If you're looking for a fun, easy, tasty snack, try these easy cheesy Black Bean Puff Pastry Triangles. Made with just 6 ingredients, these vegetarian puff pastry triangles make a great school lunch or after-school snack!
I originally developed this recipe for Randall Beans, and I wanted to share it with you here too, since we love it so much.
I absolutely LOVE puff pastry and how it turns golden brown and puffs up all flaky and delicious-like, screaming EAT ME! I AM TASTY! I love any snacks I can eat by hand without needing a plate, and these hand-held savory little pastries are perfect.
Related recipe: Air Fryer Puff Pastry Toaster Strudel
Easy snacking
These puff pastry triangles are made using store-bought puff pastry dough (I did say they were easy to make, didn't I?), canned black beans, shredded cheese, bell pepper, and a couple of seasonings.
The flavor is simple - I went with chili powder for a little smokiness and a little spice. You can use ANY seasoning you like - chipotle, Cajun, Ranch seasoning - whatever you want!
The bell peppers and black beans add a little fiber and nutrition to these savory pastries. The cheese helps bind everything together and make them even more irresistible. If you want a vegan puff pastry recipe, just use a vegan cheese substitute or skip the cheese altogether.
More vegetarian black bean recipes to try: Black Bean Quinoa Veggie Burgers
How to make black bean puff pastry triangles
This recipe is super simple. The only chopping involved is chopping a bell pepper and some cilantro leaves. Once you do that, mix the chopped bell pepper, black beans, cilantro, shredded cheese, and chili powder in a small bowl.
I don't even add salt to this recipe because I feel like the cheese adds enough saltiness and flavor, but go ahead and use a pinch or two of salt if you want.
You can use any kind of meltable cheese here - white or yellow cheddar, Pepper Jack, or fancy-pants Gruyere would all work great!
More puff pastry recipes: Brie & Pear Puff Pastry
Working with store-bought puff pastry
Follow the instructions on the packaging of the frozen puff pastry, but in my experience here's how to use frozen puff pastry to make little triangle pastries:
Allow the puff pastry to thaw on the counter until it unfolds without breaking. You don't want it to be room-temperature warm because then it will be a little too sticky and mushy, but you also need to make sure it doesn't break as you unfold it.
This is the only tricky part about working with puff pastry - you have to keep an eye on it and get the timing just right.
Once your puff pastry is unfolded, use a knife or a pizza cutter to cut the puff pastry into squares about 4-5 inches on each side.
This recipe was made with the Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry package which has two square 9-inch puff pastry sheets. That's perfect for cutting into eight 4.5-inch squares - four squares per sheet of puff pastry.
Place about 2 tablespoons of the bean mixture right in the center of the puff pastry squares, then take one corner of the puff pastry square and gently pull it diagonally over the stuffing to make a triangle. Press on the edges with your fingers to seal the fillings in and seal the triangle.
Use a fork to crimp down the edges of the puff pastry triangle - this gives them a pretty little pattern and makes sure that the triangles don't come apart while baking.
At this point you can do an egg wash and then sprinkle sesame seeds on the puff pastry tops, but it's not necessary. It will make them prettier, sure, but it really doesn't add much to the flavor.
Then bake according to the instructions on the package, typically 12-15 minutes at 400F, or until the puff pastry flakes and becomes a beautiful golden color.
Remember, none of the ingredients for these black bean pastries are raw, so you don't need to worry about anything overcooking or under-cooking. As long as the puff pastry looks good, the bean pastries will be good.
More puff pastry appetizers: Spinach Artichoke Puff Pastries
What to serve with these puff pastry snacks
You can just eat these on their own or as a side dish for dinner, but these are great when dipped into delicious sauces. Some ideas for dips:
- Salsa
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Spicy mayo (like the sriracha-ketchup-mayo combo from my Pork Burgers)
- Ketchup+mayo
- Marinara sauce
- Nacho cheese / salsa con queso
Other filling ideas for puff pastry triangles
If you love the idea of these black bean pastries but want to switch things up, here are a few other filling combinations that would be amazing:
- Three cheese - combine shredded cheddar, crumbled feta, and any other cheese
- Spinach & cheese - thaw and thoroughly drain frozen spinach and mix with crumbled feta, or use a tiny handful of fresh spinach
- Bacon & cheese
- Add some diced jalapenos to the bell pepper mixture
- Ham & cheese
- Scallions and cheese
- Chicken & cheese
- Swap corn instead of the bell pepper
However you decide to stuff these puff pastry triangles, I hope you get a chance to make them! If you do, please take a picture and tag me on Instagram or Facebook. You can find me at @babaganoshblog on both. I love seeing your creations!
Looking for other easy puff pastry recipes?
Looking for other easy snack ideas?
- Chickpea & chicken salad
- Hawaiian chicken salad
- Spiced pinto bean salad
- Crispy Cajun kale chips
- Asiago cheese crisps
- Crispy roasted chickpeas - 4 ways!
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Black Bean Puff Pastry Triangles
Ingredients
- 1 cup black beans - drained and rinsed
- ½ bell pepper - seeds removed and finely diced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves - chopped
- 1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheese, such as cheddar or pepper jack
- 2 frozen 9-inch square puff pastry sheets - thawed (see instructions)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper.
- Remove the puff pastry sheets from the freezer and allow to thaw while preparing the black bean mixture.
- In a large bowl, combine the black beans, diced bell pepper, chili powder, chopped cilantro leaves, and shredded cheese. Mix well.
- On a large clean surface, unfold the thawed puff pastry. Cut each 9-inch puff pastry square into quarters to make a total of 8 puff pastry squares about 4 ½ inch each.
- Place about 2 tablespoons of the bean mixture in the center of each puff pastry square (do not over-stuff!).
- Fold each square in half to make a triangle and pinch the sides together taking care to not get any bean mixture onto the edges of the triangles. Use a fork to press down on the edges and seal the puff pastry triangles.
- Gently place the puff pastry triangles onto the greased baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes at 400F, or until the puff pastry triangles are golden brown and flaky on top. Remove from heat and allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Serve warm with your favorite dip, such as salsa, marinara sauce, guacamole, or sour cream.
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.
Michelle
Monday 24th of May 2021
Delicious, quick and easy. I didn't have any chili powder so I made up a chili powder substitute with smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and cayenne (this also helped me control how hot the chili powder would be). I also didn't have any cilantro but wow, it did not matter, it turned out super delicious. I made a quick avo, lemon, smoked salt and plain yogurt dip to dip theses scrumptious pies into. An absolute success and will be making them again.
Kate
Monday 24th of May 2021
That works!!