezer to the oven and be ready to serve in about 20 minutes.
Puff Pastry – I love all-butter puff pastry, but any store-bought, frozen puff pastry is fine here. Your brand of puff pastry may be a slightly different size. The directions should work well with any similar size. You may just get an extra piece or two.
You can cut, shape and fill the puff pastry, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate right on a baking sheet for several hours before popping into the oven. They may need an extra minute or two in the oven if starting cooled.
You can freeze either the unbaked or baked pastries. If frozen unbaked, bake from frozen, allowing a bit of extra baking time. If frozen already baked, re-heat in a 350F oven from frozen, until warmed through.
Can I prepare a recipe made with Puff Pastry ahead of time and bake it later? Yes, you can (with certain recipes). To simplify your day, you can prepare the recipe ahead of time, then bake as directed prior to serving.
Get the Recipe: Quick and Easy Puff Pastry Appetizers
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 10×10-inch roll all-butter puff pastry, thawed
- 3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup Gruyere Cheese, shredded
- 2 Tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
- Coarse salt, such as Maldons
- 1 10×10-inch roll all-butter puff pastry, thawed
- 3 Tablespoons pesto
- 2 Tablespoons oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 10×10-inch roll all-butter puff pastry, thawed
- 1/4 cup aged cheddar, finely grated
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- For the Gruyere and Mustard Puff Pastry Sticks: Place the thawed square of puff pastry on a lightly floured cutting board. Spread the Dijon mustard on the lower half of the square, leaving about 1/2 inch uncovered along the edges. Brush the exposed edges with egg wash. Fold the bare top half of the puff pastry over the half with the mustard, lining up the edges. Place in the refrigerator (still on the cutting board) to chill for 15 minutes.
- Remove from fridge. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, trim the two short sides and un-folded long edge by about 1/4 inch. Cut the block in to nine 1-inch by 5-inch slices. Remove the slices to a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving at least an inch in between each piece. Carefully brush the tops with egg wash, ensuring that egg doesnt drip down the sides. Sprinkle Gruyere and Parmesan evenly over-top, the finish with a sprinkling of coarse salt.
- Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400F. (regular setting/not fan assisted) Remove baking sheet from refrigerator and place into preheated oven. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden and puffed. Remove to a baking sheet to cool.
- For the Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Puff Pastry Twists: Place the thawed square of puff pastry on a lightly floured cutting board. Spread the pesto on the lower half of the square, leaving about 1/2 inch uncovered along the edges. Sprinkle the chopped sundried tomatoes over-top. Brush the exposed edges with egg wash. Fold the bare top half of the puff pastry over the half with the pesto, lining up the edges. Place in the refrigerator (still on the cutting board) to chill for 15 minutes.
- Remove from fridge. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, trim the two short sides and un-folded long edge by about 1/4 inch. Cut the block in to nine 1-inch by 5-inch slices. Take each slice and holding the ends, gently twist several times. Remove the twisted pieces to a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving at least an inch in between each piece. Carefully brush the tops with egg wash. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400F. Remove baking sheet from refrigerator and place into preheated oven. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden and puffed. Remove to a baking sheet to cool.
- For the Cheddar and Chipotle Puff Pastry Cut-outs: Place the thawed square of puff pastry on a lightly floured cutting board. Brush bottom half of square with egg wash. Fold bare top half over the brushed half, lining up the edges. Place in the refrigerator (still on the cutting board) to chill for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the refrigerator. Using a cookie cutter, cut shapes from the piece of puff pastry. Place on to a parchment-lined baking sheet, allowing at least 1-inch between pieces. Carefully brush tops with egg wash, ensuring that the egg doesnt drip down the sides. Sprinkle tops with grated cheddar, then dust with a bit of chipotle chili powder (to taste). Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400F. Remove baking sheet from refrigerator and place into preheated oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden and puffed. Remove to a baking sheet to cool.
- Cooled pastries can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours. You can re-warm on a baking sheet in a 350 oven for a few minutes.
Easy Holiday Appetizers | Make-Ahead Recipes
FAQ
Can you freeze puff pastry appetizers before baking?
Can puff pastry appetizers be reheated?
Can you prepare pastry the night before?
How do you keep puff pastry from getting soggy?
Can you make puff pastry ahead of time?
Keep them in an airtight container, then fill them at the last minute. You can also make puff pastry sticks or twists in advance. Mini quiches, filled mushroom pastries and other hot appetizers can also be made ahead. Prepare and chill the fillings ahead of time, except for quiche fillings which can be frozen uncooked.
Can you eat puff pastry the day you bake?
Appetizers made with Puff Pastry are best eaten the day they are baked. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Don’t skip this step. Drain and squeeze the spinach and artichokes separately. Too much liquid will make for soggy appetizers.
Is puff pastry good for appetizers?
Although its origin is in doubt, puff pastry can be used for sweet treats or crisp, tasty appetizers with equal success. It bakes beautifully whether thawed or frozen. That means you can prepare appetizers in advance, and have them ready to go when guests arrive.
How long do you bake a puffed puff pastry?
Lay the other puff pastry sheet on top and brush with water and add the remaining Parmesan cheese. Use a small circle cutter and cut into circles. Place circles on baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes or until puffed and lightly golden brown.