I am sharing how to make Nutella croissants with puff pastry (or crescent rolls) in the oven and air fryer. When I want a fancy breakfast with minimal effort, I opt for these easy Nutella croissants!
You need just two ingredients to make them and both are easily available and can be stocked up. This way when the cravings hit, you can whip up a batch of homemade Nutella croissants in less than 30 mins. The combination of a warm croissant with melted Nutella is mouth-watering. If you love Nutella you must try this Nutella Milkshake too.
About Nutella Croissants
A croissant is a popular French crescent-shaped, buttery flaky pastry and a common continental breakfast in Europe and now worldwide. Traditionally croissants are made by layering the dough with butter then rolling and folding it several times. This process of folding the butter into dough multiple times is called laminating and results in a layered flaky texture just like the puff pastry. For this recipe, to keep things simple, quick, and easy, I use a store-bought puff pastry which saves so much time and gives great results. To make it even better these croissants are filled with Nutella for that ultimate deliciousness. You can also add other sweet or savory fillings! Instead of puff pastry, you can also use crescent rolls. Both give great results but the texture is different for both. Crescent dough croissants are not flaky like puff pastry ones and have their own texture and taste, which is delicious too! So it is totally up to your preference what texture you like. Either way, both are delicious!
Recipe Ingredients
Puff Pastry: This is the base for croissants. Use thawed puff pastry sheet which is still cold. I have tried puff pastry from Pepperidge farms and Traderjoes brands and both give great results. Instead of puff pastry, you can also use a can of Pillsbury crescent rolls. The procedure remains the same, but the texture varies depending on the base used. Nutella: This is a chocolate hazelnut spread that is always stocked up in my pantry and readily available in most grocery stores and online. You can swap it with your favorite chocolate spread or even use peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, or almond butter, or swap for a savory filling or even cheese. See Variations below for more options. Milk: This is optional and the substitute for the egg wash to keep things eggless. If you prefer the egg wash mix 1 whole egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Please refer to the recipe card for exact measurements of ingredients.
How To Make Nutella Croissants with Puff Pastry (Step-by-Step Method)
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and keep it aside. 1 - Sprinkle a cutting board, or clean a flat surface lightly with flour. Spread the puff pastry sheet, and sprinkle it lightly with flour too(if required). With a rolling pin, roll out the puff pastry until it is smooth and even. 2 - Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the puff pastry into triangles (I cut mine into 6). 3 - Place about ½ tablespoon of Nutella on the wide end of each triangle. 4 - Spread it out using a spoon (optional). 5 - Starting with the wide end of the triangle and going towards the narrow end, roll the triangle tightly into a croissant shape. 6 - You can use milk to seal the edge. 7 - Place the rolled croissant on the lined baking sheet. Brush the top of each croissant with milk (or egg wash) 8 - Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the croissants are golden and flaky. You can also air fry them at 350°F for 15 mins or until golden and flaky.
How To Make Nutella Croissants with Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (Step-by-Step Method)
9- Open the package and carefully remove the dough. Spread the dough onto a cutting board or flat surface. Cut it following the pre-cut (perforated)lines (8 triangles). 10 - Place about ½ tablespoon (more or less, depending on your preference) of Nutella on the wide end of each triangle, and spread it out using a spoon (optional) 11 - Starting with the wide end of the triangle and going towards the narrow end, roll the triangle tightly into a croissant shape. You can use milk to seal the edge 12 - Place the rolled croissant on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the croissants are golden. You can also air fry them at 350°F for 8-10 mins or until golden.
Variations
Banana Nutella Croissants - Layer on sliced bananas over Nutella before rolling. Strawberries and raspberries are other choices that work well too. Chocolate croissants - To make it even more chocolatey, add some chocolate chips or chopped chocolate on top of Nutella or skip Nutella and use just chocolate. Nutella Peanut Butter croissants - Instead of Nutella, use your favorite hazelnut or chocolate spread or even peanut butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter. Add nuts - sliced almost, chopped walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts will be delicious if you love some crunch to your croissants. Mini Nutella Croissants - to make mini croissants, cut the sheet into half first and then cut each halved sheet into triangles. Cinnamon sugar Nutella Croissants - Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the rolled croissants before baking.
Serving Suggestions
Once the croissants are cooled, dust them with powdered sugar or drizzle more Nutella or melted chocolate, and top them with sliced almonds to make them even fancier!
These Nutella stuffed croissants are delicious for breakfast or snacks on their own or with milk, tea, or coffee. Alternatively, you can pair them with some scrambled eggs or fresh fruits for a delicious breakfast!
Storage Instructions
Nutella croissants are best served fresh but you store leftovers for 3-4 days at room temperature in an airtight container or in the fridge for a week. Before servicing warm them for a few seconds in the microwave (soft warm soft croissants) or a few minutes in the air fryer or oven (for warm crisp croissants).
Recipe Tips
Baking time, temperature, and color of croissants can vary as per your oven, air fryer, and type of puff pasty used. These croissants are made with just two ingredients so recommend using good quality puff pastry as these Nutella croissants will be as good as the puff pastry used. Store-bought puff pastry makes it easy, and convenient to make these croissants. They are easily available in the freezer section of most grocery stores. You can use whichever brand you like best. But you can make your own puff pastry dough too. Brushing the croissants with milk or egg wash results in golden brown color on baking. You can skip the wash in which case the croissant will be dull and pale but still delicious. If you’re concerned about Nutella leaking out, don’t spread it all the way through and press the ends and seal it to make it secure.
More Puff Pastry Recipes
I hope you enjoy this Nutella Croissants recipe !! If you try this recipe, please rate it by clicking stars ⭐️ on the recipe card. Thank you ❤️! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see what’s cooking in my kitchen!!
Recipe Card
Update Notes: This post was originally published on Apr 22, 2012, but was republished with, step-by-step instructions, new photos, tips, and a video in Dec of 2022.
