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Easy Cinnamon Cocoa Palmiers

February 10, 2019 By justalittlebitofbacon 6 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. Click here for details.

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Flaky, crunchy, airy French cookies made with puff pastry! Whether you call them elephant ears or cocoa palmiers, these heart-shaped cookies are fun to make and fun to eat.

Cinnamon cocoa palmiers arranged on a plate with a cup of tea in the background.

Hello, all!

Today I’m posting a quick Valentine’s recipe which I’m getting in just under the wire! What can I say? I like to live on the edge. šŸ™‚

However, you don’t have to have these adorable palmiers only for Valentine’s. You can make them for Sunday brunch, Easter, Christmas, or any time you have people coming over and want to bake up a quick treat. Because love is for all year round, right?

For Valentine’s Day this year, I’m currently deciding if I should make a lot of little bites and go through my appetizers archive, or go with a simple steak plus sides. And then what for dessert? Chocolate, definitely but I have a lot of chocolate recipes!

What’s on your menu for romantic dinners? I’m always up for new ideas!

As for this recipe for dessert, I would dress the cookies up with ice cream for a romantic dinner. Cinnamon, chocolate, or vanilla ice cream would be my choices. Then maybe some whipped cream to put it over the top. And cappuccino or coffee to complete the little story I’m creating in my head.

Either on their own (maybe with tea) or all dressed up, lets get into the tips and tricks I have for baking up these little, crispy pastries.

Top view of crispy, caramelized heart shaped palmiers on a baking sheet.

What do you need?

  • Puff Pastry – I use one sheet to make 22 cookies. I recommend thawing in the fridge so the dough isn’t too soft when you are working with it.
  • Cinnamon Sugar – Cinnamon and granulated sugar.
  • Cocoa Sugar – Cocoa powder and granulated sugar.

How to make this

To make cocoa palmiers lay out a sheet of puff pastry and coat with cinnamon sugar and cocoa sugar. Then fold it up, slice into cookies, and bake until puffed and caramelized.

  1. Roll out the puff pastry.
  2. Spread out the cinnamon sugar on one side and the cocoa sugar on the other.
  3. Fold, then slice, and bake.

1. Prepare the pastry

Start by rolling out the pastry into a 12×12 inch square.

Then you’re going to coat one side with cinnamon sugar and use the rolling pin to press it in. Flip it over and coat the other side with cocoa sugar.

Coating both sides helps caramelize the palmiers. And coating with the cinnamon sugar first is key since it sticks better and won’t fall off when you flip.

Tip: Make sure the puff pastry is completely thawed before starting or it will crack. Conversely, if it gets soft (it should be pliable but firm), it has gotten too warm and needs to go in the fridge to firm up.

Step by step on how to add the sugar and fold the dough.

2. Fold it up

To make the heart shapes, you need to fold the puff pastry in to the middle. First one fold halfway on each side and then another the rest of the way. This will create the two sides of the heart.

If you have worked quickly and you’re in a cool kitchen, you may not need to chill the pastry before you cut the cookies, but it’s not a bad idea. So, unless you’re in a hurry, into the fridge it goes for about 15 minutes.

Tip: If you want a scroll shape where each side curls around, roll it to the middle from each side.

3. Cut and Bake

Trim off the end to made an even start. Then cut the cookies about 1/2 inch wide.

When you lay them out on the baking sheet, open them up a little so that they will make the heart shape. Then bake, first on one side and then the other until they are browned, caramelized, and crispy.

Tip: Be careful when turning the palmiers. They are covered with hot, sticky sugar!

Step by step on how to cut and bake the cookies.

Can I freeze palmiers?

Yes, you can freeze them unbaked!

Once you’ve sliced the cookies, set them out on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer. After they are frozen, move them to a sealed bag.

To bake the cookies, put the frozen cookies 2 inches apart as in the recipe, then add 2 minutes to the time on the first side, bringing the time to 14 minutes. (to allow them time to thaw and bake) You may also need an extra minute on the second side after you’ve turned them.

A hand holding up a cinnamon cocoa pastry with a few more pastries on the plate.

Recipes using the Second Sheet

Here are a few recipes to use that second sheet of pastry in your box.

