Twice-Baked Chocolate Croissants

In Seattle, there is a little slice of heaven called Bakery Nouveau. Many regulars believe that it is the closest thing to a French bakery outside of France itself. They have the most delectable twice-baked chocolate croissants, which have served as the very inspiration for this recipe.

In this easy recipe, you won’t have to fuss with making croissants from scratch. That’s right – no technical baking required. Instead, you’ll focus your attention on making the delicious, chocolatey filling, while grabbing a dozen of croissants from your favorite bakery. Gotta love a shortcut, right?

Reminiscent of pain au chocolat, these twice-baked croissants are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and stuffed with a luscious filling of chocolate and Nutella. Chocolate lovers unite!

How to Make Twice-Baked Chocolate Croissants

To make twice-baked chocolate croissants, there’s no need to prepare croissants from scratch. In this recipe, you will use store or bakery-bought croissants and spruce them up with chocolate filling and an orange-vanilla syrup soak. Below, find a quick overview of the recipe:

• Make Orange-Vanilla Syrup: Preheat the oven. Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add vanilla extract and orange juice. Remove from heat.
• Slice and Soak Croissants: Slice croissants lengthwise. Using a pastry brush, spread the syrup evenly amongst all the halves.
• Make the Filling: Melt dark chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between. Once melted, stir in Nutella. Spoon filling into the bottom half of each croissant, covering with the top half of the croissant to seal the filling inside. Brush syrup on each croissant top.
• Bake: Bake in the oven. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
• Serve: Serve warm or cool.

Tips for the Best Twice-Baked Chocolate Croissants

Below, find our tips for making the best twice-baked chocolate croissants.

• Use day-old croissants. Day-old croissants work best for this recipe. Since they are a bit stale, they can hold up to the syrup and the weight of the filling.
• Add rum to your syrup. Boil a couple of tablespoons of rum in your syrup to add a little extra kick to your croissants. Golden or dark rum will work the best (they tend to have a more spicy flavor profile).
• Add crushed nuts. If you like a crunch, add some crushed nuts on top of your chocolate filling. Pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts are great options.
• Drizzle chocolate on the top. Save a bit of chocolate filling for drizzling on top of your croissants for some extra decorative flair.
• Save time and make-ahead. These croissants are great for making ahead. Assemble them 1-2 days early and store in the fridge in an airtight container until you are ready to bake.
• Use a flour sifter to sprinkle on powdered sugar. Powdered sugar is prone to getting lumpy while hanging out in storage. Loosen up the lumps by sifting it through a flour sifter or a fine mesh sieve.
• Don’t overfill your croissants. To prevent chocolate from squirting out the sides when you bite in, make sure not to overfill your croissants.

Storing Twice-Baked Chocolate Croissants

Store twice-baked chocolate croissants in an airtight container on your countertop. They will stay fresh for up to 3 days. If you’d like to eat them warm, reheat them in the oven for a couple of minutes. Just make sure you don’t reheat them too long, as the chocolate will melt out of the sides.

FAQ

More of Chocolate Treats

• Drunken Cherry Cake – Rich cherry liqueur cake
• Cheesecake Chocolate Cupcakes – Sweet and tangy cupcakes
• Strawberry Chocolate Cake – Fruity and rich chocolate cake
• Easy Gluten-Free Nutella Cookies – Chocolate hazelnut no-flour cookies

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Recipe

Twice-Baked Chocolate Croissant

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Servings

12 servings

Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

Total Time 1 hr 5 mins

Recipe contributed by: Natalya Drozhzhin

These twice-baked chocolate croissants will transport you right to the streets of Paris! Skip out on the hard work and get amazing results!

Ingredients

• 12 mini croissants
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup Nutella

US Units – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. In a saucepan, mix together sugar and water, bringing it to a boil. Add vanilla extract and orange juice. Remove from the heat.
  
• Slice croissants in half lengthwise. Using a pastry brush, soak croissants with syrup on both sides. Note: Croissants will be wet, but will dry out during baking.
  
• Melt dark chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each. Once chocolate chips are completely melted, stir in the Nutella until smooth.
  
• Spread a spoonful of chocolate filling into each croissant bottom (optional: sprinkle on crushed nuts). Cover with the croissant top. Use a pastry brush to spread syrup on the top of each croissant. Repeat until all croissants are filled.
  
• Bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve!
  

Nutrition Facts

Twice-Baked Chocolate Croissant

Amount Per Serving

Calories 123 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Fat 5g8%

Saturated Fat 5g25%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 1mg0%

Sodium 13mg1%

Potassium 102mg3%

Carbohydrates 19g6%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 16g18%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 22IU0%

Vitamin C 5mg6%

Calcium 34mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.