These date pastries are a blissful blend of sweet and salty, without overdoing it in either category. Layers of flaky puff pastry are folded over a spiced date and pistachio paste, then baked to golden, crispy perfection. The date paste is spiced with some ground cinnamon and ginger, along with a little vanilla paste folded in with the pistachios—a dream date situtation.
If dates are your THING or you’re just a regular sane human being that loves all things pastry (all of us?), then these pistachio date pastries are for you. Find some assembly tips in the blog below if you get stuck, otherwise—happy baking!
Some Materials You May Need:
- Small saucepan
- Heat-safe bowl
- Whisk/Spatula
- Measuring cups/spoons
- Fork
- Large baking sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Pastry brush (or something to apply an egg wash)
Be sure to tag me over on Instagram if you make these date pastries, friends! They’re the perfect blend of the iconic trio: sweet, salty, and flaky. Happy baking and be sure to message me on Instagram or leave a comment below if you run into any issues!
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Pistachio Date Pastries
- Prep Time: ~30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 25 Minutes
- Total Time: ~1 Hour
- Yield: 9 Pastries 1x
Description
These pistachio date pastries are a blissful blend of sweet, salty, and flaky. Layers of puff pastry are folded over a spiced date paste filled with pistachios and then baked to golden, crispy perfection.
Ingredients
- 4oz. pitted dates (115g), finely diced—I used these dates.
- 1/2 cup water (4oz.)
- 2 tablespoons sugar (28g)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract/paste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped, shelled pistachios (35g)—mine were roasted & salted.
- One sheet of store-bought puff pastry, thawed (245g)
- 1 large egg (50g) lightly whisked for an egg wash
- Optional: Turbinado or demerara sugar to sprinkle overtop
Instructions
Make the Spiced Date Paste
- In a small saucepan, add your diced dates, water, and sugar. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally (the mixture should gradually thicken and end as a loose paste). Once thickened, take your saucepan off of the heat and stir in your vanilla, spices, and pistachios until evenly mixed in. Scrape the mixture into a heat safe bowl and set aside at room temperature until needed (it will thicken more as it cools down, which is what you want).
Assembling & Baking the Pastries
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and prep a large baking sheet with parchment. Gently roll out one sheet of thawed puff pastry until about a 1/4 inch thick, roughly a 10-12 inch square. Trim the edges if desired for cleaner lines and then cut into 9 equal squares. Place these evenly spaced out onto your baking sheet.
- Light whisk your egg for the egg wash (if not done so already). Brush a small amount along the border of each square, but just on two sides that meet at a corner (this will help seal the edges). Scoop 1 1/2-2 Tablespoons of your date paste into the center of each square, leaving the egg washed border untouched (see photos in the blog for what mine looked like).
- Fold the opposite corner of each pastry (the sides without the egg wash) overtop your date paste so that you’re left with a triangle-shaped pastry. Press down firmly with your fingers along the two sides where your egg wash was to help seal the edges. Then, crimp those edges with a fork and poke a few holes in the top of each pastry to let steam escape.
- If your pastry is a little sticky or hard to handle at this point, pop them into the fridge for 15-20 minutes to firm back up before baking (see notes below for why).
- Brush each pastry all over with your egg wash (more egg wash = darker, crispier pastry) and then sprinkle some turbinado/demerara sugar overtop each if using. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until desired browning (rack in the middle or upper thirds). Once out of the oven, let cool for 10 minutes before serving or transferring to a separate rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Storing: While best enjoyed same-day (the crunch is always better), these will keep for up to 3 days stored at room temperature in an airtight container. If not eating the day you make them, make sure to let them cool completely at room temperature before storing in a container.
- Assembly/Shaping Note: You don’t have to make these into triangles, that’s just the shape I chose! You could still cut these into 9 even squares and then fold into side-to-side instead of corner-to-corner to form little rectangle-shaped pastries.
