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    Home » Recipes » Palmiers Cookies (Elephant Ears)

    Palmiers Cookies (Elephant Ears)

    Published: Dec 8, 2019 · Modified: May 20, 2022 · by Debra with 2 Comments · 1595 words. About 8 minutes to read this article. · This post contains affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This easy palmiers cookies recipe uses store-bought puff pastry and sugar! That's it! Just two ingredients and you have a classic French dessert that is sure to impress.

    Sweet palmiers made of puff pastry on parchment paper with drops of caramelized sugar.

    This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through one of my links, I may make a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.

    Palmiers cookies are one of my most favorite French pastries ever! EVER! They are simple, crisp, and buttery. And this palmier recipe is made with just two ingredients: store-bought puff pastry and sugar.

    If I see one in a bakery case, I'm going to go for it every time. I don't know what it is that makes them so good. Well, yes I do. Butter and sugar.

    You can add other flavors like cinnamon, or add jam to the center, and even make them savory—the possibilities are endless. But I like the classic version with sugar only. Simplicity at its finest.

    Jump to:
    • What is a palmier?
    • Ingredients
    • How to make them
    • Tips
    • FAQs
    • Related recipes
    • Recipe

    What is a palmier?

    Palmiers, also known as elephant ears or palm hearts, are classic French cookies made made by sprinkling sugar onto a sheet of puff pastry and folding the two sides together so they meet in the middle. The resulting shape, once baked, resembles a palm leaf. They can be small and bite-sized, or quite large, depending on the size of the sheet of puff pastry used to make them.

    Palmiers are standard fare in France, often an after school snack for children. You'll find them in the Viennoiserie section of a French pastry case.

    A Viennoiserie case in a Paris bakery. The case holds croissants, palmiers, apple turnovers and other baked goods.
    Viennoiserie items in a case at a Parisian bakery.

    Viennoiserie are baked treats that are made from yeasted dough or puff pastry. Things like croissants, brioche, apple turnovers, chouquettes, etc. and always palmiers! You're more likely to find them in a boulangerie (bread bakery) than a pâtisserie (pastry shop.)

    A man's hand is shown holding a white paper bag with a croissant, a chouquette, and a palmier.
    A bag full of treats from the Viennoiserie section of a bakery case in Paris.

    Ingredients

    • Store-bought all butter puff pastry: Trader Joe's sells a two-pack of all butter puff pastry for about $4 that is available seasonally, usually from fall through the spring. There is also a very expensive brand called Dufour. It's about $11 for one sheet of pastry. I tested with both of these and found that Dufour puffed up more than TJs, but there was no real difference between the two in terms of tastiness. I actually liked the TJ's ones a bit better in terms of the overall texture. So I say, go with the Trader Joe's puff pastry and have more palmiers for less money! It keeps well in the freezer for a long time.
    • Granulated sugar

    How to make them

    A sheet of puff pastry, a wooden rolling pin, and a small bowl of sugar.

    Using store-bought puff pastry for this recipe makes it absolutely one of the easiest "fancy" recipes on earth.

    If frozen, thaw puff pastry in the fridge overnight or on the counter for about 30 minutes.

    Sprinkle a cool, flat surface with sugar. Gently open up the sheet of puff pastry and lay flat on top of the layer of sugar.

    A sheet of puff pastry covered in sugar on a white surface. A bowl of sugar sits on the left.

    Sprinkle sugar evenly all over the sheet of puff pastry.

    A woman's hand is sprinkling sugar onto a sheet of puff pastry that has been folded at the edges.

    Fold the long sides of the pastry in ¼ of the way, then sprinkle with more sugar.

    A woman's hand is sprinkling sugar onto a sheet of puff pastry that has been folded over itself twice.

    Fold the long sides toward each other again so they meet in the middle, and sprinkle with more sugar.

    A woman's hands are shown with a wooden rolling pin, rolling out puff pastry.

    Using a rolling pin, gently roll down the sheet of puff pastry to deepen the creases so the rectangle will hold the shape. You don't want it unfolding again!

    A woman's hands using a rolling pin to put the final crease into palmiers before chilling.

    Fold the rectangle in half one more time, and gently roll down the strip of dough so that it is pressed together and holds its shape. Again, you do not want to make the dough thinner, you are just ensuring it stays folded.

    Place in the fridge on a parchment lined baking sheet for 30 minutes to chill.

    Palmiers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper ready to be put into the oven.

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

    Remove the dough from the fridge and slice into ¼ inch pieces. Place the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet cut-side down, so you can see all the little folds in the dough. Make sure the folds stay tightly together.

    Allow plenty of space between each one, as the dough will expand on both sides as they bake.

    Partially baked palmiers on a baking sheet being flipped over by an offset spatula.

    Place them in the oven and begin checking them after about 5 minutes. Cook time could be anywhere between 5 - 15 minutes depending on how big your palmiers are.

    Once the palmiers are caramelized on the bottom, carefully flip each one over with an offset spatula and return to the oven for 5 more minutes.

    WARNING: Do NOT touch these with your fingers when you flip them! This is HOT, MELTED sugar and it will burn you badly and instantly!!

