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These Simple Chocolate Puff Pastry Twists are filled with a creamy chocolate hazelnut spread, lots of rich chopped chocolate, and topped with crunchy coarse sugar. They’re made with store-bought puff pastry, making this recipe quick and easy. This recipe also includes a homemade vegan Nutella for the filling!
Why You’ll Love these Easy Chocolate Twists
There’s something about puff pastry…it’s so easy to use and the finished baked pastry always turns out amazing. These dairy free chocolate nutella twists are flaky, ‘buttery’ and rich. This recipe includes a vegan version of nutella, so these chocolate twists can be easily made completely vegan!
Here are a few more reasons you’ll love them:
- Rich, Ultra Chocolatey, & Flaky: The puff pastry adds a rich, crisp bite to the chocolate twists.
- Quick & Easy: They take less under an hour start to finish, unlike yeast-based pastry which can take around 3 hours! You don’t need to knead the dough or let it rise in a warm place. Pre-made puff pastry makes this recipe quick and easy.
- Perfect Treat for a Special Occasion: They’re the perfect breakfast or snack when you want something homemade but you don’t want to spend a ton of time making it. These would be so tasty on Christmas morning!
- Vegan Friendly: These twists can easily be made vegan, dairy-free, and eggless! Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry is accidentally vegan (in the U.S) and I’ve included a homemade vegan Nutella recipe below. This recipe also calls for oat milk & maple syrup instead of eggs for the egg wash!
What Are Chocolate Twists?
Chocolate twists are a popular pastry that you can find at your local bakery or coffee shop. Costa Coffee sells a version that has a custard cream along with chocolate on the inside of the twist. You can also find chocolate twists at the Disney Parks!
If you’d like to make a Costa Coffee copycat chocolate twist, simply swap the chocolate hazelnut spread out for a store bought custard (or custard powder), vanilla pastry cream, or instant vanilla pudding.
Ingredients
These puff pastry chocolate twists only need 6 simple ingredients! Yet another reason I love this recipe so much.
The frozen puff pastry sheets and dairy free chocolate hazelnut spread are the only ingredients you may need to pick up from the store if you don’t have them on hand.
To make this easy recipe, you’ll need to gather to following:
- Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets
- Chocolate Hazelnut Spread, homemade or store-bought
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate, dairy free
- Coarse Granulated Sugar
- Oat Milk
- Maple Syrup
Substitutions
Chocolate Hazelnut Spread: If you don’t want to make the vegan nutella below or you don’t have access to store bought chocolate spread that’s dairy free, you can simply swap in melted semi-sweet or dark chocolate.
📌 Melt about ¾ of a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave. Let the chocolate cool slightly at room temperature, so it’s not scalding hot, then spread it on the puff pastry.
- Oat Milk: this can be subbed for another plant milk (like almond milk) or dairy-based milk.
‘Egg Wash’
No eggs are necessary for this easy puff pastry recipe. This recipe uses a combination of oat milk and maple syrup as our vegan egg wash. Of course, if you’re not plant-based this can be subbed for traditional egg wash.
When baked, the oat milk and syrup help brown the tops of the twists, since the sugars in the mixture caramelize when heated.
Helpful Equipment
This recipe makes about 24 puff pastry twists. It can easily be cut in half if you only want to use 1 sheet of puff pastry.
Below are some suggested tools to make them:
- Measuring Cups or Scoops or a Digital Scale
- Sharp Knife or Pastry Cutter
- Parchment Paper
- Baking Sheet or Baking Tray
Step-by-step Instructions
🍫 *Ingredient Quantities are in the Recipe Card Below!*
🎥 *Video Tutorial is Above the Recipe Card Below!*
NOTE: Because this recipe uses frozen puff pastry dough, it’s important to let it thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before trying to make the twists. Don’t thaw the pastry for more than 30-40 minutes, as it won’t puff up correctly in the oven.
STEP 1: On a lightly floured surface or a surface with parchment paper spread out, unfold the puff pastry sheet.
