Chocolate croissants are a flakey butter pastry filled with chocolate, also called Pain au Chocolat. These French pastries start with buttery croissant dough and they’re easier to make than you think!
If you’ve never had homemade chocolate croissants then you’re in for a real treat. Once you know how to make chocolate croissants you may never want to buy them again. While there is a bit of effort and time involved in making these croissants from scratch, it is all worth it when you take your first bite into that fresh, warm from the oven croissant.
What are chocolate croissants?
Chocolate croissants are a tasty twist on a traditional pastry. Croissants are flakey golden brown crescent-shaped pastry often served at breakfast time or used as sandwiches. These croissants are filled with chocolate though, making them both savory and sweet. Good to the last bite.
Ingredients for homemade Pain Au Chocolat
For the dough you will need:
-Flour: The base of our dough is 4 cups of all purpose flour.
-Sugar: We need 1/3 cup of granulated sugar to help feed the yeast and get our croissants to taste sweet.
-Yeast: We want to use 4 teaspoons of dry yeast. This is about 2 packets of yeast.
-Salt: With just 2 1/2 teaspoons of fine grain salt we can get our flavors to really POP and taste incredible.
-Butter: Butter adds moisture, richness in flavor and helps to get the golden brown color and flakey layers. It does quite a bit of work and the results are worth it.
-Milk: We need 1 1/2 cups of milk to help bring the dough together.
-Eggwash: We need 1 whole egg whisked together with 1 teaspoon of water to use as an egg wash for these croissants just before they get baked.
For the filling you will need:
Chocolate: We will need to use a 10 ounce bag of dark chocolate chips or chocolate shavings to give us the melty chocolate filling are looking for.
How to Make Chocolate Croissants
Don’t let the steps intimidate you; you can do this!
Mix the Croissant Dough
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. (You can use an electric mixer!)
Cut the butter into small cubes and fold into the mixture until butter is coated in flour.
Add in the milk and stir to combine.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface to finish combining if necessary. You want the mixture sticky, but do NOT knead the dough or over incorporate the butter.
Chill the Dough
Wrap the dough in wax paper and place into a zipper topped bag.
Keep in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Roll the Dough Out
After the hour has passed, remove the dough and roll it out on a floured surface until it measures 10×22 inches.
Fold into 3rds like you’re folding a letter.
Rotate 90 degrees. Roll out again. Try to keep it at 10×22 as best as you can.
The more you rotate, fold, and roll your croissant dough the harder it gets. This is normal. Try to get it done at least 4-6 times.
Place in the fridge for at least another hour.
Final Dough Roll Out
Remove dough from the fridge. Cut dough in half.
Roll each section into a long rectangular shape that’s approximately 10×22 inches. Use a pizza cutter to trim rough edges.
Cut the Dough into Rectangles
Cut the rectangle in half and then cut that half in half again, making 4 rectangles.
Fill the rectangles with chocolate chips leaving a 1/2 inch space along the edges.
Add Chocolate & Roll
Secure the dough to close by rolling from one side to the other to form a log.
Proof the dough for at least 2 hours at room temp or up to 4 hours for a lighter croissant.
Whisk egg and mix with a teaspoon of water for egg wash. Brush on tops of croissants.
Bake, then Enjoy!
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and bake for 19-22 minutes or until finished. They should have a flaky and crunchy exterior.
Best eaten when fresh, but the pastries can be kept in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Enjoy!
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CROISSANT
Ingredients
Dough:
- 4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tsp instant dry yeast*
- 2 ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups unsalted butter cold
- 1 ½ cups whole milk cold
- 1 whole egg whisked with a teaspoon of water
Pain au Chocolat:
- 10 oz dark chocolate chips
Instructions
Make the dough -
- Mix dry ingredients in a bowl (flour, sugar, yeast and salt) – combine well. Cut the butter into small cubes/pieces. Fold into the dry mixture until butter pads are coated. Pour in the milk. Stir to combine until mixture is sticky. You may need to turn out onto the counter to finish combining all the dry ingredients until the mixture is sticky. Just be cautious that you do not knead the dough and over-incorporate the butter. Wrap tightly in wax paper or place in a gallon size Ziploc bag. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
- After at least an hour, remove the chilled dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough in a long rectangular shape until it measures about 10 inches by 22 inches. Fold into thirds like you’re folding a letter. Rotate 90 degrees. Roll out again. Try to get it as close to that 10x22 measurement as best as you can. It’s going to get harder and harder to roll the more times you fold it, which is normal. It’s bound to get smaller and smaller as it gains layers. The more times you fold it, the more layers you’ll get. Repeat the rolling / folding / rotating at least four times. Aim for six folds. Refrigerate for at least another hour.
Roll out the dough -
- Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Cut the dough in half - taking time to enjoy the cross section that shows all those layers of goodness that you just rolled out! Roll each section into a long rectangular shape, approximately 10x22in. Using a pizza cutter, cut off any rough edges.
- Cut the rectangle in half, and then that half into halves again - giving you four rectangles. Fill the rectangles with chocolate chips/ diced chocolate, leaving at least ½ inch along the edges to secure the dough to close. Roll from one short side to the other to form a log. Repeat with other half of dough.
- Proof for at least two hours at room temperature. Recommended to proof for about four hours to get a lighter density. Whisk an egg with a dash of water and do an egg wash on the croissants.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake for 19-22 minutes or until desired crispness. Should be flaky and a little crunchy exterior. Best enjoyed fresh but can be placed in an airtight container and will last for several days.
Notes
Nutrition
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What to serve with croissants?
These chocolate croissants are a perfect treat on their own but if your looking for additional ways to serve them up, giving a plateful of croissants and whipped cream or custard is a nice treat. Even fresh fruits like strawberries or bananas would be a great addition of flavor to pair well.
Can croissants be frozen?
Yes, you can place croissants in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 or 4 months. Make sure that they have completely cooled before placing them into said container and let them come to room temperature on the counter before eating to avoid locking moisture into the croissant that could render it soggy.
How long are croissants good for?
Croissants can last about a week if stored at room temperature after being baked. For best results, I recommend eating them fresh from the oven or up to the 3 day mark.
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You’re going to love learning how to make chocolate croissants. This recipe is easy and tasty, even if it is a little time consuming. All your efforts are paid off in the end with a flaky golden crusted bite of heaven!
Chocolate croissants are a flakey butter pastry filled with chocolate, also called Pain au Chocolat. These French pastries start with buttery croissant dough and they’re easier to make than you think!
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