Puff pastry is a delicate, flaky dough used in many baked goods like croissants, palmiers, and fruit tarts. It’s made by repeatedly folding butter into dough to create layers that puff up dramatically when baked. While puff pastry makes baked goods taste amazing, it also boosts their calorie counts due to the high fat and carb content.
So just how many calories are in a roll of puff pastry? Let’s take a closer look.
Calories in Homemade Puff Pastry
Making puff pastry from scratch at home allows you to control the ingredients. Typical homemade puff pastry contains:
- All-purpose flour
- Butter
- Salt
- Water
One cup of all-purpose flour contains around 400 calories. A standard homemade puff pastry recipe calls for around 2 1⁄4 cups of flour. So the flour contributes about 900 calories to the total calorie count.
Butter provides most of the calories in homemade puff pastry. A common recipe uses 2 sticks or 1 cup of butter. One cup of butter packs a whopping 814 calories!
Salt and water provide negligible calories. So in total, a full homemade puff pastry recipe containing 2 1⁄4 cups flour and 1 cup butter has approximately:
1714 calories
To determine the calories per roll, you need to know how many rolls you can make from a single batch. Typically one batch makes 6 medium-sized rolls of puff pastry. Dividing the total 1714 calories by 6 rolls gives us:
286 calories per medium homemade puff pastry roll
So each homemade puff pastry roll contains about 286 calories before filling or toppings are added.
Calories in Store-Bought Puff Pastry
Store-bought puff pastry offers convenience, but comes with more calories than homemade. Popular frozen puff pastry brands include:
- Pepperidge Farm
- Dufour
- Trader Joe’s
Let’s compare the nutrition facts of these major brands for a 2-sheet (21g) serving:
| Brand | Calories |
|---|---|
| Pepperidge Farm | 160 |
| Dufour | 130 |
| Trader Joe’s | 140 |
As you can see, store-bought puff pastry ranges from 130-160 calories per 21g serving. Commercial brands contain more butter and less flour compared to homemade, increasing the calorie density.
An average frozen puff pastry sheet weighs around 55g. So multiplying the 21g serving calories by 2.5 gives an estimated calorie count per sheet of:
- Pepperidge Farm: 400 calories
- Dufour: 325 calories
- Trader Joe’s: 350 calories
These sheets are intended to be folded into thirds before use. When folded into thirds, the sheet makes 3 layers of pastry. Let’s assume each roll is sliced from 1 folded sheet, giving it 3 layers:
Calories per medium store-bought puff pastry roll:
- Pepperidge Farm: 400 calories
- Dufour: 325 calories
- Trader Joe’s: 350 calories
So store-bought puff pastry contains approximately 100-115 more calories per roll compared to homemade. The differences in ingredients and preparation lead to more calories in commercially made varieties.
Calories in Puff Pastry Based on Weight
You can also calculate puff pastry calories by weight. Here are the approximate calorie counts for different weights of puff pastry:
| Weight | Calories |
|---|---|
| 1 oz | 106 |
| 2 oz | 212 |
| 3 oz | 318 |
| 4 oz | 424 |
| 5 oz | 530 |
| 6 oz | 636 |
The typical medium puff pastry roll weighs around 3-4 oz. So according to this per ounce breakdown, a medium roll contains 318-424 calories.
Factors That Impact Puff Pastry Calories
Several factors impact the calorie counts in puff pastry, including:
1. Ingredients
The ingredients used to make the puff pastry determine its calorie content. Homemade versions use less fat and more flour than commercial brands. Specific brands use slightly different amounts of butter and flour too.
2. Portion Size
As mentioned, the typical medium puff pastry roll contains 3-4 oz of dough. Rolls made with larger portions of 5-6 oz will have more calories. Similarly, smaller or thinner rolls have lower calorie counts.
3. Fillings and Toppings
Fillings like cream, chocolate, or cheese add more calories on top of the base puff pastry. Toppings like icing or glazes also increase the total calorie counts of prepared puff pastry items.
4. Baking Time and Temperature
Higher baking times and temperatures can result in more fat rendering out of the puff pastry layers, reducing calorie density slightly. The impact is minimal though.
5. Serving Size
The nutritional information provided is per standard single serving roll. Consuming multiple rolls boosts your total calorie intake.
Ways to Reduce Calories in Puff Pastry
Here are some tips for lightening up puff pastry:
- Make it at home using less butter and more flour.
- Read labels and choose brands with lower fat and calories.
- Portion rolls into smaller or thinner sizes.
- Avoid rich fillings like cheese or cream.
- Use lighter toppings like fruit, jam, or glazes.
- Cut treats into smaller serving sizes.
- Bake at slightly higher heat to release more fat.
Healthier Puff Pastry Substitutes
You can also substitute puff pastry with lower-calorie options like:
- Phyllo dough: Made from thin flour and water layers, phyllo has around 55 calories per ounce.
- Filo dough: Another thin layered dough with 50 calories per ounce.
- Pie crust: Has around 100 calories per ounce.
- Pizza dough: Offers about 110 calories per ounce.
While these options are lower in fat and calories than puff pastry, they won’t provide the same flaky, airy texture.
Summary
In summary, the calories for puff pastry depend on the preparation method, ingredients, and portion size, but here are the general estimates:
- Homemade: 286 calories per medium roll
- Store-bought: 325-400 calories per medium roll
- Based on weight: 106 calories per ounce
You can reduce puff pastry calories by making it at home with less butter, choosing lighter fillings, and cutting portion sizes. Substituting with phyllo or pie dough cuts calories too. Just keep in mind that the light, flaky texture will be difficult to replicate.
Now that you know how many calories are in puff pastry, you can enjoy your favorite treats in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
