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Pets de soeur are small spiral pastries from Quebec, made by rolling pie-style dough with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then slicing and baking the rounds in a dish with cream or maple syrup poured over the top.
I first had them at my aunt’s kitchen table in the Eastern Townships, still warm from the oven, the bottoms sticky with caramelized sugar. She called them “nun’s farts,” which is the literal translation, and laughed every time she said it.
The name is silly but the pastry isn’t. It’s flaky dough spiraled with cinnamon sugar coating, baked until the edges crisp and the center stays soft, sitting in a shallow pool of maple cream that thickens as it bakes.
This version uses a simple butter pastry, no pie scraps required. Slice the rolls about 1.5 cm / 0.6 inch thick so they hold their shape but still soak up the cream underneath.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Uses one simple dough, no separate pie crust needed
- Maple cream bakes into a sticky caramelized glaze
- Rolls freeze well raw for baking later
- Just 8 ingredients, mostly pantry basics
Ingredient Notes
- cold unsalted butter: Keep it cold until the last second. Warm butter makes the dough greasy instead of flaky.
- white vinegar: A small splash keeps the crust tender by slowing gluten development. You can skip it, but the dough will be slightly tougher.
- packed brown sugar: Dark brown sugar gives a deeper, more molasses-forward filling than light brown, but either works.
- heavy cream: Gives the richest glaze. Evaporated milk works as a lighter substitute, though the topping won’t thicken quite as much.
- maple syrup: Use real maple syrup, not pancake syrup. Grade A or B both work fine here.
Pets de Soeur: Quebec’s Baked Cinnamon Pastry Rolls
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces left.
- Stir the vinegar into the ice water, then drizzle it over the flour mixture a tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a fork until the dough just comes together. Don't overwork it or the pastry turns tough.
- Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a rectangle about 30 x 23 cm / 12 x 9 inch.
- Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough, leaving a 1 cm border. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon on top, pressing gently so it sticks.
- Starting from the long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log. Pinch the seam to seal.
- Slice the log into rounds about 1.5 cm / 0.6 inch thick. You'll get about 18 to 20 rolls.
- Heat the oven to 190 C / 375 F. Arrange the rolls cut-side up in a 9x13-inch / 33x23 cm baking dish, leaving a little space between each one.
- Whisk the heavy cream, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt together, then pour evenly over the rolls.
- Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until the tops are golden and the cream has thickened into a bubbling glaze around the base. If the tops brown too fast before the cream sets, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
- Let the rolls sit in the dish for 5 minutes before serving, so the caramel firms up slightly.
Notes
- Use cold butter and cold water, warm dough gets greasy and hard to roll out.
- Don't skip the vinegar, it keeps the crust tender rather than tough.
- Cut rolls with a sharp knife in one motion, sawing back and forth flattens the spiral.
- Let rolls rest in the dish for 5 minutes before serving so the caramel sets.
Tips for Success
- Chill the dough for a full 30 minutes so it rolls out without shrinking back.
- Slice the log with a sharp serrated knife or unflavored dental floss so the spiral doesn’t flatten.
- Leave a little space between rolls in the baking dish so the cream can bubble up around each one.
- Tent the dish loosely with foil if the tops brown before the 28 to 32 minute mark.
- Let the rolls sit in the dish for 5 minutes before serving so the caramel sets instead of running.
Variations
- Swap half the brown sugar for maple sugar in the filling for a deeper maple flavor throughout.
- Add 60 g chopped pecans or walnuts to the filling before rolling for extra crunch.
- Use evaporated milk instead of heavy cream for a lighter, less rich topping that still caramelizes.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover pets de soeur in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. The caramel firms up when cold but loosens again once warmed.
Reheat in a 160 C / 325 F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, covered loosely with foil, until warmed through. A microwave works in a pinch, about 20 to 25 seconds per roll, though the tops won’t stay as crisp.
To freeze, bake and cool the rolls completely, then freeze in a single layer before transferring to a container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven as above.
Serving Suggestions
Pets de soeur are a coffee-break pastry in Quebec, so a mug of strong coffee or milky tea is the obvious pairing. They’re rich enough that you don’t need much else alongside.
For brunch, set them out with sliced apples or baked cinnamon pears and a bowl of yogurt to cut the sweetness. A drizzle of extra maple syrup over the top never hurts.
They also hold up well on a dessert platter next to something plainer, like shortbread crust bars, since the maple cream carries most of the flavor on its own.
FAQ
Why did my pets de soeur turn out dry in the center instead of soft?
This usually means the rolls baked too long or didn’t get enough cream underneath. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes at 190 C / 375 F and check that the cream mixture covers the base of the dish, not just the tops. The rolls should look glossy and slightly wet at the bottom edges when done.
Can I use evaporated milk instead of heavy cream for the topping?
Yes, evaporated milk works as a substitute for the heavy cream in pets de soeur. It won’t thicken into as rich a glaze since it has less fat, but it still caramelizes with the brown sugar and maple syrup. Expect a slightly thinner sauce around the rolls.
Can I freeze pets de soeur before baking them?
Yes, you can freeze the sliced, unbaked rolls on a tray until firm, then transfer them to a container for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen in the maple cream, adding about 8 to 10 extra minutes to the 28 to 32 minute bake time.
What goes well with pets de soeur besides coffee?
Sliced apples or pears and a bowl of plain yogurt balance the sweetness of pets de soeur nicely at brunch. A splash of extra maple syrup over the warm rolls is also common in Quebec. They pair well with tea if coffee isn’t your thing.
Are pets de soeur dairy free or gluten free?
No, this recipe contains both dairy and gluten from the butter, cream, and flour in the dough. You could try a gluten-free flour blend for the pastry, but the texture will be less flaky. There isn’t a reliable dairy-free swap for the butter without changing the crust significantly.
What’s the difference between pets de soeur and regular cinnamon rolls?
Pets de soeur use a flaky pie-style pastry dough instead of a yeasted dough, so they’re denser and more buttery than a classic cinnamon roll. They’re also baked in a shallow dish with cream or maple syrup poured over, which caramelizes into a glaze rather than being frosted after baking.
More from the kitchen
- Maple Cinnamon Baked Pears with Pecans recipe
- Gooey Baked Cinnamon Pears with Maple Butter Glaze
- our Apple Mascarpone Puff Pastry with Cinnamon Topping
