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Sweet and Savory Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Puff Pastry Twists…the holiday appetizer that everyone asks for…year after year. They’re quick, easy, and everyone loves these sweet and savory twists. Flaky puff pastry twisted up with cheese, wrapped in salty bacon, then tossed in a rosemary brown sugar. Bake these twists in the oven until the bacon is crisp and “candied”. There never seems to be enough of these…addictive, festive, and perfect for both Thanksgiving and Christmas entertaining + a recipe the whole family will enjoy.
Ingredients
- Light or brown dark sugar
- Fresh rosemary
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- Frozen puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Cayenne pepper
- Thin cut bacon
Tis’ the season for all the appetizers and holiday cheer. We’ve entered Thanksgiving week and as you can guess, I’m ready for it. The holidays feel even more special this year and I’m really making an effort to do everything. Decorating? It’s in the works. Thinking up fun holiday giveaways? Yes, yes, of course (anything on your wish list?). Plotting out the best Christmas gifts for my family? Workin on it.
I’m being overly ambitious for sure, but something inside me wants to make both Thanksgiving and Christmas extra special this year. I blame it all on the year we’ve had. It’s been so crazy and I’m ready for the familiar happiness of the holidays. If you’re a Scrooge, I’m apologizing now for all the holiday talk yet to come.
With Thanksgiving only 3 days away, I’ve started to plan, prep, and roll out all the last-minute recipes that literally anyone can make. When my list of holiday “to-do’s” is a mile long, it’s the easy recipes like these twists that really come in clutch (as my brothers like to say).
The history on these twists.
These twists have been around since 2013. They’ve been so well-loved over the years. They’re a personal favorite of mine. I love them because they’re the easiest to make. And along with their ease, they’re also way too good.
I say way too good because stopping at just one twist is nearly impossible. The sweet and savory flavors make these fun twists addicting. When I originally made these, it was just a few days before Thanksgiving. I was looking for an easy appetizer to serve my family. With five (now six) brothers…all of whom love bacon, I knew these had serious potential to be very well-loved.
When I made them for Thanksgiving that year, it was also the year that I botched the cocktails. If I remember correctly, I believe I tried to make a candy cane martini. Let’s just say it wasn’t for them. Thankfully, I had these twists on hand, and thankfully, they turned out to be the star of Thanksgiving. They’ve now become tradition. Everyone looks forward to them each year…and I usually make them for Christmas too!
Here are the details.
These are pretty simple, and honestly, kind of fun to make.
Start with my go-to holiday ingredient, a little store-bought puff pastry. Roll it out, top it with cheddar, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Now fold the pastry in half and cut it into strips. I tried to get a few process photos for you guys so you could see more of what I’m talking about.
Now twist the strips up, then wrap each strip in thin cut bacon. Using thin cut bacon is key here. It will cook more evenly and quicker. If you have thicker pieces of bacon, I would cut each in half.
The secret to these festive twists?
The secret to these twists is the sweet and savory mix of brown sugar and fresh rosemary that coats the bacon. Mix the two together, then roll the bacon twists through the sugar mix. Once baked, you’ll have a cheesy pastry, wrapped in sweet candied bacon.
It might seem like a rather odd combination, but trust me, it’s very delicious. And also what makes these twists addictingly good.
You can assemble these mini bites ahead of time, then just bake them up once guests arrive. They can be served warm or at room temperature. Though I think they’re best warm and fresh out of the oven.
So you see? These are pretty close to being the perfect holiday appetizer, and the rosemary keeps them flavorful and festive too.
These are just as great for Thanksgiving as they will be for all upcoming holiday dinners…and nights full of decorating!!!
Looking for other easy last-minute appetizers? Here are my favorites:
Mini Pastry Wrapped Cranberry Baked Brie Bites
Mom’s Secret Christmas Eve Chex Mix
Goat Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates with Rosemary Honey
Lastly, if you make these Sweet and Savory Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Puff Pastry Twist, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch The How To Video:
Sweet and Savory Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Puff Pastry Twists
Servings: 26 Twists
Calories Per Serving: 285 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, using to your taste
- kosher salt and black pepper.
- 2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (or a mix of your favorite cheeses)
- 1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)
- 24 strips thin cut bacon, or 12 sticks of thicker bacon, halved
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Line 2 baking sheets with foil and place a wire rack on top. Lightly rub each rack with olive oil. 2. In a shallow bowl, combine the brown sugar, rosemary, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. 3. Place both sheets of pastry on a lightly floured counter. Brush the surface of each with a beaten egg. Evenly sprinkle about 1/2 cup of cheese over each sheet, then sprinkle with cayenne. Dust a rolling pin lightly with flour and roll the rolling pin over the cheese, gently pressing the cheese into the pastry. Fold the pastry in half, then cut each into 12 (1/2 inch) wide strips. Pinch the ends to seal, then gently twist each strip several times to enclose the cheese. It's ok if some of the cheese falls out. 4. Take a piece of bacon and wrap it around the twisted pastry. Repeat with the remaining twists. Dredge the twist through the brown sugar mix, tossing to coat, placing the twist on the prepared baking sheet as you go. 5. Bake 30 to 50 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. My bacon took 50 minutes to cook, start checking the twists at around 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature…though I love them warm!
