William walked into the kitchen last Saturday morning, still in his dinosaur pajamas, and asked, "Mom, can we make those fancy breakfast things from the bakery?" He meant chocolate croissants - those buttery, flaky pastries that practically melt on your tongue. I'll be honest, I almost said no because croissants sound intimidating. Then I remembered my shortcut.I've been creating French pastries for restaurants for over 15 years, and here's the truth nobody tells you: you don't need to be a professional pastry chef to make incredible pain au chocolat at home. This chocolate croissant recipe uses a simple trick that gives you bakery-quality results without the complicated laminating process that takes days.
Why We Love This Chocolate Croissants Recipe
This recipe gave me back my Sunday mornings. Before I figured out this puff pastry shortcut, making Chocolate Croissants meant three days of folding butter into dough, multiple rest periods, and basically planning my entire weekend around breakfast pastry. Now William and I can decide Saturday night that we want fresh chocolate croissants for breakfast, and actually make it happen without losing our minds. The house fills with that incredible buttery, chocolatey bakery smell that makes everyone stumble into the kitchen asking what's cooking.
What really makes me love this recipe is watching William's confidence grow. He started as my little helper who just brushed egg wash, and now he rolls the pastry, places the chocolate, and shapes each croissant himself. Last month his teacher asked the class what they were proud of, and he stood up and announced "I can make French pastries!" The other kids didn't believe him until I brought a batch to the school bake sale - they sold out in ten minutes. These pain au chocolat aren't just breakfast in our house anymore. They're our Sunday morning tradition, our special occasion surprise, and William's signature dish that he's genuinely proud to share.
Jump to:
- Why We Love This Chocolate Croissants Recipe
- What You Need For Chocolate Croissants
- How To Make Chocolate Croissants Step By Step
- Smart Swaps For Your Croissants
- Chocolate Croissants Variations
- Equipment For Chocolate Croissants
- Storing Your Chocolate Croissants
- The Recipe My Grandma Wouldn't Let Me Forget
- Top Tip
- FAQ
- Transform Your Morning Routine!
- Related
- Pairing
- chocolate croissants
What You Need For Chocolate Croissants
The Base:
- 2 sheets puff pastry
- Good quality dark chocolate bars
- 1 egg for egg wash
- 2 tablespoons water
Sweet Touch:
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt
Chocolate Options:
- Dark chocolate
- Milk chocolate chips
- Chocolate ganache
- Nutella
Optional Finishing:
- Pearl sugar
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Chocolate drizzle
- Almond slivers
How To Make Chocolate Croissants Step By Step
Prep The Pastry:
Thaw puff pastry in the fridge overnight - this is crucial for easy rolling. Unfold one sheet on a lightly floured surface and roll gently to smooth any creases. Cut into rectangles about 4x5 inches - you'll get 6 pieces per sheet. Keep everything cold; warm dough tears and doesn't puff properly.
Add The Chocolate:
Place two rows of chocolate bar pieces (about 1 ounce total) on the bottom third of each rectangle. Don't use chocolate chips here - they don't create that signature chocolate filling we're after. The chocolate should be in stick form, not melted. Brush the edges with egg wash to help seal.
Roll And Shape:
Starting from the chocolate end, roll the pastry tightly into a log shape - not too tight or the chocolate pushes out during baking. Pinch the seam and ends to seal completely. Place seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart. These puff pastry croissants will expand!
Egg Wash And Bake:
Whisk egg with water and brush generously over each croissant - this creates that gorgeous golden shine. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of sugar if you want extra sparkle. Bake at 400°F for 18-22 minutes until deep golden brown and incredibly puffy. Let cool 5 minutes before eating or you'll burn your tongue on molten chocolate (learned that one the hard way).
Smart Swaps For Your Croissants
Chocolate Choices:
- Dark chocolate → Milk chocolate
- Chocolate bars → Nutella spread
- Single chocolate → Chocolate ganache
- Plain chocolate → Chocolate chips with hazelnuts
Dietary Options:
- Regular puff pastry → Gluten-free puff pastry
- Butter puff pastry → Vegan puff pastry
- Egg wash → Milk or cream wash
- Sugar → Coconut sugar
Flavor Twists:
- Classic → Chocolate with espresso powder
- Plain chocolate → Chocolate with orange zest
- Single filling → Chocolate plus almond butter
- Regular → Chocolate with raspberry jam
Chocolate Croissants Variations
Double Chocolate Dream:
- Use chocolate puff pastry
- Fill with dark chocolate
- Drizzle with chocolate ganache
- Dust with cocoa powder
Almond Chocolate Twist:
- Spread almond paste inside
- Add chocolate pieces
- Top with sliced almonds
- Drizzle with white chocolate
Nutella Explosion:
- Skip chocolate bars
- Use generous Nutella spread
- Add chopped hazelnuts
- Dust with powdered sugar
Café Style:
- Mix espresso powder with chocolate
- Brush with coffee syrup after baking
- Dust with cinnamon
- Serve with cappuccino
Equipment For Chocolate Croissants
- Rolling pin
- Sharp knife or pizza cutter
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Pastry brush
Storing Your Chocolate Croissants
Same Day (Best):
- Eat within 4 hours of baking
- Store loosely covered at room temp
- Reheat 5 minutes at 300°F
- Crisp them up before serving
Fridge (3 days):
- Cool completely first
- Store in airtight container
- Reheat in oven, not microwave
- They lose some flakiness
Freezer - Unbaked (3 months):
- Assemble completely
- Freeze on baking sheet
- Transfer to freezer bag
- Bake from frozen, add 5 minutes
Freezer - Baked (2 months):
- Crisp in 350°F oven
- Cool completely
- Wrap individually
- Thaw at room temperature
The Recipe My Grandma Wouldn't Let Me Forget
When I went to pastry school in my twenties, I was obsessed with doing everything the "proper" way. I spent three days making traditional croissant dough, folding and turning and resting. My grandma visited while I was on day two of the process and just shook her head. "Honey, life's too short," she said, pulling out a package of puff pastry from her purse (yes, she carried frozen puff pastry in her purse - that's the kind of woman she was).
