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Nutella Puff Pastry Gingerbread Men
This festive treat combines puff pastry and Nutella, shaped into mini gingerbread men. It’s not only the easiest Christmas treat you can make but it’s also the tastiest, and it takes 15 minutes!
I don’t think there’s anything cuter than these puff pastry gingerbread men! They are filled with a chocolate hazelnut spread and are baked in the oven until flaky and beautifully golden brown. I LOVE making this recipe, it’s a tasty twist on classic gingerbread biscuits but with a whole new taste.
Instead of gingerbread spice, you’re getting a light, buttery and chocolatey flavour but in the same gingerbread man shape. The best part? It’s made with shop-bought puff pastry, making this recipe effortless to make. You only need 2 simple ingredients or 3 if you want to egg wash the pastry.
If you’re a fan of Nutella (who isn’t!), then you’ll probably like my Nutella blondies, this Nutella Christmas tree or these puff pastry Nutella twists as much as this recipe!
Why You’ll Like This Recipe
- The perfect recipe to make with kids
- Keep it plain or decorate for extra fun
- A light chocolatey snack
- It’s so easy to make and ready in just 15 minutes (including prep time)!
The Christmas Treat You Can Make Ahead
There are so many pluses to this recipe besides the taste! If you want to make this recipe ahead of time you can, all you have to do is bake the pastry when you’re ready.
To make ahead: Spread the Nutella over the pastry, fold it in half and cover with cling film before leaving it to chill in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can pre-cut the pastry ahead of time or do this on the day of baking.
Watch How To Make It
Recipe Ingredients
Below are the few ingredients needed for this recipe:
- Puff Pastry: I used readymade puff pastry that’s pre-rolled in parchment paper. You can make homemade puff pastry from scratch, but make sure it’s rolled out evenly.
- Nutella: A chocolate hazelnut spread; I used the classic Nutella brand though any chocolate hazelnut spread will work.
- Egg: Brush the pastry with a whisked egg to achieve a golden-brown colour once the pastry is baked in the oven.
You’ll need a gingerbread man cookie cutter, the one I used is from this Christmas cookie cutter set, any type of gingerbread man cookie cutter is fine to use. If you’re using larger cookie cutters, it’s best to pile two sheets of pastry together with a Nutella filling in between, instead of folding over one sheet.
How To Make Puff Pastry Gingerbread Men
Below is a step-by-step guide on how to make this puff pastry gingerbread man with Nutella. Full recipe instructions are on the recipe card:
Step One:
Preheat your oven to 200°C (gas mark 6, 180°Fan) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Unroll the puff pastry sheet and evenly spread Nutella over one half of it.
Step Two:
Fold the pastry over like a book and gently press it down.
Step Three:
Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut-out shapes in the puff pastry sheet and place the cut outs onto a lined baking tray (leaving space between each one).
Step Four:
Whisk an egg and brush the egg over the pastry to egg wash it.
Step Five:
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed up.
How To Serve These Puff Pastry Men
The perfect pairing for puff pastry men has got to be this homemade chocolate orange hot chocolate or these two hot drinks below:
Other serving ideas I think will go well with puff pastry gingerbread men is whipped cream, ice cream or a small bowl of warm melted chocolate – yum.
My Top Tips
When you fold the pastry over like a book, make sure you press the pastry down to help stick the sheets together. Otherwise, the top layer will pop off and separate from the bottom layer whilst the pastry expands in the oven.
If this happens, don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world! You can fix this either if the pastry is baked and hot or if you notice this whilst the pastry is baking in the oven. Either way, carefully realign the top pastry to the bottom pastry and leave it to cool down or place it back in the oven to finish baking.
Thaw the puff pastry sheet at room temperature for at least 5 to 10 minutes before starting this recipe. This helps to prevent the pastry from breaking apart when you’re unrolling it.
If you notice that the pastry is getting soft and sticky, stick it in the fridge or freeze for 10 to 15 minutes before you start cutting out shapes from it
Recipe Variation
Change The Spread: Instead of Nutella you can swap it with any other spread that you like. Or you can combine with other spreads like a chocolate hazelnut and peanut butter twist!
Add Some Texture: Dried fruit, chopped nuts or even a sugar cinnamon topping will add extra flavour and texture to this sweet treat.
Christmas Flavours: You can add ginger powder to the Nutella mix to incorporate some gingerbread flavour to these puff pastry men. Additional flavours like grated orange zest or using mincemeat will give it a festive twist.
Add Decorations: To decorate these puff pastry gingerbread men, you can melt chocolate or use icing to pipe scarfs, a few buttons, hats, eyes etc to bring them to life.
Change The Size: Instead of mini gingerbread men you can make a giant one or medium sized men instead.
How To Store Puff Pastry Gingerbread Men
If you have any leftovers (I’ll be surprised), keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 to 5 days. I prefer eating them freshly made as I do find that the puff pastry texture softens slightly as the days go by.
You can also freeze uncooked or cooked pastry in the freezer for up to 3 months. Simply defrost before eating, you can also reheat them in the oven or via short bursts in the microwave to enjoy them warm.
More Puff Pastry Dessert Recipes
Puff Pastry Christmas Men
Ingredients
- 1 Puff Pastry Sheet
- 100 g Nutella
- 1 Egg
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (gas mark 6, 180°F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Unroll the puff pastry sheet and evenly spread Nutella over one half of it.1 Puff Pastry Sheet, 100 g Nutella
- Fold the pastry over like a book and gently press it down.
- Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut-out shapes in the puff pastry sheet and place the cut outs onto a lined baking tray (leaving space between each one).
- Whisk an egg and brush the egg over the pastry to egg wash it.1 Egg
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed up.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Music in video from Uppbeat, License code: 08VBCZFHCZBZDBBY
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