Vegetarian Recipes

Easy Puff Pastry Samosas

Not everyone is familiar with samosas, but after trying this easy, budget-friendly version, I’m pretty sure you’ll be hooked! Samosas are a beloved Indian snack with historical roots that trace back to Central Asia and the Middle East. They’re filled with spiced vegetables (or meat, but there are sweet versions, too!) and are either baked or fried. To keep things simple and affordable, I’m using pantry staples, and instead of making a traditional dough from scratch, I’m taking a shortcut with puff pastry. Pair these Easy Puff Pastry Samosas with a chutney, and you’ve got a delicious, flaky snack that’s perfect for sharing (or not!)

Hands holding half a puff pastry samosa with a fork topping it with onion chutney.

Easy Recipe for Puff Pastry Samosas

These Indian-inspired puff pastry samosas borrow the comforting flavors of classic savory samosas and are filled with a delicious mix of mashed potato, peas, onion, garlic, melty mozzarella, and warm spices. This vegetarian version takes inspiration from traditional recipes, but I’ve simplified things to make them doable on a busy day.

Instead of making a from-scratch samosa dough (which is absolutely delicious, although time-consuming!) I use freezer-friendly puff pastry and bake them as a quick shortcut. You can try frying these, but I recommend baking for easy cleanup. I think they’re a great change from plain old sandwiches in your lunch box, perfect as a holiday appetizer, snack, or that go-to potluck dish everyone ends up asking for!

Overhead view of homemade puff pastry samosas on a wooden board with a bowl of onion chutney.

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Easy Puff Pastry Samosas

These Easy Puff Pastry Samosas are baked and filled with potato, peas, onions, cheese, and warm spices. Easy to make and even easier to enjoy!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Total Cost $6.64 recipe / $1.11 serving

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 20

Total Time 45

Servings servings (2 each)

Calories 331kcal

Author Melissa Nolan

Equipment

Medium Bowl
15×12 Sheet Pan

Ingredients

1 Russet potato small (12 oz, 340g) $0.74
1 tsp curry powder $0.17
½ tsp ground cumin $0.04
½ tsp salt $0.02
¼ cup frozen peas 90g, $0.14
½ cup yellow onion small dice, (2.5oz, 70g) $0.39
2 garlic cloves minced (1 Tbsp) $0.12
½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded, (60g) $0.49
1 puff pastry sheet room temperature, $4.49*
1 Tbsp vegetable oil $0.04**

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Gather all ingredients and cut the onions and garlic.
Pierce the potato on both sides with a fork. Microwave the potato for 5 minutes on each side. Remove the potato and let it cool slightly.***
In a medium bowl, mash the potato. Add the curry powder, cumin, salt, peas, onions, garlic, and mozzarella and fold to combine.
Cut the puff pastry into roughly twelve 4×3-inch boxes, then gently pull on each to create squares. Fill each center of the squares with ¼ cup of potato mix.
Fold each filled puff pastry square in half to make a triangle. Using a fork, carefully crimp and seal the edges.
Place the samosas on a lined oven-safe tray and brush the tops with vegetable oil.
Place the tray in the preheated oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*Depending on the brand of puff pastry, you might get more or fewer samosas. I used the brand Jus-Rol and got 12 total.

**I used vegetable oil to coat the pastry because it was cheap and what was available. You can also use egg wash or melted butter for the same effect.

***Microwaving the potato is a quick alternative to baking it in the oven. If you have a small leftover baked potato in your fridge, you can use that and skip the microwave step. Alternatively, you could dice the potato and boil it in water or use your air fryer to bake the potato, but it’s not as quick as using the microwave.

Nutrition

how to make Puff Pastry Samosas step-by-step photos

Gather and prep all of your ingredients. Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Cook the potato: Pierce one small russet potato on both sides with a fork and place it on a microwavable plate. Microwave on both sides for 5 minutes, then set the potato aside to cool slightly.

This is a quick and easy way to soften and bake a potato without turning the oven on. If preferred, you can bake the potato in the oven or the air fryer or boil it in water (dice it first). Just note these methods will take much longer than using the microwave. You can also use a leftover previously cooked small baked potato (it doesn’t need to be hot when mixed with the other filling ingredients).

Make the filling: Mash the potato in a medium-sized bowl (I left the skin on my potato, but you can remove it if preferred). Now add 1 tsp curry powder, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp salt, ¼ cup frozen peas, ½ cup diced onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, and ½ cup shredded mozzarella and fold to combine.

Make the samosas: Roll out your room-temperature puff pastry sheet and cut it into roughly twelve 4×3-inch boxes. I used the Jus-Rol brand of puff pastry, so you might get fewer or more boxes depending on the brand you use.

