I’m sharing a bakery-worthy recipe for chocolate-filled croissants that deliver crisp, buttery layers enveloping rich chocolate—perfect for breakfast indulgence or elegant coffee service.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I love how these pastries strike the perfect balance: the outer layers are shatteringly flaky and golden, while the interior remains tender and filled with melted chocolate. Crafting them feels like a weekend challenge, but the rewards are worth every fold—especially served warm with a steaming drink.
ingredients
(Here’s a tip: Check out the full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below.)
For the dough
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Bread flour or all-purpose flour
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Instant or active-dry yeast
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Sugar or honey
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Water and milk (for hydration and richness)
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Unsalted butter
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Salt
For the butter block
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High-fat unsalted European-style butter
For the filling and finishing
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Semi‑sweet or bittersweet chocolate batons or strips
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Egg wash (egg yolk and cream) (for shine and color)
directions
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I make a lean yeast dough by mixing flour, yeast, sweetener, salt, water, and milk. After kneading, I chill it briefly so it’s easier to work with.
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While the dough chills, I prepare the butter block—flattening cold butter between parchment into a square.
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I roll out the dough, encase the butter block, and perform folds and rolls (lamination) to create many flaky layers. I chill the dough between folds for crisp texture.
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Once laminated, I roll the dough into a large rectangle and cut it into smaller rectangles sized for chocolate filling.
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On each rectangle I place a strip of chocolate near one short edge, then roll up into a tight log—chocolate seam-side down.
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I proof the shaped croissants until they puff noticeably, then brush with egg wash for that glossy finish.
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I bake at high temperature until golden brown and fully risen, then let them cool slightly before serving.
Servings and timing
I typically get 6 to 12 pain au chocolat, depending on size. Active preparation takes about 1–1½ hours, including dough prep, lamination, shaping, and proofing. Bulk of the process requires several resting or chill periods—usually spread across 2 days (or 1 full day with an overnight rest). Baking takes around 20–25 minutes. Overall, I plan for 10–14 hours, much of which is passive chilling and resting.
Variations
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I sometimes fill with dark, milk, or even flavored chocolate bars like hazelnut or orange‑infused.
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For shortcuts, I’ve used store‑bought puff pastry—though it’s flakier, it misses the tender, airy crumb of proper croissant dough.
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I also shape shorter rectangles and pipe pastry cream or Nutella inside for alternative fillings.
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Sprinkling coarse sugar on top before baking adds a sweet, crunchy finish.
storage/reheating
I store cooled croissants in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To refresh, I warm them briefly in a low oven—this restores crispness and melts the chocolate beautifully. I can also freeze baked croissants for up to 1 month and reheat directly from frozen for optimal texture.
FAQs
What’s the difference between these and puff pastry chocolate rolls?
I use yeast-leavened croissant dough, which yields a soft, bread-like interior layered with butter. Puff pastry has no yeast and results in a drier, crisp-only texture—less tender and less airy.
Can I simplify this recipe by skipping yeast dough?
Yes, pre-made puff pastry shortcuts exist, but the authentic croissant dough produces superior flavor, rise, and interior texture that’s worth the extra effort.
How do I prevent chocolate from leaking?
I place chocolate at the center bottom of each rectangle, roll tightly, and proof seam-side down. Chilling the dough before shaping helps maintain structure.
How do I know when the dough is proofed enough?
They should double in size, feel puffy and pillowy to touch, and hold their shape—proofing in a cool, humid environment slows fermentation and prevents over-proofing.
Can I freeze them before baking?
Yes—I freeze shaped, unbaked croissants individually and thaw in the fridge overnight before proofing and baking. I also freeze baked croissants and reheat from frozen.
Conclusion
I find making chocolate croissants at home deeply satisfying—each crisp, golden layer yielding to velvety chocolate inside feels gourmet and comforting. The process is time-consuming, but I enjoy the ritual of rolling, chilling, and smelling that buttery dough develop. I hope I feel inspired to tackle this project soon and share warm, flaky croissants fresh from the oven!
Print
Homemade Chocolate Croissants (Pain au Chocolat)
- Total Time: ~5 h 39 m
- Yield: 12 croissants
Description
Deliciously flaky, buttery pain au chocolat made with a streamlined “easy-ish” croissant dough, filled with melting dark chocolate and baked until golden and irresistibly crisp.
Ingredients
¾ cup (165 ml) water
½ cup (115 ml) whole milk
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
2½ tsp instant yeast
4 cups (480 g) bread flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
4 Tbsp (56 g) unsalted European-style butter, cubed and softened
20 Tbsp (280 g) unsalted European-style butter, chilled and cubed (for lamination)
¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour (to mix with butter)
12–24 chocolate batons or chopped dark chocolate bars
1 large egg yolk + 1 Tbsp heavy cream (for egg wash)
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or by hand), combine water, milk, yeast, sugar, bread flour, salt and the 4 Tbsp softened butter. Mix on low until a dough forms, then knead about 5 minutes until smooth and slightly elastic.
Shape into a rough rectangle, wrap and chill ~15 minutes in freezer. Meanwhile, mix chilled butter cubes with ¼ cup flour to form a butter block.
Enclose butter block inside dough, then laminate by rolling and folding per shortcut or classic method. This recipe uses one streamlined lamination step to produce layered dough more quickly.
After folding, chill and allow dough to rest/proof for ~4 to 4½ hours, or longer if following an overnight plan.
Roll dough into a rectangle and cut into rectangles. Place chocolate batons or a few strips of chopped chocolate at one end of each, then roll up into pain au chocolat shapes.
Arrange on parchment‑lined baking sheets, leaving space to proof. Let rise for about 2–3 hours in a warm, humid environment (cover with plastic and/or inside a plastic-lined tent) until puffy and jiggly.
Preheat oven to high (around 425–450 °F / 220–230 °C). Just before baking, brush with egg wash and mist baking tray with water or spritz inside oven for steam to encourage oven-spring.
Bake for 20–24 minutes until deeply golden, rotating trays halfway and optionally brushing again with melted butter or egg wash.
Cool briefly (about 10 minutes), dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired, and serve warm or at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Proofing + Resting:: ~4 h 30 m
- Cook Time: 24 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
