A quick vanilla custard, crisp pastry sheets, and a dusting of powdered sugar are all it takes to put together a quick and classic mille-feuille recipe. Bake the pastry sheets in a weighted-down pan to ensure they stay flat while keeping their “thousand leaves.”


Mille-Feuille Recipe: Tips for Making the French Pastry

Mille-feuille, French for “a thousand leaves,” is a simple dessert made by layering pieces of puff pastry with a cream filling. Sometimes called a Napoleon, this easy French pastry looks stunning but only requires a short list of easy-to-find ingredients: flour, eggs, heavy cream, [puff pastry](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-classic-puff-pastry-easy-rough-puff-pastry-recipe) sheets, vanilla extract, sugar, and cornstarch.

The mille-feuille is a French pâtisserie staple, lending itself readily to creative add-ins and flavorings, such as:

1. __Caramel__: For a burst of salty-sweetness, drizzle caramel sauce over the mille-feuille. Finish the dessert with a light sprinkling of flaky sea salt. 
2. __Citrus__: For a bright citrus mille-feuille, add the [zest](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-zest-a-lemon-easy-lemon-zest-recipe-ideas) from two lemons to the custard. For garnish, [cut an orange](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-cut-an-orange) into supremes and arrange the wedges on top of the pastry.
3. __Seasonal fruit__: Fresh strawberries, raspberries, and peach slices are among the most popular mille-feuille fillings. To add fresh fruit to your mille-feuille, place small pieces of fruit on top of the custard in an even layer.
4. __Tiramisu__: To blend two classic desserts into one, add a tablespoon of instant [espresso](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/espresso-guide) powder to the custard and dust the top layer with equal parts powdered sugar and [cocoa powder](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-cocoa-culinary-uses-of-cocoa-powder). 

Here’s how to make a mille-feuille that’s both crisp and creamy. 

1. __Make the pastry cream first__. The filling should be completely cool before you assemble the dessert. Make the [pastry cream](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-chef-dominique-ansels-pastry-cream) and chill it while baking the puff pastry and preparing any optional toppings.
2. __Use frozen puff pastry__. Making puff pastry from scratch can take hours. To save time, use high-quality store-bought puff pastry the first time you make mille-feuilles.
3. __Weigh down the pastry__. Weighing down the pastry dough as it bakes will keep the pieces flat and make it easier to build multiple layers when you assemble. Baking puff pastry without the extra weight will make the rectangles tall and brittle. 
4. __Finish with whipped cream__. Folding a few cups of whipped cream into the pastry cream adds lightness to this dessert while still ensuring the pastry stays crisp.

A quick vanilla custard, crisp pastry sheets, and a dusting of powdered sugar are all it takes to put together a quick and classic mille-feuille recipe. Bake the pastry sheets in a weighted-down pan to ensure they stay flat while keeping their “thousand leaves.”


Mille-feuille, French for “a thousand leaves,” is a simple dessert made by layering pieces of puff pastry with a cream filling. Sometimes called a Napoleon, this easy French pastry looks stunning but only requires a short list of easy-to-find ingredients: flour, eggs, heavy cream, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-classic-puff-pastry-easy-rough-puff-pastry-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-classic-puff-pastry-easy-rough-puff-pastry-recipe","linkCopy":"puff pastry","category":null}'>puff pastry</a> sheets, vanilla extract, sugar, and cornstarch.

What Is Mille-Feuille?

The mille-feuille is a French pâtisserie staple, lending itself readily to creative add-ins and flavorings, such as:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Caramel: For a burst of salty-sweetness, drizzle caramel sauce over the mille-feuille. Finish the dessert with a light sprinkling of flaky sea salt. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Citrus: For a bright citrus mille-feuille, add the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-zest-a-lemon-easy-lemon-zest-recipe-ideas' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-zest-a-lemon-easy-lemon-zest-recipe-ideas","linkCopy":"zest","category":null}'>zest</a> from two lemons to the custard. For garnish, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-cut-an-orange' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-cut-an-orange","linkCopy":"cut an orange","category":null}'>cut an orange</a> into supremes and arrange the wedges on top of the pastry. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Seasonal fruit: Fresh strawberries, raspberries, and peach slices are among the most popular mille-feuille fillings. To add fresh fruit to your mille-feuille, place small pieces of fruit on top of the custard in an even layer. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Tiramisu: To blend two classic desserts into one, add a tablespoon of instant <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/espresso-guide' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/espresso-guide","linkCopy":"espresso","category":null}'>espresso</a> powder to the custard and dust the top layer with equal parts powdered sugar and <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-cocoa-culinary-uses-of-cocoa-powder' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-cocoa-culinary-uses-of-cocoa-powder","linkCopy":"cocoa powder","category":null}'>cocoa powder</a>. </li></ol>

4 Variations on Mille-Feuille

Here’s how to make a mille-feuille that’s both crisp and creamy. <ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Make the pastry cream first. The filling should be completely cool before you assemble the dessert. Make the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-chef-dominique-ansels-pastry-cream' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-chef-dominique-ansels-pastry-cream","linkCopy":"pastry cream","category":null}'>pastry cream</a> and chill it while baking the puff pastry and preparing any optional toppings. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Use frozen puff pastry. Making puff pastry from scratch can take hours. To save time, use high-quality store-bought puff pastry the first time you make mille-feuilles. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Weigh down the pastry. Weighing down the pastry dough as it bakes will keep the pieces flat and make it easier to build multiple layers when you assemble. Baking puff pastry without the extra weight will make the rectangles tall and brittle. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Finish with whipped cream. Folding a few cups of whipped cream into the pastry cream adds lightness to this dessert while still ensuring the pastry stays crisp. </li></ol>

4 Tips for Making Mille-Feuille

Classic Mille-Feuille Recipe

A quick vanilla custard, crisp pastry sheets, and a dusting of powdered sugar are all it takes to put together a quick and classic mille-feuille recipe. Bake the pastry sheets in a weighted-down pan to ensure they stay flat while keeping their “thousand leaves.”