These Palmiers Cookies (a.k.a. Elephant Ears) are so light and crisp, and super easy! It takes just 3 ingredients to make these classic French pastries if you buy pre-made puff pastry. Serve as a dessert or to enjoy paired with coffee or tea.
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Helpful Reader Review
“The elephant ears were so easy and fun to make…They were pretty and fluffy on top and glazed and crunchy on the bottom. My husband LOVED them and thought I was so talented. (LOL) They were really really good!” – JoAnne
Elephant Ears Video
These might just be the easiest cookies I’ve ever made. Watch the video to see just how simple these are. You hardly need a recipe!
Easy Palmiers Recipe
Classic French Palmiers (pal-me-ay) are such a fun and unexpected treat, and they are simple to make using puff pastry and white sugar that caramelizes to give the pastry a sweet crunch. You may see them called “Elephant Ears,” “Pig Ears,” “French Hearts,” or “Palm Leaves” for their beautiful shape, as you can see in my photos–they have a lovely presentation.
Vadim and I took a trip to France this year, and I rediscovered my love for French pastries, like Homemade Croissants, Cherry Clafoutis, and Angel Wing Cookies. These palmiers are by far the easiest of these recipes, so if you’re interested in French baking, definitely start here.
Palmiers Ingredients
This semi-homemade Palmiers cookie recipe uses frozen puff pastry for a quick and tasty dessert you’ll make over and over. Keep a box of pastry on hand to enjoy this simple recipe in just 30 minutes.
- Granulated sugar – melts in the oven to create a caramelized crust on the puff pastry
- Store-bought Puff pastry – you’ll need a 16 oz package which contains 2 sheets. Thaw according to package instructions. You want them chilled, not frozen.
- Pinch of salt – helps to balance the sweetness of the sugar
The Best Puff Pastry for Making Palmiers?
I used to use Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry to make palmiers for beautiful, consistent results, but I discovered Trader Joe’s Puff Pastry uses real butter with a shorter ingredient list, so I have switched brands. The Pepperidge Farm brand pastry tends to keep the heart shape a bit better and seems to bake a little faster, but I think better ingredients are worth the trade-off.
Variations
This basic Palmiers recipe creates simply beautiful, tasty cookies, but you can add a bit of flair with these variations:
- Cinnamon – add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the sugar/salt mixture
- Spices – opt for pumpkin pie spice in the Fall or orange zest for a subtle citrus flavor
- Nuts/dried fruit – Before folding, sprinkle toasted nuts or dried fruit over the unfolded dough. See my Walnut Rugelach.
- Jammy – spread a thin layer of Plum Jam over the dough before folding
- Chocolate – sprinkle cocoa powder or dip the baked cookies in Chocolate Ganache
- Savory – add minced garlic, savory spices (Italian seasoning, rosemary, etc), parmesan cheese, or even a layer of Pesto before baking.
How to Make Elephant Ears:
This recipe for Palmiers could not be any easier! It’s my go-to recipe when guests visit unannounced or we just want a little something sweet.
- Mix – Preheat the oven to 450°F. Mix the sugar and salt together, and then sprinkle 1/2 cup over a clean work surface.
- Roll – Open a sheet of thawed dough over the sugar, sprinkle 1/4 cup of the sugar over the dough, then roll it out, pushing the sugar into the dough with the rolling pin.
- Fold opposite sides to meet in the center, and then repeat the fold, making opposite sides meet in the middle. Finally, fold the sides together like a book to make a long log.
- Cut the dough into just under 1/2″ slices and place cut-side-down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Repeat steps 2-4 with the second pastry dough sheet.
- Bake at 450°F for 6-8 minutes until browned, and then flip the palmiers (reshaping as needed if they open up too much) and bake another 4 minutes or until golden brown on both sides, transfer to a rack to cool.
Pro Tip:
It can be tricky to see when the Palmiers are ready to flip until you check the bottom of a cookie, so flip one over after 6 minutes to check for browning.
How to Freeze Palmiers
To have fresh Palmiers cookies ready to bake, simply follow the directions up to step 4 and then freeze them on the baking sheet until firm. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen anytime!