  • Baked Brie in Puff Pastry with Jam
  • Blood Orange Galettes
  • Plum Tarts with Spiced Honey  

If you try my recipe for Cinnamon Cocoa Palmiers, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

You can connect with me by subscribing to my emails (see the form in the sidebar or below the recipe card), liking my FACEBOOK page, or by following me on PINTEREST.

– Happy Baking, Annemarie

Making cinnamon cocoa palmiers is a snap with prepared puff pastry! These chocolate French cookies, aka elephant ears, are tasty treats for the holidays. | justalittlebitofbacon.com #elephantears #palmiers #puffpastry #frenchrecipes
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Easy Cinnamon Cocoa Palmiers

Making cinnamon cocoa palmiers is a snap with prepared puff pastry! These chocolate French cookies, aka elephant ears, are tasty treats for the holidays.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time17 mins
Chilling Time15 mins
Total Time47 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Keyword: chocolate palmiers, palmiers
Servings: 22 cookies
Calories: 80kcal
Author: justalittlebitofbacon

Ingredients

  • 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided in half
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp table salt
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 400F.
  • Mix 1/4 cup of sugar with the cinnamon and salt. Mix the other 1/4 cup of sugar with the cocoa powder.
  • Set out a piece of parchment paper on your rolling surface and unfold the sheet of puff pastry onto it. Roll it out until it is a 12x12 inch sheet.
  • Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the top surface and then use the rolling pin to press the sugar into the pastry.
  • Turn it over and sprinkle the cocoa sugar evenly over this side as you did the other.
  • Take each side of the puff pastry and fold it halfway to the middle. Then fold each side again so the two folds meet in the middle. Fold it again in the middle to close it up like a book.
  • Chill for 15-30 minutes.
  • Slice the dough into 1/2 inch slices. Place the cookies onto parchment paper lined baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
  • For heart shaped cookies, bend the tops of the cookies apart from each other a little.
  • Bake for 12 minutes. Then turn and bake for 4-6 minutes more, or until the sugar has started to caramelize and the cookies are crunchy.
  • Move the cookies to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature. Once cool, the cookies can be stored in a sealed container for 4-5 days, though they will become less crisp as they sit.

Notes

  • Doubling: This recipe can easily be doubled, using a full package of two sheets instead of the one.
  • Puff Pastry: I used Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets. Each sheet is a little more than 8 oz. If you use another brand, you may get more or less cookies from a sheet.
  • Baking the Cookies: The difference between caramelized and burnt is rather small! Keep a very close eye on the cookies once you've turned them.
Cookies on a pink and white plate with text overlay - Cocoa Palmiers.
Cookies on a baking sheet and being held up with text overlay - Cocoa Palmiers.

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Filed Under: christmas, cookies and bars, desserts, french recipes, holiday favorites, mediterranean recipes, recipe, vegetarian Tagged With: chocolate, cinnamon, cocoa powder, puff pastry

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Justalittlebitofbacon is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Comments

  1. ali randall says

    February 21, 2019 at 10:27 am

    5 stars
    I am surprised this is such an easy to follow recipe. I always thought these fair treats took hours to make. This is totally up my alley and I love anything with puff pastry. Looks wonderfull.

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      February 22, 2019 at 2:03 pm

      Premade puff pastry makes these so easy. I hope you try them.

      Reply
  2. Dannii says

    February 21, 2019 at 9:52 am

    5 stars
    Cinnamon sweet treats are so under rated, so I love this. Definitely getting some puff pastry and trying these palmiers this weekend.

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      February 22, 2019 at 2:02 pm

      I love cinnamon too. šŸ™‚

      Reply
  3. Sues says

    February 21, 2019 at 9:21 am

    5 stars
    These would be delicious for Valentine’s Day, but are totally appropriate for any day of the year. They’re gorgeous and I had no idea palmiers were so easy to make. Adding to my list to bake ASAP!

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      February 22, 2019 at 2:01 pm

      They are much easier than they look!

      Reply

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Hello, I’m Annemarie

Welcome to my kitchen! I’m a Italian-American girl who loves fresh foods, local ingredients, and all sorts of comfort foods. Here you will find Mediterranean flavors and recipes from a New England perspective.

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