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Home » Dessert » Easy Pain Aux Raisins

Easy Pain Aux Raisins

4.78 from 9 votes
Rate this Recipe
Total 1 hr 45 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Serves 8 servings

By: Mariam Ezzeddine  |  December 9, 2020This post may contain affiliate links, read my disclosure policy for details

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These light, flaky Pain Aux Raisins are a quick and easy French pastry your whole family will love! The puff pastry sheets are filled with crème patissiere and golden raisins, then baked to crispy perfection and glazed with apricot preserves to make a delightful treat!

baked pain aux raisins served on a plate.

This recipe has been updated to include new and more step by step photos and improve recipe quality.

Pain Aux Raisins recipe will make your kitchen smell like a classic French Patisserie! These melt in your mouth pastries are so easy to make because of taking the short cut of not making the dough from scratch. They are great for breakfast or as a treat any time!

If you’re looking for more French Dessert recipe ideas, why not also try my Crème Brûlée Recipe and my Strawberry French Tart.

Why You’ll love This Pain Au Raisin Recipe

  • An easy pastry recipe. This are a breeze to whip up, I used pre-made sheets of puff pastry provide this dessert with flaky, crispy layers and save time.
  • A dreamy, creamy filling. This homemade custard filling provides a smooth, creamy filling to hold the raisins in between the flaky layers.
  • A delicious apricot glaze. This flaky pastries have a tangy finishing glaze. This apricot glaze is made from apricot preserves and water for the perfect finishing touch on these easy pastries.

Pain Aux Raisins Ingredients

pain aux raisins ingredients.
  • Puff Pastry– puff pastry sheets are usually in the freezer section. I used the Pepperidge Farm brand that’s 17.oz. It has 2 sheets in there.
  • Apricot Preserve-try to get something that doesn’t have too many fruit chunks in there. You need to remove those before measuring the apricot jam.
  • Water– water is used to help liquify the jam a little when you warm it up. Do not add too much. 2 tsps at the most.
  • Golden Raisins– I like using golden raisins but you can use normal ones if you don’t have golden raisins. I recommend soaking them as well.

Crème Patissiere (Pastry Cream)

  • Eggs-you will need egg yolks for the crème patissiere and use the egg whites to brush the pain aux raisins before baking.
  • Whole Milk-whole milk makes the cream extra rich, so please do not substitute it with low fat milk.
  • Corn Starch– this is a must to thicken up the cream.
  • Vanilla Extract– you can use pure vanilla extract or if you have any vanilla bean stalks in hand, you can use that.
  • Butter-used to add extra richness to the cream at the end.
  • Lemon Zest– this is optional. It is not required. If you don’t like a hint of lemony flavor, don’t use it. After experience, my kids prefer the cream better without it.

How to Make Pain Au Raisin

How to Make the Crème Patissiere:

  • Prep the custard: Remove 1 tbsp. of milk and set aside then bring the milk to a boil over low-medium heat and add in the vanilla bean stalk if you are using it. If you are using vanilla extract, you can add it to the egg mixture in the next step.
milk in a pot with vanilla bean pod.
  • Make the crème patissiere: While the milk is simmering, in a bowl add the egg yolks, sugar, corn starch, lemon zest (if using) and whisk well. The mixture will be clumpy, and you can now add the 1 tbsp. of milk to help loosen the mixture up.
  • Add the hot milk: Once the milk boils, add it gradually into the egg mixture a little bit at a time, whisking continuously.
process showing how to mix the creme patissiere before cooking.
  • Strain the mixture: Using a strainer, return the milk and egg mixture back into the pot and bring to boil until it thickens up. Be sure to keep whisking so the mixture doesn’t clump up.
milk and creme mixture in a pot.
  • Remove from heat: Once the custard cream thickens up, remove from heat. Add the butter and whisk.
process of making the creme patissiere.
  • Cool the custard: Transfer to a glass bowl and cover with saran wrap. Allow to cool at room temperature before using.
creme patissiere in a glass bowl.
  • Once the mixture cools, I like whipping the custard cream for a minute to obtain a nice creamy texture. As seen in the photo below.
whipped creme patissiere

