These easy jam palmiers are made with just 4 ingredients, a sheet of puff pastry, a little sugar and your favorite berry jam. Crispy, flaky and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.
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Puff Pastry Palmiers with Jam
There is something about puff pastry that makes even the simplest recipe feel special, and these jam palmiers are proof. One sheet of pastry, a sprinkle of crunchy turbinado sugar and a swirl of jam bake up into golden cookies with the prettiest spiral shape.
Summer is the perfect time to make this variation of the French pastry, especially if you have jars of homemade strawberry or blueberry jam to use up. That said, any jam you love will work, homemade or store bought.
Most of the 20 minutes of hands-on time is just rolling and slicing. The hardest part is waiting for the log to chill, but that short rest in the fridge is what gives you clean slices and flaky layers. If you love these, try my cinnamon sugar palmiers next, same easy method with a warm cinnamon twist.
Ingredient Notes
- Puff pastry: One sheet is all it takes. Store bought works great, just thaw it in the fridge if frozen, or make my homemade puff pastry for extra flaky, buttery layers.
- Turbinado sugar: The coarse crystals give the palmiers their crunchy, caramelized edges. If you don’t have it, granulated sugar works too, the tops just won’t be quite as crisp.
- Jam: I used blueberry, but blackberry or homemade strawberry jam are just as delicious. Any thick jam you have on hand will work, just avoid anything too runny or it will leak out while baking.
- Cornstarch: Sifting a little into the jam thickens it as it bakes so the filling stays in the swirl instead of bubbling out onto the pan.
How to Make Jam Palmiers
Roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the top, then gently roll over it with a rolling pin so the sugar presses into the dough. That sugar side becomes the caramelized outside of the cookies.
Stir the cornstarch into the jam, then flip the dough over so the plain side faces up. Spread the jam mixture evenly over the surface.
Starting from one long side, roll the dough toward the middle, then roll the other side in to meet it, keeping the two rolls even.
Wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Don’t skip this chill, cold dough is what gives you clean slices instead of squished spirals.
Cut the chilled log into slices and place them cut side up on a parchment lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. They spread as they bake, so give them room.
While the oven heats, pop the sliced palmiers back in the fridge. This second chill keeps the butter cold so the layers puff instead of melting flat. Bake, then carefully flip each one and bake again until golden. Flipping is what gets both sides crisp and caramelized. Let them cool 10 minutes on the baking sheet before moving to a wire rack, the jam is very hot straight out of the oven.
recipe tips
- Keep everything cold. Puff pastry only puffs when the butter is cold going into the oven. If the dough gets soft and sticky at any point, put it back in the fridge for a few minutes before continuing.
- Use a thick jam. A firm set jam holds its swirl. If yours is on the loose side, add a little extra cornstarch or cook it down for a few minutes and let it cool before spreading.
- Spread the jam thin. A little goes further than you think in these jam palmiers. Too thick a layer and it will ooze out the sides as the palmiers bake.
- Use a sharp knife for slicing. A gentle sawing motion with a sharp knife keeps the spirals round. Pressing straight down with a dull blade squashes the log.
- Even rolls make even cookies. When rolling the two sides toward the middle, check that they stay the same size so the finished palmiers have that symmetrical heart shape.
- Watch them closely after the flip. The sugar caramelizes fast in the last few minutes. Golden is perfect, but they can go from golden to too dark quickly.
Variations
- Different jams: Apricot jam, cherry jam or raspberry all work beautifully. Stick with thicker jams and skip anything labeled as a spread or syrup.
- Chocolate hazelnut: Swap the jam for a thin layer of homemade Nutella or store bought, no cornstarch needed. Keep the layer light so it doesn’t leak.
- Lemon: Stir a little lemon zest into the sugar before sprinkling it over the pastry for a bright citrus note that’s lovely with berry jam.
These Jam Palmiers are a wonderfully simple treat made with flaky puff pastry and your favorite jam for a dessert that’s both elegant and effortless. Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea, they’re sure to disappear quickly!
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar
- ½ cup blueberry, black berry or strawberry jam (any jam of choice will work)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (sifted)
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Roll out the puff pastry (mine measured 10×12½ inches / 25×32 cm. Sprinkle the sugar on top and with a rolling pin gently roll over the sugar to press into the dough.
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In a small bowl mix the jam with the cornstrarch.
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Flip the dough upside down. Spread the jam mixture on top (the plain side). Roll the dough from each end (long side) into the middle making sure they are even and meet in the middle (see photos). Wrap the log in plastic wrap or parchment paper and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
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Remove the dough from the fridge and cut into ¼-⅓ inch slices, place them cut side up on a parchment paper lined baking sheet about 2 inches / 4 cm apart.
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Pre-heat oven to 375F/190C. While the oven is pre-heating refrigerate the palmiers for approximately 15-20 minutes.
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Bake for approximately 10 minutes then carefully flip them over and continue to bake for another 5-10 or until golden.
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Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Storage: Best the day they are baked. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, then re-crisp in a 300°F oven for a few minutes. Freeze baked palmiers for up to 1 month, or freeze the unbaked log and thaw overnight in the fridge before slicing and baking.
Calories: 71kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 10mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 0.1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.3mg | Phosphorus: 6mg
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