This easy chocolate twist recipe requires just a handful of ingredients for a mouth-watering, chocolatey sweet treat that tastes better than any version you'd find in your local coffee shop! Ready in less than 25 minutes, these are the perfect bake that feels indulgent but is so simple to make at home.

Plus, these chocolate twists are the perfect copycat recipe for the same pastries you can buy from your favourite coffee shop. A chocolate twist in my secret (or not so secret now!) guilty pleasure when I grab breakfast from a coffee shop at the weekends. Chocolatey-infused goodness, all wrapped with buttery, flaky pastry.

These homemade chocolate twists are also occasionally known as chocolate torsades, and are fantastic for a quick and easy sweet treat to have at home. For more chocolate-y goodness, make sure you've tried my Chocolate Biscoff Bites and this Chocolate Tiffin Recipe.

Homemade vs Shop Bought Puff Pastry for Chocolate Twists

This recipe uses shop-bought puff pastry to make the chocolate twists. You could make your own from scratch, or - like in this recipe - rely on a good old shop-bought puff pastry block!

With how time-consuming it can be to make puff pastry, buying a readymade block is a no-brainer for me.

Chocolate Torsades vs Chocolate Twists

Chocolate Torsades - aka Torsades Au Chocolat - pays homage to the origins of these delightful pastries, akin to many sweet treats hailing from France.  They're more commonly known as Chocolate Twists in English; these sweet confections are crafted from puff pastry. Traditionally, the pastry is meticulously layered, generously spread with a luscious pastry cream (crème pâtissière or "crème pat"), and adorned with dark chocolate chips.

For this homemade version, I've kept things super simple. Instead of making your own pastry cream, we use custard. It has that same luscious, smooth consistency and flavour, but takes half the time!

Ingredient Notes

Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this page for the full quantities and ingredients. Here are all the ingredients you'll need, plus a few potential substitutions.

• Puff pastry: I use a roll of ready-made puff pastry for this recipe - it's far more convenient than making your own puff pastry, which I would have time for maybe once a year! Of course, if you would prefer to make your own puff pastry, do feel free to.
  
• Chocolate chips: Preferably dark chocolate, although any will work. You could also use chocolate chunks or even a block of dark chocolate chopped into small pieces.
  
• Instant custard: A pot of standard custard that you can find in most supermarkets works perfectly here. Just spread it straight over the pastry at room temperature.
  
• Egg Wash: We'll brush the pastries with a whisked egg before baking to give the pastry that signature shiny golden crust.
  
• Icing Sugar: Finely, a light dusting of icing sugar is optional but finishes the pastries perfectly.

How To Make Your Chocolate Twists

Step 1: Roll out your puff pastry block

Roll out the pastry on a chopping board, ideally keeping the baking paper the puff pastry comes packaged in under the pastry to avoid it sticking.

Step 2: Add custard & chocolate

Spread an even layer of the custard over half the puff pastry (see process photos). Then, sprinkle your chocolate chips all over the custard

Step 4: Fold the pastry

Fold your pastry in half lengthways - folding the top edge to the bottom, as pictured.

Step 5: Cut the puff pastry 

Cut the pastry into thin strips, about 2-3cm thick. You should get around 8-10 twists this way.

Step 6: Twist 

Twist each strip about four times to create the 'twists'. I recommend twisting twice from one end and twice from the other.

Step 7: Egg wash and Bake

Bake for 15-17 minutes until golden (keep an eye on them for 14 minutes to avoid burning). When cooled, dust over the icing sugar and serve.

Air-Frying Your Chocolate Twists

I've also tested air-frying this recipe as well as cooking the pastry in the oven, as you can see pictured below.

I followed the same steps as above and placed the pastries in the air fryer on top of a piece of baking paper. I air-fried the pastries for 10 minutes.

The result: Beautifully golden chocolate twists on top, but unfortunately, the air fryer doesn't do a great job at cooking the bottom of the pastry. If you have an air fryer with a grill rack, I would recommend placing the pastries on this so that the bottom cooks at the same time as the tops.

Storage Instructions

These chocolate twists are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature (or refrigerated) for 2 - 3 days, but they're best eaten fresh from the oven!

To freeze, store in an airtight container with each layer separated by baking paper, or wrap individually in foil. Simply leave them to defrost on the counter and pop them in the oven to warm up before eating.

Chocolate Twist Recipe Variations

These chocolate twists are, in my opinion, best served in their classic form. However, there's nothing wrong with mixing things up every now and then! Here are a few variations you could try:

• Add chopped nuts: Chopped pecans, almonds, or walnuts could all be a delicious addition to this recipe.
• Add cinnamon: A sprinkle of cinnamon within the chocolate twists could be a great autumnal variation on this recipe.
• Use vanilla cream: Opt for a more luscious vanilla cream instead of the custard.
• Omit the custard altogether: For a more chocolatey variation, use less or no custard and more chocolate twists!