Full Pastry Cream Recipe tutorial available HERE

How to Assemble the Raisin Pastries

  • Preheat the oven to 375 F.
  • Soak the raisins for 15 minutes with hot water. I like doing this step so that the raisins soften up a little. Pat them dry completely once soaked. You can do this while the crème is cooling up to save time.
  • Assemble the pastries: Lay a sheet of puff pastry on a cutting board. Then spread custard evenly on the pastry sheet. I used 1/2 cup crème patissiere for each sheet. You can use a little more if you like, but keep in mind that the inside of the pastry will be more moist when you bake it.
before and after spreading the creme patissiere on the pastry sheet.
  • Top the crème with 1/4 cup of pastry with the golden raisins. Cut the pastry sheet into 8 even 1 inch strips.
process showing how to cut the pastry sheets into 1 inch thickness.
  • Start by rolling one strip to form a roll. Then take a second strip and roll again around the first roll. Each sheet should make you 4 raisin pastries.
process shot showing how to wrap the pain aux raisins
  • Brush pastries: Transfer the portions to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush each roll well with the some of the leftover egg whites.
  • Bake: Bake the pastries until the pain aux raisins are golden brown in color, between 28-30 minutes, depending on your oven. Mine took 28 minutes.
  • Right before the pastries come out of the oven, microwave the apricot preserve for 30 seconds with 2-3 tsps. of water in a small bowl. Mix well.
baked pain aux raisins on a sheet pan.
  • Glaze: When the pain aux raisins come out of the oven, brush them with the apricot glaze.
  • Allow them to slightly cool before eating. I prefer eating them fresh while they are still a little warm.

Tips to Make the Pains Aux Raisins

  • Note that the center will not dry out completely. It has custard. The more custard you add, the more moist it will stay.
  • Place the tray in the middle rack of the oven. Cooking time may be 1-2 minutes off, depending on your oven. Maybe more or less.
  • To save time, prepare the custard the night before and refrigerate.
  • Make sure the puff pastry thaws before unfolding and filling with cream.
  • Arrange the pastries on the sheet pan making sure to keep enough space between them so they will not touch when baking.
  • Use a floss to slice the rolls instead of a knife, this prevents the rolls from unrolling while you slice them. Tuck any outer raisins into the roll.
  • Soak the raisins before using.
  • Do not worry if you see the pastries puffing up while baking. Once they come out, they will deflate a little and take their shape.
What is Pain Aux Raisins?

Pain Aux Raisins is a French pastry made out of a leavened butter pastry dough, crème patissiere, and raisins. Roughly translated pain aux raisins means raisin bread. This spiraled pastry is a simple dessert that can be found at any bakery in France.

How to store leftover pains au raisin?

Baked pain aux raisins will keep at cool room temperature, in an air tight container,or covered with foil wrap for up to 2 days. They’re best served warm after baking. To reheat, just heat up in the microwave for 10 seconds or toaster oven until warmed through.

Can I make these ahead of time?

You can save time by making the custard cream the night before. But only assemble when you are ready to bake.

Can you freeze pain au raisin?

Because this recipe is made with puff pastry as a short cut to save time instead of the original dough, I prefer not freezing them. I personally have not tried but you could.

As soon as you’ve baked them, allow the pastry to cool at room temperature (without glazing with jam), wrap them each pain aux raisin individually, them bag them up in a freezer bag and place them in the freezer for up to a month. Once ready to eat, thaw, warm up and glaze with the apricot jam.

two baked pain aux raisins on a white plate.

Other Delicious Dessert Recipe

  • Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Bars
  • Easy Chocolate Covered Strawberries
  • Super Moist Pear Cake
  • Chocolate French Silk Pie

I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this delicious Pain Aux Raisins recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it and share it with your friends and family!

If you try this recipe and liked it, please leave a star rating and comment below. Use my hashtag to share it with me on Instagram so I can see your delicious recreations! Also, follow me at Cookin’ With Mima on FACEBOOK |INSTAGRAM |PINTEREST for all of my latest social posts and recipes.

two baked pain aux raisins on a white plate.

