These super easy mini chocolate croissants only need 3 ingredients, and are ready in an hour! Made with golden brown puff pastry wrapped around semi sweet chocolate, they’re a great brunch or afternoon snack.
This post was updated in 2023 to add more recipe tips. I took out the long personal story about serving these to my daughter, which is what people reacted to in the comments.
Sometimes you need a sweet treat for an afternoon snack. These mini chocolate croissants are perfect for afternoon snacking or as part of a brunch spread. For more delicious treats, try Honey Cookies, Chocolate Chip Granola Bites, Apple Honey Apple Cake, or Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy recipe using a great shortcut - store-bought puff pastry.
- Only 3 simple ingredients required!
- Ready in an hour.
Dana's Note: These easy chocolate croissants are truly delicious and simple to make. Flaky croissant dough wrapped around your favorite chocolate. It sounds complicated to make, but using frozen pre-made puff pastry is my secret shortcut. Who can resist a warm chocolate croissant fresh out of the oven?
What is puff pastry?
Puff pastry is a laminated dough - meaning it is made from alternating thin layers of pastry with thin layers of butter. Puff pastry also comes in a tasty vegan version. When baked, the layers of butter puff up to create a flakey, buttery dough.
Making puff pastry from scratch is time consuming and takes some pastry skills. Using frozen pre-made puff pastry dough makes these mini chocolate croissants so easy, and the results are just as delicious. No rolling pin required!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the recipe card below for a complete ingredient list and measurements.
Jump to RecipeI love that this mini chocolate croissant recipe only requires 3 ingredients.
- Frozen puff pastry dough - I bought 1 package of Indo-European puff pastry squares, which comes with ten 5" x 5" squares. You can also buy puff pastry sheets that commonly come in a 20-inch rectangle and cut them to size. They are in the freezer section of many grocery and specialty food stores. Make sure you are buying "puff pastry" and not phyllo dough or pie crust.
- Semi-sweet chocolate squares - Use a tasty, good quality dark chocolate bar that is semi-sweet or bittersweet. The quality of the chocolate makes a difference in the final taste of the croissant. I prefer the Ghirardelli bar for the convenient size and shape, but there are many other good brands including Guittard.
- Egg - You will need one egg to make an egg wash for brushing the top of the pastries.
How to Make Mini Chocolate Croissants
See the recipe card below for complete directions.
Jump to RecipeStep by step directions on how to make these mini puff pastry chocolate croissants.
STEP ONE: Defrost puff pastry in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for about 30 minutes.
STEP TWO: Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Working on a cutting board, cut a puff pastry sheet in half (if using 5x5" squares). Brush top edge of pastry dough lightly with egg wash.
Place a piece of chocolate on the short end of the dough near you. Roll the dough around the chocolate pieces. Place the dough with seam side down on the lined baking sheet. Keep pairing a half square of dough with a half square of chocolate.
Alternatively you can cut the squares into triangles, and roll the chocolate filling from the wide end of the triangle making a crescent shape.
STEP THREE: Brush the tops of the rolled croissants with egg wash.
STEP FOUR: Place the cookie sheet full of raw, rolled croissants in the freezer for about 10 minutes while the oven preheats. Heat a regular oven to 375ºF (or 367ºF for a convection oven).
STEP FIVE: Bake until croissants are dark golden brown and cooked through inside. Cool on a rack. Serve once cool enough to eat.
Quick Tips
- Use good quality chocolate for best results.
- Work with one section of dough at a time, and keep the remaining dough covered.
- Make cutting the dough easy with a pizza cutter or long sharp knife.
- Freezing the rolled croissants before baking helps them to puff up better in the oven.
- Resist taking a bite just out of the oven, as the melted chocolate will be very hot!
Storage and Reheating
How to store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container on the counter for about 2 days. Briefly reheat in microwave or 300ºF oven to serve.
More dessert recipes
- Italian Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Coconut Macaroons
- Homemade Chocolate Lollipops
- Honey Cookies
- Almost Flourless French Chocolate Cake
Frequently Asked Questions
Chocolate bars or squares will work better for this recipe, as they will stay intact when rolling the dough. Chocolate chips tend to fall out of the sides, but can be substituted in a pinch.
Linger at Dana's Table a little longer for more free recipes.
Subscribe to my newsletter, and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for the latest updates.
Recipe
Mini Chocolate Croissants with Puff Pastry
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 package of frozen puff pastry dough I bought 1 package of Indo-European puff pastry squares, which comes with ten 5" x 5" squares. Rectangle sheets work too but need more cutting.
- 10 Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate squares I bought 2 Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate baking bars, 4 ounces each. Break the bar into squares, and then cut each square in half. I had some left over.
- 1 egg beaten for egg wash
Instructions
- Defrost puff pastry in the refrigerator overnight. Or leave the puff pastry to defrost on the kitchen counter for about a half hour. Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Working on a cutting board, cut a puff pastry square in half, and work with one half square of dough at a time. Cover the remaining dough with a damp paper towel to keep it from drying out. To form the croissant roll, brush top edge of pastry dough lightly with egg wash- this will become the seam. Place a half square of chocolate on the short end of the dough near you. Flip up the dough and chocolate together and keep rolling so that the dough fully wraps around the chocolate.
