Puff pastry often brings dessert to mind, but it’s remarkably versatile for savory dishes too. You see it on chicken pot pies or wrapped around meat, like in a classic Beef Wellington, but it also makes a simple, elegant crunchy garnish: puff pastry croutons.
These croutons are easy to customize. Cut them with cookie cutters into leaves, stars, hearts, or any shape you like, or simply slice the sheet into squares or diamonds. Make them large to float on a bowl of soup or to top a creamy chicken dish, or make them small to scatter over a salad. They’ll add flaky texture and a golden, buttery bite. They also work as a quick snack or an elegant hors d’oeuvre.
- Different Shaped Puff Pastry Croutons
- Ingredients
- How to Make Puff Pastry Croutons
- Storage
- What to Serve With Puff Pastry Croutons
- More Puff Pastry Recipes
- How to Make Puff Pastry Croutons Recipe
How to Make Puff Pastry Croutons: Store-bought puff pastry turns into easy flaky croutons, great for adding to a salad or a bowl of soup.
Different Shaped Puff Pastry Croutons
Puff pastry croutons are a great opportunity to get creative. For a holiday salad, leaf-shaped cutters look seasonal and pretty; for Halloween, pumpkins or ghosts are fun; hearts work for Valentine’s Day; trees for Christmas; stars for summer celebrations. You can also use fluted circles, diamonds, or simple squares. If you don’t have cutters, a knife works fine—slice into any shape or size you prefer. Freestanding cutouts will usually bake faster than pieces left in the full sheet of pastry.
Ingredients
- Refrigerated puff pastry dough – If using frozen puff pastry, defrost it according to package instructions.
- Mayonnaise – A beaten egg yolk or a tablespoon or two of melted butter can also be used as a glaze, but mayonnaise gives a lovely sheen and helps the croutons brown evenly.
- Salt – For a light sprinkle on top.
- Seasonings (optional) – Try grated Parmesan, sesame or poppy seeds, or dried herbs and spices to vary the flavor.
Kitchen Smarts
If your puff pastry is frozen, thaw it according to package directions. Refrigerated pastry usually needs no rolling; if the dough is thicker than you’d like, give it a gentle roll on a parchment-lined baking sheet to even the thickness before cutting.
How to Make Puff Pastry Croutons
- Preheat and prepare: Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the thawed or refrigerated puff pastry.
- Cut shapes: Cut the pastry with cookie cutters or a knife into the shapes you want—squares, diamonds, leaves, stars, etc.
- Trim excess (optional): You can remove the surrounding dough to leave freestanding shapes, which will bake faster, or leave the shapes in the sheet and bake as one piece and separate after baking.
- Glaze: Lightly brush the tops with mayonnaise (or egg yolk or melted butter) to encourage browning and a glossy finish.
- Season: Sprinkle with kosher salt and any optional toppings like grated Parmesan, seeds, or dried herbs.
- Bake: Bake for 10–20 minutes depending on size and whether you baked freestanding shapes or the whole sheet. Small cutouts finish sooner; a full sheet will take longer. Remove when the croutons are golden brown and flaky—test one to be sure.
Storage
Store baked croutons in a sealed container at room temperature for a few days. They keep well enough to make ahead and add to salads, soups, or serve as an easy snack with drinks.
What to Serve With Puff Pastry Croutons
Pumpkin Curry Soup
Herbed Chicken Salad
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
More Puff Pastry Recipes
- Puff Pastry Breakfast Tarts with Spinach, Egg and Cheese
- Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraîche Puff Pastry Tartlets
- Herbed Cheesy Puff Pastry Bacon Straws
- Baked Brie en Croûte with Raspberry Jam
How to Make Puff Pastry Croutons
Equipment
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Knife
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Cookie cutters (optional)
Video
Ingredients
- Refrigerated puff pastry dough (defrosted if frozen)
- Mayonnaise (or beaten egg yolk or a tablespoon or two of melted butter)
- Salt
- Seasonings (Parmesan, seeds, or dried herbs; optional)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
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Lightly roll or unroll the puff pastry onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cut shapes with cookie cutters or slice into squares or diamonds.
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Optionally remove surrounding dough so shapes stand alone; freestanding pieces will bake faster than a full sheet.
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Brush the tops lightly with mayonnaise, egg yolk, or melted butter for shine and color.
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Sprinkle with kosher salt and any desired seasonings, like Parmesan or seeds.
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Bake 10–20 minutes depending on size and thickness. Small cutouts bake quickly; a full sheet takes longer. Remove when golden brown and flaky.
Notes
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