I Tried the Viral 3-Ingredient Chocolate Croissants, and I’m Absolutely Baking Them on Christmas Morning

I love any baked good, but especially buttery, laminated pastries. However, one thing I don’t love as much is how much time they take to make. If you’ve ever made puff pastry, you know exactly what I’m talking about. When I was younger, I once made croissants from scratch with my grandpa, and all that time chilling, laminating, and folding the dough was enough for me to never do it again. 

So when I came across this TikTok for 2-ingredient croissants (technically 3, more on that below) that come together in less than an hour, I instantly was intrigued. Minimal ingredients mean minimal cleanup, and I can enjoy the sweet treat sooner. I quickly rounded up the ingredients and got to baking. 

Get the Recipe: 3-Ingredient Croissants

While the TikTok video touts them as 2-ingredient croissants, technically you need three: puff pastry, dark chocolate, and egg. To make the croissants, first melt 4.6 ounces (or 1/2 cup) of chopped dark chocolate. I used a dark chocolate bar with hazelnuts, which added extra texture, and microwaved it in a bowl in 30-second increments. 

Next, unroll one of the puff pastry sheets (it should be thawed already!) and spread the melted dark chocolate on top, getting as close to the edge as possible. Place the second sheet of puff pastry on top. Then, cut the pastry all the way through both sheets into large triangles (as shown in the video). Roll the triangles up from the bigger end to the tip, then place the croissants on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Make a quick egg wash by beating one egg, and brush it onto each croissant. (This will make the baked croissant nice and shiny!) Bake in a 375°F oven for about 25 minutes until golden brown and crispy. 

In high school French class, I made a variation of these using puff pastry and Nutella, so I already knew these would be good. The croissants have beautiful distinct layers, and the egg wash really gives them that fresh-out-of-a-French-patisserie look. 

The taste is equally as impressive. The outer layers of the pastry are flaky, while the inner layers are more doughy and chewy. I’m a big fan of dark chocolate already, but I think it works perfectly here. It’s not overly sweet, and the bitterness helps cut through some of the fattiness of the buttery, doughy pastry. (Milk chocolate would be too sweet and one-note here IMO.) These croissants are especially delicious warm right out of the oven. They easily look like something you’d see in a coffee shop window and would impress any guests you had over. 

• Let your pastry come to room temp: I defrosted my store-bought frozen puff pastry overnight in the refrigerator and only pulled it out when I was ready to make the croissants. However, once I poured the melted chocolate on top, the chocolate hardened a bit, which made it slightly difficult to roll up. If the pastry was at room temperature, this probably wouldn’t have happened.  
• Try flavored chocolate: As mentioned above, I used dark chocolate with hazelnuts mixed in, which provided just the slightest bit of crunch. But play around with the flavor of your chocolate to add a bit more intrigue — I think an orange or raspberry dark chocolate would be lovely. 

Get the Recipe: 3-Ingredient Croissants

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: I Tried the Viral 3-Ingredient Chocolate Croissants, and They're (Almost) as Good as the Ones I Ate in Paris