Now, very gently pull on each box to make them into more of a square shape. Add ¼ cup of the potato mix to each puff pastry square and fold it over in half to make a triangle. Set the triangle-shaped parcels on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Crimp the edges: Use a fork to carefully crimp and seal the edges of your samosas.

Formed homemade samosas being brushed with vegetable oil on a baking sheet.

Bake: Brush the tops of each triangle with vegetable oil (1 Tbsp total). You can also use melted butter or an egg wash.

Freshly baked puff pastry samosas on a baking sheet.

Now place the baking tray into the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Let them cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Overhead view of two puff pastry samosas on a plate.

Want to add some spice? Try adding cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes to the filling! I’d add around ¼ teaspoon to start, but if you like things hotter, you can always bump it up to ½ teaspoon or more. You can also play around with the spices used in the filling and add your favorites.
Add different frozen or fresh veggies! Chopped spinach, corn, and grated carrots all work great here.
You can even add ground meat like beef or turkey to your mix. Just make sure to fully cook the meat and drain away the fat before filling the pastry, so it bakes through properly. And remember, the more you add, the more filling you’ll end up with! You may need to reduce the other filling ingredients slightly, use an extra puff pastry sheet, OR plan to save the extra filling for another use (it makes a great next-day hash or wrap filling). Don’t overfill the samosas to ensure they seal properly.
Samosas can be made into different shapes, but the way I’ve used here was the easiest to do. They’re almost like vegetable turnovers! Whatever shape you make, be sure to fully crimp the edges with a fork to keep them sealed.

Serving Suggestions

I made a simple onion chutney to pair with these homemade samosas, and WOW. It might just be one of my favorite snacks ever. I’ve already made this combo twice this week and don’t see myself stopping anytime soon. 😉 But if onion chutney isn’t your thing, a sweet mango and pineapple chutney would be just as delicious. I also think our tomato relish would be a great match, too.

Storage & Reheating

You can keep these vegetable puff pastry samosas in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat them in the oven at 350°F or the microwave if you don’t mind the pastry being softer. You can also freeze them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge or reheat from frozen.

Tomato Pie

$10.53 recipe / $1.31 serving

Sausage and Cheese Hand Pies

$9.25 recipe / $1.54 serving

Cheese Danish

$6.07 recipe / $1.01 serving

Cherry Turnovers

$9.85 recipe / $1.23 serving

The post Easy Puff Pastry Samosas appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Vegetarian Recipes

Cherry Blondies

Whenever I’m craving something sweet, but I’m sick of the same old same old, I whip up a batch of these fudgy, chewy, fragrant Cherry Blondies! The creamy white chocolate, tart cherries, and crunchy almonds make this recipe stand out. This is not your typical blondie! I don’t use almond extract too often, but pairing its flavor with cherries and white chocolate is just a no-brainer to me. (But a little goes a long way, so use it sparingly!)

Easy Recipe for Cherry Blondies

Blondies are like brownies, just without the cocoa. Instead, they’re made with brown sugar and vanilla, and have the BEST buttery flavor and chewy texture.

For these cherry blondies, I mix in canned cherry pie filling (it adds a sweet-tart cherry flavor without a lot of fuss or cost), slivered almonds, and white chocolate chips. I also brown the butter first to bring out a nutty, almost toffee-like richness that’s totally worth the extra few minutes. A mix of brown and white sugar strikes the perfect balance of moisture and structure, while a splash of almond extract adds a frangipane-style flavor. Bake them once, and you’ll see why I keep coming back to this combo. 😋

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Cherry Blondies

These easy Cherry Blondies are loaded with white chocolate, almonds, and cherry pie filling for a sweet treat that’s simple to make and hard to resist.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Total Cost $5.82 recipe / $0.64 serving

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Chill Time 20

Total Time 1 30

Servings slices

Calories 429kcal

Author Jess Rice

Equipment

8×8” Baking Dish
Parchment Paper
3 Mixing Bowls
Sauce Pan
Hand Mixer

Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose flour $0.28
½ tsp baking powder $0.02
¼ tsp salt $0.01
1 large egg $0.29
1 tsp vanilla extract $0.47
½ tsp almond extract $0.15
½ cup cherry pie filling $0.73*
1½ sticks salted butter cut into cubes, $1.48
½ cup granulated sugar $0.19
1 cup brown sugar $0.91
¼ cup white chocolate chips $0.42
¼ cup slivered almonds $0.87