Easy Pain Aux Raisins

4.78 from 9 votes
Created by Mariam E.
These light, flaky Pain Aux Raisins are a quick and easy French pastry your whole family will love! The puff pastry sheets are filled with crème patissiere and golden raisins, then baked to crispy perfection and glazed with apricot preserves to make a delightful treat!
Print
Pin
Rate
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 1 hr 45 mins
Course Breakfast/Brunch
Cuisine French
Servings 8 servings
servings

Ingredients

  • 2 sheets puff pastry Pepperidge Farm brand that's 17.oz.
  • 1 cup crème patissiere (Pastry Cream) Click for recipe tutorial
  • ½ cup golden raisins soak for 15 minutes with hot water and pat dry
  • ¼ cup apricot preserve +2 tbsps. of hot water
  • egg whites left over from cooking the pastry cream

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 F.
  • Soak the raisins for 15 minutes with hot water. I like doing this step so that the raisins soften up a little. Pat them dry completely once soaked. You can do this while the crème is cooling up to save time.
  • Assemble the pastries: Lay a sheet of puff pastry on a cutting board. Then spread custard evenly on the pastry sheet. I used 1/2 cup crème patissiere for each sheet. You can use a little more if you like, but keep in mind that the inside of the pastry will be more moist when you bake it.
  • Top the crème with 1/4 cup of pastry with the golden raisins. Cut the pastry sheet into 8 even 1 inch strips.
  • Start by rolling one strip to form a roll. Then take a second strip and roll again around the first roll. Each sheet should make you 4 raisin pastries.
  • Brush pastries: Transfer the portions to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush each roll well with the some of the leftover egg whites.
  • Bake: Bake the pastries until the pain aux raisins are golden brown in color, between 28-30 minutes, depending on your oven. Mine took 28 minutes.
  • Right before the pastries come out of the oven, microwave the apricot preserve for 30 seconds with 2-3 tsps. of water in a small bowl. Mix well.
  • Glaze: When the pain aux raisins come out of the oven, brush them with the apricot glaze.
  • Allow them to slightly cool before eating. I prefer eating them fresh while they are still a little warm.

Notes

  • Note that the center will not dry out completely. It has custard. The more custard you add, the more moist it will stay.
  • Place the tray in the middle rack of the oven. Cooking time may be 1-2 minutes off, depending on your oven. Maybe more or less.
  • To save time, prepare the custard the night before and refrigerate.
  • Make sure the puff pastry thaws before unfolding and filling with cream.
  • Arrange the pastries on the sheet pan making sure to keep enough space between them so they will not touch when baking.
  • Use a floss to slice the rolls instead of a knife, this prevents the rolls from unrolling while you slice them. Tuck any outer raisins into the roll.
  • Soak the raisins before using.
  • Do not worry if you see the pastries puffing up while baking. Once they come out, they will deflate a little and take their shape.

Nutrition

Calories: 426kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 186mg | Potassium: 184mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Rate the recipe below and mention @cookinwithmima and tag #cookinwithmima so I can see your recreations.
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    Recipe Rating




  1. Daphne Thomas says

    October 31, 2022 at 4:28 pm

    Hi Mima…
    There are no specifics for measuring quantities of preserves to water

    Reply
    • Mariam Ezzeddine says

      November 1, 2022 at 3:56 pm

      I have updated the recipe. Thanks for pointing that out.

      Reply
  2. Mariam Ezzeddine says

    October 21, 2022 at 3:52 pm

    5 stars
    Recipe has been updated as of 10/21/2022

    Reply
  3. Sara says

    October 17, 2022 at 5:01 pm

    4 stars
    Agree with the other comments. The baking temperature and time will yield raw dough. I would crank up the oven to at least 375° and increase the baking time.

    Reply
    • Mariam Ezzeddine says

      October 18, 2022 at 9:16 pm

      I re-shot the recipe today and used everyone’s suggestions. I will update the post soon to include new photos and tips so it’s more helpful to others.

      Reply
  4. Chris says

    October 8, 2022 at 6:32 am

    4 stars
    These came out surprisingly good considering how flat the frozen puff pastries were going into the oven. However as others have said the time and temperature given here is wildly off. I bumped it to 375 and even then the bake time was 25-30 minutes. Thanks for the recipe but hopefully people who try this read the comments!