My easy Palmier recipe will quickly become your go-to semi-homemade dessert recipe with puff pastry. The buttery cookie is light and airy with an irresistible caramelized sugar crunch. Try them with your morning coffee or as a quick dessert to share with friends.
Palmiers Cookies (Elephant Ears)
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 lb puff pastry, 2 sheets of storebought puff pastry, thawed according to package instructions*
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
What you will need:
- Parchment paper to line the cookie sheet.
Instructions
- Mix – Preheat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the center. Mix sugar and salt together. Pour 1/2 cup of sugar mixture on a clean, flat surface, such as a large wooden cutting board.
- Roll – Unfold one Puff pastry sheet onto the sugared surface and spread 1/4 cup sugar over the top. With a rolling pin, roll the pastry sheet to about a 13" square, pressing the sugar into the dough.
- Fold 2 opposite sides into the center. Fold again and close like a book (you should have 8 layers total).
- Cut the pastry log into just under 1/2" pieces and arrange on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the second puff pastry sheet.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes* until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown and caramelized (this can be hard to see, so check at 6 minutes). Flip the cookies over, reshape as needed and return to the oven for another 4 to 5 minutes until golden brown on the other side. Remove from the baking sheet to cool.
Notes
*I’ve had great results using store-bought Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry and Trader Joe’s Puff Pastry. Both of these products can be found in the freezer section of the grocery store. The Pepperidge Farm brand seems to bake slightly faster, so keep an eye on it in the last couple of minutes of baking. Storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. If you have to stack them, place a sheet of parchment between layers. Do not store in the fridge or freezer, because the moisture could cause the cookies to become soft. Make Ahead – Roll and slice the cookies, arrange on a baking sheet, and freeze for a couple of hours until solid, then freeze in a freezer-safe zip bag up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or bake from frozen.
Nutrition Per Serving
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More Recipes with Puff Pastry
Store-bought puff pastry makes elegant and buttery desserts and appetizers, like these Classic Palmiers. If you keep a box in the freezer as I do, check out these quick recipes with puff pastry:
- Apple Turnovers
- Peach Tartlets
- Berry Puff Pastry Tart
- Apple Roses
- Easy Cheese Danish
- Apple Danish Braid
- Peach Cream Cheese Danish
- Apple Cinnamon Slab Pie
- Cream Horn Recipe
Can’t rate yet, I just have a question before I make some : ) I only use unbleached sugar (maybe also known as Florida crystals? They’re not the kind of chunky light brown crystals but they are light brown!) Do you think that will work okay in place of bleached white sugar? Thanx for any advice!
Hi Kelly! I can’t wait for you to make and try these! The sugar plays a big role in these cookies, it helps the puff pastry perfectly caramelize. Unbleached cane sugar can work, but keep in mind it has a slightly coarse texture and natural molasses, so it may not melt and caramalize like regular white sugar. I’m sure the cookies will still be tasty, but the color, crispiness and caramalization witll turn out a little different. If the sugar you’re using is too coarse, you can also pulse it in the food processor a few times. I hope these turn out great for you.
Will try it tonight but can this be baked in air fryer?
Hi Estra! I haven’t tested this in the air fryer so I do not have those instructions for you. I think it could work however you would need to adjust time/temperature because they will burn and bake faster.
These look really good! Could i make them with homemade puff pastry instead of store-bought?
Hi Alana! I’ve never made homemade puff pastry, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Sounds delicious. Let us know how it turns out.
I just made 2 batches!
One was with a brand from Italy, I’m not sure if I can legally say the name…do not use it for this recipe. It seems like it had too much butter. Pepperidge Farms brand came out wonderful!
Better than Costco!
I’m going to make these, and thinking drizzled melted chocolate on top?
Sounds like a great idea!
The elephant ears were so easy and fun to make. I added a little cinnamon on the top layer with the sugar before folding it. They were pretty and fluffy on to and glazed and crunchy on the bottom. My husband LOVED them and thought I was so talented. (LOL) They were really really good! (As are all your recipes)
Yum! The cinnamon sounds like a great addition! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, JoAnne!