Instructions

Grease and line an 8×8” baking dish with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350℉.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the egg, vanilla, almond extract, and cherry pie filling. Mix together and set aside.
Cube the butter and melt over medium heat until frothy, whisking once in a while to make sure the milk solids don’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
Once butter is browned, it will have a nutty aroma and darken in color. (Babysit it! Don’t let it burn!) Remove from heat.
Combine browned butter with granulated and brown sugar.
Mix with a hand mixer on low until combined. Then, add the wet cherry mixture and continue to mix until combined.
Finally, gently mix in the dry flour mixture little by little until a batter forms.
Fold in white chocolate and almond slivers.
Transfer batter to greased and line baking dish and add some extra white chocolate and almonds on top, if you have them.
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool for 20 minutes before cutting. The interior may still be a little gooey. These are chewier than your typical brownie! Enjoy.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*The ingredients in a can of cherry pie filling are pretty simple, but I have found the Duncan Hines Comstock brand “Simply Cherry” in a can to have fewer ingredients and no added coloring, so if you see it next to the regular cherry pie filling, you may want to spring for that can instead. You could try making these with fresh cherries, which I skipped because I couldn’t find any at my local grocery store, just make sure you pit them first!

Nutrition

how to make Cherry Blondies step-by-step photos

The ingredients to make cherry blondies.

Gather all of your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350℉. Grease and line an 8×8” baking dish with parchment paper. Set this aside for now.

Flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients: Add 1¾ cups flour, ½ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt to a mixing bowl and combine. Set this aside.

Cherry pie filling, egg, and vanilla extract in a bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients: In a different mixing bowl, combine 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla, ½ tsp almond extract, and ½ cup of cherry pie filling. Set this aside for now as well.

Brown the butter: Add 1½ sticks of cubed salted butter to a saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter until frothy, being sure to whisk it once in a while to avoid the milk solids from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan. Babysit it, and don’t let it burn! It typically takes about 5-8 minutes for butter to brown.

When the butter is browned, it’ll smell nutty and be darker in color. There will also be flecks of brown throughout (those are toasted milk solids, and they’re full of flavor). Remove it from the heat once done.

Brown and white sugar added to a bowl of browned butter.

Make the batter: Pour the browned butter into a mixing bowl and add ½ cup granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar.

The wet ingredients for cherry blondies added to the creamed butter and sugar.

Use a hand mixer on low to combine the browned butter and sugars. Once mixed, add the wet cherry pie filling mixture and keep mixing until thoroughly combined.

Dry ingredients added to the wet ingredients to make cherry blondies.

Now, gently fold in the dry flour mixture a little at a time until a thick batter forms.

Slivered almonds added to the batter for cherry blondies.

Finally, fold in ¼ cup white chocolate chips and ¼ cup slivered almonds.

The batter for cherry blondies in a lined baking dish.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. If you have any extra, top the batter with a few white chocolate chips and slivered almonds to make it look extra pretty.

Finished homemade cherry blondies in a baking dish.

Bake: Place the baking dish into the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes. They’re done once a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let your homemade cherry blondies cool for 20 minutes before cutting for the best results. They may still be a little gooey! They’re definitely chewier than your average brownie but just as delicious. Enjoy!

Overhead view of a baking dish of cherry blondies with one missing.

Tips for Browning Butter

I brown the butter in this cherry dessert recipe because it gives the blondies the most amazing, deep, nutty flavor that plain melted butter can’t match. You could skip this step and just melt it, but it definitely wouldn’t taste the same.

It’s honestly so easy to brown butter, and only takes about 5-8 minutes from start to finish! Here’s how to do it right (we also have a step-by-step breakdown with photos on how to brown butter you can check out, too!):

Use a light-colored pan if you have one. It makes it easier to see the color change.
Watch it closely. Browning happens fast, and it can burn before you know it. Stay nearby and use medium heat.
It’ll start to froth. That’s normal. Just keep gently stirring so nothing sticks to the bottom.
Look for brown flecks. Those are the milk solids toasting, which is exactly what you want.
Pull it off the heat right away. As soon as it smells nutty and the color deepens, about 5 minutes, take it off the heat! It’s ready to use.

You can even make a big batch of browned butter and keep it in the fridge for 1-2 weeks and use it in future recipes. It’s obviously delicious in my cherry blondies recipe, but it’s also amazing tossed with plain pasta, drizzled over roasted veggies, or mixed into oatmeal.

Line your pan with parchment paper. It makes it way easier to lift the blondies out and slice them cleanly once they’ve cooled.
Let them cool in the pan. As good as they smell fresh out of the oven, I let my blondies cool for at least 20 minutes to help them set up properly. They’ll slice neater, and the texture will be just right.
Check for doneness with a toothpick. You’re looking for a mostly clean toothpick when inserted into your white chocolate cherry blondies. If you hit a cherry or a melty white chocolate chip, it might smear a bit, so try a second spot! Don’t forget, they may still be a little gooey on the inside rather than cakey.

Storage Instructions

Personally, I enjoy these cherry pie blondies cold! I like to keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and grab one whenever I need a sweet pick-me-up. They’ll be good for up to 3-4 days when stored this way. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.