10+ Pastry Recipes to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth Easily
Pastry recipes? They’re a fantastic way to bring a little joy and comfort into your kitchen. Whether you lean sweet or savory, learning a few simple pastry recipes can really open up your snack and meal game.
You can make so many kinds of pastries at home with just a handful of easy-to-find ingredients and some basic steps. Baking doesn’t have to be intimidating—honestly, it’s surprisingly accessible, even if you’re not exactly a pro.
Ingredients
- Flour
- Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Milk
- Salt
Cooking Instructions
- Toss flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
- Cut cold butter into the mix until it looks crumbly.
- Add eggs and milk, mixing just enough to form a dough.
- Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Roll it out for your recipe and bake as needed.
1) Classic French Puff Pastry
Classic French puff pastry, or pâte feuilletée, uses just a few ingredients. You fold butter into the dough over and over, which creates those magical, thin layers that puff up in the oven.
There’s no yeast or baking powder here. The steam from the melting butter is what makes it rise and crisp. People use this dough in all sorts of pastries and desserts for that signature flaky bite.
Making puff pastry takes a little patience, but honestly, it’s worth every minute. Try making it from scratch with flour, butter, and water for a truly fresh, buttery result.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter
- ¾ cup cold water
- 1 tsp salt
Cooking Instructions
- Mix flour and salt in a bowl.
- Cube the butter and add it to the flour.
- Work fast—mix until crumbly, leaving some small butter pieces.
- Pour in cold water and stir until a dough forms.
- Roll into a rectangle, fold in thirds, and chill for 30 minutes.
- Repeat rolling and folding three more times, chilling each time.
- Roll out and bake at 400°F (200°C) until golden, about 15-20 minutes.
2) Cream Cheese and Berry Puff Pastry
If you’ve got puff pastry, cream cheese, and berries, you’re set for a killer dessert. Just spread softened cream cheese on pastry squares and pile on your favorite berries—blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries work great.
This recipe comes together quickly and bakes up golden and flaky. The cream cheese brings a rich, smooth flavor that works perfectly with the sweet-tart berries.
You might want to drizzle a little honey or dust with powdered sugar after baking for an extra treat. This one’s easy to pull off with frozen or fresh pastry sheets.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry (thawed if frozen)
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1-2 cups fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries)
- 1-2 tbsp sugar (optional)
- Honey or powdered sugar for topping (optional)
Cooking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Cut puff pastry into 4-6 squares.
- Spread cream cheese on each square.
- Top with berries.
- Sprinkle sugar if you’re feeling fancy.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden and puffed.
- Cool a bit, then finish with honey or powdered sugar if you want.
Check out this cream cheese puff pastry with berries for more tips.
3) Homemade Shortcrust Pastry
Making shortcrust pastry at home is honestly easier than people think. You just need a few ingredients and a little patience.
Keep the butter cold for the flakiest, most tender results. Mix flour and cold butter until you get a crumbly texture, then add cold water slowly until the dough comes together.
Chill the dough before rolling it out—it helps everything hold together. This pastry works great for pies, tarts, or quiches.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (160g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (115g) cold unsalted butter, diced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3-4 tablespoons cold water
Cooking Instructions
- Mix flour and salt in a bowl.
- Cut in the cold butter until it looks like crumbs.
- Add cold water a tablespoon at a time, mixing until dough forms.
- Shape into a disk, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll out on a floured surface to fit your pan.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20-25 minutes until golden.
4) Savory Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Brioche Boats
You can whip up a seriously tasty breakfast with brioche boats stuffed with bacon, eggs, and cheese. The soft brioche soaks up the creamy egg mixture, while crispy bacon and melty cheese bring it all together.
These are perfect for busy mornings or when you’ve got guests to impress. The bread crisps up at the edges, and you can toss in green onions or herbs if you want a little extra flavor.
This recipe uses simple ingredients and comes together pretty quickly. Once you try it, you might find yourself making it again and again.
Ingredients:
- 1 brioche loaf or 2-3 brioche rolls
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 4 ounces cooked bacon, chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Hollow out the brioche to make boats.
- Whisk eggs, cream, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- Stir in bacon and cheese.
- Pour the mixture into each brioche boat.
- Set on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until eggs are set.
- Let them cool a bit before serving.
5) Apricot Ham and Swiss Cheese Tarts
You can put together apricot ham and Swiss cheese tarts with puff pastry in no time. Start by layering ham in the pastry shells, then add caramelized onions, Swiss cheese, and a touch of apricot preserves.
These bake up fast, just 8 to 10 minutes at 350°F (175°C). The salty ham, creamy cheese, and sweet apricot are a killer combo for snacks or appetizers.
Serve them warm for the best flavor. They’re simple, tasty, and perfect for parties or quick bites.
Ingredients
- Puff pastry shells
- Sliced ham
- Swiss cheese
- Caramelized onions
- Apricot preserves
Cooking Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Place ham in each pastry shell.
- Top with caramelized onions and Swiss cheese.
