Strawberry Napoleons

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Flaky strips of puff pastry are layered with velvety homemade pastry cream and fresh berries in this easy Strawberry Napoleon dessert! Topped with vanilla icing, whipped cream and more fresh strawberries, get ready to serve up a gorgeously sophisticated treat.

Easy Strawberry Napoleon Pastries

Strawberries and cream. Need I say more? This simple dessert takes that dreamy duo and turns it into layers upon layers of sweet, summery bliss. Since most supermarkets carry fresh strawberries year-round, you can even enjoy that summery goodness in the wintertime to shed those cold-weather blues.

Every ounce of gloominess will instantly disappear once your mouth is full of buttery puff pastry, juicy strawberries and pillowy pastry cream. You’ll be surprised how easily it all comes together! These fruity napoleons have the presence of fancy-schmancy treats, but they’re totally beginner-friendly.

What is a Napoleon?

Traditional napoleons feature layers of puff pastry and pastry cream with icing or powdered sugar on top. Through their exact origin story is up for debate, they’re especially popular in France, where they’re known as mille-feuille (pronounced meal-foy). This vibrant strawberry version has the feel of a classic napoleon, but the berries and whipped cream add an extra special touch.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Let’s talk about our trusty ingredient lineup. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for specific amounts.

For the Strawberry Napoleons

• Eggs: You will only need the yolks.
• Sugar
• Cornstarch: To thicken the pastry cream.
• Milk
• Salted Butter
• Vanilla Extract: Use a high-quality extract for the best flavor.
• Heavy Whipping Cream: Keep this in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
• Powdered Sugar
• Puff Pastry Sheets
• Chopped Fresh Strawberries: If strawberries are in season, I highly recommend buying them at a local farm or farmer’s market for optimal freshness.

For the 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.
• Vanilla Extract
• Milk

For the Whipped Cream

• Heavy Whipping Cream: Cold.
• Powdered Sugar
• Vanilla Extract

How to Make Strawberry Napoleons

With the convenience of pre-made puff pastry, these napoleons are a piece of cake. Here’s all you have to do to make them happen:

Prepare the Pastry Cream

1. Beat Egg Yolks: Add the egg yolks to a medium-sized bowl and gently beat them together. Set the bowl aside.
2. Combine Sugar, Cornstarch & Milk: Add the sugar, cornstarch and milk to a large saucepan and mix until smooth.
3. Cook: Cook the sugar mixture over medium-high heat, stirring continuously, until it begins to thicken and bubble.
4. Lower Heat: Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the mixture for 2 minutes. Remove it from the heat.
5. Temper Egg Yolks: Add a small amount of the milk mixture to the egg yolks and whisk to combine, then add the egg mixture to milk mixture. This process ensures that you don’t scramble the egg yolks.
6. Return to Stove: Place the pan back onto the heat and bring the mixture to a light boil. Allow it to boil for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
7. Add Butter & Vanilla: Remove the mixture from the heat and add in the butter and vanilla extract. Stir until the batter is smooth, then cover it with clear wrap that touches the top of the cream (this helps prevent a film from forming on top). Refrigerate the batter until it’s cool and you’re ready to use it.

Assemble the Napoleons

1. Cut Puff Pastry: Remove the two sheets of puff pastry from the box and cut each set into 3 strips, creating 6 strips total.
2. Bake: Place the pastry strips onto a baking sheet and bake them for about 13 minutes.
3. Let Cool: Remove the puff pastry strips from the oven and allow them to cool. If needed, press the baked pastry down just a bit so the layers are relatively flat.
4. Finish Making 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.
5. Build Layers: Place a strip 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 with another layer of puff pastry, strawberries and pastry cream, ending with a third pastry strip on top.
6. Repeat: Repeat the layering process with the remaining puff pastry, pastry cream and strawberries for the second napoleon.
7. Make Icing: Add all of the icing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Spread the icing on top of the assembled napoleons.
8. Make Whipped Cream: Add all of the whipped cream ingredients to a large mixer bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form.
9. Pipe Onto Napoleons: Pipe swirls of the whipped cream on top of the napoleons and top them off with some additional chopped strawberries.
10. Enjoy! Refrigerate the napoleons until you’re ready to cut and serve them.

Tips for Success

Want to knock these napoleon pastries out of the park? I’ve got you covered with some trusty tips.

• Remember to Temper 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.
• Expect Continued Thickening: Keep in mind that the mixture for the pastry cream will continue to thicken 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.
• Cover the Surface of 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. If you skip this step or see a film form on top of the batter anyway, simply skim it off with a spoon.
• How Do I Cut Clean Slices? Slicing a napoleon pastry can be kind of tricky, so it’s best to use a serrated knife or a very sharp chef’s knife. It’s also helpful to refrigerate the completed napoleons for 20-30 minutes before you try to cut them. I find it easiest to cut into them when they’re nice and chilled.

Variation Ideas

If you’re interested in tweaking this recipe, take a look at these tempting variations. Your napoleons, your rules!

• Use Different Berries: Any berries you like would taste wonderful in these pastries. You could even make them patriotic by using a combination of strawberries and blueberries or raspberries and blackberries!
• Make Strawberry Whipped Cream: Pump up the strawberry goodness even more by swapping out the regular whipped cream for Fresh Strawberry Whipped Cream. Be still my heart!
• Go Traditional: If you want to make traditional mille-feuille, simply leave out the strawberries and whipped cream. You could also omit the icing and top each napoleon pastry with a dusting of powdered sugar if preferred.

Storage Instructions

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. That being said, they’ll stay good in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

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More Easy Strawberry Pastry Recipes

• Strawberry Champagne Tart
• Mini Berries & Cream Puff Pastry Cakes
• Strawberry Cream Pie