- Can You Double This Recipe? Go for it! This recipe lends itself well to being doubled, as store-bought puff pastry sometimes comes with two sheets. Note that you may need a larger saucepan when making the paste, just to be safe. Plus, one egg will be enough egg wash for two sheets of puff pastry, so no need to double your egg.
- Pastry Getting Sticky/Hard to Work With? You always want to work fairly quick with puff pasty once it thaws, as it has a high amount of butter in it. The more you handle it with your handles, the sticker and harder to work with it can be. If that ever happens, just place your pastry (assembled or otherwise) in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to firm back up a little before continuing on.
Making the Spiced Date Paste
You want to make sure you have all of your ingredients prepped before you start to make the date paste. Don’t be caught scooping spices when they’re needed (you know who you are and I see you)—have them ready to go off to the side. Not only does this reduce the amount of chaos in the kitchen (again, you know who you are and I’m thinking of you), but will ensure your paste comes out perfect every time!
- Once all of your ingredients are prepped and ready to go, in a small saucepan, add your diced dates, water, and granulated sugar.
- Gently stir together so everything’s evenly mixed together. Then, heat over medium-high heat until boiling. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally (the mixture should gradually thicken and end as a loose paste).
- Once thickened, take your saucepan off of the heat and stir in your vanilla, spices, and chopped pistachios until evenly mixed in.
- Scrape the mixture into a heat safe bowl and set aside at room temperature until needed (it will thicken more as it cools down, which is what you want).
How to Assemble these Date Pastries
To be honest, it’s hard to describe how to assemble pastry sometimes when each person likes to be taught differently. Some like minimal description and others need every last detail laid out. I’m definitely part of the latter group.
For these date pastries, you don’t have to make them into triangle shapes! If trying to understand my instructions gets confusing, just make these into little square or rectangle hand pies. Visually, the triangle shape was just for fun and has no impact on the overall taste or texture. So you-do-you, boo.
See the image above for how the egg wash and date paste should look inside before closing!
- Cut out your puff pastry into 9 squares (cut across vertically and horizontally twice).
- Brush a small amount of egg wash along two intersecting sides (see image above) of each pastry.
- Scoop 1 1/2-2 tablespoons of the date paste into the center of each, leaving room at the border where you brushed your egg wash (you can spread the paste into a more even layer if desired)
- Fold the other corner of the pastry (the one without any egg wash) overtop the date paste so it forms the triangle shape. Press down firmly along the open sides with your fingers to help seal them together. You can crimp them with a fork as well to help seal them even more.
- Poke a few holes with the fork to let steam escape during the bake (don’t skip this step!).
- Brush a generous amount of egg wash overtop each pastry and sprinkle with your crunchy sugar if using. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until desired browning.
Baking & Storing These Pistachio Date Pastries
As I mention in the recipe: the more egg wash you brush overtop, the darker and crispier your pastries will turn out! I love a good crunch, so I’m always going IN with the egg wash. It’s baker’s choice, really.
Regardless of the egg wash, I’d recommend baking these for at least 20-22 minutes and then checking every few minutes from there (for desired browning). I baked my date pastries with my oven rack in the upper thirds position.
I recommend serving or enjoying these the same day you make them. Most puff pastry is best enjoyed this way! You start to lose the crisp and crunch as each day passes. With that said, if you’re not cracking into these right away, let them cool to room temperature completely before storing in an airtight container. These should keep for up to 3 days at room temperature stored this way.
I hope you end up loving these pistachio date pastries as much as I do, friends. Be sure to share with and tag me over on Instagram (@joshisbaking) if you make them. I love seeing you all make my bakes! Now, go bake and be happy!
If you need another easy puff pastry recipe, try my Everything Bagel Pastries—so good!
Check out my most recent recipes:
- Hot Cocoa Cream Pies
- Roasted Crispy Rice Treats Dipped in Chocolate Frosting
- Giant Chocolate Blueberry Pop Tart
Looking for something else to bake?
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