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    Home » European

    How to make Vol-au-vent Cases

    AU$0.05 | £0.08 per serve
    By Robyn | Published: Nov 25, 2022 | Modified: Nov 30, 2022

    TO THE RECIPE Show me the Video

    These crispy flakey vol-au-vent cases made with puff pastry are the perfect base for a variety of your favourite fillings. They can be made ahead and filled at the last minute and are the best retro canapé or appetiser!

    baked golden vol-au-vent cases on a white board, some stacked on top of each other. Ready to fill.
    Jump to:
    • Why we love this recipe
    • Ingredients Notes
    • Step by step how to make vol-au-vent cases
    • FAQ
    • My recipe tips
    • Storage
    • How to cook the cases in the air fryer:
    • Suggested fillings for vol-au-vents
    • More finger food recipes
    • Vol-au-vent Cases

    Why we love this recipe

    • Growing up, the party food I looked forward to the most at Christmas was the vol-au-vent! Crispy puff pastry cases filled with a savoury filling, more often than not creamy mushrooms, sometimes chicken.
    • I have tested many ways of making homemade vol-au-vents from scratch, and I feel I’ve cracked it! By using two layers of pastry, a ring of puff pastry on top of a circular base you end up with risen puff pastry cases a base that stays crispy, and fully cooked puff pastry.
    • These 2 ingredient – and one of those is water – puff pastry cases are so simple to make and can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept in the fridge then reheated to crispy perfection!
    • These vol au vent cases can be made in the oven or in the air fryer.
    • So much cheaper and tastier than store bought cases.
    • You can easily scale up the recipe to make as many vol-au-vents as you like for a budget friendly canapé.

    Ingredients Notes

    • Puff pastry – In Australia I use a 24cm x 24cm frozen puff pastry sheet, weighing about 160g, but if you are in the UK you can use half a block of puff pastry and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to ¼ cm thick or half a sheet of ready rolled puff pastry.
    • Water – cold tap water.
    • That’s it!!

    Step by step how to make vol-au-vent cases

    For full detailed recipe please scroll to the recipe card at the end of the post.

    1. If your puff pastry needs defrosting, defrost it at room temperature – this will take an hour or so depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
    2. Preheat the oven.
    3. Cut out circles with a 6cm (2.3″) round cookie cutter.
    4. Using a smaller, 4cm (1.57″) round cookie cutter cut holes in the middle of half of the circles.
    cutting circles from a sheet of puff pastry with a round cookie cutter
    Cutting smaller circles in half the circles with a smaller cookie cutter
    1. Lay the large circles on a lined baking tin / baking sheet.
    2. Brush the rings with a little water, and also brush the edges of the circles with a little water.
    larger circles of puff pastry places on lined baking tin
    a close up showing brushing the ring of puff pastry with water
    1. Gently press the ring over the circle.
    2. Repeat with the remaining circles and puff pastry rings. Place them in the preheated oven.
    sticking a ring of puff pastry on to the circles
    how the unbaked cases should look before they go in to the oven
    1. Take out of the oven and cool for a couple of minutes until cool enough to handle, then taking a small sharp knife, carefully cut around the inner circle.
      • TIP: don’t cut all the way through the pastry.
    2. Carefully remove the smaller circle, taking care not to rip the pastry.
    carefully taking out the middle section from a partly baked vol-au-vent case
    showing the lifting off of the centre section, keeping the bottom of the puff pastry case in tact
    1. You should be left with a little puff pastry cup like the image on the left below.
    2. Place the vol-au-vent cases back in to the oven for 3-4 minutes to cook the insides.
    3. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack before filling.
    showing the vol-au-vent case with the middle taken out
    showing the vol-au-vent case once it's been back in the oven and the base is cooked and crispy.
    close up of a puff pastry case to show cooked insides

    FAQ

    Can I make vol-au-vents in advance?

    Yes, you can make the cases in advance and store in an airtight container overnight or in the fridge for up to 3 days. However once filled, vol-au-vents should be served straight away.

    Can I make square pastry cases?

    Yes, you can make square cases, cutting them with a knife rather than a cookie cutter.

    My recipe tips

    • Take care not to cut all the way through the pastry when cutting off the lid, otherwise your filling could leak out.
    • Preheat the oven before you place the puff pastry cases in to bake. This helps them to rise.
    • For a shiny top on your puff pastry cases, brush with a little beaten egg before placing in the oven. I don’t do this to keep the cost down.
    • Leftover pastry / pastry scraps: you can either re-roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut out some more cases, or make puff pastry pinwheels.

    Storage

    You can make the pastry cases up to 3 days before you need them and reheat in a moderate oven or the air fryer for a couple of minutes to crisp up.

    How to cook the cases in the air fryer:

    1. Prepare the cases as for the oven put place them on a circle of baking paper / baking parchment on the air fryer basket, making sure there is a gap of 1-2 cm (⅓ – ¾ inch) around the edges to let the air circulate.
    2. Bake at 180˚C / 356˚F for 6 minutes.
    3. Leave to cool slightly then take off the lids.
    4. Carefully remove the baking paper – the basket may still be hot so take care – then place the vol-au-vent cases back into the air fryer.
    5. Cook at 180˚C / 356˚F for 3-4 minutes.

