Brown Sugar Sesame Palmiers: Crispy French Cookie Recipe

Easy Sesame Brown Sugar French Palmier Cookies, also known as elephant ears, are crisp puff pastry treats filled with sesame seeds and brown sugar. They’re simple to make and perfect for holidays or an everyday sweet snack.

French palmiers, sometimes called elephant ears or pig’s ears, are buttery puff pastry cookies shaped like a palm leaf or butterfly. Traditionally they are made with sugar and served with coffee, but variations like this sesame and brown sugar version add a lovely nutty flavor.

For convenience this recipe uses ready-rolled puff pastry, but flaky or rough puff pastry work equally well and will yield light, flaky, crunchy, buttery cookies.

What is a Pastry Sheet?

Puff pastry sheets are available in the fresh or frozen sections of most supermarkets. You can buy them ready-rolled, as used here, or in block form to roll out to your desired thickness. The sheet consists of many layers of buttery pastry so when baked it puffs into a light, airy texture ideal for both sweet and savory dishes.

How Do You Make Puff Pastry?

Making traditional puff pastry from scratch is time-consuming. If you want a quicker option that still produces flaky layers, consider a reliable quick and easy flaky pastry recipe. Otherwise, store-bought ready-rolled sheets are a big time-saver and give excellent results.

The contrast between flaky pastry and crunchy caramelized sugar makes these palmiers irresistible. This recipe keeps the flavors simple — sesame seeds and brown sugar — so the sesame’s distinctive taste shines through as the sugar caramelizes during baking.

Optional: for a festive twist, add a tablespoon of cinnamon to the sugar during the holiday season, or drizzle honey over the finished cookies for a Puerto Rican-style touch.

How are palmiers made?

This recipe demonstrates the simple technique for rolling and shaping palmiers so they bake into elegant, crisp cookies. Follow the step-by-step instructions below for best results.

Enjoy your Sesame Brown Sugar French Palmiers and feel free to experiment with fillings — I’ve tried almonds, sweet and savory variations, and they all work well. Let your creativity guide you.

Instructions

• Allow the puff pastry to fully defrost in its packaging.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Unroll the pastry and flatten it on its parchment wrapper. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
• Place a fresh piece of parchment on the work surface slightly larger than the pastry sheet. Sprinkle half the brown sugar evenly over the paper, then sprinkle half the sesame seeds on top.
• Turn the pastry (with its paper still on) pastry-side down onto the sugar and seed mixture. Use a rolling pin to lightly press the sugar and seeds into the pastry — press gently to avoid deforming the sheet.
• Peel off the top piece of parchment and evenly sprinkle the remaining brown sugar and sesame seeds over the exposed surface so both sides are coated.
• From one long side, tightly roll the pastry toward the center and stop at the middle. Then roll the other long side toward the middle so both rolls meet.
• Trim the ends to tidy the roll, then slice into ¼ inch (about 6 mm) thick slices. Place the slices flat on the prepared baking sheet; gently press them down if they are too thick. To emphasize the classic palmier shape, point the curved edges slightly so they resemble rabbit ears.
• Brush the tops lightly with melted butter and sprinkle a little extra brown sugar on top.
• Bake for 15–25 minutes or until the cookies puff and turn golden brown. Watch carefully as caramelized sugar can burn quickly. Halfway through baking, turn the cookies to brown evenly.
• When done, transfer the palmiers to a cooling rack with a spatula; they will crisp as they cool.

Storage: Once cooled, store palmiers in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days. They will lose crispness after that. You can freeze baked palmiers and re-crisp them in a hot oven for a few minutes, or freeze the raw cut slices on a baking sheet and transfer to a sealed bag; bake from frozen at 400°F (200°C) for about 20 minutes.

If you enjoyed this recipe, consider trying other pastry-based sweets like almond palmiers, fruit tarts or cream-filled pastries. Happy baking!

Recipe Card

Sesame Brown Sugar French Palmier Cookies

Yield:
24

Prep Time:
20 minutes

Cook Time:
20 minutes

Total Time:
40 minutes

Easy Sesame Brown Sugar French Palmier Cookies — crisp, buttery puff pastry cookies with caramelized brown sugar and sesame seeds. Perfect for gatherings or as a simple treat.

Ingredients

• 1 package frozen ready-rolled puff pastry
• 3½ tablespoons (50 g) butter, melted
• ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar, divided
• ⅔ cup (60 g) sesame seeds, divided

Instructions

1. Take the puff pastry from the freezer and allow it to fully defrost in the packaging.
2. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
3. Unroll the pastry and flatten it on the parchment wrapper. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.
4. Place a fresh piece of parchment on the work surface and sprinkle half the brown sugar and half the sesame seeds across it.
5. Turn the pastry (paper side up) onto the sugar and seed layer and use a rolling pin to press them lightly into the pastry without flattening the layers.
6. Remove the top parchment and sprinkle the remaining brown sugar and sesame seeds over the pastry so both sides are coated.
7. Roll one long side toward the middle, then the other side toward the middle so both rolls meet. Trim the ends and slice into ¼ inch thick pieces.
8. Place slices flat on the prepared baking sheet, press gently if needed, brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with extra sugar.
9. Bake 15–25 minutes or until puffed and golden, turning halfway to brown evenly. Watch closely to avoid burning.
10. Transfer to a cooling rack; cookies crisp as they cool. Store in an airtight container for 2–3 days.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24
Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 89