Cream horns are delicate, flaky puff pastry cones (aff link) filled with sweet whipped cream. No need to head to a bakery – they’re easier to make than you might think!
When I was growing up my dad would sometimes pick up a package of cream horns at the grocery store and I considered that a special treat.
And frankly, I should have – it’s sugar on top of sugar that I got to consume at breakfast.
Ever since I moved to New England, I’ve had a hell of a time even finding them in grocery stores. I’ve found places where I could order them from a bakery, but nothing that I could just grab and go. And it hurts my little sugar-loving heart, y’all. Hurts.
Thankfully, I’ve figured out how to make my own – and now you can, too!
What is the cream in cream horns made of?
It’s a very simple recipe consisting of heavy cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. The cream filling isn’t too creamy, and it isn’t too sweet.
What is the pastry for cream horns?
I gave up on making my own pastry and just went with store-bought puff pastry, but frankly I don’t have an issue with that. The cream filling is what I was more concerned with.
The pastry isn’t too flaky, but it also isn’t too thick.
What is the difference between a cannoli and a cream horn?
Cream horns are a puff pastry filled with a sweetened whipped cream.
Cannolis have a fried pastry shell filled with a denser ricotta mixture.
Ingredients for homemade cream horns
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg, room temperature (for an egg wash)
- 1 cup powdered sugar, divided
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
How to make cream horns
Making the pastry cones
- Take out a sheet of puff pastry to let it thaw enough that you can unfold it without it breaking apart. Once thawed, cut the pastry sheet crosswise into nine equal strips. Set aside.
- Spray 9 metal pastry cones (aff link) with non-stick spray. Note: If you don’t have pastry cones (aff link), make your own! Rip off 8-12″ long sheets of aluminum foil, fold in half, and roll each into a cone shape.
- Wind a strip of pastry around each cone, starting at the pointed end and making sure to overlap layers a little so that there aren’t any gaps. After you’ve reached the end of the pastry, gentle press the end to the top layer of pastry to prevent it from popping off while baking. Place them in the freezer for 20-30 minutes so that they’ll hold their shape while baking.
- Preheat oven to 400°F and prepare two baking sheets with a non-stick silicone mats or parchment paper.
- Place each pastry, seam side down, 2-3″ apart on baking sheet – remember, the pastries will expand as they bake and you don’t want them to touch. I recommend placing 4 on one baking sheet and 5 on another, placing them on a diagonal across the baking sheets.
- Create an egg wash by whisking together one egg with a teaspoon of water in a small bowl. Brush the top of each pastry with the egg wash to give them a nice golden brown sheen.
- Place ¼ cup powdered sugar in a flour sifter (aff link) or fine mesh sieve (aff link) and coat the top of each pastry with a dusting of sugar.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on baking sheet with the metal forms still inside. You’ll notice the forms will have pushed out of the pastries just a bit, due to the expansion of the pastry as it baked.
Making the whipped cream filling
- While the pastries are cooling, prepare the cream filling. In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks.
- Add vanilla and remaining ¾ cup powdered sugar. Whip until it forms stiff peaks. Taste test it and add more powdered sugar if you’d like it a little sweeter.
- Once pastries are completely cooled, fill a piping bag with the cream and squeeze with firm pressure into the pastry cavities. If desired, top with a little powdered sugar or drizzled chocolate. Keep refrigerated and enjoy!
Yes, you have to let them chill!
What I came to realize is that I wasn’t going to know if it worked with the pastry until I made the pastry, made the filling, and placed them in the fridge for a while.
I tried one before it went in the fridge to cool both the pastry and the filling, and something didn’t seem right.
Then I tried another after it had been in there for a couple hours and it tasted perfect. It brought me right back to my childhood.
If I could have changed into Batman pajamas and sat down in front of the TV with one to watch The California Raisins, I would have.
How to store cream horns
You need to keep cream horns chilled, so they should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. After that, the shell will start to get soft as it absorbs the cream filling.
Can you freeze cream horns?
Definitely! Place cream horns in single layers with parchment paper between them (optionally, also individually wrapped in plastic wrap) in a freezer-safe airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
They thaw relatively quickly at room temperature or in the fridge, within an hour or so.
Making pastry cones
I’ve used aluminum foil to form cones that you’ll use to form the pastry around by ripping off 8-12″ long sheets of aluminum foil, folding them in half, and rolling each into a cone shape.
But if you want to be legit about this pick up these pastry cones (affiliate link).
So much easier! It’ll save you time and your sanity. You can also use pastry tubes, like you see used for cannolis.
Add garnish, if desired
Anyway – back on point! I know some people like to drizzle a little chocolate on top or add some fruit to the filling, but I love them in their simplest form.
Pastry and cream with a light dusting of powdered sugar – that’s perfect for me.
After you’ve made this recipe, please consider coming back to share your experience with others by leaving a comment below with a star rating!
Homemade Cream Horns
Checklist For Success
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar, divided
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Pastry horns
- Take out a sheet of puff pastry to let it thaw enough that you can unfold it without it breaking apart. Once thawed, cut the pastry sheet crosswise into nine equal strips. Set aside.1 sheet frozen puff pastry
- Spray 9 metal pastry cones with non-stick spray. Note: If you don't have pastry cones, make your own! Rip off 8-12" long sheets of aluminum foil, fold in half, and roll each into a cone shape.
- Wind a strip of pastry around each cone, starting at the pointed end and making sure to overlap layers a little so that there aren't any gaps. After you've reached the end of the pastry, gentle press the end to the top layer of pastry to prevent it from popping off while baking. Place them in the freezer for 20-30 minutes so that they'll hold their shape while baking.