STEP 2: Spread the chocolate hazelnut spread onto the dough, leaving about a small border along the edges. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate on top. Cut the sheet of pastry along the fold seams into 3 long rectangles.
STEP 3: Cut the rectangles into 4 equally-sized long strips (about 3/4″ or 2 cm wide). You should get 12 strips from 1 sheet of puff pastry.
STEP 4: Take the ends of 2 of the strips. Lay the ends on top of each other and press them together.
Twisting the Pastry
STEP 5: Hold one end of the strip, and twist the strip at the other end. Continue twisting until it becomes a tight spiral.
STEP 6: Press the ends together so the twists won’t unravel while baking.
STEP 7: Optional for shorter twists- Cut the twist in half. You should get 12 4” twists out of 1 sheet of puff pastry.
Baking the Pastry
STEP 8: Place the 2 twists on a parchment lined baking sheet with about 1-2” apart. Brush the tops with the milk and maple syrup mixture. Sprinkle granulated sugar on the tops. Repeat with the remaining puff pastry and the second sheet of puff pastry in the package.
📌 TIP: This recipe makes 24 short twists or 12 long twists with the 2 sheets of puff pastry in the package.
STEP 9: Bake the chocolate twists at 400F (205C) for about 16-18 minutes. They should be slightly golden brown on the top but should still appear soft. Once they cool, they’ll become crispier on the outside.
How to Make Homemade Vegan Nutella
If you’re vegan or avoid dairy, I’ve included a simple recipe for homemade vegan nutella. You could also buy dairy free chocolate hazelnut spread from the store. Nutiva makes a vegan version that you can order online.
You’ll need the following for the homemade nutella:
- Toasted Hazelnuts, or hazelnut butter
- Dairy Free Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips or Chopped Chocolate
- Full Fat Coconut Milk or Oat Milk
- Maple Syrup or other sweetener
- Salt
STEP 1: Skip this step if using premade hazelnut butter. Soak the hazelnuts in hot water for 30 minutes – 1 hour. Add to a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth. This will take 10-15 minutes. If the mixture isn’t coming together, add 1-2 tbsp of melted coconut oil to help it blend.
STEP 2: In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and the coconut milk in a small bowl over the boiler. Mix to melt the chocolate.
STEP 3: Transfer the melted, hot chocolate mixture to the food processor with the hazelnut butter. Blend until smooth. Taste the mixture and add maple syrup to taste (this will depend on the sweetness of your chocolate) and sea salt.
STEP 4: Transfer to a sealable jar. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Serving
Once the chocolate twists cool down a bit, they’re ready to eat! The puff pastry will crisp up as it cools.
These twists are great with a hot cup of coffee or tea. If you prefer your twist warm, microwave it for 5-15 seconds.
Storage
Room Temperature: They store well at room temperature for 2 days. I place mine in an airtight container, like a glass Tupperware.
After about 2-3 days, the twists won’t be as crispy and fresh.
Freezer: You can definitely freeze the leftover nutella twists! I like to place them in a single layer inside ziplock freezer bags. You could also stack them in a container with parchment paper between them.
Then, pop them in the freezer and they’ll stay fresh for 1-2 months!
Pro Tips
Follow these simple tips for the best results!
- Let the puff pastry thaw for 30 minutes: Don’t thaw the pastry for more than 30-40 minutes, as it won’t puff up correctly in the oven and can cause the twists to spread more than intended.
- Press the ends of the twists together: this will help prevent the twists from unraveling while baking.
- Brush with a wash and sprinkle with sugar: top the twists with coarse sugar prior to baking for an extra crunch.
FAQ
Yes! This recipe is dairy-free since it uses a homemade vegan Nutella and dairy free chocolate in the filling. If you’re not dairy free or vegan, the vegan Nutella can be swapped for a traditional chocolate hazelnut spread.
The store-bought brand of puff pastry I’m using is accidentally vegan (Pepperidge Farm brand). If you’re not able to find an accidentally (or intentionally) vegan puff pastry at the store, you could substitute store-bought crescent roll dough. It will have a different texture (less flaky), but still delicious.
