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These crunchy Chocolate Palmiers are a fun twist on the classic French cookie (also known as elephant ears) made with puff pastry and sugar.
They are surprisingly easy and have a dark chocolate frame to accentuate their natural heart shape. This makes them the perfect treat for Valentine’s Day and other special occasions.
Palmiers also make a wonderful everyday dessert and are especially delicious when dipped into cold milk or topped with ice cream. The best part is that you can vary this recipe in so many ways, and even enjoy savory versions, too.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Chocolate Palmiers
- You only need three ingredients (four, if you count salt).
- Allergy-friendly recipe with no egg.
- They are adorable, delicious, and perfect for everyday and special occasions.
- Easy to make with kids.
- Can be customized in many ways (see Possible Variations below).
Chocolate Palmiers Ingredients
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details!
- Coarse Sugar: also known as pearl sugar, nib sugar, or hail sugar. Swap for granulated sugar or cane sugar.
- Puff pastry: You’ll need a rectangular sheet of pastry. I use storebought. Keep it in the fridge until you are ready to bake.
- Dark chocolate: I use a 55% cocoa solids dark chocolate, but use what you have.
- Sea salt: Sea salt brings balance the sweet chocolate flavor. You can omit.
How to Make Chocolate Palmiers
- Prepare the dough: Roll out the pastry. Top with about half the sugar.
- Use a rolling pin: Roll the sugar into the dough.
- Fold the pastry: Fold the top and bottom towards the middle. Top with sugar and roll the pin over the dough.
- Fold again: Fold the two sides of the dough towards the middle once more, top with the remaining sugar, and roll.
- Shape the cookies: Cut the log into 1 cm wide cookies (1/4 inch).
- Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until golden brown at 225°C (437°F).
- Now to the chocolate: Melt the chocolate and pipe heart outlines on parchment paper.
- Top with the puff pastry cookie and allow to set.
Tips for Success
- Keep the puff pastry cold. ´
- Bake the cookies right away for the best results.
- Turn the cookies halfway through baking. This ensures they are crispy on both sides.
Possible Variations
- Puff pastry: No real swap here, unless you opt to make the pastry from scratch and not use storebought.
- Sugar: Try cinnamon sugar, abricot or orange marmalade, pistachio spread, melted chocolate, Nutella, or try Parmesan, pesto, shredded cheddar, feta and za’atar for savory options.
- Chocolate: Swap for milk or white chocolate. Or omit. If you want to save time, dip one side of the palmiers in a bowl of melted chocolate instead of piping the chocolate frame.
FAQs
Keep them in an airtight container and enjoy within 2-3 days.
Yes, you can freeze them raw straight after cutting them into cookies. Place them flat on a baking tray to freeze, then transfer them to a container or freezer bag. Bake at 225°C (437°F) for 6 minutes, then turn over and bake for another 6 minutes. Dip in chocolate once cool.
More Treats
Chocolate Palmiers
Ingredients
- 60 grams coarse sugar, or granulated
- 1 sheet puff pastry, 275 grams
- 200 grams dark chocolate
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 225℃ (437℉) fan.
- Roll out the puff pastry on top of the sheet it comes with, or on parchment paper.
- Sprinkle about half the sugar evenly over the entire pastry sheet.
- Use the rolling pin to roll the sugar into the dough.
- Fold the top and bottom of the puff pastry towards the middle.
- Top both sides with half of the remaining sugar.
- Roll the sugar into the dough.
- Fold from the top and bottom towards the middle again, top with the last of the sugar, and roll it into the dough.
- Slice the log into 1 cm thick cookies (about ¼ inch).
- Arrange the cookies so they look like pointy hearts on a lined baking sheet. Pinch the bottom to make them pointy. This will help them bake into hearts.
- You'll want to space them out (I had 12 on each tray).
- Bake for 6 minutes, then turn the cookies over and bake for 4-5 minutes more until golden.
- Repeat with the second tray and allow the cookie to cool.
- Melt the dark chocolate, then pour it into a piping bag or a piping utensil.
- Pipe a 1-2 cm-wide chocolate outline of a heart on parchment paper, the same size as the cookies (but wide enough to see the chocolate).
- Place a cookie on top, then repeat the process with the remaining cookies.
- Sprinkle the chocolate heart outline with flaky sea salt and allow to set.
- Serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
