Flaky strips of puff pastry are layered with velvety homemade pastry cream and fresh berries in this easy strawberry Napoleon recipe! I top this classic French dessert with vanilla icing, whipped cream, and more fresh strawberries.
Whether it’s strawberry shortcake or a strawberry pretzel salad, strawberries and cream belong together. My strawberry Napoleon has layers upon layers of buttery puff pastry, juicy strawberries, and pillowy pastry cream. I topped it off with creamy icing, more strawberries, and whipped cream pillows. You’ll be surprised how easily it all comes together!
Why You Should Make Strawberry Napoleons
- An easy homemade version. Napoleon, or French mille-feuille, features puff pastry layered with pastry cream, also called crème pâtissière. My recipe uses store-bought puff pastry as a shortcut.
- Shortcake inspired. This vibrant strawberry version has the feel of a classic Napoleon, but the berries and whipped cream add an extra special touch.
- Year-round magic. Since most supermarkets carry fresh strawberries year-round, you can even enjoy this French-inspired dessert in the wintertime to shed those cold-weather blues.
Key Ingredients You’ll Need
These are the ingredients needed to make this strawberry Napoleon recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for specific amounts.
- Eggs – Just the yolks. My tip when separating eggs is to do it when they’re cold, as it’s easier.
- Cornstarch – To thicken the crème pâtissière.
- Milk – I recommend whole milk or 2%. Avoid skim milk or milk with a lower fat content, as it impacts the consistency of the cream.
- Vanilla extract – You’ll want to use high-quality vanilla extract or an equal amount of vanilla paste.
- Heavy cream – Keep the heavy cream cold in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
- Puff Pastry Sheets – Choose your favorite refrigerated or frozen puff pastry. If you’re using frozen, you may need to thaw it first.
- Strawberries – If strawberries are in season, I highly recommend buying them at a local farm or farmer’s market for optimal freshness.
- Whipped cream – I make homemade whipped cream with cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Store-bought whipped cream or even Cool Whip can work in a pinch.
Vanilla Icing
- Powdered Sugar – Sifted, to remove potential clumps.
- Corn Syrup – You only need a small amount of this to get your icing nice and shiny. If you really don’t want to use it, try honey instead.
- Unsalted Butter – Melted. You’ll also need additional milk and vanilla.
Common Mistakes When Making Pastry Cream
With the convenience of pre-made puff pastry, these strawberry Napoleons are a piece of cake. You can focus on perfecting the crème pâtissière! Making perfect pastry cream from scratch isn’t difficult, and you’ll find success by avoiding these common mistakes:
- Not tempering the egg yolks. If you forget to temper your egg yolks, they could scramble when you add them to the hot milk mixture, meaning you’d have to start over from square one. Whisk a small amount of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks to temper them, and then add the egg mixture back into the milk mixture.
- Overheating. Pastry cream thickens as it cools. Because of this, you want to remove it from the heat before it reaches your desired thickness. If you wait until it’s at your preferred consistency, it’ll end up getting too dense in the fridge.
- Not covering the cream. I recommend placing a piece of clear wrap directly onto the surface of the pastry cream batter before you transfer it to the fridge. This helps prevent a film from forming on top. If you skip this step or see a film form on top of the cream anyway, skim it off with a spoon.
Napoleon Dessert Variations
If you’re interested in tweaking this recipe, take a look at these variations. Your Napoleons, your rules!
- Strawberry whipped cream: Double down on the strawberries and swap regular whipped cream for fresh strawberry whipped cream instead.
- Different berries: Any berries you like would taste wonderful in a Napoleon. I’ll often make a “patriotic” version for the 4th of July with a combination of strawberries and blueberries or raspberries and blackberries.
- Go the traditional route: If you want to make traditional mille-feuille, simply leave out the strawberries and whipped cream and layer the puff pastry with the crème pâtissière. You could also omit the icing and top your dessert with a dusting of powdered sugar if preferred.
Cut Clean Slices
Slicing this strawberry Napoleon can be tricky, so it’s best to use a serrated knife or a very sharp chef’s knife and wipe it clean between cuts. I also recommend refrigerating the finished dessert for 20-30 minutes before you try to cut it. I find it easiest to cut into Napoleons when they’re nice and chilled.
Proper Storage
- Serve fresh if you can. Napoleon pastries are best when they’re fresh. As they sit, the puff pastry starts to soften, and the berries begin releasing some of their juices.
- Refrigerate if needed. That being said, they’ll stay good in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. A Napoleon isn’t a good dessert for freezing, unfortunately.
More Strawberry Dessert Recipes
Strawberry Napoleons
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Total Time: 53 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: American
Description
Flaky puff pastry is layered with velvety homemade pastry cream and fresh strawberries in this easy strawberry Napoleons recipe. I top my version of this classic French dessert with vanilla icing, whipped cream, and more fresh strawberries!