- Place the roll with seam side down on a lined cookie sheet. Keep pairing a half square of dough with a half square of chocolate. Spread the unbaked croissants out over two baking sheets or run two separate batches. Brush the tops of the raw croissants with egg wash.
- Place the cookie sheet with raw croissants in the freezer for about 10 minutes while the oven preheats. Heat a regular oven to 375ºF (or 367ºF for a convection oven). Alternatively, following the baking temperature and time for your particular brand of frozen puffed pastry.
- Bake in the oven for 17-19 minutes until croissants are dark golden brown and cooked through inside. Check the sides of the croissants to make sure that the inner swirl of the puff pastry in not undercooked, which looks gummy and opaque grey in color.
- Cool on a rack. Resist taking an immediate bite because the chocolate is very hot just out of the oven. Serve once cool enough to eat.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
sippitysup says
Tear up all you want because I can see where your daughter's strength comes from. GREG
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says
Greg, what an amazing thing to say. I really appreciate you pointing that out to me. Best, Dana
Sharon Graves says
What a great story, and such a fantastic comment. I loved reading this today.
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says
Hey Sharon- nice to hear from you. Thanks for checking out the writing that I've been getting into.
Michelle De La Cerda says
Thank you for sharing your story about your little girl. And thank you for sharing wonderfully delicious recipe.
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says
Thanks for coming by to check it out.
Dee Dee (My Midlife Kitchen) says
These remind me of the wonderful baked goods in Europe. Not too sweet, and heavy on the quality of the chocolate. I would likely eat more of these than I should! Thanks for reminding me how simplicity can be so darned delicious!
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says
It's fun how food can take you to different times and places.
rashmi from yumkid.com says
These were delicious! I made them for breakfast today! YUMMY! - From a mama who wears her heart on her shoulder.
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says
Hi Rashmi- I'm so glad you tried them and liked them. Such summer fun. Hope to see you soon, Dana
amindfullmom says
These croissants look fabulous! And you would not be human, if you didn't think back to your daughter's rough start. I am so glad she survived and is a fighter--that will serve her well moving forward 🙂
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says
Thanks so much for your comment. I like your perspective on my situation. That's a helpful way to frame it.
Dinner at the Zoo says
These are just adorable and the perfect size for my kids! I love that the ingredient list is so short, I've always been intimidated by croissant making but this looks totally doable
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says
The small size is great for kids and for guilt-free adult indulging.
CC says
Wow! What a real miracle that your daughter is mastering ice skating now; you are truly blessed! We realize how fortunate we are when the unexpected happen, but I always try to think of parents who are less fortunate than me, whenever these little bumps occur.
Your croissants look fab and I'm sure your girls were so happy to eat them after skating!
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says
Yes, she's our miracle baby. Thanks for stopping by to check out my post.
cristina says
Luv these mini choco croissants and those puff pastry dough squares you found! What a great find. This is a delicious and lovely compliment for breakfast/brunch - who doesn't love chocolate, especially in a croissant? 😉
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says
The dough squares are handy. I've also used them to make turnovers by folding them over into triangles with apple filling.
melanie bauer says
I have no doubt that my menagerie would fall in love with these. Can't wait to try them. Perhaps I'll shar ea few with them. 😉
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says
Yes, they are addicting.
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass says
Dear Dana - Kudos to your daughter, she is blessed to have you as her mom. I cry over my children all the time. I am glad I am not the only one. I have one son who almost died of a traumatic head injury and had emergency brain surgery in 2007 and is 100% fine now. He is an accomplished clarinetist now, and every time he performs at his recitals, and when he gave the 8th grade graduation speech, the tears slip out and I melt. I also have a son with Down syndrome who has a lot of health and behavioral issues. I cry tears of joy at each of his little triumphs on the journey, because he has to work so much harder for each little success. Thankfully my other two boys are very healthy! 🙂 These croissants look absolutely divine and now my mouth is watering and I suddenly must have one of these flaky delights! They look beautiful and easy! Score!
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says
Allie- thank you for sharing your story. We have parallel experiences. It feels helpful to connect to others with similar feelings. All the best, Dana
Jessica @ JessicaNWood.com says
These look delicious and I never would have thought they could be so easy! Your daughter sounds like an amazing little girl 🙂
Dana @ FoodieGoesHealthy says
So easy that my older daughter makes these now.
Lana says
Dana, I felt your emotions while reading your post. Thanks for sharing your story... It brought a few (happy) tears to my eyes:) XOXO
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says
Hi Lana- thanks for reading my post. Our presentation helped empower me to print this story.
Renee says
I know two little grand daughters that I'll be making these with next week!
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says
It's the perfect recipe for little fingers.
cookingontheweekends says
Dana, this is just lovely. You daughter's determination is inspiring and will always serve her well, I'm sure. I find when I'm watching my kids do all sorts of things, my emotions always sneak up on me. Messy and bittersweet is right, and these croissants looks SO DELICIOUS!
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says
Thanks Valentina. It makes me feel better to know I am not the only one to have this reaction. Such a beautiful comment.
Danna says
Beautiful. She is an amazing young girl. And, the recipe looks great.
Dana @ Foodie Goes Healthy says
Thanks Danna. I appreciate your comment.