She made me sit down and watch while she whipped up a batch of pain au chocolat in under 30 minutes. "Your fancy chef school won't tell you this," she explained while cutting the pastry, "but the best recipes are the ones you'll actually make on a Tuesday morning." She was right. Those croissants tasted just as good as my three-day version, and William could help make them without me losing my mind over butter temperatures and dough consistency.
Top Tip
- From years of making these French pastries, keeping everything cold is your secret weapon. Warm puff pastry is your enemy - it becomes sticky, tears easily, and won't puff up properly in the oven. I learned this the hard way when William and I tried making these on a hot summer day with the AC broken. Total disaster. Now I work quickly, keep the dough in the fridge between steps, and if my kitchen is warm, I chill the shaped croissants for 15 minutes before baking.
- That temperature control is what separates okay croissants from those gorgeous, flaky Parisian breakfast worthy pastries.The chocolate choice matters more than you'd think. Don't reach for chocolate chips - they're designed not to melt completely, which means you won't get that molten chocolate center when you break open your croissant. Use real chocolate bars broken into pieces, or those chocolate baking sticks if you can find them (they're literally made for pain au chocolat).
- Dark chocolate with 60-70% cacao gives you that authentic French bakery taste without being too sweet. William prefers milk chocolate, and honestly, both work beautifully. Just make sure you're using good quality chocolate - this is not the time for that waxy Halloween candy chocolate.Here's the game-changer nobody talks about: the egg wash needs to be applied generously and right before baking. I see so many people brush it on too lightly or too early.
FAQ
What is a croissant with chocolate called?
A croissant with chocolate is called "pain au chocolat" in French, which literally translates to "chocolate bread." In France, these chocolate-filled croissants are a breakfast staple you'll find in every bakery and café. Some regions call them "chocolatine" which causes friendly debates among French people about the proper name! Here in our kitchen, William just calls them "the best breakfast ever" - and honestly, that works too.
What kind of chocolate is in a croissant?
Traditional French bakeries use dark chocolate baking sticks (batons de chocolat) specifically made for pain au chocolat - they're about 60-70% cacao and designed to stay solid during baking while creating a melty center. For homemade chocolate croissants, I recommend using good quality dark chocolate bars broken into pieces, or milk chocolate if you prefer sweeter. Avoid chocolate chips since they're formulated not to melt completely.
What's the difference between chocolate croissant and pain au chocolat?
Here's the fun part - they're essentially the same thing! "Chocolate croissant" is the English term, while "pain au chocolat" is the proper French name. However, traditional French bakers will tell you there's a subtle difference: croissants are crescent-shaped and made with special laminated dough, while pain au chocolat is rectangular with straight chocolate bars inside. In America, we tend to use "chocolate croissant" for anything croissant-like with chocolate filling.
Does Starbucks sell chocolate croissants?
Yes! Starbucks sells chocolate croissants at most locations - they call them "Chocolate Croissants" or sometimes "Pain au Chocolat" depending on the store. They're usually displayed in the pastry case near the register. However, these bake at home chocolate croissants taste fresher and cost way less - William and I did the math and homemade costs about $0.50 each versus Starbucks' $3-4 per croissant.
Transform Your Morning Routine!
You know what's amazing about mastering this chocolate croissants recipe? Suddenly you're the person who "makes croissants from scratch." Never mind that it's actually super easy - people will think you're a baking wizard. William loves telling his friends that we have "French bakery breakfast" on weekends, and honestly, the look on their faces when they bite into warm, flaky, chocolate-filled pastry is priceless.These homemade chocolate croissants changed our Sunday mornings completely. We used to rush out to coffee shops, wait in long lines, spend twenty dollars, and come home with croissants that were only okay.
Want more impressive breakfast treats that are secretly simple? Try our Easy Sausage Egg Breakfast Roll-Ups Recipe that makes your house smell like heaven - William says they're "better than the mall ones" which is high praise. Craving more flaky pastry magic? Our Healthy Garlic Bread Recipe uses the same puff pastry trick for portable deliciousness. Need another chocolate fix? Our Easy Frittata Recipe delivers café-quality breakfast that comes together faster than you'd think!
Share your croissant creation! We absolutely love seeing your golden, flaky masterpieces and hearing about your family baking adventures. Send us your best "cheese pull" style chocolate ooze photos - William collects them!
Rate this Chocolate Croissants and tell us what chocolate you used! Are you team dark chocolate, team milk chocolate, or team "I used Nutella and regret nothing"? The people need to know!
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Chocolate Croissants
chocolate croissants
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Thaw and roll out puff pastry, cut into rectangles.
- Add chocolate pieces to each rectangle.
- Roll the pastry tightly and seal edges.
- Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake at 400°F for 18-22 minutes until golden and puffy.
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