Cinnamon Twist Recipe

This cinnamon twist recipe is the smartest thing you can do with leftover puff pastry scraps — crisp, lacquered spirals that taste like they came from a proper pastry case.

Cinnamon twists are one of those recipes that look more involved than they are. A sheet of puff pastry, a cinnamon sugar filling, and a straightforward fold-and-twist technique produce something that looks deliberate and tastes like it took far longer than it did.

If you want to make these from scratch, my Classic Puff Pastry works beautifully here and takes the result from good to exceptional. Either way, the shaping technique and the bake are what you need to get right.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Puff Pastry: This is the structure of the whole recipe, and keeping it cold is the only technique that matters. Store-bought works well here; if you want to make your own, my Inverse Puff Pastry produces an extraordinarily flaky, buttery result that will make these twists genuinely special.
• Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon is the filling, so quality matters more than it might seem. I always use a fresh jar rather than whatever has been sitting in the back of the cabinet for two years, which is my go-to move with any cinnamon-forward recipe because the difference in aroma and warmth is immediate.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar is what caramelizes in the oven to create that lacquered, brittle-sweet exterior. Do not substitute powdered sugar here; it will not caramelize the same way and the texture will be off.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations on This Cinnamon Twist Recipe

• Change the spice! You can add some pumpkin spice recipe or my apple pie spice! Even my speculoos spice mix recipe would add a wonderful flavor!
• Make with leftover pie dough! You can make the same twist with my all-butter pie crust!
• Try them savory. You can fill them with cheese, garlic, and spices. The options are endless. My personal favorite is black pepper and parmesan!

Professional Tips

• Keep everything cold. If your kitchen is warm and the shaped twists have softened by the time they go in the oven, slide the whole baking sheet into the refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking. I tested skipping this chill step, and the difference in height and crispness was significant enough that I will not skip it again.
• Press the ends down firmly. The twisted strips will want to uncoil in the oven if the ends are not anchored. A firm press against the parchment at both ends keeps the spiral intact through the bake.
• Bake at 375°F and do not pull early. The target is deep golden brown with fully caramelized sugar on the exterior. Pale twists pulled at the 12-minute mark taste underdone, and the sugar stays grainy rather than lacquered.
• Cool completely before storing. The caramelized sugar crust sets as the twists cool, which is my favorite part of this recipe. Storing them warm traps steam and softens that brittle exterior before it has a chance to fully harden.

How to Make this Cinnamon Twist Recipe

Use these instructions to make perfect cinnamon twists every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Preheat the oven and prep your pan. Set the oven to 375°F convection and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2: Mix the cinnamon sugar. Whisk the sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl until the cinnamon is fully distributed and there are no streaks. Spread a portion of the mixture onto your work surface, then sprinkle a little additional granulated sugar over it as well. The extra granulated sugar on the surface helps the dough release cleanly while adding another layer of crunch to the finished twist.

Step 3: Coat the puff pastry scraps in cinnamon sugar. Lay your cold puff pastry scraps directly onto the prepared surface and press gently so the cinnamon sugar adheres to both sides.

The dough should feel cold and firm, which is what you want. If it starts to feel soft or tacky, slide it onto a parchment-lined tray and refrigerate for 10 minutes before continuing.

Step 4: Roll the dough to ⅛-inch thick. Using a rolling pin, roll the coated scraps to about ⅛-inch thickness, pressing more cinnamon sugar into the surface as you go like when your making my Apricot Kolacky Cookie. The dough will feel a little stiff at first, which is completely normal. Work quickly and apply even pressure so the layers stay intact rather than tear.

Step 5: Cut into strips. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into ½-inch strips. Try to keep them as even as possible so they bake at the same rate.

A pizza cutter is my go-to here because it glides through the sugared dough without dragging or compressing the edges.

Step 6: Twist each strip and arrange on the pan. Take each strip and twist it into a tight spiral from one end to the other, then place it on the prepared baking sheet. Press both ends down lightly so they make contact with the parchment, which helps the twist hold its shape through the oven.

Step 7: Chill until completely cold. Transfer the pan to the refrigerator and chill for about 30 minutes. The twists need to be fully cold before they go into the oven. This is one of those steps that is easy to skip when you are eager to get to the baking part, but cold dough is what creates distinct, defined layers. Warm dough will puff unevenly and the twists may unravel.

Step 8: Bake until deep golden brown. Place the chilled pan in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the twists are a deep golden brown and the sugar has caramelized into a glossy, lacquered finish. Start checking at 15 minutes, but do not pull them early. Pale twists taste like undercooked pastry. You want dark golden, which is what gives them that crackled, caramelized surface and full flavor. The sugar on the parchment will bubble and smell like it is burning before the twists are actually done, which is completely normal and not a reason to open the oven.

If your puff pastry scraps vary in thickness, thinner strips will color faster than thicker ones. Rotate the pan at the 10-minute mark and pull any that are done early so nothing burns.

Step 9: Cool completely before serving. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the twists cool completely on the pan. The caramelized sugar is molten right out of the oven and needs time to set into that crisp, glassy coating. Once cooled, the exterior will be shatteringly crisp, and the layers inside will be tender and flaky. Serve at room temperature the same day for the best texture, or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Recipe FAQs

Before You Go

These cinnamon twists, with their shatteringly crisp layers and deep spiced sugar coating, are the kind of thing that disappears before they have a chance to cool. If you want to keep exploring, browse my Dessert Recipes, or make another classic French dessert like this vanilla crème brûlée!