- Spoon a little apricot preserves over the cheese.
- Bake on an ungreased sheet for 8-10 minutes.
- Serve warm.
6) Quick 3:2:1 Pie Dough
The 3:2:1 pie dough method is a lifesaver when you want a flaky crust fast. Three parts flour, two parts fat, one part water—that’s it.
You can use butter, shortening, or lard—whatever you have. Just mix everything, chill the dough, and you’re good to go.
This dough is easy to handle and bakes up tender every time. No fancy tools required.
Ingredients
- 3 parts flour
- 2 parts butter (or shortening/lard)
- 1 part cold water
Cooking Instructions
- Mix flour and fat until crumbly.
- Add cold water and mix to form a dough.
- Chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll out on a floured surface.
- Use for your favorite pie and bake at 350°F (175°C).
7) Flaky Homemade Croissant Dough
Making croissant dough is a bit of a project, but honestly, you can do it if you take it step by step. Start by mixing flour, sugar, salt, yeast, milk, and water into a dough, then chill it down before layering in the butter.
Spread cold butter over the dough, fold it up, and repeat a few times. The folding and rolling is what gives croissants those buttery, flaky layers.
Keep everything cold so the butter doesn’t melt out. Once you’ve shaped your croissants, let them rise until puffy.
Bake at 375°F (190°C) and you’ll end up with golden, crisp, and soft croissants—pretty rewarding, honestly.
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk, warm
- 1/2 cup water, warm
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold
Cooking Instructions
- Mix yeast, warm milk, and water. Let it sit 5 minutes.
- Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
- Add the wet mixture and stir into a dough.
- Chill dough for an hour.
- Roll out, spread cold butter over, and fold.
- Repeat folding and chilling three times.
- Shape croissants and let rise 1-2 hours.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15-20 minutes.
Want more details? Here’s a homemade French croissants recipe.
8) Sweet Danish Pastry with Custard
You can make a sweet Danish pastry that’s soft, flaky, and filled with creamy custard. This treat, sometimes called Spandauer, is perfect for breakfast or just a snack.
The dough is buttery and light, and the vanilla custard inside adds a lovely sweet flavor. Top with fruit or jam if you want to jazz it up.
Making these takes some time since you have to layer the dough, but the smell and taste are totally worth it when they come out of the oven.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup milk, warm
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 egg
- 1 cup vanilla custard (store-bought or homemade)
Cooking Instructions
-
Activate yeast in warm milk with a pinch of sugar.
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Mix flour and sugar, then add the yeast mixture to form a dough.
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Fold in cold butter to create layers. Chill the dough for an hour.
-
Roll out the dough, cut circles, and place custard in the center.
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Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 15–20 minutes until golden.
-
Let them cool before serving.
9) Pop-Tarts from Scratch
Making Pop-Tarts at home is honestly easier than it sounds. You start with a simple pastry dough and fill it with whatever you’re craving—jam, fruit, or even sweet cream cheese if you’re feeling fancy.
Roll out the dough and slice it into rectangles. Add a spoonful of filling, then seal the edges.
Bake until the outside turns golden brown and a little crispy.
Once they’re done, drizzle a bit of icing on top for that familiar Pop-Tart vibe. You can play with the fillings and make them your own.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter
- ½ cup cold water
- ½ cup fruit jam or filling
- 1 cup powdered sugar (for icing)
- 2-3 tbsp milk (for icing)
Cooking Instructions
-
Mix flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl.
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Cut in the cold butter until the mixture looks crumbly.
-
Pour in cold water and mix until you get a dough.
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Chill the dough for about 30 minutes.
-
Roll out the dough and cut it into rectangles.
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Put filling on half of the rectangles, then top each with another piece of dough.
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Seal the edges with a fork.
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Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20-25 minutes, or until they look golden.
-
Stir together powdered sugar and milk for the icing, then spread it on the cooled Pop-Tarts.
10) Butter Croissant Rolls
Butter croissant rolls are flaky and soft, and honestly, they’re so much better fresh from your own oven. When you make them yourself, you get to pick your ingredients and enjoy them warm.
The dough gets layered with cold butter for that signature flakiness. It takes a bit of patience, but the payoff? Totally worth it, especially for breakfast or a sneaky snack.
Let the dough rest and rise before baking. That’s what makes the rolls light and airy.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 packet active dry yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
- 1/2 cup warm milk (about 110°F / 45°C)
- 1/2 cup warm water (about 110°F / 45°C)
Cooking Instructions
-
Grab a large bowl. Mix in the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
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Pour in the warm milk and water. Stir things up until you get a dough.
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Chill the dough for a bit. Next, roll it out and layer it with cold butter.
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Fold the dough over itself a few times. This helps build those lovely layers.
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Let the dough sit and rise. Wait until it doubles in size—yes, it takes some patience.
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Roll the dough into crescent shapes. Place them on a baking sheet, spaced out a bit.
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Bake at 375°F (190°C) for about 15–20 minutes. Pull them out when they turn golden brown.