Homemade Cream Horns
Experience the rich flavor of easy homemade cream horns with flaky puff pastry and luscious cream filling. Ideal for snacking or any celebratory occasion!
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Table of Contents
- About Homemade Cream Horns
- What are cream horns?
- What’s in this cream horn recipe?
- Tools you’ll need
- Can you use homemade puff pastry?
- Tips for perfectly whipped cream
- Can you make them in advance?
- How long are they good for?
- Can you freeze them?
- Notes & tips for easy cream horns
- More delicious desserts
- How to make homemade cream horns
- Recipe Details
About Homemade Cream Horns
Craving a sweet treat? Well, you’re in luck, because cream horns are where it’s at! These pastries, with their flaky crust and creamy filling, aren’t just delicate pastry eye candy; they taste amazing, too.
They really are everything that makes an Austrian pastry great.
And the best part? They’re way easier to whip up (and customize!) at home than you might think.
What are cream horns?
Originating in Vienna, Austria, cream horns (also known as Schaumrolle) are crispy pastries shaped like horns. They’re typically stuffed with light fillings like whipped cream or meringue, but sometimes you’ll find them with fruit or chocolate inside.
What’s in this cream horn recipe?
In order to make your own cream-filled puff pastries at home, you’ll need to gather the following ingredients:
- Puff pastry – Used for creating the horn-shaped pastry of the cream horns.
- Egg and water – Whisked together to make the egg wash that’s brushed over the unbaked puff pastry.
- Cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy whipping cream – Whipped together to create the thick cream filling.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – If you’d like cream horns filled with chocolate, cocoa powder can be mixed into some (or all!) of the cream filling.
Tools you’ll need
- Cream horn molds – Cream horns are known for their cornucopia-like shape and these little molds help you create it.
- Mixer – You can either use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
- Rolling pin and pizza cutter (or knife) – For flattening the puff pastry and cutting it up as needed.
- Mixing bowls, a baking sheet, and some parchment paper – Standard fare for the best baked goods.
- Basting brush – For coating the puff pastry with egg wash.
- Pastry bags and piping tips – Pastry bags make everything easier, and a few decorative tips will give your cream horns some extra flair (but they’re not required).
Can you use homemade puff pastry?
Certainly! Any type of puff pastry will work for this recipe. Just be sure you have enough to equal two total sheets of the store-bought kind.
If you’ve never made puff pastry before, I highly recommend this recipe and guide: Quick & Easy Homemade Puff Pastry.
Tips for perfectly whipped cream
For this recipe, the whipped cream filling should be fairly thick, so getting the consistency right is key. The recipe states that the cream should form stiff peaks, and that’s exactly what it sounds like: when you remove the mixer blades, the cream should pull upward and then keep its shape, looking like mountain peaks.
To help ensure this happens, try these tips:
- Use extremely fresh, high-quality whipping cream (just purchased, just opened).
- Chill the heavy whipping cream in the freezer for 15 minutes before use. Use the cream as soon as it’s removed from the freezer.
- If you’re using any metal, porcelain, or glass attachments for mixing (bowl, whisk, etc) try freezing or chilling them beforehand.
Can you make them in advance?
Yes, you can – but with a catch. You can make them up to 24 hours in advance, but there are two important adjustments you’ll need to make:
- For best results, store the baked cream horn pastries undecorated (so no cream filling or powdered sugar yet). They can be stored in a sealed container on the counter for up to one day.
- To ensure the best texture for the filling, plan on preparing the cream filling just before decorating. However, the cream filling can also be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator; just know that the consistency may change slightly the longer the cream sits.
How long are they good for?
Ideally, these cream horns should be eaten on the same day they are made. Puff pastry is airy and delicate, and it won’t take long for the cream to saturate the layers and make the puff pastry seem soggy. The cream will also start to lose some of its “oomph” within two or three hours, so it’s best to enjoy them soon after preparation is complete.
Can you freeze them?
Absolutely! When frozen promptly after baking, these pumpkin cream cheese danishes can be a delightful treat to enjoy later. They even taste great straight from the freezer!
To freeze:
- Once baked and cooled, place the danishes in a single layer in a freezer bag or storage container. Given their delicate nature, try to avoid stacking them. Find a safe, flat spot in your freezer to store them.
- The pumpkin cream cheese danishes can be frozen for up to two months.
To thaw:
- Allow the danishes to thaw in the refrigerator for at least two hours or on the counter for about 30 minutes.
