Nutella Puff Pastry Palmiers

5 from 2 votes

Just 4 ingredients to make these light and crisp Nutella Puff Pastry Palmiers. Features buttery puff pastry with a chocolate hazelnut swirl. The sugar caramelizes in the oven to create a crunchy, lacy bottom. Enjoy with tea, coffee, or on their own. Freezer-friendly.

Prep Time23

Cook Time12

Total Time35

Servings:

Author: Bri Beaudoin

Ingredients

½ cup demerara sugar (or turbinado, cane, or granulated sugar, see note 1)
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 sheet thawed puff pastry (½ lb, see note 2)
½ cup Nutella

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix sugar: Combine ½ cup demerara sugar and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt in a small bowl.
Roll dough: For each puff pastry sheet (see note 3)—On a clean surface, sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the sugar mixture to form a 11-inch (28 cm) square. Gently lay 1 sheet thawed puff pastry on top. Sprinkle another 3 tablespoons of the sugar mixture on top of the pastry sheet. Use a rolling pin to gently roll pastry into a 11-inch (28 cm) square, pressing the sugar in as you roll. (You can use a bench scraper or knife to straighten edges if needed).
Warm Nutella: Microwave ½ cup Nutella in 20 second intervals (stirring in between), until warm and spreadable. (The Nutella should drizzle off a spoon, but not be steaming hot.)
Spread and roll: Spread the Nutella over the puff pastry, leaving a ¼-inch (0.6 cm) border. Roll one side inward towards the center of the pastry. Then, repeat with the other side until they meet to form a log.
Freeze and preheat: Transfer log onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze for 15 minutes. (Log should be firm but not frozen through). Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 450℉ (230℃).
Slice and bake: Cut log into ½-inch (1.25 cm) thick slices. Dip each slice into the remaining sugar to coat all sides. (You should have 2 tablespoons sugar left, but top up with more if needed). Arrange cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, 2-inches (5 cm) apart. Bake until cookies are golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes (see note 4). Let cool completely.

Notes

Sugar: We tested 4 types of sugar—Demerara, Turbinado, Cane, Granulated—and any of them can be used. Demerara has large sugar granules, which makes for a crunchy texture. Turbinado makes for a similarly crunchy texture. However, it contains more molasses than Demerara, so it has a slightly more intense flavor (and darker color). Standard cane sugar has smaller granules than Demerara and Turbinado...but larger than granulated sugar. It has a mild flavor (similar to granulated), but with slightly more texture. Granulated sugar makes for a pretty palmier...the sugar itself won't be as crunchy, but still delicious!
Puff pastry: A box of store-bought puff pastry usually has two individually wrapped sheets. This recipe calls for one sheet. Defrost only what you plan to use right away, following the manufacturer's directions (typically overnight in fridge or about 2 hours on counter). Choose butter puff pastry for best results. Some store-bought puff pastries use other oils instead of butter, and these don't tend to have as rich flavor.
Scaling up the recipe: If you're doubling the recipe, unroll one sheet of puff pastry at a time. Keep the other sheet wrapped in the fridge, to prevent the dough from getting too warm. Each sheet should be rolled into one 11-inch (28 cm) square with 3 tablespoons of sugar underneath and 3 tablespoons of sugar on top. Repeat for the second sheet, if needed.
Baking palmiers: If you need to bake off multiple baking sheets, we recommend doing them one at a time on the center rack. Given the high oven temperature, this can minimize risk of burning the cookies and/or parchment, especially if your oven has hot spots.
Storage tips: Once baked palmiers are fully cooled, you can freeze them for longer storage (up to 3 months). When ready to enjoy, pop them in a 300°F oven until warm and crisp again, about 6 to 9 minutes. Let cool before eating. Alternatively, you can freeze sliced unbaked dough and bake off cookies as you need them (make sure to coat with sugar before arranging and baking at 450℉ (230℃)).

Nutrition