This easy lemon puff pastry recipe is made with a sweet cream cheese filling, along with lemon pie filling, wrapped in puff pastry dough, baked to flaky perfection, and then drizzled with glaze.
As you can probably tell by now if you’ve been following my blog, I love, love, LOVE pastry. I make all kinds of recipes, but you guys, I have a sweet tooth the size of a Mack truck. Rather than buying pastries at the store every time I go, I’ve mastered making them at home. Over the years, I’ve made all kinds, and the variety I continually come back to is the braided pastry that we so often see at stores and bakeries. This particular version is one of two or three that I make regularly during the summer because lemon is such a classic summer flavor. I’ll make these pastries for a sweet breakfast, afternoon snack, or a sweet addition to parties during the summer months.
Lemon Puff Pastry
This easy, delicious puff pastry recipe start with lemon pie filling and an easy, homemade cream cheese filling. I layer them on top of one another on puff pastry sheets and then cut and braid the sheets to create that classic ropy look along the top. Then, I bake them until golden and flaky. Finally, I top them with a simple glaze to finish it off. Oh, it’s so good and so, so easy.
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Puff Pastry Recipe
- The flavor of the sweet cream cheese, lemon pie filling, and flaky puff pastry is simply irresistible.
- It’s easy to make and is a delicious lemon dessert everyone will enjoy.
- It is a great recipe to customize with different pie fillings, and it’s great to serve for breakfast, brunch, after-dinner dessert, or a midday snack.
Lemon Puff Pastry Ingredients
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. You’ll find most of them in your kitchen right this minute, and anything you don’t have is a quick trip to the grocery store away.
- Store-bought puff pastry sheets
- Lemon pie filling (will only use about half)
- Cream cheese
- Sugar
- Egg yolk
- Lemon juice
- Vanilla extract
- Large egg
- Water
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
How to Make Lemon Puff Pastry
Making this recipe is just as easy as gathering up the ingredients. The cream cheese filling is simple, the lemon filling is just canned lemon pie filling, and braiding and baking the pastry is a snap. You’ll be done in no time!
Step 1: Make the Cream Cheese Filling
Beat the cream cheese for 2 to 3 minutes in a medium bowl until fluffy. Then, add the sugar, egg yolk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and beat again until combined.
Step 2: Fill the Pastries
Gently open the mostly-thawed puff pastry and roll it out a few times on a lightly floured surface until square. Then, spoon half the cream cheese mixture down the center of each pastry, leaving about 1 ½ inches of space at either end. Spoon 3 heaping tablespoons of lemon pie filling on top of the cream cheese mixture and gently spread to even it out.
Step 3: Braid
Cut two 1-inch slits down each end of the pastries. Fold over and secure to keep the filling from leaking out. Then, Cut off the top and bottom side pieces at an angle (see the photo). Continue to cut slits on an angle down the length of the pastry sides, making sure not to cut too close to the filling. Fold each strip over like a braid and secure.
Step 4: Bake
Mix the egg and water together and brush the egg wash over the top of both pastries. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove the pastries from the oven and set aside.
Step 5: Drizzle
Mix the powdered sugar and milk until combined in a small bowl. Then, drizzle over the puff pastries after they’ve cooled a bit.
Recipe Tips
- Fully soften your cream cheese for the best texture and to avoid any little bits of raw cream cheese in your mixture.
- Be sure to leave headspace at each end of your pastries, otherwise, the filling will leak out.
- When cutting the side strips, leave enough space so the sides of the pastries are solid when you fold over the strips. This ensures that your delicious filling stays inside the pastries.
- Do not skip the egg wash. It’s vital to getting that great, golden brown color.
Variations
- Sprinkle chopped almonds, pecans, or walnuts over your pastries before baking.
- Keep your pastry sheets whole and fold over the solid sheets to make a flop pastry.
- Add a bit of lemon extract or lemon zest to the glaze for a lemon glaze.
What to Serve with Lemon Puff Pastries
As with all pastries, a glass of milk or a cup of coffee or tea is always a great pairing. I also love to serve these with other sweets and pastries as part of a larger dessert spread for parties. You can also serve them on a plate with fresh berries or some ice cream on the side.
Recipe FAQ
Lemon pie filling is readily available at almost any grocery store in the country. If for some reason your grocery store doesn’t have it, you can also find it online.
Even frozen puff pastry should be rolled lightly a few times to ensure an even thickness before baking.
It’s sometimes necessary to par-bake puff pastry. For example, before adding moist fillings to a tart or similar dessert, you should bake the pastry first to avoid fogginess. However, for smaller pastry dishes, it’s not required.
Puff pastry temperature varies depending on the recipe, but in general, puff pastry is baked between 375 and 400 degrees.
This pastry freezes well and will last for up to a month when stored properly.
How to Store Leftover Lemon Puff Pastries
Store these pastries in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container. For longer storage, place the pastries on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and freeze them until solid. Then, transfer them to an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag and store for up to a month.
Try This Delicious Lemon Puff Pastry Recipe Today
This lemon puff pastry is as easy as it is delicious, which means everyone is going to love it. Your family and friends (and you) will love the rich, sweet, and tangy flavors of lemon pie and cream cheese fillings combined with the flaky, buttery deliciousness of the puff pastry, and you’ll love how quick and easy it is to make. This is one dessert that only takes one bite to hook you for life!
This Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake is a delicious, refreshing cheesecake recipe that starts with a graham cracker crust, a lemon cheesecake filling and fresh blueberries swirled throughout. Incredibly delicious!
Lemon Puff Pastry
Ingredients
- 1 box puff pastry sheets
- 22 ounce lemon pie filling, will only use about half
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounce cream cheese
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Egg Wash
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Glaze Drizzle
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cream Cheese Filling
- In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add sugar, egg yolk, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.
Cut the Pastry Dough
- Gently open up the mostly thawed puff pastry and roll the pastry a few times until square on a lightly floured surface.
- Spoon half of the cream cheese mixture down the center of each puff pastry leaving about 1½ inch free from filling at each end.
- Add about three heaping tablespoons of lemon pie filling on top of the cream cheese mixture and gently spread, then repeat with the other puff pastry.
- See above photo: cut two slits at each end of the pastry about 1 inch long and fold over the top of the filling and secure to prevent mixture from leaking out.
- Next cut off the top and bottom side pieces at an angle and continue to make cuts into the pastry along each side making sure not to cut too close to the filling.
- Once the ends have been secured, start folding each piece over each other like a braid and secure.
Egg Wash
- Mix egg and water together
- Brush egg wash over both pastries and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden.
Glaze Drizzle
- In a small bowl, stir powdered sugar and milk together.
- Drizzle over puff pastries once cooled a bit.