These Cream Cheese Croissants are sweet, flaky, and impossibly easy to make with just four simple ingredients. Puff pastry gets filled with a smooth, lightly tangy cream cheese filling, rolled up into mini croissants, and baked until golden and warm. They are the kind of treat that looks impressive but comes together in under 45 minutes.
Recipe Highlights
- Just four ingredients: Puff pastry, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and butter are all you need to make these from scratch.
- Flaky and golden: Store bought puff pastry does all the heavy lifting, giving you those beautiful flaky layers without any complicated dough work.
- Sweet with a hint of tang: The powdered sugar sweetens the cream cheese filling without any gritty texture, and the cream cheese adds just the right amount of tanginess to balance it out.
- Ready in under 45 minutes: With only 20 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of bake time, these come together fast enough for a weekend breakfast or last minute dessert.
- Easy to double: Use both sheets of puff pastry and double the filling to make 16 croissants for a crowd.
Ingredients in Cream Cheese Croissants
- Puff pastry is the base of this recipe and does the work of creating all those beautiful flaky layers. We used one sheet of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (from a 17.3 ounce box) for this recipe. Since puff pastry is a frozen dough, plan ahead and allow it to thaw for 30 to 40 minutes before using, or until the dough is pliable and easy to work with.
- Cream cheese gives the filling its rich, slightly tangy flavor. Full fat cream cheese works best here, and it needs to be fully softened before beating so the mixture comes together smooth. Four ounces is half of a standard 8 ounce brick.
- Powdered sugar sweetens the cream cheese filling without adding any gritty sugar texture. Granulated sugar does not work as a substitute here since it will not blend in the same way.
- Unsalted butter, melted and brushed over the tops of the croissants before baking, gives them that gorgeous golden finish. Only unsalted butter has been tested in this recipe, but in a pinch you can use one egg whisked with a few teaspoons of water as an egg wash instead.
Tips for the Best Cream Cheese Croissants
Find the full instructions in the recipe card below, but here are a few tips to help you get the best results.
- Roll the dough loosely, but not too loose. A looser roll creates flakier layers, but if it is too loose the croissant will lose its shape in the oven. Aim for a snug but gentle roll.
- Tuck the tip underneath. Before placing each croissant on the baking sheet, make sure the pointed end of the dough is tucked underneath the croissant. This keeps it from lifting and unrolling during baking.
- Do not overfill. Place just one eighth of the cream cheese mixture on each piece of dough. It is fine if a little oozes out during baking, but too much filling will make them difficult to roll and seal.
- Do not try to cut more than eight pieces from a single sheet of puff pastry. If you want to make more, use the second sheet from the box and double the filling ingredients.
- Make sure the cream cheese is fully softened before beating. Cold cream cheese will leave lumps in the filling that do not beat out easily.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover cream cheese croissants in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three to four days. To reheat, place them in the air fryer at 390°F for three to five minutes, or until warmed through and crispy again.
Cream Cheese Croissants Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out the thawed puff pastry to about 10 by 12 inches.
- Cut the dough in half to make two 6 by 10 inch pieces. Cut each piece in half again to make four 3 by 10 inch strips. Cut each strip diagonally to make 8 triangles.
- Beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar with a handheld mixer until smooth.
- Place one eighth of the cream cheese mixture on the wide end of each triangle.
- Starting at the cream cheese end, roll each piece up to the tip. Tuck the tip underneath and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush the melted butter over the tops of all the croissants.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden. Let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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FAQs
Will I have leftover cream cheese mixture? You might end up with a small amount left over, but the filling should mostly fit inside the croissant dough. A little bit of filling oozing out during baking is completely normal and nothing to worry about.
How do I keep the tip of the croissant from rising while baking? Tuck the tip or pointed end of the dough underneath the croissant before placing it on the baking sheet. This holds it in place and keeps the croissant from unrolling as it bakes.
Can I make these ahead of time? Yes! You can assemble the croissants, place them on the baking sheet, and refrigerate them for a few hours before baking. You can also bake them fully and reheat in the air fryer before serving.
Can I use crescent roll dough instead of puff pastry? Crescent roll dough will work as a substitute and makes a softer, more bread-like croissant. Puff pastry gives you a flakier, more layered result, but either way the cream cheese filling is delicious.
Can I add anything to the filling? Absolutely. A little vanilla extract stirred into the cream cheese mixture adds a warm, bakery-style flavor. You could also add a small spoonful of jam or fruit preserves on top of the cream cheese before rolling for a fruity twist.
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These Cream Cheese Croissants are warm, flaky, and just sweet enough to feel like a treat — and once you see how easy they are to make, they are going to become a regular in your kitchen!
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