These mini puff pastry chocolate croissants come together quick and easy with just 3 ingredients! They're cute and delicious as a breakfast pastry, mid-day snack, or dessert.
Some days, we just crave a warm chocolate pastry without the hassle or a trip to the bakery! That’s where our 'cheater' chocolate croissant recipe comes in. These mini, bite-sized delights feature rich chocolate wrapped in flaky puff pastry, baked to golden perfection. A quick and easy treat that always hits the spot!
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Ingredients
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
These mini chocolate croissants are incredibly easy to make with just three ingredients! Before we dive in, here are a few key tips to ensure the best results.
- Chocolate. We used mini Hershey chocolate bars because they're easy to find and break into uniform pieces, making them perfect for these bite-sized croissants. However, feel free to use your favorite chocolate - just cut it into small, even pieces for easier rolling. If the chocolate has uneven edges, it may take a little extra time to shape and cut the croissants properly.
- Puff pastry. We used frozen, store bought puff pastry sheets, which can be found in the freezer section of most grocery stores. If you're making a larger batch, restaurant food supply stores often carry larger quantities and sizes of frozen puff pastry sheets. Be sure to thaw the pastry according to the package instructions before using.
What's the difference between puff pastry, croissant dough, and Danish pastry dough?
All three of these doughs are laminated doughs, meaning they're made by layering dough and butter, then rolling and folding repeatedly to create multiple thin layers. When baked at a high temperature, the moisture in the butter converts to steam, causing the dough to rise and create a flaky texture.
There are a few basic differences in the three doughs. In addition to the layers of butter, the doughs have the following ingredients:
- Puff pastry - flour, water, and salt
- Croissant dough - flour, yeast, salt, milk, and sometimes sugar
- Danish dough - flour, yeast, salt, milk, and sugar
The yeast in the croissant and Danish pastry helps create a lighter, softer texture, while puff pastry bakes up drier, flakier, and crispier.
All three doughs can create delicious sweet or savory pastries, each with its own unique texture and flavor. Puff pastry delivers a crisp, buttery crunch, while croissant dough has a softer, slightly chewy bite with a touch of richness, and Danish dough will be sweeter with a slightly denser texture. No matter which one you choose, the result will be delicious and satisfying!
How to make chocolate croissants with puff pastry
Thaw the puff pastry
Remove the puff pastry sheet from the freezer and thaw according to the package instructions - be sure to plan ahead so it's thawed when you're ready to assemble your bites. We like to thaw our puff pastry in the refrigerator overnight to make sure it is thawed, yet still cold.
PRO TIP: Puff pastry will dry out quickly. To prevent this, cover any dough you're not using with a clean linen cloth to help retain moisture.
Make your egg wash
An egg wash is frequently used in baking. It helps create a beautiful golden brown color and adds a glossy shine to baked pastry. It also helps to seal the edges of pastry together when folding or rolling.
Make your egg wash by adding your egg and water in a small bowl and whisking until well combined. Set aside until ready to use.
Prepare the chocolate and puff pastry
Cut your chocolate into small pieces about ½ inch x 1 inch (image 1) and set aside until ready to assemble croissants. Place the sheet of thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured surface (image 2). Gently roll the pastry out to smooth out the fold lines (image 3). Cut the pastry square into 4 equal sized strips (image 4).
Forming our shortcut chocolate croissants
Start with one strip of puff pastry and lightly brush one long edge with egg wash. Then, line up your chocolate pieces along the length of the pastry, close to the egg-washed edge (image 5). Roll the opposite, non-egg-washed, pastry edge over the chocolate (image 6). Continue rolling the pastry edge under the chocolate and press on the egg-washed edge (image 7) to help seal the edge. You'll have a log-roll of the chocolate filled puff pastry (image 8). Repeat with remaining puff pastry strips and chocolate.
Cut into mini sized croissants
Cut each chocolate filled puff pastry roll into 7 equal sized pieces, between each chocolate square (image 9). If using different sized chocolate, just cut each rolled pastry log into 7 equal pieces. Place the mini puff pastry chocolate croissants on a lined baking sheet 1-2 inches apart (image 10).
Bake
Brush the tops and sides of each mini chocolate croissant bite with your egg wash and bake until golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack to cool.
Make ahead of time
You can definitely make these ahead of time. They can be served cold, room temperature, or heated until warm.
