Flaky, golden brown puff pastries filled with a sweetened cream filling, these Cream Horns are a quick and delightful dessert. Choose between vanilla and chocolate filling options or make both!
Looking for more recipes using puff pastry for holiday entertaining? Don’t miss our blueberry puff pastry tarts and jam puff pastry twists.
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Easy Puff Pastry Cream Horn Recipe
If you’re looking for an easy dessert that’s not too sweet or too heavy, you have to try these cream horns! They’re a classic pastry that’s so much easier to make than you may think. All you need is a few ingredients and cream horn molds.
The cream cheese whipped cream filling is really the star of this cream horn recipe. It is not overly sweet, making this dessert so light and fluffy with the crisp shell and creamy interior. Enjoy immediately or frozen for a chilled treat – freezing directions below.
Ingredients Needed
These easy cream horns are made with just 6 ingredients!
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Egg – For making an egg wash.
- Water
- Puff pastry – Thaw ahead of time.
- Cream cheese – Softened so the filling is easier to whip up.
- Powdered sugar – Sweetens the filling. You’ll also want extra for dusting the cream horns before serving.
- Vanilla extract – For flavor.
- Heavy cream – Helps the cream cheese filling hold its shape.
- Unsweetened cocoa – Adds the chocolate flavor and color to the filling, if making a chocolate option.
Filling Variations
I like to make each batch of these cream horns with half chocolate and half vanilla filling – but those aren’t your only options.
- Make all chocolate or all vanilla. The chocolate filling is a light chocolate flavor so you still taste the puff pastry shell. It just works. If you want to make the cream all chocolate, just use 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder for the whole batch instead of separating it. Alternatively, you can leave out the chocolate entirely and just make all vanilla.
- Switch up the flavors and add different extracts to the cream. Instead of vanilla, try using almond, strawberry, orange, or peppermint extracts.
- Try out other types of fillings. If you want to experiment with different fillings, I suggest stabilized whipped cream, buttercream, chocolate buttercream, strawberry frosting, marshmallow frosting, or any other fluffy yet stable filling you desire.
How to Make Cream Horns
This puff pastry dessert is pretty simple to make and requires just a few steps.
(Scroll down to the printable recipe card for details and measurements, and don’t miss the video below.)
- Set up your work space. Preheat the oven and line the baking sheets with parchment paper. Spray the cream horn molds with cooking spray. Make the egg wash by whisking together the egg and water.
- Wrap the cream horn molds. Unfold the puff pastry sheets one at a time, using a rolling pin to flatten it out. Cut the sheet into 8, 1-inch strips. Wrap the pastry mold starting at the top, gently pressing together to seal. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Brush with the egg wash.
- Bake. Bake at 400F for 14 to 16 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Repeat until all puff pastry sheets have been used. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the cream cheese filling. Whip the cream cheese until smooth, then slowly add in the powdered sugar. Once it’s fully combined, stir in the vanilla and slowly stream in the heavy cream. Whip until stiff peaks form.
- Make the chocolate filling. Transfer half of the filling to a separate bowl. Add the cocoa powder and mix until just combined.
- Fill the horns. Lightly dust the horns with powdered sugar if desired. Fill half of the cream horns with vanilla and the other half with chocolate cream. Serve immediately.
Tips for Success
Here are a couple tips for making the best puff pastry cream horns.
- What cream horn molds should I use? You can find similar molds in many stores but these are the cream horn molds I used.
- What should I use to fill cream horns? I find a pastry bag with an open star to be the easiest way to fill cream horns.
Video: Puff Pastry Cream Horns
Proper Storage
- Can These Be Made in Advance? Sort of. You can make the shells in advance, dust with powder sugar, and wait to fill before serving. This is not a make-ahead dessert when it comes to the filling. The cream will wilt after about 10-15 minutes, so they should be served immediately after you make the cream.
- Storing leftovers. I do not suggest storing any leftovers due to the cream. Even if you make the cream and have leftover cream, it will still not stay firm even if put in the fridge. Although you can fill the shells and place in the freezer!
- Can Cream Horns Be Frozen? Yes! We have placed them in the freezer – they freeze beautifully filled with the cream. We actually love eating them frozen. It’s an extra decadent touch, like a light ice cream filling. So this is an option for a party. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months and take them out 5-10 minutes before serving.
More Creamy Desserts:
- Chocolate Mousse
- Lemon Cheesecake Mousse
- Butterscotch Pudding
- Vanilla Panna Cotta
- Cranberry Fluff
- Watergate Salad
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Cream Horns
Flaky, golden brown puff pastries filled with a sweetened cream filling, these Cream Horns are a quick and delightful dessert. Choose between vanilla and chocolate filling options or make both!
Servings: 32 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- splash of water
- 2 sheets puff pastry , thawed
- 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar , plus more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 & 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
- Lightly spray cream horn molds with cooking spray, set aside.
- In a small bowl whisk together the egg and water, set aside.
- One at a time, unfold one of the puff pastry sheets. Use a rolling pin to flatten it out.
- Cut the pastry into 8, 1-inch strips, and discard any scraps. Beginning at the tip of one of the molds, start to wrap a pastry strip around the mold – I like to gently press it together to seal. Place it seam side down onto a prepared baking sheet.
- Brush the exposed pastry with the egg wash.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Let them cool on the baking sheet in the mold.You will most likely have to bake in batches, so continue to wrap your molds while your batches are baking. Once all of the horns are baked, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely
- While you are waiting for them to cool, make the filling:Place the cream cheese into the body of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Whip until smooth. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully mixed in, and scrape down the sides as needed. Stir in the vanilla.Slowly stream in the heavy cream until mixed in. Scrape down the sides, then place the mixer on medium-high speed and whip until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute.Take out half of the cream and place it in a bowl. Add the cocoa powder to the stand mixer and mix it in until combined.
- Lightly dust the horns with powdered sugar.
- I like to use a pastry bag with an open star tip to fill the cream horns. Fill half of the cream horns with the vanilla cream and the other half with the chocolate cream, and serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 67mg | Potassium: 39mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 322IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Made these today and they are delish! So easy! I have leftover filling, wondering if I can freeze? I will and see what happens.
Thank you!
I finally found a recipe using a proper filling. Thank you. Great recipe, and easy to follow instructions.