11 Fun Party Appetizers That Start With Frozen Puff Pastry

These golden, flaky bites are sure to impress your guests during the holiday season.

Melissa Clark’s simple potato galette comes together on a bed of puff pastry.Kerri Brewer for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Published Dec. 16, 2024Updated Dec. 16, 2024

The wise Ina Garten once said — then repeated again, and again — “store-bought is fine.” And, each time, she was absolutely right, especially when it comes to puff pastry, the ultimate way to take any party app to the next level. It’s easy to work with, affordable and available at most supermarkets. Put a few sheets to use with these 11 golden, flaky snacks and treats that are sure to impress your guests this holiday season.

See all 17 Easy Puff Pastry Appetizer Recipes on NYT Cooking.

A side image of puff pastry triangles topped with herbs and sandwiching pieces of prosciutto.

Take your charcuterie board to new heights — literally! — with this creative tower from Ali Slagle. Black pepper, rosemary and sage-infused pastry triangles are stacked between oven-crisped prosciutto and Parmesan shavings. It’s almost like a delicious version of Jenga, except everyone wins.

Recipe: Parmesan and Crispy Prosciutto Tower

An overhead image of pastry pinwheels finished with sesame seeds and za’atar.

Herby za’atar and salty Parmesan pair beautifully in these crunchy snacks from Melissa Clark. The cheesy mixture is sprinkled all over the frozen puff pastry, which is then rolled into logs and sliced into pinwheels before heading to the oven. She recommends using all-butter puff pastry, if you can find it, for an especially crisp and airy crust.

Recipe: Za’atar Parmesan Pinwheels

An overhead image of sesame-crusted puff pastry turnovers on a white platter. A single turnover is opened to reveal a feta filling.

These turnovers from Nargisse Benkabbou are a quick and easy starter for any dinner party or a casual get-together. A mixture of creamy feta, zesty preserved lemon, dried mint and fresh garlic is folded into store-bought puff pastry, which is then sprinkled with sesame seeds, and baked for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with a drizzle of honey, which, according to one reader, “is not an option!”

Recipe: Savory Feta Turnovers

An overhead image of two dozen pastry puff squares, finished with seeds and filled with raspberry preserves and chile crisp.

These sweet and spicy appetizers from Ali Slagle belong in the can’t-stop-eating category. Small squares of puff pastry are filled with Brie, raspberry preserves and chile crisp, and baked until golden brown. Enlist your friends to help, and the assembly for these bite-size sandwiches will fly by.

Recipe: Baked Brie Puffs With Chile Crisp

Twisted strands of puff pastry finished with crunchy sugar lay on parchment paper.

While these twists from Melissa Clark may look like savory cheese straws at first glance, they’re actually crunchy and sweet. This recipe comment says it all: “I made these exactly as written, and to me they are some of the best and easiest holiday cookies. Coconut-caramel-crispy butter pastry … right up my alley. The actual work time is minimal and perfect if you are puttering around and doing other things mid-chill. Everyone, including non-coconut lovers, raved about them.”

Recipe: Crunchy Coconut Twists

An overhead image of a plate topped with a puff pastry covered Brie surrounded by radicchio leaves.

This recipe from Tejal Rao, ready in 45 minutes, proves that baking is a great way to turn a just-whatever wheel of cheese into something delicious. Here, Camembert — the kind you can find at any supermarket — is tightly wrapped in puff pastry and baked until golden brown all over. Serve it alongside a simple salad. Bitter leaves like radicchio tend to work best, but do what makes you happy.

Recipe: Baked Camembert Salad

Puff pastry curls finished with sesame and scallion lay on a sheet of parchment paper.

These are Ali Slagle’s fun twist (pun intended) on the classic cheese straw. But instead of cheese, her squiggles are bejeweled with ginger, scallions, nori, peanuts and red pepper flakes. Serve them at your next cocktail party, or really anytime you need a crowd-pleaser.

Recipe: Ginger-Scallion Squiggles

Six puff pastry rectangles topped with caviar and potato chips are photographed from overhead.

This buttery potato tart from Melissa Clark is a riff on the classic party combo: sour cream, caviar and potatoes. Spread cooked fingerling potatoes — sliced and tossed with sour cream, Parmesan and chives — onto a puff pastry crust. And then, right before serving, top it all with crumbled potato chips (for crunch!) and caviar (for a salty pop!). According to one reader, “the hardest part was keeping from eating the chips and caviar before making the tart.”

Recipe: Crispy Potato and Sour Cream Tart

Rounds of figs and sausages wrapped with puff pastry are photographed from overhead on a white speckled platter.

“Made these for a Thanksgiving appetizer, and they stole the show. I got so many compliments,” one reader wrote about Melissa Clark’s sweet and savory hors d’oeuvres. Your friends and family will also sing your praises if you fill them with dried figs and prosciutto or salami.

Recipe: Figs and Pigs in a Blanket

A folded package of baked Brie has been cut open to show the oozing cheese inside. It’s surrounded by crackers, grapes and blackberries.

Bring this runny-centered, pastry-wrapped baked Brie to the holiday function, and you’ll be voted the M.V.P. Don’t be tempted to use a fancy cheese-shop Brie. This recipe works best with the supermarket kind. Choose any flavor of marmalade or jam for the topping, bake and enjoy.

Recipe: Baked Brie

Sliced potatoes top squares of puff pastry on a sheet pan.

Store-bought puff pastry does most of the heavy lifting in this cheesy potato tart from Sue Li. Ricotta, goat cheese and paprika are blended together and spread evenly atop the dough, which is then studded with sliced cooked baby potatoes, preferably in different colors, before going in the oven for 20 minutes. The presentation is so pretty you’ll definitely want guests to bear witness (or at least take pictures).

Recipe: Potato Tart With Goat Cheese and Thyme

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