Do you brush the pastry with egg before putting it in the oven?
Hi Sarah, we did not!
GREETINGS:)
Just made these and sprinkled some colored sugar between layers or a Christmas look..Wondering if I can freeze these.Long story short I will freeze:)
Hi Kathy, although I haven’t tested this, here is what a quick search showed: “You can freeze leftover Palmiers after they have cooled down completely from baking. You will want to thaw them and re-crisp them before serving. You may notice that the sugar coating has dissolved, in which case you may wish to add a sprinkling of sugar to these pastries before eating”
He sure did lol!:)
I made two batches of these cookies the other day for a party and i left them to cool and went to Take a shower, when i came back almost half of them were gone and my husband was standing licking his fingers and he was like you are not taking these nowhere, they are the best cookies ever lol! I was so surprised because he is not that easy to please with food. Thank you for this super easy recipe! Everything ive tried from your blog turned out great so far:)
That’s hilarious. Did he have a guilty look on his face? These are actually my hubby’s fave cookies. I should make them for him again soon 🙂
Yes, they were soft but golden brown. They didn’t come out like the ones you have pictured. Oh well, maybe this recipe isn’t for me. :/
The only other thing that I could think of was maybe the type of dough that you used. What brand was it?
My cookies came out really soft for some reason – I baked at 450 for 9 mins on one side and then another 9 on the other. Anyways, these were really good! 🙂
Were they a golden brown?
Hi!these cookies look yummy!!will do it tomorrow..my hubby is fr Kazakstan & I’m a Malaysian..He had just opened a restaurant serving Central Asia Cuisine..I had learnt few dishes/desserts fr my mother In law & sister inlaws..2 days ago, I did your birds milk recipe..it’s so delicious!!Just one question about this cookies..if I store them at the cake counter will it be ok?
Hi Linda! Yes if you store them at room temp, they will be fine ;). Central Asian Cuisine? Wow! Sounds like quite a culinary adventure!
Thanks for posting this! Veeery yummy !!!
You’re most welcome. I always get excited when someone tries and likes a recipe 🙂
mmm… these look so good! i’ve had them before and loved them, i didn’t realise they were so simple, thank you!
You’re welcome. Hope they are as good (and better ;)) as you remember them!
made these the other day. LOVED THEM!!! my cuzin goes “who bought those yummy cookie things?” 🙂 thank you so much for the recipe. i also sprinkled one with cocoa powder and it added this interesting(subtle) flavor 🙂
Hmmm, that’s very creative! I’ll have to give it a shot next time. These are my hubbies favorite cookies. You must have done a great job if someone thought they were store-bought! Nice!
Oh my! I just got back from spending a summer in Ukraine and I had these all the time, but I’d never made them, only bought them (They came in big yellow boxes that you could get for a few grivens and then feed an army with). I didn’t think i’d ever see a recipe for them outside of Ukraine, but it looks like you have a great one here! Thanks for posting this!
Hm I need to try these. A Spanish lady gave me a different recipe and it is really tasty as well. Bring oil in a pan to a boil and put a tortilla in it..It will puff up and when golden flip to the other side for a little bit. After taking them out dab them with paper towels to remove excess oil. Mix sugar with cinnamon and top. Very yummy and easy. 🙂
im baking these right now, they smell so good and are so easy!! thanks for the recipe!
You are very welcome. Now I want some too!!
I ate all of these from the box of cookies we got at the Christmas banquet. They’re yummy, and I didn’t realize they’re so easy to make! I’m adding them to my file of cookie/pastry recipes. Thanks for posting.
I love these cookies! I’m not the biggest fan of frosting and “American cakes” so I love the simple pastries. I have made these a few time for my husband and our family Christmas party, they were a HIT! Everyone loved them as much as we did….I use a little less sugar and cut them into larger slices so that they “puff” up more!
So glad you enjoyed them. They are my husbands favorite cookies too. He can eat half the batch when I make them, so they become a “dangerous” cookie in our house.