Holidays
Asparagus Puff Pastry Bundles
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
15 minutes
Yield
9
💚 These asparagus puff pastry bundles with feta and sun-dried tomatoes are crispy, flaky, and perfect for parties! Easy appetizer ready in 30 minutes!
These asparagus puff pastry bundles are the perfect appetizer for the upcoming holiday season or any time you want to impress your guests with minimal effort. They combine the salty, tangy flavor of feta cheese with fresh, crisp asparagus and savory sun-dried tomatoes, all wrapped up in buttery, flaky puff pastry that puffs into golden perfection. These elegant little bundles look fancy but are surprisingly easy to make.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Asparagus Puff Pastry Bundles
- Incredibly Versatile: Make them vegan with plant-based cheese, customize with your favorite fillings and spices, or try different cheese varieties.
- Perfect Party Appetizer: These elegant bundles are ideal for holiday gatherings, dinner parties, or as an impressive side dish.
- Quick and Easy: Prep in just 10 minutes and have them ready to eat in under 30 minutes total.
🍲 Ingredients
Asparagus – These nutrient-dense spears are loaded with fiber, folate, and vitamins A, C, and K that support immune function, bone health, and cell growth. Asparagus contains inulin, a prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria and improves digestion, plus antioxidants that may help reduce inflammation. Choose medium-thickness spears that are bright green with tight, compact tips for the best texture and flavor when wrapped in puff pastry.
Puff Pastry – This laminated dough creates hundreds of buttery, flaky layers when baked thanks to the layers of butter folded into the dough. Store-bought puff pastry is a convenient shortcut that delivers professional results with minimal effort. Always thaw completely in the refrigerator before using and keep it cold while working to ensure maximum puff and flakiness when baked.
👩🍳 How to Make Asparagus Puff Pastry Bundles
Prepare Ingredients:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. For extra crispiness, preheat the baking sheet in the oven for 5 minutes before adding bundles.
- Trim the woody ends off the asparagus spears (about 1-2 inches from the bottom). Pat the asparagus completely dry with paper towels to prevent soggy pastry.
- If using very thick asparagus spears, blanch them in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then immediately transfer to ice water. This ensures they cook through properly. Thin to medium spears don’t need blanching.
Prepare the Pastry:
- Roll out the fully thawed puff pastry dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 9 equal squares, approximately 3.5-4 inches each. Keep the pastry cold—if it gets warm, refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Drizzle half of the olive oil randomly across all the pastry squares, or for a golden sheen, brush lightly with beaten egg wash (skip for vegan version).
Assemble the Bundles:
- In the center of each square, add equal amounts of sun-dried tomatoes (about 1 tablespoon), crumbled feta cheese (about 1-2 tablespoons), and 2 thick or 3-4 thin asparagus spears.
- Important: Place the asparagus diagonally so the tips and ends align with two opposite corners of the pastry square. This makes wrapping easier and creates a cleaner presentation.
- Optional: Add a thin swipe of Dijon mustard under the cheese for extra flavor, or sprinkle with lemon zest.
Season and Seal:
- In a small bowl, combine umami powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Dust the open bundles evenly with this spice mixture.
- Fold the two opposite corners of the pastry up and over the asparagus, creating a bundle. Pinch the edges and seams tightly to seal, pressing firmly so they don’t open during baking.
- For extra insurance against opening seams, chill assembled bundles in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before baking.
Bake:
- Place bundles seam-side up on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart. Don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and lightly dust with additional garlic powder. For extra flavor, sprinkle with sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, grated parmesan, or chili flakes.
- Optional: Cut a small vent slit in the top of each bundle to release steam and ensure crispiness.
- Bake for 12-18 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and puffed. Watch closely after 12 minutes to avoid burning.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a drizzle of balsamic glaze if desired.
- Serve immediately while hot and crispy!
Air Fryer Method:
- Preheat air fryer to 375°F. Arrange bundles in a single layer (work in batches if needed). Air fry for 8-10 minutes, checking at 7 minutes and flipping if needed, until golden and puffed.
🪄 Tips and Tricks
- Cold Pastry: Keep puff pastry cold while working to ensure maximum puff and flakiness when baked.
- Dry Fillings: Pat asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes completely dry to prevent soggy bottoms.
- Tight Seal: Pinch seams firmly and chill assembled bundles for 10 minutes before baking to prevent them from opening.
- Preheated Sheet: Bake on a preheated baking sheet for extra-crispy bottoms that won’t get soggy.
🗒 Variations
- Breadstick Twist Variation: Cut pastry into long strips, twist each strip around a single asparagus spear, brush with oil, season, and bake at 400°F for 12-15 minutes.
