These Chocolate Hazelnut Croissants are one of my favourite ways to use up leftover, stale croissants. This combo is SO good, kinda like Nutella but better with the roasted hazelnut flavour shining through. They’re crispy, flaky, and the melted chocolate inside just takes them to another level.
If you like buying almond croissants at your favourite bakery, try out these hazelnut croissants. They're nutty and chocolaty and dare I say, you might even like them better than the almond croissants?
Twice baked croissants are the best way to repurpose stale croissants and make something amazing out of them. In fact, a lot of bakeries do exactly that. Instead of throwing away the left over croissants that didn't sell, they repurpose them into things like almond croissant and other twice baked croissants.
Ingredients for the chocolate croissant:
- A few day old stale croissants - no surprise there
- Dark chocolate - you can use semi sweet as well or a mix if you prefer. The filling will be sweet as well so take that into account so it doesn't become too sweet
- Raw hazelnuts
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Butter
- Salt
- Powdered sugar
Tips to help you make the best Chocolate Hazelnut Croissants
- Use stale croissants - The purpose of this recipe is to use up old stale croissants. They soak up the flavour better as they have less moisture.
- To easily remove the skins - Wrap the hot roasted hazelnuts in a kitchen towel for 10-15 minutes to steam in there. Then using the towel, rub them while they're still inside. Like, grab the sides and just rub back and forth. The steam loosened the skins up and they come off more easily.
- Don't cook the syrup too much - By cooking it for too long, once the syrup cools down, it will harden like candy.
- Let the croissants cool after baking - the chocolate is still hot and runny inside and needs a while to cool down. Don't burn yourself
Make the Hazelnut Cream
Start with raw hazelnuts. Roast them at 350°F for 15-20 minutes. Steam in a towel for 10 minutes, then peel them by rubbing inside the towel and let them cool down.
Grind the hazelnuts into a fine powder. Make sure not to grind them in a blender or food processor for too long. It will release fat and turn into hazelnut butter. Beat sugar and butter until fluffy, add eggs, then mix in some of the hazelnut flour and salt. Make sure it's all combined. Add to a piping bag or just leave it in the bowl and set aside.
The Hazelnut Syrup
Simply mix sugar, water and 2 tablespoons of the ground hazelnuts. Cook for about 10 minutes and let it cool.
Assemble & bake the filled croissants
Slice the stale croissants in half horizontally without cutting through completely. Brush both cut sides with hazelnut syrup.
Spread hazelnut filling on the bottom half with a spoon or a piping bag and sprinkle with chopped chocolate. Close the croissant, spread some filling on top, and sprinkle with chopped raw hazelnuts.
Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes until crispy. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
FAQ
Can I use fresh croissants instead of stale ones?
Slightly stale croissants work best as they absorb the syrup and filling better, but fresh croissants can be used if needed.
Can I use store-bought hazelnut flour?
Yes, store-bought hazelnut flour can save time and is a convenient alternative to making it from scratch.
Can I add other fillings or toppings to these croissants?
Absolutely! You can add ingredients like caramel, additional spices, or even a bit of sea salt for extra flavor.
Storing the croissants
Store them in an airtight container for 3-5 days at room temp. Reheat them in a toaster oven or microwave
Happy Baking!
Chocolate Hazelnut Croissants
Ingredients
- 7 - croissants slightly stale
- ¾ cup - dark chocolate chopped, can use semisweet or a combination
- ⅓ cup - raw hazelnuts chopped, for the top
- 2 cups - raw hazelnuts to make hazelnut flour
- - powdered sugar for the top
Filling
- 1 ¼ cup - hazelnut flour (166g)
- ½ cup - sugar (100g)
- 2 - large eggs
- ½ cup - butter, room temp (112g)
- ¼ teaspoon - salt to taste, I like it saltier
Syrup
- ⅓ cup - water (118mL)
- ⅓ cup - sugar (66g)
- 2 tablespoon - hazelnut flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 and spread 2 cups hazelnuts in a single layer, on a lined baking pan. Roast the hazelnuts for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from oven, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and let it steam for about 10 minutes.
- Rub the hazelnuts in the kitchen towel to remove the most of the skins. Let it cool and place in blender or food processor to grind to a powder. Be careful not to overdo it cuz it will become hazelnut butter.
- Make the Syrup: Combine sugar, water and 1½ tablespoon of hazelnut flour in a medium pot. Cook the mixture over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Take off heat and let it cool.
- Make the Filling: Add butter and ½ cup sugar to a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Crack in the eggs and beat until combined. Add in 1 ¼ cup of the hazelnut flour and salt. Beat until combined. Taste to see if you want more salt or not (I like it slightly saltier for the salted nut effect).
- Assemble: Slice day old (slightly stale) croissants in half horizontally, making sure to not cut all the way through. Liberally brush both cut sides with the hazelnut syrup.
- Using a piping bag or a spoon, spread the hazelnut filling on the bottom half. Sprinkle on the chopped chocolate.
- Close the croissant and spread a line of the filling across the top and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts (unroasted). Repeat with the rest of the croissants and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until nice and crispy. Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 mins before removing from pan.
- Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Huzaifah Sheikh says
I have tried these and they were super amazing and literally this is the best way to use stale crossiants. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.