Easy Puff Pastry Chocolate Croissants
These Easy Puff Pastry Chocolate Croissants are buttery, flaky, and filled with rich melted chocolate, all made with store-bought puff pastry in about 30 minutes. No special baking skills required, just a few simple ingredients and a hot oven. They look like they came from a French patisserie and taste even better than they look.
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Pastry brush
- Sharp knife or pastry cutter
- Small mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 sheet store-bought puff pastry thawed in the refrigerator overnight
- 3 oz dark or semi-sweet chocolate good-quality bar, broken into pieces, or chocolate batons
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water for egg wash
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar for dusting after baking, optional
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt optional, for topping before baking
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour for dusting the work surface
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Lightly flour a clean work surface. Unroll or unfold the thawed puff pastry sheet. If it feels warm or sticky, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before continuing.
- Cut the puff pastry into triangles. First slice the sheet in half lengthwise down the center, then cut each half diagonally to create triangles. You should get 6 to 8 triangles total.
- Place 1 to 2 pieces of chocolate at the wide base of each pastry triangle. Leave a small border around the edges to prevent the filling from leaking during baking.
- Starting at the wide end, roll each triangle firmly toward the pointed tip, gently stretching the tip as you roll. Once rolled, curve the ends inward slightly to form a classic crescent shape. Place each croissant on the prepared baking sheet with the tip tucked underneath, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Brush each croissant generously with the beaten egg wash. If desired, sprinkle a small pinch of flaky sea salt over the top of each one before baking.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until the croissants are deeply golden brown and puffed. Begin checking at the 14-minute mark to avoid over-browning.
- Remove from the oven and allow the croissants to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Dust lightly with powdered sugar if desired and serve warm.
Notes
Keep puff pastry cold throughout the process for the flakiest layers. If the dough softens while working, refrigerate for 10 minutes before continuing. For extra flaky results, chill the shaped croissants for 15 minutes before baking. Do not overfill with chocolate or it will bubble out and burn. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To reheat, place in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes. Unbaked shaped croissants can be frozen for up to 1 month and baked directly from frozen with 4 to 5 extra minutes added to the bake time.