- Sheet Pan Tart Variation: Instead of individual bundles, spread the filling on a single sheet of puff pastry, top with asparagus arranged in rows, fold edges up slightly, and bake as a flat tart.
🗒 Substitutions
- Cheese: Replace feta with Boursin, goat cheese, mozzarella plus parmesan, cream cheese, or vegan feta alternatives.
- Fillings: Swap sun-dried tomatoes for Kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, marinated artichokes, or caramelized onions.
- Herbs: Add fresh basil, thyme, or oregano to the filling for extra Mediterranean flavor.
- Pastry: Use gluten-free puff pastry for dietary restrictions, though texture may vary slightly.
👩🍳 Best served with
👝 How to Store Leftovers
These asparagus puff pastry bundles are best enjoyed freshly baked while still hot and crispy. If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days and re-crisp at 350°F for 5-8 minutes in the oven rather than microwaving, which makes them soggy. To freeze unbaked bundles, arrange on a sheet tray and freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 400-425°F, adding 3-5 extra minutes to the baking time.
🤔 Common Questions
Absolutely! Assemble the bundles up to 24 hours ahead, place on a baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Bake directly from the fridge, adding 2-3 extra minutes to the baking time. For longer storage, freeze unbaked bundles and bake from frozen when needed.
It depends on thickness. Thin to medium asparagus spears don’t need blanching and will cook perfectly in the oven. Very thick spears benefit from 1-2 minutes of blanching in boiling water followed by an ice bath to ensure they cook through completely without overbaking the pastry.
Bake frozen bundles at 400-425°F for 15-23 minutes total, adding 3-5 extra minutes to the normal baking time. No need to thaw—just place them directly on the baking sheet and add a few extra minutes. Watch for golden brown puff pastry as your doneness indicator.
Yes! For vegan bundles, use plant-based feta or eliminate the cheese entirely, and brush with olive oil instead of egg wash. Most store-bought puff pastry is accidentally vegan (check ingredients), but you can also use specifically vegan puff pastry. For gluten-free, use gluten-free puff pastry, though the texture won’t be quite as flaky.
Boursin (any flavor) creates an ultra-creamy filling, goat cheese adds tangy richness, fresh mozzarella with grated parmesan gives classic Italian flavor, cream cheese mixed with herbs works beautifully, or try brie for an elegant, melty center. Each cheese brings a different flavor profile while still pairing perfectly with asparagus.
Use these key techniques: preheat your baking sheet for 5 minutes before adding bundles, thoroughly pat asparagus and all fillings dry to remove excess moisture, don’t overfill the bundles, keep the pastry cold until baking, space bundles 2 inches apart so air circulates, and optionally cut a small vent slit on top to release steam.
Use 2 thick spears or 3-4 thin spears per bundle. This ensures the asparagus fits nicely within the pastry square and cooks evenly without overstuffing.
The seams aren’t sealed well enough. Pinch the edges very firmly when assembling, use a tiny bit of water on your fingertip to help seal if needed, and chill assembled bundles in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking. Cold pastry holds its shape better.
You can, but it will create a different texture—crispy and flaky rather than buttery and puffed. Layer 3-4 sheets of phyllo brushed with butter or oil, place filling, and fold into triangular bundles or roll up.
The puff pastry should be deeply golden brown (not pale yellow), visibly puffed with distinct layers, and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. The cheese should be melted and the asparagus tender when pierced with a fork.
Asparagus Puff Pastry Bundles
Ingredients
- 1 sheet of puffed pastry
- 3 tbsp. olive oil or reserve oil from the tomatoes can also be both
- 3/4 cup sundried tomatoes
- 3/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 2 large bundles of asparagus washed and dead ends removed
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp umami powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out the puff pastry dough till you can roughly sketch out 9 squares as pictured above. Drizzle the puffed pastry with half of the olive oil, just randomly.
- To the center of the square, add equal amounts of the sundried tomato, feta, and asparagus (remember this is being divided by 9). NOTE: when placing the asparagus to the puff pastry, make sure that the top and bottom of the asparagus and aligned with 2 corners of the puff pastry, refer to photos.
- To a small bowl, add all the spices and stir till combined. Now, dust all the open bundles with this mixture till it’s gone. Distribute evenly.
- Close the bundles by wrapping the two other corners of the bundles over the asparagus and then pitching the sides together to seal them.
- Drizzle the bundles with more oil and lightly dust with some garlic powder.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Watch them closely to avoid burning.
- Enjoy immediately.
Video
This was incredible! My partner made them, followed your steps, and damn he made a good cook!!
that makes me so happy!
Sundried tomatoes and asparagus, a very welcomed and delicious combo, this will be good!
I am so happy that you loved this!
These look so intimidating but I’m going to give it a try, I trust your instructions!!!!
I promise you they are so easy!