These easy Mini Puff Pastry Chocolate Hazelnut Croissants are creamy, buttery, and so delicious warm, right out of the oven! Mini croissants, a great sweet treat, are perfect for a special breakfast or afternoon pick-me-up, and these are no exception. Moreover, they are a great weekend project that requires simple ingredients and minimal effort.
Thanks to the convenience of store-bough puff pastry, you can turn out good, homemade croissants without the fuss associated with the traditional, yeasted dough laminated with butter, that is labor intensive to make. Having said that, make sure the puff pastry you use is not one of those brands that are made with shortening instead of butter. While cheaper, it does not produce the same results.
Ingredients You will Need for the perfect Mini Puff Pastry Chocolate Hazelnut Croissants
What makes this recipe so easy to make is the number of ingredients you will need. If you already have a package of good puff pastry in your freezer then you are probably all set!
- Package of Puff Pastry: For best results, use an all-butter puff pastry found in the frozen aisle of the supermarkets. I used my favorite, Organic Fillo Factory Classic Butter Puff Pastry
- Chocolate Hazelnut Spread: Nutella (or, similar brands such as Bonne Maman, or, Lindt). In a pinch you can also fill them with finely chopped dark chocolate or your favorite jam
- Egg: for the egg wash — this will give your mini croissants a nice, golden color
- Pearl Sugar: this is an elegant but optional topping; you could also use confectionary sugar on the baked croissants
How to make the Mini Puff Pasty Chocolate Hazelnut Croissants
- Roll out the puff pastry into a 12″ long rectangle. Cut it in half vertically and then each half into four triangles
2. Spoon half a tablespoon of chocolate hazelnut spread on the base end of each triangle
3. Spread the chocolate along two third of the length of the triangles, leaving space along the edges and at the peaks
4. Start rolling the triangles from the base to the point, to enclose the filling completely
5. Continue with all triangles, then place them in the refrigerator to chill again
6. Place on a baking sheet, lightly brush with egg wash and sprinkle with pearl sugar
7. Bake in a hot oven and serve warm with some extra spread on the side
Useful tips to work with Puff Pastry
- Keep your puff pastry very cold. Once thawed in the refrigerator, and when pliable enough to work with, it is ready to use
- Use a very hot oven, preheated to 400° F or even at 425° F. If you set the oven to a lower temperature, the puff pastry will not puff
- When rolling out the dough, start from the middle and do not press too much on the dough so you do not compress it
- As tempting as it might be, do not overfill each mini croissant as the chocolate filling will leak out
- Once assembled, return to the refrigerator again to chill the puff pastry dough before baking
Making the Mini Puff Pastry Chocolate Hazelnut Croissants ahead of time
These two-bite mini croissants taste best when they are freshly baked. Prepping time is so quick, that everyone can easily assemble them ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to bake them.
Storing and Freezing
Once you make them, they are best enjoyed fresh. You can also freeze them, unbaked, and store in freezer bags. Thaw in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before baking.
This recipe is a collaboration with Fillo Factory. You can find this favorite puff pastry, along with filo dough, at Whole Foods and several small local stores. I love the quality of the Fillo Factory products and I always make sure to stash a couple of boxes in the freezer!
- A package of all-butter puff pastry (such as Organic Fillo Factory Classic Butter Puff Pastry)
- ½ cup chocolate hazelnut spread (e.g., Nutella or, Bonne Maman)
- 1 large egg
- 2 TBSP. Swedish pearl sugar
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Remove the thawed package of puff pastry from the refrigerator. Allow the puff pastry to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes so it is pliable and easy to work with.
- Prepare the egg wash by mixing the egg together with a little water.
- Working with one piece of puff pastry at a time, unfold it and place it on a lightly floured cutting board. Sprinkle the pastry lightly with some flour and with a rolling pin, (starting from the center) gently roll it out to a 12” long rectangle, making sure not to press the rolling pin too much on the dough.
- With a pizza cutter, or sharp knife, cut the pastry in half vertically and then each half into four triangles (as shown in the process photos).
- Spoon about half a tablespoon of the chocolate hazelnut spread on the base end of each triangle. With an offset spatula, or the back of a spoon, spread the chocolate hazelnut along two thirds the length of the triangles, trying to avoid the edges. Roll the triangles from the larger end towards the point, making certain to enclose the filling completely. Seal the end of the triangles by brushing some egg wash on it.
- Place on the prepared baking sheet with the point end of the triangles at the bottom. Continue with the second piece of puff pastry.
- Once all the mini croissants are on the baking sheet, lightly brush them with the egg wash. Sprinkle with some pearl sugar or turbinado sugar and place the pan in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill the puff pastry again.
- Bake the pastries on the middle rack of the oven for about 15” minutes, or, until they turn golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and serve warm with some extra chocolate spread on the side.
THANK YOU FOR READING AND FOLLOWING ALONG
Your support for my blog is greatly appreciated, please consider reviewing and rating my recipes!
This is my kind of baking. Can’t wait to try them.
Thank you Cynthia, you are going to love them!