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    Remove palmiers from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack. Again, transfer them with an offset spatula and take care not to burn your fingers.

    Tips

    • You MUST use ALL BUTTER puff pastry for these sweet palmiers. It simply does not work with Pepperidge Farm. I tried. The sugar just won't caramelize without that butter.
    • I'll say it again and again. Don't touch the hot palmiers with your fingers when flipping them. It's hot sugar and it burns instantly!

    FAQs

    How do you store palmiers cookies?

    Store palmiers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

    Can you freeze palmiers?

    You can freeze palmiers in an airtight container for up to a month. Avoid zip-top bags as the cookies are a little too delicate. Pop them into a 325 degree oven for a few minutes to get them warm and crisp before serving. Remember the sugar will be very hot when they come out of the oven so watch your fingers.

    Related recipes

    These baking recipes may have more than two ingredients, but they are no sweat to make!

    • Let's keep things French and make some Madeleines with Early Grey Tea.
    • These Pecan Pie Bars are legendary. I take them everywhere and get rave reviews.
    • If you can throw everything in a bowl, you can make Caramel Pretzel Banana Bread Pudding.
    • And here's another one-bowl recipe because you can never have too many: Gluten Free Double Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies.

    Recipe

    Palmiers on a sheet of white parchment paper.

    Palmiers Cookies (Elephant Ears)

    This easy palmiers recipe uses store-bought puff pastry and sugar! That’s it! two ingredients and you have some classic French cookies that are sure to impress.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: cookies, Dessert
    Cuisine: French
    Keyword: easy palmiers recipe, elephant ears pastry, palmiers
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 24 cookies
    Calories: 145kcal

    Equipment

    • rolling pin
    • offset spatula
    • cookie sheet

    Ingredients

    • 2 sheets all-butter puff pastry
    • 1 cup sugar (you won't use all of it)
    US Customary - Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • If frozen, thaw puff pastry in the fridge overnight or on the counter for about 30 minutes.
    • Sprinkle a cool, flat surface with sugar. Gently open up the sheet of puff pastry and lay flat on top of the layer of sugar. Sprinkle sugar evenly all over the sheet of puff pastry.
    • Fold the long sides of the pastry in ¼ of the way, then sprinkle with more sugar.
    • Fold the long sides toward each other again so they meet in the middle, and sprinkle with more sugar.
    • Using a rolling pin, gently roll down the sheet of puff pastry to deepen the creases so the rectangle will hold the shape. You don’t want it unfolding again!
    • Fold the rectangle in half one more time, and gently roll down the strip of dough so that it is pressed together and holds its shape. Again, you do not want to make the dough thinner, you are just ensuring it stays folded. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill on a parchment lined baking sheet.
    • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge and slice into ¼ inch pieces. Place the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet cut-side down, so you can see all the little folds in the dough. Make sure the folds stay tightly together. Allow plenty of space between each one, as the dough will expand on both sides as they bake.
    • Place them in the oven and begin checking them after about 5 minutes. Cook time could be anywhere between 5 – 15 minutes depending on how big your palmiers are. Once the palmiers are caramelized on the bottom, carefully flip each one over with an offset spatula and return to the oven for 5 more minutes.
    • Remove palmiers from the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack. Again, transfer them with an offset spatula and take care not to burn your fingers.

    Notes

    • You MUST use ALL BUTTER puff pastry for these palmiers cookies. It simply does not work with Pepperidge Farm. I tried. The sugar just won’t caramelize without that butter.
    • Trader Joe’s sells a two-pack of all butter puff pastry for about $4. There is also a very expensive brand called Dufour. It’s about $11 for one sheet of pastry. I tested with both of these and found that Dufour puffed up more than TJs, but there was no real difference between the two in terms of tastiness. I actually liked the TJ’s ones a bit better in terms of the texture of the cookie overall. So I say, go with the Trader Joe’s puff pastry and have more cookies for less money!
    • WARNING: Do NOT touch these with your fingers when you flip them! This is HOT, MELTED sugar and it will burn you badly and instantly!! An offset spatula works well to flip them over, or chopsticks would also be a good choice. 
     
    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 12mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ana

      April 09, 2020 at 6:50 pm

      5 stars
      Fantastic! Mine came out perfectly! I thought I could cheat and skip refrigerating the dough before slicing, but ohhhhh nooo. Definitely CAN NOT skip this step. Also, it’s pretty important to have a sharp knife.

      Now if only I had coarse sugar to finish it with, it would possibly be even better. But really, I ate like 7 of these before stopping to write this review. Lol! Love love love!

      Reply
      • Debra

        April 11, 2020 at 5:06 pm

        Ana,

        So glad you love the palmiers! Yes I agree, it is VERY difficult not to eat them all in one sitting.

        And that is a good tip - a sharp knife is key.

        Thanks so much for reading and trying my recipe!

        Debra

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Debra! I love to cook and eat and travel, and cook the things I eat when I travel! I'm a detail-oriented Virgo, so it's my jam to simplify recipes and break them down into easy to follow steps. I help you bring the world to your table!

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