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Napoleons
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup (52g) sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 3/4 cups (180ml) milk
- 1 tbsp (14g) salted butter
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 tbsp (15g) powdered sugar
- 17.3 oz box Puff Pastry Sheets
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries
For the Icing
- 1 cup (115g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tsp corn syrup
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1–2 tbsp (15-30ml) milk
For the Whipped Cream Topping
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Prepare the Pastry Cream
- Add the egg yolks to a medium-sized bowl and gently beat them together. Set aside.
- Add the sugar, cornstarch, and milk to a large saucepan and mix until smooth.
- Cook, stirring continuously, over medium-high heat until mixture begins to thicken and bubble.
- Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add a little bit of milk mixture to the egg yolks and whisk together, then add the egg mixture to the milk mixture. This process ensures that you don’t scramble the egg yolks.
- Place the pan back on the heat and bring to a light boil. Allow to boil for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth, then top with a clear wrap that touches the top of the cream (it helps prevent a film from forming on top). Refrigerate until cool and ready to use.
Assemble the Napoleons
- Remove the two sheets of puff pastry from the box and cut each set into 3 strips, for a total of 6 strips.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 13 minutes.
- Remove them from the oven and allow to cool. Press the baked pastry down just a bit, if needed, so the layers are relatively flat.
- To finish making the pastry cream, add the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar to a large mixer bowl and whip until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream.
- To layer everything together, place a layer of puff pastry onto a serving plate and top it with some chopped strawberries.
- Pipe or spread some pastry cream on top of the berries, then repeat another layer of puff pastry, strawberries, and pastry cream.
- Top off the pastry with a third pastry strip on top. Repeat the layering process with the remaining puff pastry, pastry cream, and strawberries.
- To make the icing, add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Spread the icing onto the top of the completed napoleons.
- To add the whipped cream topping, add the ingredients to a large mixer bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form.
- Pipe swirls of whipped cream on top of the napoleons and top with a few additional chopped berries. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Each napoleon contains 5-6 servings.
- To Store: These are best fresh, but leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Sice
- Calories: 340
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 59 mg
- Fat: 17.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 40.9 g
- Protein: 5.7 g
- Cholesterol: 99.1 mg
I don’t see an oven temp for baking puff pastry sheets??
That might vary based on the brand of puff pastry you use. I’d check the box.
Your srrawberry napoleons look wonderful. The icing recipe calls
For syrup. Is this corn syrup?
Thanks, lucile
Yes, it’s corn syrup.
Can’t wait to try this recipe! I’m making it for my Mom’s birthday ☺ Why does the recipe call for 6 sheets of puff pastry when I only see 3 stacked in your photos?
It uses two full puff pastry sheets that come in the box. Each sheet is cut into 3 pieces. Three pieces are used for each napoleon and this recipe makes 2, so it uses 6 pieces. Does that help and make sense?
Hi Lindsay, yes thank you so much for clarifying. Can’t wait to try this! I don’t always comment but I’ve been following your blog for a long time and every recipe I’ve tried has been amazing. I make a lot of desserts for other people and even if I have never made or tried the recipe before I have full confidence it will be amazing. Everyone is also always impressed! Thank you for all the hard work you put into your recipes and this blog! It is my favorite.
Congratulations on your twins!
Thanks so much Nicole! I’m so glad to hear you’ve enjoyed the recipes! 🙂
Ha ha! This makes me so happy! I love to read about you two learning how to operate your new babies. I’m really, really happy for you, Lindsay.
Thanks Erin! 🙂
Oh wow! This is my kind of dessert!! I love anything with strawberries and cream in them.
Congratulations on the birth of your twins!
Lianne | Makes, Bakes and Decor
The pastry cream was fabulous! Worked beautifully for my cream puffs. Definitely a keeper. Thank you!
I am not a big fan of pastry puff from the freezer section (I know..it’s sad). I have never found a recipe to make my own..seems like it would be a lot of work. But, I am excited about your cream filling for cream puffs I am making this Sunday for a brunch at my home for my ever-growing family. This cream filling sounds perfect for what I’m doing with these cream puffs I make. It will give me another filling to add to some of the cream puffs along with a strawberry creamy cheesecake filling that I normally use to fill the cream puff shells. Top it off with a drizzle of chocolate ganache. Perfect timing when I got the email of your napoleon. Your napoleon looks beautiful! I love cream filled baked goods..and my body proves that. (sigh..winter is killing me..no exercise). I am, also, making your Ultimate Breakfast Cake…my great grandchildren will love this. I have 3 great grands with one more on the way. YAY! (I am blessed with 6 adult grand children).
Congratulations on your baby boys…there’s a lot to learn. Enjoy the time..for each moment builds memories for a lifetime. 🙂
Hi! I just saw your comment and wanted to recommend you this puff pastry recipe.
https://www.dessertfortwo.com/15-minute-puff-pastry/