You can also form these mini croissants and bake later - DO NOT brush with egg wash until ready to bake.
Store in the refrigerator for up to a day, remove from fridge, brush with egg wash, and bake.
Freeze them on a sheet pan for 2-3 hours, then place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Remove from the freezer, thaw, brush with egg wash, and bake.
Favorite riffs
Cut your favorite chocolate into pieces or use chocolate chips.
Tip: Avoid using shaved chocolate, as it can make it difficult to achieve the right chocolate-to-pastry ratio, resulting in a less satisfying bite.
We love these in bite-size portions, but you can make them any size you like! Simply cut the puff pastry to the desired width, fill with chocolate, roll, and bake. Keep in mind that baking time may vary depending on the size - just be sure to bake until the pastry is a golden brown and fully cooked.
Saving Leftovers
These easy chocolate croissants are best eaten the day they are baked, but they will last in an airtight container on the counter 2-3 days or in the fridge up to a week.
Putting together a pastry board?
Try some of our other favorite breakfast pastries!
More favorite puff pastry recipes
FAQ's
The oven temperature needs to be hot (425°F) for the moisture in the butter to convert to steam causing the layers of dough to puff up. If your oven is not hot enough you'll have soggy, uncooked dough.
If the dough is too warm the pastry may not rise as much. Make sure the dough is cold before placing it in the hot oven for the best results.
Use your favorite chocolate bar or even chocolate chips. A semi-sweet chocolate will produce a sweeter bite, while a bittersweet, or higher cacao percentage, will make a bite that is less sweet. Cut your chocolate into small, even pieces for easier rolling. If the chocolate has uneven edges or is varying sizes, it may take a little extra practice to shape and cut the croissants properly.
We used mini Hershey bars because they're easy to find and break into uniform pieces, making them perfect for these bite-sized croissants.
📖 Recipe
Easy Puff Pastry Mini Chocolate Croissants
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 27 bites 1x
Description
These bite-sized, puff pastry chocolate croissants come together quick and easy with just 3 ingredients! They're cute and delicious as a breakfast pastry, mid-day snack, or dessert.
Ingredients
- 7 snack size chocolate bars (about 91 grams chocolate)
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 1 egg
- 1 Tablespoon Water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F.
- Make your egg wash by whisking the egg and water together in a small dish. Set aside until needed.
- Cut the snack bars into squares. (We used Hershey’s snack bars and they break into 4 uniform squares per bar. If you are using different chocolate, cut into equal sized pieces or chop into small pieces that can be spread evenly.)
- Unfold a sheet of thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured board and roll just to smooth out the folds.
- Along the long edge, cut pastry into four strips. The pastry strips should be somewhere around 2 ½ inches x 9 inches.
- Start with one strip of puff pastry and lightly brush the long edge with some egg wash.
- Place 7 small chocolate pieces the length of the pastry close to the egg-washed edge. A small space between each square is fine and will make cutting the pastry easier.
- Roll the opposite (non-egg-washed) side over the chocolate and continue to roll the pastry over the chocolate pressing the final roll onto the egg washed side to seal.
- Repeat with the remaining chocolate and strips of pastry.
- Cut the rolled chocolate pastry between each chocolate piece so you have seven bite-sized pieces.
- Place the pieces on a lined baking sheet leaving about an inch of space between each.
- Once all bite-sized pieces are on the baking sheet, lightly brush the tops and sides with egg wash.
- Bake in a 425° F oven for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Chocolate. Use candy bar rectangles, chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate. If using chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, sprinkle the chocolate the length of the pastry. It may be a little more time consuming to roll and cut if the chocolate is not in uniform pieces.
To serve. Serve cold, room temperature, or warm. Drizzle with melted chocolate or sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. NOTE: We think they are sweet enough and don’t need this topping, but it does look fancy!
Make these any size. We love these mini bites, but you can make them larger. Cut your puff pastry to the desired width, add chocolate, roll, and bake. Keep in mind that baking times may vary based on the size. Be sure to bake until the pastry is a golden brown and fully cooked.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Pastry/Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bite
- Calories: 70
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 25.6 mg
- Fat: 4.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 6.3 g
- Protein: 1.1 g
- Cholesterol: 6.9 mg
Rhonda @ Appetizer Bliss says
We love chocolate croissants and these were a cute take on them. Easy and quick to make!