Ever dreamed of creating those stunning, flaky pastries you see in bakery windows right in your own kitchen? This guide to making Easy Homemade Cream Horns is your dream come true. We’re breaking down every step to ensure you get perfectly golden, irresistibly crispy horns filled with a luscious, sweet cream. Forget complicated pastry techniques; this recipe is designed for the enthusiastic home cook who loves a rewarding baking project.
This recipe transforms simple puff pastry into an elegant dessert that’s perfect for holidays, special occasions, or simply a weekend treat. Get ready to impress yourself and your loved ones with these delightful pastries.
What Are Cream Horns?
Cream horns, also known as lady locks or Schillerlocken, are a classic European pastry made by wrapping strips of puff pastry around a conical mold. The pastry is then baked until golden and flaky and, once cooled, filled with a sweet cream, mousse, or meringue. The result is a wonderful contrast of textures, from the crisp, buttery shell to the rich, smooth filling. Our recipe for Easy Homemade Cream Horns makes this classic accessible to everyone.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Surprisingly Simple: Using store-bought puff pastry is the ultimate shortcut, giving you bakery-quality results without the stress of making pastry from scratch.
- Incredibly Versatile: While the classic cream filling is divine, you can customize the horns with different flavors. We’ll share some exciting variations below!
- Perfect for Any Occasion: These elegant pastries look impressive on any dessert table, making them ideal for parties, holidays, or a fancy afternoon tea. Check out our Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes for another party-perfect dessert.
- A Fun Baking Project: The process of wrapping and shaping the horns is a fun, hands-on activity that yields stunning results.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The beauty of this Easy Homemade Cream Horns recipe lies in its simple, accessible ingredient list. Here’s what you’ll need to gather.
For the Pastry Horns:
- Puff Pastry: One sheet of all-butter puff pastry, thawed but kept cold. This is the key to a light, flaky texture.
- Large Egg: For creating an egg wash, which gives the horns their beautiful golden-brown shine.
- Coarse Sugar: Sprinkling this on before baking adds a delightful crunch and a professional finish.
For the Sweet Cream Filling:
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Make sure it’s well-chilled to help it whip up to stiff peaks.
- Powdered Sugar: This dissolves easily into the cream for a smooth, sweet filling.
- Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
Essential Equipment
To make these cream horns, you’ll need a few key pieces of equipment. The most important are cream horn molds.
- Cream Horn Molds: These conical metal molds are essential for getting the classic shape.
- Piping Bag and Tip: A piping bag fitted with a large star tip makes filling the horns neat and easy.
- Baking Sheets & Parchment Paper: To ensure your pastries bake evenly and don’t stick.
- Pastry Brush: For applying the egg wash.
How to Make Easy Homemade Cream Horns: Step-by-Step
Follow these simple steps to create the most amazing cream horns. We’ve broken it down to make the process foolproof and enjoyable.
1. Prepare the Pastry
Start by preheating your oven to 400°F (200°C) and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour your work surface and gently unfold your thawed puff pastry sheet. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the pastry into 12 even strips, each about 1-inch wide.
2. Shape the Horns
Take one pastry strip and, starting at the narrow end of a cream horn mold, wrap the strip around it. Overlap the edges by about 1/4 inch as you spiral up toward the wider end. Gently press the seam at the end to seal it. There’s no need to grease the molds; the butter in the pastry will prevent sticking.
3. Bake to Golden Perfection
Place the wrapped molds on your prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with a splash of water to create an egg wash. Brush the egg wash over each pastry horn, then sprinkle generously with coarse sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffed, golden-brown, and cooked through. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before gently sliding the pastry horns off the molds to cool completely on a wire rack.
4. Make the Cream Filling
While the pastry shells cool, prepare the filling. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on high speed until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to overbeat. Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
5. Fill and Serve
Once the pastry horns are completely cool (this is crucial!), pipe the cream filling into each one, filling them from both ends to ensure they are full. For a final touch, you can dust them with extra powdered sugar. Serve immediately and enjoy the delicious crunch!
Pro Tips for Flaky, Perfect Pastries
- Keep the Pastry Cold: Work quickly and keep your puff pastry as cold as possible. If it becomes soft, pop it back in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. This ensures the butter stays solid, creating those coveted flaky layers.
- Don’t Stretch the Dough: When wrapping the pastry strips, avoid stretching them. This can make the final product tough instead of light and airy.
- Cool Completely Before Filling: Never fill warm pastry shells. The heat will melt the cream, leading to a soggy mess. Patience is key! For a make-ahead option, you might also like this deliciously easy Cassava Cake recipe (coming soon).
Filling Variations to Try
While classic vanilla cream is fantastic, these Easy Homemade Cream Horns are a perfect canvas for other flavors. Try these delicious variations:
- Chocolate Cream: Fold in a few tablespoons of cocoa powder with the powdered sugar for a rich chocolate filling.
- Lemon Mousse: Add lemon curd to the whipped cream for a bright, tangy twist.
- Caramel Delight: Drizzle caramel sauce into the cream before whipping. If you love caramel, you have to try our Caramel Apple Poke Cake (coming soon).
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
Cream horns are best enjoyed the day they are made. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, though the pastry will soften over time. You can bake the pastry shells up to a day in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Fill them just before serving to maintain maximum crispiness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can create DIY molds by shaping heavy-duty aluminum foil into a cone shape. For best results, wrap the foil around a sugar cone to get the right shape, then remove the sugar cone before wrapping the pastry.
Absolutely. If you’re up for a challenge, you can make your own puff pastry. However, for an ‘easy’ version of this recipe, high-quality, all-butter store-bought puff pastry works wonderfully and saves a significant amount of time.
The key is to make sure the pastry shells are completely cool before filling them. Also, serve them as soon as possible after filling. The moisture from the cream will naturally soften the pastry over time.
You can bake the pastry shells up to 24 hours in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. The cream filling can be made a few hours ahead and kept chilled in the refrigerator. Assemble just before serving for the best texture.
You can fill cream horns with a variety of fillings! Try a stable Swiss meringue buttercream, chocolate mousse, pastry cream, or even a tangy lemon curd for different flavor profiles.
More Delicious Dessert Ideas
If you enjoyed making these cream horns, you’ll love exploring more of our dessert recipes. From cakes to cookies, there’s always something sweet to bake. Try our fan-favorite White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies (coming soon) for your next baking adventure!
Share Your Creations!
We are so excited for you to try this Easy Homemade Cream Horns recipe. There’s nothing better than mastering a classic pastry and sharing it with people you love. If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below and let us know how it turned out! Don’t forget to share a photo of your beautiful creations on Pinterest!
Easy Homemade Cream Horns Recipe
Easy Homemade Cream Horns (The Ultimate Guide)
Ingredients
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- On a lightly floured surface, unfold the puff pastry. Cut into 12 strips, each about 1-inch wide.
- Wrap one pastry strip around a cream horn mold, starting at the pointed end and overlapping the edges slightly. Press the end to seal.
- Place the wrapped molds on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle generously with coarse sugar.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before gently removing the pastries from the molds. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer the cream to a piping bag with a star tip. Once the pastry shells are completely cool, pipe the filling into each horn. Serve immediately.
Notes
Do not fill the horns until they are completely cool to prevent the cream from melting.
The baked, unfilled shells can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours.
