Mushroom puffs in crisp puff pastry with a rich, creamy, cheesy filling are a perfect handheld appetizer for a holiday party, dinner party, or cocktail party! Mushrooms caramelized and folded in a cream sauce, filled in pastry and baked! Options for Soyfree nutfree glutenfree
These are incredibly easy, crispy mushrooms puffs stuffed with this creamy, cheesy mushroom filling. They are perfect appetizers for any party, whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving, Christmas, Diwali, or any other party where you need some delicious finger food.
I took my mushroom sauce that has caramelized mushroom folded in creamy herbed delicious sauce. I thickened that sauce up with a bit more cashews and tofu then put that thickened mixture in rolled out puff pastry sheet and baked it. These creamy mushroom pouches are creamy, crispy, and packed with umami. They’re just ridiculously delicious!
These are amazing when served immediately, while the creamy sauce is still bubbly and the puff pastry is the most crisp, so it’s best to make these just before serving. You can make these ahead and freeze, if needed.
Why You’ll Love Creamy Mushroom Puffs
- 1-pan creamy mushroom filling is creamy and delicious!
- stuffed into crisp puff pastry
- easy to make ahead and freeze
- easy to make gluten-free, soy-free, or nut-free
More Puff Pastry Appetizers
For the Mushroom Filling
- 1 tablespoon oil, or vegan butter
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 18 to 20 ounces sliced mushrooms, like cremini, white, or baby portabella. You want the slices to be 1/4 inch or thinner.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or use 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 teaspoons fresh thyme chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or pepper flakes, or use both
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Make the mushroom filling.
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Slice the mushrooms and chop the aromatics, if you haven’t already, then heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil or vegan butter, then once the oil is hot, add in the onion, garlic, sliced mushrooms, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Mix well until the all the mushrooms are coated with the oil mixture. Spread evenly, and let the mushrooms sit, undisturbed, for 2 to 4 minutes, depending on your skillet and your stove. You want the mushrooms to start to brown on some of the edges.
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Add in the black pepper or pepper flakes, thyme, the rest of the salt, and the balsamic vinegar or wine, and mix well to deglaze the pan. If the pan is drying out too much, you can also add in a splash of water. Continue to cook this for another 2 to 3 minutes, then cover with a lid and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Open the lid again, mix really well, and check if the mushrooms. are drying out, add a splash of water, and cover with the lid and continue to cook these until the mushrooms are just about cooked, checking in every 3 to 4 minutes. Depending on your skillet and the stove, the total time for the mushrooms to get cooked will be anywhere from 11 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the cream sauce.
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Add all of the cream sauce ingredients to a blender, and then blend for a minute. Let the mixture sit to rehydrate the ingredients, and then blend again for half a minute, and repeat after letting the mixture sit for a minute, until the mixture is nicely smooth. If the mixture is too thick for your blender, add in another 1/4 cup of water and blend in.
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Once the mushrooms are cooked to preference, remove about 1/3 of these mushrooms to a bowl, then add in your blended cream mixture, and reduce the heat to medium. Bring the cream to a boil, then taste and adjust salt and flavor. Add more salt, herbs, black pepper, heat, or any other flavors that you like. Then, continue to cook the cream mixture for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it thickens evenly. Switch off the heat, and let this mixture cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, transfer to the fridge to chill and thicken some more(15 mins or so)
Assemble the puffs.
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Preheat the oven to 400° F (205° C). Remove the puff pastry sheets from your freezer, and put them on the counter to thaw (10-15 mins) while the mushroom cream mixture thickens in the fridge. Once they are pliable, unfold the puff pastry sheets, and then roll them out using a little bit of flour and a rolling pin. Roll it out to about 1” to 2” larger than the original size of the sheets. This helps the sheets get more flaky and puff better. Then, slice each sheet into six equal pieces each, for a total of 12 rectangles total.
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Remove the creamy mushrooms from the fridge, and make the pastry wash by mixing the non-dairy milk and maple syrup. Brush the corners of each of the squares. Scoop out a couple of tablespoons of the mushroom mixture into each of the squares, leaving at least an inch from each side, then top the creamy mushrooms with some of the reserved, sautéed mushrooms. Seal the pastries by bringing the diagonal corners loosely together and sealing in the middle by pressing them. The pasty wash will help the corners stick to each other. Repeat for all of the squares.
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Brush all of these puffs with pastry wash again, and sprinkle on your toppings. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, depending on your oven. Check at the 25-minute mark. If they are getting nicely golden, just move the sheet around, and continue to bake for another few minutes. Remove the puffs from the oven when they have some brown spots on some of the edges. Then, garnish with fresh herbs, if you like, and serve these immediately. The creamy mushrooms inside will be bubbling, and the pastry will be crisp. See notes for make ahead and storage.
Store: Store the baked puffs in the fridge for upto 3 days and freeze for upto 2 months. Reheat in the oven or air fryer. (For the frozen puffs, let them thaw on the counter for 30 mins then air fry)
For Soy-free, use about 1/4 cup more cashews instead of the tofu.
For nut-free, use 3 ounces more tofu instead of the cashews. You might need a little bit more water for blending the sauce mixture.
If you want to make this gluten-free, use a gluten-free flour instead of the all-purpose flour for thickening, and you can use agluten-free pie crust instead of the puff pastry sheet.
Calories: 300kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Sodium: 272mg, Potassium: 241mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 4IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 31mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- oil or vegan butter – To sauté.
- aromatics – Onion and garlic bring umami to the table.
