Orejas pan dulce are crispy, flaky Mexican pastries made with puff pastry, cinnamon, and sugar. Also known as Mexican palmiers, these easy pastries are folded into their signature ear shape and baked until golden and crunchy. Enjoy them with a cup of café de olla, hot chocolate, or atole de guayaba for a delicious Mexican bakery treat.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe ❤️
- Only a handful of ingredients. Puff pastry, cinnamon, and sugar are all you need.
- No mixer or special equipment. Just roll, fold, slice, and bake.
- Crispy, flaky layers. Puff pastry bakes into delicate layers with a crunchy cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Easy Mexican bakery-style pastries. Use store-bought puff pastry to make these classic treats at home.
- Easy enough for beginners. One of the easiest Mexican sweet breads to make. If you can roll dough, you can make homemade orejas.
👩🏼🍳 Instructions
- Thaw the puff pastry. If frozen, thaw the puff pastry according to the package directions. It should be pliable enough to unfold without cracking but still cool to the touch.
- Add the cinnamon sugar. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Sprinkle some of the mixture over a clean work surface, then lay the puff pastry on top. Sprinkle more cinnamon sugar over the dough.
- Roll the dough. Use a rolling pin to gently roll the pastry and press the cinnamon sugar into the surface. Turn the dough and repeat on the other side.
You don’t need to dust the work surface with flour. The cinnamon sugar helps keep the pastry from sticking while adding flavor and crunch.
If the pastry cracks when you unfold or roll it, let it sit at room temperature for a few more minutes. If it becomes warm or sticky, chill it briefly before continuing.
- Fold the pastry into the ear shape. Fold about 1 inch of one long side toward the center. Repeat with the opposite side. Continue folding both sides inward until they meet, then fold one side over the other to form a long, layered strip.
- Keep the folds as even as possible. Leave enough room to fold one side over the other at the end.
- Slice the orejas. Using a sharp knife, cut the folded pastry into slices about 1 inch thick. Dip the cut sides into the remaining cinnamon sugar.
- Arrange the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between them so they can expand. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before baking.
- Bake the orejas. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the orejas for about 20 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Carefully flip them and bake for another 5 minutes, until both sides are crisp and the sugar is caramelized.
- Let them cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a rack. The melted sugar will be hot, and the cookies will become crisper as they cool.
Orejas Pan Dulce Variations
- Chocolate-dipped orejas: Dip one end of the cooled pastries in melted chocolate.
- Nutty orejas: Sprinkle finely chopped pecans or walnuts over the chocolate before it sets.
- Jam variation: Experiment with a very thin layer of jam, keeping in mind that excess moisture can affect the pastry’s crispness.
🙋🏻♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Orejas are the Mexican version of palmiers, a pastry made by folding puff pastry with sugar, slicing it, and baking it until crisp and caramelized. The name orejas means “ears” in Spanish and refers to their distinctive shape.
Yes. You can fold and slice the puff pastry, then refrigerate the unbaked pieces for up to one day. You can also freeze the unbaked slices for up to one month in a freezer-safe container.
The pastry may be too cold to unfold. Let it sit for a few more minutes until it becomes pliable. If it becomes warm or sticky, return it to the refrigerator before continuing.
Let the pastries cool completely before storing them in an airtight container at room temperature. For the best texture, enjoy them within 3 days. If they soften, warm them briefly in a 300°F oven until crisp again.
The sugar melts and caramelizes during baking, which can cause sticking. Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, and let the pastries cool briefly before removing them.
How to Store Orejas
At room temperature: Let the orejas cool completely, then store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To freeze unbaked orejas: Arrange the sliced pastries on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. Transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen, adding a little extra time if needed, until golden and crisp.
👂🏼 What Are Orejas?
Orejas are a popular Mexican bakery pastry named for their ear-like shape. They’re closely related to French palmiers and are made by folding pastry with sugar, slicing it, and baking it until crisp and caramelized.
In Mexico, orejas are enjoyed as pan dulce, or sweet bread, although they are made with laminated pastry rather than a traditional yeast-raised dough. They’re commonly served with coffee, café de olla, or hot chocolate.
🍰 More Mexican Desserts
- Mexican Wedding Cookies
- Hojarascas
- Conchas
- Mantecadas
- Apple Empanadas
- Flan Recipe
- Pumpkin Empanadas
- Marranitos
- Pineapple Empanadas
- Pan de Elote
These homemade orejas pan dulce are an easy way to enjoy a crispy, cinnamon-sugar Mexican bakery treat at home. Serve them with your favorite coffee or hot chocolate and enjoy!
Orejas Pan Dulce (Mexican Palmiers Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 sheets puff pastry
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Thaw the puff pastry. If frozen, thaw the puff pastry according to the package directions.
- It should be pliable enough to unfold without cracking but still cool to the touch.
- Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
- Sprinkle some of the mixture over a clean work surface, then lay the puff pastry on top.
- Sprinkle more cinnamon sugar over the dough.
- Use a rolling pin to gently roll the pastry and press the cinnamon sugar into the surface.
- Turn the dough and repeat on the other side.
- Press the cinnamon and sugar down on the dough.
- Fold about 1 inch of one long side toward the center. Repeat with the opposite side.
- Continue folding both sides inward until they meet, then fold one side over the other to form a long, layered strip.
- Keep the folds as even as possible. Leave enough room to fold one side over the other at the end.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the folded pastry into slices about 1 inch thick.
- Dip the cut sides into the remaining cinnamon sugar.
- Arrange the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving space between them so they can expand.
- Refrigerate for 15 minutes before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the orejas for about 20 minutes, or until puffed and golden.
- Carefully flip them and bake for another 5 minutes, until both sides are crisp and the sugar is caramelized.
- Let them cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a rack. The melted sugar will be hot, and the cookies will become crisper as they cool.
- Once cool, serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Chocolate-dipped orejas: Dip one end of the cooled pastries in melted chocolate.
- Nutty orejas: Sprinkle finely chopped pecans or walnuts over the chocolate before it sets.
- Jam variation: Experiment with a very thin layer of jam, keeping in mind that excess moisture can affect the pastry’s crispness.
- At room temperature: Let the orejas cool completely, then store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To freeze unbaked orejas: Arrange the sliced pastries on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. Transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen, adding a little extra time if needed, until golden and crisp.
This is incredibly easy and such a brilliant flavourful recipe. Thanks so much.
Glad to hear that you found the recipe easy and flavorful! Enjoy your Orejas!
So delicious!
Thanks!
These look so simple and delicious, I love making the most of pre made pastry! Can’t wait to make them at the weekend, what a great afternoon treat.
Let me know how they turned out! I love this recipe
Ooooh, these are my favorite, I can’t wait to make them!
Right? Delicious
So cute and so delicious!
Indeed! Glad you enjoyed this recipe
What a fun and tasty treat!
It’s delicious. Hope you try it
Perfect dessert the kids loved them 🙂
So glad your kids enjoyed this!
What a lovely treat! So simple and easy and so delicious. I must make this for my boys. Thanks for the recipe and idea!
So good right? We love this one too
Wow – so easy!! Making these for sure!
Easy and delicious
Simply perfect!
Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed this