20 Puff Pastry Appetizers for Your Next Party

Updated October 29, 2019
Credit: Meredith Food Studios

Use the versatile puff pastry to create a variety of festive and impressive appetizers, ranging from tarts and turnovers to quiches and baked brie. 

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Savory Carrot Ribbon Tart

Credit: Iain Bagwell

Savory Carrot Ribbon Tart Recipe

With its tangle of bright carrot strips and bits of spicy chorizo, this beautiful tart makes an exciting appetizer or even a light main dish. An all-butter puff pastry, such as Dufour, gives especially flavorful and flaky results, but it's delicious made with any kind of puff pastry.

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Cheese Puff Pastries

Credit: Helen Norman

Cheese Puff Pastries Recipe

Cheese Puff Pastries top our Apple-Onion Soup.

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Butternut Squash Glazed Tart

Credit: Christina Holmes

Butternut Squash Glazed Tart Recipe

This elegant puff pastry is quick to make. You'll be surprised at how delicious butternut squash is for dessert. Look for a squash with a long neck.

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Muffin Pan Tomato Tarts

Credit: Alison Miksch; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Muffin Pan Tomato Tarts Recipe

Our new twist on the classic summer pie starts with puff pastry sheets.

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Mini Quiches

Credit: Antonis Achilleos

Mini Quiches Recipe

Five ingredients and 5 minutes of baking gets you these tasty pastry cups filled with egg and cheese and topped with bacon.

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Holiday Brie en Croute

Holiday Brie en Croute Recipe

This pastry-wrapped soft cheese, topped with cranberries, apricots and almonds, is great for the holidays but it's so good, you'll want to serve it year-round.

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Caramelized Onion-Apple Bites

Credit: Leo Gong

Caramelized Onion-Apple Bites Recipe

The combination of sweet caramelized onion, tart apple, and fontina cheese is hard to beat, especially when it's spooned on top of pastry triangles. Plus, this is an appetizer that you can make in advance—a perfect choice for your busy holiday season.

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Mushroom Puffs

Credit: Annabelle Breakey

Mushroom Puffs Recipe

Cut puff pastry dough into rounds, fill with a rich mushroom mixture and a savory custard, then bake to get a quiche-like filling in tender pastry cups.

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Zaatar Straws

Credit: Annabelle Breakey

Zaatar Straws Recipe

In this fun use of puff pastry, top the pastry with olive oil and spices, cut into strips, and then twist the strips into bundles. Zaatar is a savory Middle Eastern spice mix that typically includes sesame seeds, thyme, marjoram, and sumac. Serve these breadstick-like bundles with Garlicky Yogurt Dip.

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Spinach and Artichokes in Puff Pastry

Spinach and Artichokes in Puff Pastry Recipe

Biting into one of these hearty appetizers is like eating spinach-artichoke dip that's rolled up in a rich pastry. You can make these ahead and freeze them up to three months.

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Quick Brisket Puffs

Credit: James Carrier

Quick Brisket Puffs Recipe

Top tender cooked beef brisket with onion chutney, wrap in a square of puff pastry, and bake until the pastry is golden brown. These mini-sandwiches are perfect for a holiday buffet.

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Mini Salami Puff Sandwiches

Credit: Mikkel Vang

Mini Salami Puff Sandwiches Recipe

Cut puff pastry sheets into small rounds and top with salami, lettuce, and roasted red peppers. The green and red of the lettuce and roasted pepper gives these mini sandwiches a festive holiday appearance.

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Pigskins in a Blanket

Credit: Quentin Bacon

Pigskins in a Blanket Recipe

Using puff pastry instead of crescent roll dough to wrap up the sausages adds a great deal of richness and flavor. And replacing the pig in this version of pigs in a blanket is fully-cooked chicken sausage.

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Chicken Sausage Puffs with Creamy Mustard Dipping Sauce

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Linda Hirst

Chicken Sausage Puffs with Creamy Mustard Dipping Sauce Recipe

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Muffin Pan Tomato Tarts

Credit: Alison Miksch; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Muffin Pan Tomato Tarts Recipe

Our new twist on the classic summer pie starts with puff pastry sheets.

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Pesto Pastries

Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Claire Spollen

Pesto Pastries Recipe

Unlike classic pesto, there's no oil in this filling. Once everything is minced in the food processor, though, it develops a paste-like consistency. Thaw the pastry in the fridge overnight, or leave out at room temperature for an hour or two.

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Tomato-Feta Bites

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Kristen Shelton Fielder

Tomato-Feta Bites Recipe

Start with frozen puff pastry to make these  6-ingredient Mediterranean-style appetizers featuring the savory goodness of tomatoes, kalamata olives,  and feta cheese.

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Brie-and-Fig Puffed Pastry Bites

Credit: TIFS

Brie-and-Fig Puffed Pastry Bites Recipe

You don’t need a culinary degree and ample free time to create impressive appetizers for your next party. In fact, all you need is three simple ingredients and about ten minutes of hands-on work to whip up these easy and delectably cheesy bites. They’re yet another reason that puff pastry is the true MVP when it comes to entertaining. 

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Puff Pastry-Wrapped Jumbo Shrimp

Puff Pastry-Wrapped Jumbo Shrimp Recipe

Want to impress your guests?  Then whip up a batch of  these delectable puff-pastry wrapped shrimp stuffed with a mix of cheese, bacon and parsley.  They're superb!

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Creamy Chicken Alfredo Turnovers

Credit: Meredith Food Studios

Creamy Chicken Alfredo Turnovers Recipe

Chicken Alfredo meets finger food in these buttery turnovers. Chopped rotisserie chicken and frozen puff pastry sheets are perfect shortcuts for this easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer. These impressive turnovers are perfect for gatherings, like holiday parties and tailgates, and come together at the last minute. Serve leftover filling with pasta to get even more mileage out of this recipe. 

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