Cream Horns
Cream horns are a very easy and popular pastry. As long as you have the molds that are available at all good kitchen stores the options are endless.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Cream horns, delicious little pastries shaped like cones, are usually made from puff pastry and can be filled with anything you like.
Often you will find these pastries filled with a little jam, and cream (fresh or this delicious Italian meringue buttercream) then topped with a little bit of fruit like raspberries or strawberries. But these pastries are so versatile because fillings are only limited to your imagination!
These crispy pastries known as “cannoncini” in Italy, can be filled with whipped cream, pastry cream, or mascarpone cream. You’ll find them in all the pastry shops and are a traditional treat after Sunday lunch.
These are a wonderful bite-size treat that is perfectly delicate. They are only about 2 inches or 5cm in length.
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Ingredients
All you need is:-
- puff pastry
- powdered (icing) sugar
- butter for greasing molds
- milk for glazing
- raspberry jam
- filling – whipped cream, buttercream or Italian pastry cream
- raspberries for decorating
I have provided a recipe for an old-fashioned buttercream if you would prefer. This is a pastry that will freeze very well when made with buttercream.
How to make cream horns
Using store-bought puff pastry sheets makes this a very simple dessert. I use pre-rolled puff pastry that comes in 9-inch (23cm) square sheets. Cut into strips and wind around buttered molds.
Molds for this pastry are available at good kitchenware stores or online.
Tips for success and FAQ’s
Puff pastry will be easier to handle if kept cool. If the weather is warm or you find that the pastry becomes hard to handle, return it to the fridge to chill. This will make it easier to use.
When baking, be sure to put the pastry end side down so that it doesn’t pop up during cooking.
Store unfilled pastries for 3 days in an airtight container. To keep for longer, freeze, for up to a month in an air-tight container.
If using my buttercream recipe, these pastries can be filled several hours ahead. Keep refrigerated. However, if you use whipped cream or pastry cream, fill not more than 30 minutes before serving.
Cream horn filled with my buttercream or Italian meringue buttercream can be frozen in an airtight container for up to a month. However, when filled with whipped cream or pastry cream, these pastries can’t be frozen.
If you don’t have the correct molds, you could make pastry tubes instead. Just wrap the pastry strips around foil-wrapped, thick wooden dowels. Or you could even use old-fashioned, round wooden pegs. Be sure to grease the foil. Ice cream cones wrapped in foil could also work.
If you like this kind of dessert, I know you would also love my krumkake. Pastry, cream, and fruit are the perfect dessert! These Cream Horns fit the bill perfectly!
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Cream Horns Recipe
Ingredients
To make the pastry horns
- 2 puff pastry sheets
- 2 tablespoons powdered (icing) sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
To assemble cream horns
- ¼ cup raspberry jam
- buttercream (see recipe below), sweetened whipped cream or pastry cream
- powdered (icing) sugar for dusting
Old Fashion Buttercream (optional):
- 1 cup (2 sticks/250 grams) unsalted butter
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon unflavored powdered gelatin
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar (optional) See Note 1
- ¼ cup cold water extra
Instructions
To make the pastry horns.
- Heat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC. Butter the molds well.
- Dust a sheet of thawed puff pastry with 1 tablespoon sifted powdered (icing) sugar then cut into strips – between â…“ to ½ inch or 1cm thick.
- Fold the pastry over the end of the mold wind the pastry around the mould overlapping slightly. One strip will not reach the top of the mold and these will make a bite size pastry. But you can add more strips to make large cream horns.
- Place on a baking paper lined baking tray with the end of the pastry down so that it doesn't pop up during baking. Brush lightly with milk.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes until crisp and lightly browned.
- Remove and cool until ready to fill.
To fill
- Using a teaspoon place a small amount of jam in the bottom of the pastry horn. Then fill with buttercream, whipped cream or Italian pastry cream using a piping bag.
- Top the filling with half a raspberry and dust the pastries with extra sifted powdered (icing) sugar.
Old fashion buttercream (optional)
- This will make lots of buttercream but any left over can be used to ice cakes or cupcakes or frozen for later use.
- Mix powdered gelatine with ¼ cup water, stand 5 minutes then heat gently to dissolve.
- Allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Beat unsalted butter and superfine sugar until light and creamy.
- Very gradually add the dissolved gelatine mixture.
- Once this is incorporated gradually add the extra cold water and cream of tartar, if using. By this stage the cream should be white and fluffy.
- Make ahead and refrigerate until required. The cream will need to be removed from the refrigerator for a few hours to allow it to soften to a creamy consistency. The time this will take will depend on your climate.
Notes
- Cream of tartar is optional and can be omitted. It acts in the buttercream as a binder to create more volume making it fluffier and lighter.
- Keep puff pastry cool to handle it more easily. If the weather is warm or the pastry becomes hard to handle, return it to the fridge to chill and make it easier to use.
-
Before baking, always place the pastry with the join side down to prevent it from popping up.
Nutritional Estimate Per Serving
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Hi! Love your Blog!! Just wondering, is the sugar amount correct in the buttercream recipe ? I would love to try this recipe but just not sure how this recipe for the filling would work.
Thank you
Gina
Hello Gina, yes this is correct. Be sure to beat the sugar and butter until very light and creamy before adding the gelatin mixture. Add the gelatin mixture one teaspoon at a time and the same goes for the cold water. The butter will be able to take in the water using this method. The gelatin holds it all together. If you prefer you can use my Italian Meringue Buttercream or fresh whipped cream.
Hi!! These sound delicious and I am excited to try them. Just curious… what size cone will work best with this recipe? I am on Amazon and they range from 3.3 inches to 5. Thanks
Hi Elizabeth, the mold I use measures 5 inches. I just wind the pastry around to half way to make mini cream horns and if I want large ones, I’ll join the pastry and keep winding. This size means you can make smaller cream horns as well as large cream horns. I think it’s more useful. Hope that helps.
Marcellina.
Gidday from Australia. Thank you for such an easy but beautiful recipe. I made these today and I’m wrapped. Love your buttercream recipe too.
Elizabeth, these cream horns are simple but pretty and delicious! Glad you enjoyed the buttercream – it’s my fav!
Excellent thanks for sharing. Easy to prepare ???? and easier to eat
Thanks for commenting, Mary! Yes, I totally agree!
Perfect time to bake these beauties ! So inspiring one ! Grazie milla !
Wow, these are so good! They look so delicious 🙂
And I love how helpful your tips are.
very tasty and appetizing
I havent made these for about 4 years but only made them a couple of weeks ago….I normally use instant vanilla pudding mix with 600ml cream…..Huuuuuuge hit and everyone loves them..they do not last
Marcellina, these are to die for! I opened your page fully expecting to see pate and instead was blown away by beautiful cream horns! Those put any bakery cream horn to shame – so flaky and golden and love the mock cream!
Mmmm, delicious MArcellina. I usually make them with pastry cream, I shall try your filling too, yummy!
They look kind of like a cannoli with one end closed. When I saw the pictures I wondered how you achieved the horn shape, of course it would be something as easy as a mould! ha ha. I'm going to have to keep an eye out for them.
Gorgeous! I haven't seen these since I was a kid, and now I want one (or two, or three…)! The mock cream sounds really interesting–almost like a buttercream icing. yum!
What a nice and easy treat! Thanks for sharing this 🙂
These look so sinfully good Marcellina. My mum-in-law makes them sometimes and they disappear so quickly. I've never made mock-cream before, thanks for the recipe, I'm interested to try it because it sounds like it will keep better at room temperature than whipped cream.
They sure look delicious Marcellina! I remember seeing these cream horns in some patisseries in France – they were so beautiful but I never got around to eating one. Now I can make them myself anytime! 🙂