    Suggested fillings for vol-au-vents

    • Serve this retro hors d’oeuvre filled with prawn cocktail, creamy mushroom sauce or Coronation chicken.
    • A couple of other budget ideas:
      • Spicy tuna vol au vents: To fill 6-7 cases, mix 1 small tin of drained tuna with ¼-1/2 a small spring onion, finely chopped, 2.5 teaspoons mayonnaise, pinch of salt and ¼-1/3 teaspoon Sriracha. Fill the cases with a teaspoon of the mixture and top with extra spring onion and optional black sesame seeds.
      • Spicy egg vol-au-vents: To fill 5 cases, mix 1 cooled hard boiled egg with 2 teaspoon mayonnaise, a pinch of salt and ¼ – ⅓ teaspoon Sriracha. Fill the cases with teaspoon of the mixture and top with finely chopped spring onions.
    a blue plate topped with vol-au-vents on filled with tuna and decorated with edible purple flowers
    Spicy tuna vol au vents
    egg filled cases
    Spicy egg vol au vents
    filled vol au vents decorated with edible flowers on white background

    More finger food recipes

    • Smoked Salmon Blinis
    • Savoury Profiteroles with Smoked Salmon
    • Cheese gougeres (French Cheese Puffs)
    • Samosa Pinwheels
    side view of stack of 3 vol au vent cases on wooden board

    Vol-au-vent Cases

    Author: Robyn

    These crispy flakey vol-au-vent cases made with puff pastry are the perfect base for a variety of your favourite fillings. They can be made ahead and filled at the last minute and are the best retro canapé or appetiser!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 14 mins
    Course Appetizer, canape
    Cuisine French
    Servings 8 cases
    Calories 110 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 6cm (2.3″) round cookie cutter
    • 1 4cm (1.57″) round cookie

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 sheet puff pastry (approx 160g / 5.5 oz) ($0.38 /£0.57)
    • water ($0 / £0)

    Instructions
     

    • If your puff pastry needs defrosting, defrost it at room temperature.
    • Preheat the oven to 180˚C fan / 200˚C / 356˚F convection / 392˚F.
    • Lay the puff pastry on a board (roll out if necessary) and using the 6cm (2.3″) round cookie cutter cut out 16 circles.
    • Using the 4cm (1.57″) round cookie cutter, cut holes in the centre of 8 of the circles to create rings of puff pastry.
    • Lay the circles on a lined baking tin / baking sheet.
    • Brush the rings with a little water, and also brush the edges of the circles with a little water.
    • Gently press the ring over the circle.
    • Repeat with the remaining circles and puff pastry rings. Place them in the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes.
    • Take out of the oven and cool for a couple of minutes, then when cool enough to handle, then taking a small sharp knife, carefully cut around the inner circle, taking care not to cut all the way through the pastry.
    • Carefully remove the smaller circle, taking care not to rip the pastry.
    • Place the cases back on the baking tray and return to the oven for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown and the insides are beginning to get a slight tinge of colour.
    • Leave to cool completely on a wire rack before filling.

    To cook the cases in the air fryer

    • Prepare the cases as for the oven put place them on a circle of baking paper / baking parchment on the air fryer basket, making sure there is a gap of 1-2 cm (⅓ – ¾ inch) around the edges to let the air circulate.
    • Bake at 180˚C / 356˚F for 6 minutes.
    • Leave to cool slightly then take off the lids.
    • Carefully remove the baking paper – the basket may still be hot so take care – then place the vol-au-vent cases back into the air fryer.
    • Cook at 180˚C / 356˚F for 3-4 minutes.
    • Store in an airtight container overnight or in the fridge for up to 3 days, reheating in a moderate oven or in the air fryer (180˚C / 356˚F) for a couple of minutes to heat up.

    Video

    Notes

    Estimated costs: Australia $0.38. Per vol-au-vent case = $0.05
    UK £0.57. Per vol-au-vent case = £0.08p
    America – I am yet to calculate the estimated ingredients costs to make this recipe in the US. If you would find it useful please contact me and I’ll get calculating 🙂 
    Take care not to cut all the way through the pastry when cutting off the lid, otherwise your filling could leak out.
    Preheat the oven before you place the puff pastry cases in to bake. This helps them to rise.
    For a shiny top on your puff pastry cases, brush with a little beaten egg before placing in the oven. I don’t do this to keep the cost down.
    Leftover pastry / pastry scraps: you can either re-roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut out some more cases, or make puff pastry pinwheels.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 110kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 50mgPotassium: 12mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 0.2IUCalcium: 2mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword puff pastry canapes, vol au vent cases, vol-au-vents

    HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE?

    I’d love to see your creation!

    Tag me! #atmrsjoneskitchen
    Tag me! @atmrsjoneskitchen

    Or just leave a comment below!

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    Robyn Jones, Recipe Developer & Food Photographer

    Robyn Jones

    Recipe Developer | Food Photographer | Writer

    Hi! I'm Robyn, a toddler mum with a passion for all things food! Having moved internationally 7 times in the past 12 years I have developed a love of making international recipes into family friendly ones you can make in your own home, with local ingredients; wherever you live!

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