Easy Peanut Butter Puff Pastry Braid
A French pastry-inspired treat, this Peanut Butter Puff Pastry Braid is made with shortcut ingredients for a decadent breakfast, brunch, or dessert that’s quick, easy, and so delicious. Flakey on the outside and filled with a gooey chocolate peanut butter center, it’s decadent enough to have you drooling!
What Is a Puff Pastry Braid?
A puff pastry braid is a type of pastry that is made by weaving strips of puff pastry dough into a braid-like shape. Visually impressive, these pastries can be either sweet or savory and are stuffed with a variety of fillings like ham and cheese, fruit, cream cheese, chocolate, nuts, and in this case peanut butter.
To make a puff pastry braid, a sheet of puff pastry is typically rolled out and cut into strips. Then, the filling of choice is spread down the center, and the strips are folded over the middle in an alternating pattern. Once finished, the braid is brushed with an egg wash and baked until it is golden brown, fluffy, and flakey. Served warm or at room temperature, puff pastry braids of any kind are always scrumptious!
Why You’ll Love This Peanut Butter Puff Pastry Braid
- It uses pre-made dough for an easy recipe that looks like you spent hours in the kitchen.
- This pastry comes together with just 7 ingredients.
- It bakes in 20 minutes or less!
- Stuffed full of peanut butter and chocolate, you get warm, melted goodness in every decadent bite.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Unlike many puff pastry braid recipes that require you to make the dough from scratch, we use pre-made puff pastry as a shortcut. We won’t tell if you don’t! As a result, this puff pastry braid is super easy to make, and the ingredient list is minimal. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Puff Pastry – If you’re feeling ambitious, by all means, make your own puff pastry dough. However, you know we’re all about making recipes as easy as possible. So, we use pre-made dough instead! It’s super easy to find in the refrigerated section of most local grocery stores.
- Chocolate Bar – Any large, 4-ounce chocolate bar you like best will taste great. So, feel free to experiment with different flavor options.
- Peanut Butter – We’re partial to smooth peanut butter, but crunchy works too.
- Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies – Cookies like Nutter Butter or a similar taste and texture are used in the center and sprinkled on top to boost the peanut butter flavor even more and add a bit of extra crunch.
- Egg – This helps add a rich flavor and creates the crisp, golden exterior we adore.
How to Make an Easy Puff Pastry Braid with Peanut Butter
- Prepare the Pastry. Let your puff pastry thaw just slightly in the fridge. It should be moldable and easy to work with but still cold. Open it up creating a large rectangle.
- Add the Filling. Place the chocolate bar in the center of the puff pastry along with the peanut butter and peanut butter cookies.
- Braid. Slice 1-inch sections of the dough working from the center and moving outward. Cut off the top two and bottom two pieces. Then, fold the top piece of dough down, and begin to braid folding one piece at a time alternating sides. When you get to the end, tuck the bottom piece under the last piece of the braid.
- Brush. Whisk the egg in a small bowl, and use a pastry brush to spread it over the puff pastry dough. Sprinkle the crushed cookies evenly across the top.
- Bake. Place the puff pastry braid on a greased baking sheet, and transfer it to a preheated oven until it’s fluffy and golden brown.
- Serve. Drizzle melted peanut butter on top, and enjoy!
Peanut Butter Puff Pastry Braid Recipe Common Questions
Absolutely, include whatever fillings and flavor combinations you like best! For example, you could use different candy, replace the peanut butter with any other nut or seed butter, use Nutella, or add fresh fruit to make this peanut butter puff pastry braid completely new.
Kept in an airtight container, leftover peanut butter pastry braids will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Yes, wrap your pastry braid tightly and transfer it to a freezer-safe bag or container. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. To eat, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, and warm it up in the microwave for a few minutes. The texture may change slightly, but it will still be super tasty!
More Easy Puffy Pastry Dessert Recipes
If you enjoy the Peanut Butter Puff Pastry recipe, you won’t want to miss out on more of our favorite ways to use puff pastry below!
Peanut Butter Puff Pastry Braid Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry (frozen and slightly thawed)
- 1 4-ounce large chocolate bar
- 1/2 cup peanut butter + more for drizzling (creamy or chunky)
- 8 peanut butter sandwich cookies (divided)
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Grease a baking sheet, and set aside.
- Slightly thaw the puff pastry until it is easy to work with but still cold. Spread it out into a large triangle.
- Arrange the chocolate bar, ½ cup peanut butter, and 5 peanut butter cookies in the center of the dough.
- Slice 1-inch sections of the dough from the center out. Carefully cut off the top two sections and the bottom two sections of the dough.
- Fold the top piece down over the center. Begin braiding by folding one piece down at a time, alternating sides, and overlapping the dough.
- Tuck the bottom piece under the last fold.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg over the top of the puff pastry braid.
- Carefully transfer the braid to the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake 15-20 minutes or until fluffy and golden brown.
- Crush the remaining peanut butter cookies into pieces, and sprinkle them on top along with a drizzle of peanut butter, if desired.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Store at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