- Preheat oven to 400°F and prepare two baking sheets with a non-stick silicone mats or parchment paper.
- Place each pastry, seam side down, 2-3" apart on baking sheet – remember, the pastries will expand as they bake and you don't want them to touch. I recommend placing 4 on one baking sheet and 5 on another, placing them on a diagonal across the baking sheets.
- Create an egg wash by whisking together one egg with a teaspoon of water in a small bowl. Brush the top of each pastry with the egg wash to give them a nice golden brown sheen.1 egg
- Place ¼ cup powdered sugar in a flour sifter or fine mesh sieve and coat the top of each pastry with a dusting of sugar.1 cup powdered sugar
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on baking sheet with the metal forms still inside. You'll notice the forms will have pushed out of the pastries just a bit, due to the expansion of the pastry as it baked.
Cream filling
- While the pastries are cooling, prepare the cream filling. In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks.1 cup heavy cream
- Add vanilla and remaining ¾ cup powdered sugar. Whip until it forms stiff peaks. Taste test it and add more powdered sugar if you'd like it a little sweeter.1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract | 1 cup powdered sugar
- Once pastries are completely cooled, fill a piping bag with the cream and squeeze with firm pressure into the pastry cavities. If desired, top with a little powdered sugar or drizzled chocolate. Keep refrigerated and enjoy!
Jeanette
Hi
my husband has been pestering me for ages to make him cream horns i just came across your recipe and have free time so am going to have a go and also make the cones
Leslie Kiszka
I hope you like them!
Monica
I made these with my daughter tonight and they’re so good! Thank you!
Leslie Kiszka
I’m so glad you both liked them! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment and rating, I really appreciate it!
Lisa Gassman Staggers
I’ve made these a couple of times now. I have to make double because we eat then so fast! I’m trying with chocolate mixed into the filing next time!
Leslie Kiszka
Oooo let me know how that turns out, I love me some chocolate! :)
Amy
I just bought some cream horns at a bakery. They were good, but So Super Sweet,I got a stomach ache after eating two of them. I love “Sweet”, but it was too much. Is the recipe for filling that you use super sweet as well?
Leslie Kiszka
Hi Amy – if you read the body of my post I note that I also share your concern for *too* sweet a filling! I find that mine is just the right amount of sweetness paired with the pastry, but if you wanted to try it with less powdered sugar to start and taste it until you’ve added the amount that suits your need that will work as well. Good luck!
Deborah Mianzo
I see these filled with lemon or a custard. Any suggestions as to how to make this filling?
Leslie Kiszka
I don’t have any recipe for that myself since I always use the cream filling you see listed in the recipe card, sorry!
Laura
My oven is not always reliable, so I needed to reduce the temp by 5 degrees and bake for a shorter amount of time. They turned out perfect and tasty — just the way I remember them as a kid! Thanks so much for offering a recipe for cream horns that uses real whipped cream!
Leslie Kiszka
Thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment and a rating – it’s totally a nostalgia trip every time I make them – brings me right back to being a kid!
Edwene L Summers
I followed your recipe and the pastry horns were on the tough side on the bottom. I did cook them for 22 mins. I did use puff pastry dough. The cream was just right, delicious and they looked pretty
Chris
Here’s a tip for the cones..take sugar cones and wrap them in foil, then wrap the pastry around them..Theu hold the shape way better this way…and you can eat the molds..
Lynne
I inherited my mother-in-law’s recipe for cream horns and she use old fashioned clothes pins for the horns. I switched to wooden dowels cut to the size I want. It’s much easier to take the dough off.
Bevery Sawyer
My daughter loves cream horns. I made the shells and was going to fill the nextdaybut she was sick so can I freeze the empty horns and how long will they keep in the freezer?
Leslie Kiszka
Sorry for the delayed response – I’ve never tried doing that, so unfortunately I can’t say. Let me know if you try it though!
Lizzy
Hello, thanks for giving us this special recipe. Just a question, how do you remove the foil? My daughter and I tried and it all crumbled apart trying to get the foil out. Thanks again!
Leslie Haasch
I’m sorry to hear you struggled with removing the foil! I’ve honestly never had any trouble with it as it’s always come right out. Did you spray them with nonstick spray beforehand?
Lynne
Use wooden dowels instead of foil. You can have them cut to any length or thickness.
Leslie Kiszka
That’s a great idea for people who access to those!
Anonymous
These were perfect, so much better than store bought. My entire family said they were delicious, gkids, dil, husband. Not to sweet.
Leslie Haasch
I can’t tell you how happy this makes me to hear – thank you so much for stopping by to share!
PATRICIA A. Kilpatrick
Hi my name i s Patty. Does the cream horn cream taste like puff pastry filling or like the sugary cream like youd find I Ring dings. That certain sugary cream flavor?
Leslie Haasch
It’s sort of like a cannoli filling but a bit thicker, if you’re familiar with that.
Alison
This is just what I was looking for…especially love the tips to make your own molds! How long will these keep in the fridge? If you fill them too soon would they get soggy?
Leslie Haasch
Mine never make it more than a week stored in the fridge, just because I eat them all! ;) But I don’t find them to get soggy at all.
Dzemal Cardakovic
I’m not sure ,what’s the taste for heavy cream ? I use it but not in cakes really,does it have any weird taste ?
Leslie Haasch
I personally don’t think heavy cream has any taste at all.
Anonymous
Love these so much!!!!!! And super easy
Leslie Haasch
So glad you love them as much as I do!