- If desired, you can drizzle them with a fresh batch of pumpkin pie glaze or sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes & tips for easy cream horns
- You can make the vanilla and chocolate flavors as directed or you can make all vanilla or all chocolate (just double the amount of unsweetened cocoa in the recipe). You can also substitute substitute vanilla with different extracts like almond, strawberry, orange, or peppermint.
- Or you could even make pumpkin spice cream horns!
- Jazz up the cream horns by drizzling them with melted chocolate. Sprinkle crumbled candy or nuts for added flavor.
- Instead of using the cream filling in the recipe, you can substitute this for other fluffy fillings like Cool Whip, Reddi Whip, flavored frosting, or marshmallow fluff.
- Want to make a double batch? No problem! This recipe adapts well to increasing the yield to however many you’d like to make.
- If you’d like a more bite-sized experience that’s made from scratch, check out these homemade cream puffs.
More delicious desserts
How to make homemade cream horns
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.
Step 1 – Preheat the oven, grab your baking sheet, smooth on some parchment paper, and coat the cream horn molds with cooking spray. Whisk the egg and water in a small bowl until they’re totally blended. Keep everything close; we’ll use them soon!
Step 2 – Lay out the puff pastry sheet on a clean surface and flatten it with a rolling pin until it’s about twice its original size. Then, slice and dice it into 8 neat 1-inch strips. Toss any extras aside.
Step 3 – Start at the base of the cream horn mold, and snugly wrap the pastry around. After one round, pinch the seam so it’s tight. Keep wrapping until you reach the strip’s end, making sure those edges are sealed. Repeat this step until all the molds are wrapped.
Step 4 – Arrange the cream horns on the prepped baking sheet, making sure the seams are facing down. With the basting brush in hand, paint each horn with the egg mixture from earlier.
Step 5 – Bake!
Step 6 – Let them chill on the pan for a bit, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Once they’re cool enough, slide the molds out and set the horns back on the rack.
Step 7 – For the filling, throw the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla into a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer and a roomy bowl). Whip it up until it’s smooth and fluffy.
Step 8 – Drop the mixer speed down and pour in the heavy cream. Once it’s all in, pump up the speed again until you’ve got thick and stiff peaks. If you’re making chocolate cream, set aside half the cream filling, then add the cocoa powder to the cream remaining in the mixer. Whip it up until it’s incorporated and smooth.
Step 9 – Load up a pastry bag (or two if you’re doing both flavors) with the cream filling and your preferred piping tip. Carefully fill each pastry horn up to the open edge. Mix and match flavors if you like! And if you’re feeling fancy, dust them with a bit of powdered sugar.
Step 10 – Serve and enjoy!
Homemade Cream Horns
Ingredients
Cream Horns
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
Cream Filling
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream, very cold
Instructions
For the Cream Horns
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line at least 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and spray cream horn molds with cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and water until thoroughly combined. Set all three aside.1 large egg, 1 tablespoon water
- On a flat surface, unfold one puff pastry sheet and use a rolling pin to roll it out, doubling size of sheet. Cut the puff pastry into 8 1-inch strips, discarding any scraps.2 sheets puff pastry
- Starting at the bottom of a cream horn mold, begin wrapping puff pastry. After wrapping dough around once, pinch seam to secure it, then continue wrapping, progressively moving down the mold. When at the end of dough strip, lightly press along all the wrapped edges so that they're sealed.
- Repeat the last two steps until all cream horn molds are wrapped. Place cream horns on prepared baking sheets, seam side down, spacing each a few inches apart. Using a basting brush, brush prepared egg wash over top of each cream horn.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden brown.
- Let finished cream horns rest on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. When cool enough to handle, carefully remove cream horn molds and return cream horns to wire rack.
For the Cream Filling
- Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer + large bowl), add cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Whip on medium-high speed until combined and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.2 ounces cream cheese, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Drop mixer speed to low and slowly mix in heavy cream, scraping down the sides as needed. Once added, increase speed back to medium-high and whip until thick, creamy, and stiff peaks form, about another 1-3 minutes.2 cups heavy whipping cream
- If making chocolate cream filling, transfer half of cream filling to a clean bowl and set aside. Add unsweetened cocoa powder to mixing bowl and whip remaining cream filling on medium-high until combined, about 1 minute.1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- Transfer cream filling to a pastry bag (or two separate pastry bags, if you made two flavors) with a large piping tip of your choice.
Putting it All together
- Gently pipe cream filling into prepared cream horn pastries. Fill just to edge; be careful not to overfill. If using multiple flavors, either fill each cream horn entirely with one flavor or fill half with vanilla and half with chocolate. Dust tops of cream horns with powdered sugar (optional).
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition
I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I’m not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.