This post was originally published on November 23, 2020
So I’ve made this twice so far and am in love!! I realize this is an older post but I hope you still get my question. i’m making these to serve the following morning….how best do I keep them to be heated for the next day? They are so good right after they cool – I’m a little nervous about how they’ll keep
Hi!! I like to store in the fridge in a sealed container, then just warm gently before serving. That works great!! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I glad you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
These are delicious and I’ve made them twice. I do have one questions; how do you keep them from sticking to the baking rack? I sprayed them liberally and they are still super stuck. Thanks!
Hey Ann! I would recommend rubbing the baking rack with olive oil before placing the twist on the rack. That will help! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
I just made these and they were amazing! A few changes. No bacon. After the egg, I coated the pastry with bourbon brown sugar spicing. I then coated the twist again with egg before dipping in the brown sugar so it would stick. Sweet and savory. Soft but crispy! My 3 guests ate every one in a few minutes. So so good!
Thank you Deb! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I have made these before and they are delicious. I am wondering your thoughts on baking the day before and event and how to store them. Should I refrigerate them or is it fine to store in an air tight container?
HI! Yes, you can bake ahead and serve either warmed or at room temp. Either is great! I would refrigerate until ready to serve. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
You are truly the bomb.com! When is your cookbook coming out?
Thank you! Both of my cookbooks are currently available on Amazon!! Links below! Happy Thanksgiving!
https://rstyle.me/+KkR8He_EL22RyOwCSkp_5Q
https://rstyle.me/+rxtCVPWL6cE8jGFoexyPIw
These were INHALED when I took them to a party. Lots of requests for the recipe! So good
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you Mike! xTieghan
WOW is all I can say, these were great. I made exactly as directed. The only thing I was lacking was a rack for my pan so if you find yourself in this situation, I improvised and rolled section of foil to make my own “rack”. I was determined to try these! Very thin bacon worked well, I tested with a thin and a thick before I made the whole batch, thick made it soggy on the inside. Thank you soooooooo much!
Thank you Traci! I am so glad you loved this recipe! xTieghan
I love this recipe and have made it before. I want to make them for Xmas this year but I’m wondering if/how I can make them ahead and freeze them.
Hey Mary!! You can bake the twist, let them cool, then transfer them to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Just warm them in the oven at 325 for 15 minutes or so. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Can I make these a day ahead?
Hey Randy! Yes, you can make ahead. Store in the fridge, then warm in a 300 degree oven for 10 minutes. Serve warm or room temp. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Wow and yum! I just made these and tried one while they were still cooling; but they are so, so good! I have to admit I can’t even taste the cheese over the “candied bacon” but it doesn’t matter because they are really delicious…Maybe after they fully cool I’ll get the other flavors, but it doesn’t matter – these are “recipe book worthy”, which at our house is high praise reserved for a precious few new recipes…Thanks for sharing…Will be looking through your other recipes for other great ideas…
Hi Mike! This is so amazing to hear! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe and I hope you love others of mine! Thank you! xTieghan
Hello! I had to come back and give them five stars. They were absolutely amazing, and many people at the party said it was the best thing they had ever tried. I followed the recipe to the letter, and made a huge batch. There wasn’t a crumb left on the tray. 🙂
Wow that is so amazing! Thank you so much Aline!
Hi Tieghan! I hope you and your family had a great Christmas and your New Year’s rocks as well. I’m making these for a NYE party tomorrow, and I can’t wait! I have no doubt they will be a massive hit. :-)Al
Thank you so much Aline! I hope you have a great New Years!
This is a great recipe. I made these for Thanksgiving and they were gone in a flash! A double batch has been requested for Christmas!
Okay, I know it’s five years since this recipe was posted but I just have to let you know how outstanding these are! I made them as an appetizer for Thanksgiving and everyone loved, loved, loved them. So much that it’s been requested that I make them for Christmas too. They traveled well too and tasted great at room temperature. I basically made them right before leaving and let them cool on the racks a bit then wrapped them in tinfoil to take along. I would double up on the lining the bottom of my pan next time and also really make sure I spray the racks good. Some of them stuck, but a spatula helped to free them. This isn’t the first recipe of yours that I’ve made so I don’t know why this one prompted me to write a comment. All your recipes that I’ve tried have been delicious!! I also have your book too. Thanks!
I am so glad you love this recipe Lea! Thank you so much!!
So yummy!! I didn’t read through all the comments but could I assembled the the twists the night before and then cook them the next day?
Hey Janice! Yes, you can assemble the night before and then cook the next day. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan