Savory Palmiers replace the traditional sweet flavor of these French pastries with pesto and sun-dried tomatoes, creating a buttery, flaky pastry with a bold flavor that’s perfect for any party.
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Palmiers are traditionally known as delicate, sweet pastries, but their savory counterpart is just as irresistible. Perfectly crisp, flaky, savory palmiers can be served as appetizers or snacks.
This recipe can easily be made vegan-friendly using vegan puff pastry and pesto, but if you are not vegan, you can always use traditional ingredients.
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Why You’ll Love These Savory Palmiers
Limited Ingredients: It only takes a handful of simple ingredients to make this recipe. Use pre-made puff pastry, jarred pesto, and sundried tomatoes for a three-ingredient appetizer that looks like you’ve spent hours in the kitchen.
Easy: A few minutes of prep and a few more in the oven are all it takes.
Flaky: The puff pastry is buttery, flaky, and has a crispy bite.
Tons of Flavor: The pesto and sun-dried tomatoes create flavor in every bite.
Ingredients and Notes
Vegan Puff Pastry: My vegan puff pastry is easy to make and creates the perfect flaky base for these palmiers.
Vegan Pesto: I make a simple vegan pesto with cashews and nutritional yeast to create a rich and creamy spread that takes only 10 minutes to prepare!
Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Sun-dried tomatoes give these palmiers a deep, rich tomato flavor that pairs perfectly with the pesto.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a complete list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Substitutions and Variations
Puff Pastry: Use store-bought puff pastry.
Pesto: There are several varieties of pesto in stores and online if you’d prefer to go that route.
Pine Nuts: Pine nuts sprinkled on the palmiers before baking add a wonderful flavor.
Nutritional Yeast: Sprinkle nutritional yeast on the palmiers before baking to mimic the flavor of parmesan cheese.
How to Make These Savory Palmiers
- Roll the puff pastry evenly on a flat surface, aiming for a rectangle about 10 by 12 inches.
- Evenly spread the vegan pesto over the puff pastry, leaving a border of about ½ inch on all sides. Then, scatter the finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes over the top—season with a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
- Roll up the pastry, starting at one of the long sides until you reach the center. Then, repeat with the other side.
- Wrap the rolled pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate it until firm.
- Slice the chilled pastry into ½-inch thick slices. Then, lay them about an inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake until the palmiers are puffed and golden brown, rotating the sheet halfway through baking for even cooking.
- Cool the palmiers slightly on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool to warm or room temperature before serving.
FAQ
A palmier is a French pastry made with puff pastry sprinkled with sugar and then rolled up on either side. They’re known as elephant ears, pig ears, or palm hearts.
They can be both! Sweet palmiers can be a lovely addition to breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack, and savory palmiers are excellent appetizers or party foods.
Vegan puff pastry might not taste exactly like the traditional variety, but it’s very close. When plant-based fat substitutes are used, you’ll end up with puff pastry that puffs, gets flaky, and turns golden brown.
Expert Tips
- Puff pastry works best when it’s chilled. Keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to roll it out to prevent the butter layers from melting.
- Use a lightly floured surface and a rolling pin to ensure the pastry is an even thickness, about ⅛ inch thick.
- Roll the palmiers tightly so they hold their shape well while baking.
- A thin, even layer of filling is key. Too much can make the pastry difficult to roll and cause the palmiers to lose their shape during baking.
- Be sure the puff pastry has had enough time to chill and set before slicing them, or you’ll squish them.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these palmiers as a snack and a cup of coffee or tea. Their savory flavor also pairs well with appetizer options like this Christmas fruit wreath, veggie tray Christmas tree, and vegan latkes.
Storage
Room Temperature: Store these savory palmiers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator: Store the palmiers in an airtight container for 5 days.
Freezer: Wrap the palmiers in plastic wrap and store them for up to 2 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag.
Defrost: Defrost the palmiers overnight in the refrigerator or directly on the counter, depending on how quickly you plan to serve them.
More Easy Appetizers!
Recipe
Savory Palmiers
Equipment
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Ingredients
- 1 sheet vegan puff pastry or regular
- 3 tablespoon vegan pesto sauce or regular
- 3 tablespoon sundried tomatoes
- 1 tbso extra virgin olive oil
- flour for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly dust a clean surface with flour.
- Flour a rolling pin and roll out the puff pastry slightly to even out the surface. Aim for a rectangle about 10×12 inches.
- Evenly spread the vegan pesto over the surface of the puff pastry, leaving about ½ inch border on all sides. Scatter the finely chopped sundried tomatoes on top of the pesto. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning.
- Starting with one of the longer edges, roll the pastry tightly toward the center until you reach the middle.
- Repeat with the opposite edge so the two rolls meet in the center.
- Wrap the rolled pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15–20 minutes to firm up.
- Remove the pastry from the fridge and slice it into ½-inch thick slices using a sharp knife.
- Lay the slices flat on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between each palmier.
- Bake for 15–18 minutes or until the palmiers are puffed and golden brown. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking for even cooking.
- Allow the palmiers to cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Puff pastry works best when it’s chilled. Keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to roll it out to prevent the butter layers from melting.
- Use a lightly floured surface and a rolling pin to ensure the pastry is an even thickness, about ⅛ inch thick.
- Roll the palmiers tightly so they hold their shape well while baking.
- A thin, even layer of filling is key. Too much can make the pastry challenging to roll and cause the palmiers to lose shape during baking.
- Be sure the puff pastry has had enough time to chill and set before slicing them, or you’ll squish them.
- Prepare in advance and keep in the fridge for up to a day before baking.
- Store baked palmiers for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven until crispy.
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