    Reply
    • Mariam Ezzeddine says

      October 10, 2022 at 1:12 pm

      Thanks for the note! I will look into it. Glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  5. Alicis says

    November 18, 2021 at 10:13 pm

    Currently making these, and they’re taking forever to bake…I’m at 30 minutes and they’re still pale and doughy. I think the oven temp should be higher.

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      November 19, 2021 at 1:05 pm

      Hi Alicis,
      I will look into the recipe again. It’s been a long time since I made them. If you need to, you can always broil it a little bit on top to get the desired color if you don’t get it by the time mentioned. The dough itself will not be dry because it’s filled with custard so it will look like it’s softer, as long as the dough part is cooked, you should be fine with broiling the top for a couple of minutes to get desired color.

      Reply
  6. Anna B. says

    October 31, 2021 at 9:03 pm

    How did you arrive at 350F for a baking temp? I just made these, and I’m planning on eating the entire tray, but at 350 they took twice the recommended time and still didn’t get fully golden brown. Most puff pastry recipes bake at MUCH higher temps (400-450) which is important to get the “puff” effect.

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      November 3, 2021 at 8:43 pm

      Hi Anna, the pieces are small so they cook up faster. All ovens are different so it may take longer for some. I will create the recipe again soon to double check on the cook time.

      Reply
  7. Will says

    October 3, 2021 at 4:01 pm

    5 stars
    These are so quick and easy for such a delicious treat. Try them you won’t be sorry you did.

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      October 12, 2021 at 9:55 am

      Hi Will,
      Glad you enjoyed the recipe. It’s a simple short cut version but tastes so good. Thanks for the review.

      Reply
  8. Christine says

    September 14, 2021 at 2:04 pm

    What should the dimensions of each puff pastry sheet be?

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      September 15, 2021 at 11:41 am

      The sheet sizes are standard in stores but differ per brand. I use Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Frozen Pastry Dough Sheets usually and just cut the pieces equally based on the size of the sheet. About 1.5 inch thick would be the least. There is no right or wrong. You just adjust the time if you are making bigger pieces.

      Reply
  9. Marion Sharland says

    January 18, 2021 at 10:08 am

    5 stars
    I thought so, thank you

    Reply
  10. Marion Sharland says

    January 18, 2021 at 8:26 am

    5 stars
    I am thinking of making these, but I don’t know what you mean by 1/3 c, what does the c stand for?
    Thanks
    Marion

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      January 18, 2021 at 8:34 am

      Hi Marion
      c stands for cup. So 1/3 cup

      Reply
  11. Agnes says

    January 8, 2021 at 3:55 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing. The lemon zest gives extra zing to the creme patisserie which is unusual but tastes great! Hubby loved it too, said its something between baklawa and pain aux raisin 🙂

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      January 8, 2021 at 5:58 pm

      Hi Agnes,
      Thanks so much for leaving a review! I am sure the lemon zest would make it so much yummier. Glad you enjoyed the recipe.

      Reply
  12. Joanna Ackie says

    August 21, 2020 at 4:38 pm

    Hi how can I make the puff pastry from scratch?

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      August 23, 2020 at 8:38 am

      Hi Joanna,
      I have honestly never made one. Google “how to make puff pastry dough” and use one that has the most ratings.

      Reply
  13. Josh says

    July 27, 2020 at 1:49 am

    Hi what temperature should these be cooked at?

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      July 27, 2020 at 1:11 pm

      Hey Josh! sorry about that. It’s 350 I have updated the baking instructions.

      Reply
  14. Jessie Kate Leventis says

    April 28, 2020 at 10:43 pm

    hi!! I am currently trying to make this recipe, i noticed that the ingrediants call for sugar, but it does not say in the directions when/where to add the sugar! Please let me know if possible when I should add it. thank you!!!!

    Reply
    • Mariam E. says

      April 28, 2020 at 10:51 pm

      Hi Jessie!
      Sorry about the confusion. The sugar is part of the custard. You will whisk it along with the eggs. I updated the directions.

      Reply

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