You can substitute Biscoff Cookie Butter, Peanut Butter, or Cinnamon Sugar for the Chocolate Hazelnut Spread in these puff pastry twists.
MORE BAKING RECIPES and Breakfast Pastries
- Cinnamon Puff Pastry Swirls
- Chocolate Baked Oats
- Yeast Free Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
- Vegan Chocolate Yeast Donuts
- Biscoff Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon Raisin Rolls
Did you make these Puff Pastry Chocolate Twists?
I’d love to know! Leave a star rating and comment below!
Simple Chocolate Puff Pastry Twists
These Simple Chocolate Puff Pastry Twists are filled with a creamy chocolate hazelnut spread, rich chocolate, and topped with crunchy sugar.
This recipe includes instructions for a homemade vegan Nutella in the notes section below!
Ingredients
- 1 package Frozen Puff Pastry Dough, Pepperidge Farm is accidentally vegan
- ½-¾ cup (150- 222g) chocolate hazelnut spread- dairy free, see notes section for homemade vegan Nutella recipe
- ½ cup (60-70g) finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate
Optional Topping
- 1 tbsp dairy free milk + 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp (24g) granulated coarse sugar
Instructions
* 1 package makes 24 twists, 1 sheet makes 12 twists *
- Let the frozen puff pastry thaw at room temperature for about 25-30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400 F or 205 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, unfold the thawed puff pastry sheet.
- Spread the chocolate hazelnut spread onto the dough, leaving a small border along the edges. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate on top. Cut the sheet of pastry into thirds along the fold seams (into 3 long rectangles).
- Cut each of the 3 rectangles into 4 equally-sized strips lengthwise (about ¾” or 2cm wide). You should have 12 strips total from one sheet of pastry.
- Take the ends of 2 of the strips. Lay the ends on top of each other and press them together.
- Hold one end of the 2 strips, and twist the strips at the other end. Continue twisting until the two strips become a tight spiral. Press the ends together so the twists won’t unravel while baking. (See step by step photos in the post above.)
- Optional for shorter twists- Cut the twist in half. You should get 12 4-5” twists out of 1 sheet of puff pastry. This recipe makes 24 shorter twists or 12 long twists.
- Place the 2 twists on a parchment lined baking sheet with about 1-2” apart. Repeat with the remaining puff pastry in the package.
- Brush the tops with the milk and maple syrup mixture. Sprinkle granulated sugar on the tops.
- Bake the chocolate twists at 400F or 205C for about 16-18 minutes. They should be slightly brown on the top but should still appear soft. Once the swirls cool, they will become crispier on the outside.
Notes
Homemade Vegan Nutella- Dairy Free Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
- 1 cup toasted hazelnuts or ¾ cup hazelnut butter
- ½ cup unsweetened full fat coconut milk
- ½ cup dairy-free semi sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp maple syrup, to taste
- ½ tsp sea salt
- Skip this step if using pre-made hazelnut butter. Soak the hazelnuts in hot water for 30 minutes - 1 hour. Add to a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth. This will take 10-15 minutes. If the mixture isn’t coming together, add 1-2 tbsp of melted coconut oil to help it blend.
- In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and the coconut milk in a small bowl over the boiler. Mix to melt the chocolate.
- Transfer the melted, hot chocolate mixture to the food processor with the hazelnut butter. Blend until smooth. Taste the mixture and add maple syrup to taste (this will depend on the sweetness of your chocolate) and sea salt.
- Transfer to a sealable jar. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Other Tips
- Let the puff pastry thaw for 30 minutes: Don’t thaw the pastry for more than 30-40 minutes, as it won’t puff up correctly in the oven and can cause the twists to spread more than intended.
- Press the ends of the twists together: this will help prevent the twists from unraveling while baking.
- Brush with a wash and sprinkle with sugar: top the twists with coarse sugar prior to baking for an extra crunch.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 122
Nutritional info is an estimate.
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