Pin I discovered this recipe by accident on a Tuesday morning when I had both fresh croissants and leftover cookie dough sitting on my counter, staring at each other like they were meant to meet. The idea seemed ridiculous at first—why mess with a perfect croissant?—but curiosity won out. Twenty minutes later, I pulled golden, gooey masterpieces from the oven and immediately understood why some of the best food comes from happy accidents.
I made these for my sister's birthday breakfast last spring, and watching her face light up when she bit into one was worth every bit of careful layering and folding. She sat there with melted chocolate on her chin, completely speechless, which is rare. That's when I knew this recipe was something special.
Ingredients
- 6 large, all-butter croissants: Fresh is ideal for that perfect flake, but day-old croissants actually work beautifully because they hold their shape better when you stuff them.
- 90 g unsalted butter, softened: Let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes so it creams easily without being greasy.
- 100 g light brown sugar and 50 g granulated sugar: The combination gives you that caramel depth from brown sugar while granulated sugar helps the dough spread and bake evenly.
- 1 large egg: Room temperature if possible, so it incorporates smoothly without making the dough wet and heavy.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract: A non-negotiable touch that makes people ask what secret ingredient you used.
- 150 g all-purpose flour: Don't sift unless your flour is lumpy; overmixing the dough once flour is added is your biggest enemy.
- 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp fine sea salt: These seem small, but they're the difference between dense dough and something that's actually tender.
- 120 g semi-sweet chocolate chips: Semi-sweet is the safest choice, but dark chocolate creates a more sophisticated bite if you're feeling fancy.
- 1 egg, beaten for egg wash: This gives you that gorgeous golden-brown finish and helps you see when they're perfectly baked.
Instructions
- Heat your oven and prepare:
- Set the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper so nothing sticks and you have an easy cleanup.
- Cream the butter and sugars:
- Beat the softened butter with both sugars for about 2 minutes until it looks pale and fluffy—this is where air gets incorporated and the dough gets tender. Don't rush this step.
- Add the egg and vanilla:
- Mix until completely combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula so nothing gets left behind hiding in a corner.
- Combine dry ingredients carefully:
- Sift in the flour, baking soda, and salt, then mix just until the streaks of flour disappear. Overmixing makes the dough tough and dense, so stop the moment everything is combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips:
- Gently stir them through so they're distributed evenly and you get chocolate in every bite.
- Open your croissants:
- Slice each one horizontally almost all the way through, but leave a slight hinge on one side so the two halves stay connected like a book. This keeps everything neat and prevents dough from falling out.
- Fill with cookie dough:
- Spoon 2–3 tablespoons into the center of each croissant and press gently so it spreads without breaking the delicate pastry. You'll develop a feel for how much is just right.
- Seal and brush:
- Close the croissants gently and brush the tops with beaten egg, which seals them slightly and creates that beautiful golden color.
- Bake until golden:
- Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 16–18 minutes, watching for golden-brown tops and listening for a slight crackle sound. The cookie dough inside should be set but still tender when you bite into it.
- Cool and serve:
- Let them rest for a few minutes—they're hot enough to burn your mouth otherwise—then dust with icing sugar if you'd like and serve while everything is still warm and gooey.
Pin There's something magical about the moment when a seemingly impossible combination actually works out perfectly. These cookie croissants prove that the best recipes aren't always the ones that follow tradition—they're the ones that bring joy to the people eating them.
Customizing Your Cookie Croissants
The beauty of this recipe is how forgiving it is once you understand the basics. I've played around with dark chocolate and white chocolate interchangeably, and each version has its own personality. Toasted hazelnuts or walnuts add a sophisticated crunch that elevates this from a simple pastry to something you'd actually pay money for at a fancy café.
The Science of Flaky and Gooey
Croissants are already engineered for maximum flakiness thanks to all those butter layers, and cookie dough adds a soft, chewy counterpoint that makes your mouth genuinely happy. The egg wash isn't just for looks; it seals the croissant slightly and conducts heat more effectively, which is why your pastries turn golden instead of pale. The baking soda in the cookie dough helps it rise just enough to feel airy while keeping it soft—if you skip it, you'll get a dense, almost doughy texture instead.
Timing and Temperature Tricks
I learned the hard way that oven temperature matters more than you'd think with this recipe. Too hot and the croissant exterior burns before the cookie dough inside has time to set; too cool and you end up with a greasy, flabby pastry that tastes like it spent the day on a windowsill. The sweet spot is 180°C, and baking for exactly 16–18 minutes creates that perfect balance where the outside is crispy and golden while the inside is still soft and gooey.
- If your oven runs hot, start checking at the 14-minute mark so you don't accidentally overbake.
- Vanilla ice cream served alongside turns this into a legitimate dessert worthy of dinner guests.
- These are best eaten within a few hours of baking, but you can store the unbaked assembled croissants in the fridge overnight and bake them fresh in the morning.
Pin This recipe sits right in that happy place where elegance and ease meet, and it genuinely tastes like you spent far more effort than you actually did. Make them for someone you care about and watch their face—I promise it's worth it.