- mushrooms – So many mushrooms! Use cremini, white, baby bella, or similar, sliced into 1/4″ thick slices.
- balsamic vinegar – Adds sweetness and tang.
- dried thyme – For even more flavor!
- black pepper or pepper flakes – For a little heat. You can also sprinkle on some crushed red pepper for garnish.
- cashews and silken tofu – This is the base for your cream sauce. For nut-free, use extra tofu, and for soy-free, use extra cashews.
- all-purpose flour – To help the sauce thicken and to flour your work surface. Use gluten-free, if needed.
- yellow miso – Use chickpea miso for soy-free.
- nutritional yeast – Gives the sauce a cheesy flavor.
- puff pastry – To wrap the puffs. For gluten-free, use gluten-free pie crust instead.
- non-dairy milk and maple syrup – This is your pastry wash that helps the puffs stick closed and helps the toppings stick on.
- toppings – Before baking, top with vegan parmesan, sesame seeds or other seeds, and pepper flakes. After baking, you can sprinkle on some fresh herbs, if you like.
💡 Tips
- Check in on the mushrooms frequently as they cook, so they don’t dry out. You want them tender and crisp edges but not scorched.
- The cream sauce should be velvety smooth. Let the mixture sit in between rounds of blending for the creamiest results.
How to Make Mushroom Puffs
Slice the mushrooms and chop the aromatics, if you haven’t already, then heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil or vegan butter, then once the oil is hot, add in the onion, garlic, sliced mushrooms, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Mix well until the all the mushrooms are coated with the oil mixture.
Spread evenly, and let the mushrooms sit, undisturbed, for 2 to 4 minutes, depending on your skillet and your stove. You want the mushrooms to start to brown on some of the edges.
Add in the black pepper or pepper flakes, thyme, the rest of the salt, and the balsamic vinegar or wine, and mix well to deglaze the pan. If the pan is drying out too much, you can also add in a splash of water. Continue to cook this for another 2 to 3 minutes, then cover with a lid and continue to cook for 5 more minutes.
Open the lid again, mix really well, and check if the mushrooms. If they are drying out, add a splash of water, and cover with the lid and continue to cook these until the mushrooms are just about cooked, checking in every 3 to 4 minutes. Depending on your skillet and the stove, the total time for the mushrooms to get cooked will be anywhere from 11 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, add all of the cream sauce ingredients to a blender, and then blend for a minute. Let the mixture sit to rehydrate the ingredients, and then blend again for half a minute, and repeat after letting the mixture sit for a minute or so until the mixture is nicely smooth. If the mixture is too thick for your blender, add in another 1/4 cup of water and blend in.
Once the mushrooms are cooked to preference, remove about 1/3 of these mushrooms to a bowl, then mix in your blended cream mixture, and reduce the heat to medium. Bring the cream to a boil, then taste and adjust salt and flavor. Add more salt, herbs, black pepper, heat, or any other flavors that you like.
Then, continue to cook the cream mixture for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it thickens evenly. Switch off the heat, and let this mixture cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, transfer to the fridge to chill and thicken some more.
Preheat the oven to 400° F (205° C). Remove the puff pastry sheets from your freezer, and put them on the counter to thaw while the mushroom cream mixture thickens in the fridge.
Once they are pliable(in 15 mins or so) , open up the puff pastry sheets, and then roll them out using a little bit of flour and a rolling pin. Roll it out to about 1” to 2” larger than the original size of the sheets. This helps the sheets get more flaky and puff better. Then, slice each sheet into six equal pieces each, for a total of 12 rectangles total.
Remove the creamy mushrooms from the fridge, and make the pastry wash by mixing the non-dairy milk and maple syrup. Brush the corners of each of the squares. Scoop out a couple of tablespoons of the mushroom mixture into each of the squares, leaving at least an inch from each side, then top the creamy mushrooms with some of the reserved, sautéed mushrooms. (Optionally add some vegan Parmesan on top)
Seal the pastries by bringing the diagonal corners loosely together and sealing in the middle by pressing them. The pasty wash will help the corners stick to each other. Repeat for all of the squares.
Brush all of these puffs with pastry wash again, and sprinkle on your toppings. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, depending on your oven. Check at the 25-minute mark. If they are getting nicely golden, just move the sheet around, and continue to bake for another few minutes.
Remove the puffs from the oven when they have some brown spots on some of the edges. Then, garnish with fresh herbs, if you like, and serve these immediately. The creamy mushrooms inside will be bubbling, and the pastry will be crisp.
What to Serve with Mushroom Puffs
These are a great holiday appetizer to go with your Thanksgiving menu or Christmas menu. For a cocktail party, serve with other handhelds and finger foods like carrot zucchini chickpea fritters, butter chicken bao, and French onion dip with chips or veggies for dipping.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make this soy-free, use about 1/4 cup more cashews instead of the tofu and use chickpea miso instead of yellow miso. To make this nut-free, use 3 ounces more tofu instead of the cashews. You might need a little bit more water for blending the sauce mixture. If you want to make this gluten-free, use a gluten-free flour instead of the all-purpose flour for thickening, and you can use a gluten-free pie crust instead of the puff pastry sheet.
You can make these ahead by assembling them and sealing the puffs and then freezing until they’re ready to bake. Just put them in an airtight container and freeze for up to two months. Then, remove from the freezer, put them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, brush some of the pastry wash, add the toppings, and then bake them. You may need to bake for an extra few minutes to cook through.
