Croissants are a bakery delight. Unfortunately, the delicate outside crispness rapidly fades to a soft exterior, so they’re best on the day they’re baked. Sure it’s possible to make croissants from scratch at home, but not everyone wants to tackle what can be a multi-day project. Frozen croissants are the perfect solution since you can bake exactly the number you’ll need, whether it’s one or a dozen, anytime you want (or need) them.
To help you choose, we researched frozen croissant options, including flavors like chocolate and almond, and then did an at-home taste test to evaluate freshness, flavor, and how easy they were to prepare.
PHOTO: Courtesy of Sur La Table
What We Like
Good quantity
Good for entertaining
Affordable
Bakery-made
Purchased from Sur la Table and shipped directly from the bakery, these are classic croissants that need just a little attention to produce freshly baked treats that rival those from a local bakery. A long, slow thaw and rise on a baking sheet on the kitchen counter give these croissants a head start towards their final form. They need 6-8 hours for that thaw and rise, so you’ll need to plan ahead.
For cooks in a hurry, the rise (after thawing) can be speeded up if the home oven has a proofing setting. After rising, these should be brushed with an egg wash before baking to get the traditional shiny crust, but if eggs are in short supply they can be baked without the wash. This is a box of 15 croissants.
Quantity: 15 | Proof Required: Yes | Egg Wash Required: Optional
PHOTO: Williams Sonoma
These are croissants you can brag about, since they’re made by hand by a master pastry chef, then shipped frozen for the perfect treat for holidays, celebrations, or just a decadent treat. These need an overnight rest at room temperature for about 9 hours to thaw and rise before baking. Then, they just need a quick brush with an egg wash before their trip to the oven. This ships as a pack of 15 or 30 croissants, direct from the bakery.
For taste testing, they were placed on the same baking sheet with other croissants for their overnight rise in a very cool kitchen, and although they thawed, there was no rise. They stayed small during baking but were tasty. Tried again at a warmer room temperature, they achieved the desired rise, and the croissants baked up beautifully.
Quantity: 8, 15, or 30 | Proof Required: Yes | Egg Wash Required: Optional
The Spruce Eats / Donna Currie
PHOTO: Courtesy of Goldbelly
These croissants arrive fully frozen and ready to store in the freezer for that moment when a croissant is required. They’re completely foolproof—these are fully baked so there’s no chance they might overproof while thawing and rising. However, they still require thawing for 3-4 hours at room temperature or 6-8 hours in the refrigerator, and they need to be baked for 3-6 minutes to get them crisped up for perfect serving.
In testing, ours came in bakery boxes with each croissant packaged separately. They seemed to have honey on the exterior along with a mild flavor of orange, making them perfect when served alone. The flavors weren’t overly strong, though, so they’d still be appropriate for sandwiches or with meals.
Quantity: 12 | Proof Required: No | Egg Wash Required: No
The Spruce Eats / Donna Currie
PHOTO: Courtesy of Gourmet Food Store
When you haven’t planned ahead, you can still serve these croissants for breakfast. They’re ideal for unexpected guests and spur-of-the-moment gourmet breakfasts since they don’t need to thaw or rise before baking. Just place these buttery French croissants, frozen, on a baking sheet, brush them with an egg wash, then bake. These can ship in quantities of 15, 30, or 60, so the larger quantities are great for parties, or for families who love croissants for breakfasts and sandwiches on a regular basis.
For testing, the croissants came piled in a plastic bag in an insulated container and arrived perfectly frozen. There were no instructions in the package, so for our first bake, we followed the instructions that came with similar croissants. They rose nicely overnight and baked perfectly. After double-checking the instructions on the seller’s site we baked another batch from frozen. The croissants rose, but not as much as when they were proofed overnight, so we suggest letting them rise before baking unless there’s a serious croissant emergency.
Quantity: 15, 30, or 60 | Proof Required: No | Egg Wash Required: Optional
The Spruce Eats / Donna Currie
PHOTO: Courtesy of SeaBear
While it might seem just a little odd that a company that sells a lot of seafood products would also sell croissants, it makes sense from a shipping standpoint—both products have to arrive frozen to keep their customers happy. These are extra-large croissants that can be used for sandwiches as well as for breakfast pastries. The company suggests baking only four on a baking sheet to keep them from touching during rising and baking. They need to rise overnight, and will nearly triple in size during that time. This is a box of 18 jumbo croissants.
These come packaged in pairs, making it easy to grab them without touching every croissant in the package. Their rise was indeed impressive, and the flavor was just right.
Quantity: 18 | Proof Required: Yes | Egg Wash Required: Optional
The Spruce Eats / Donna Currie
PHOTO: Williams Sonoma
What We Like
Made with French chocolate
Quicker thawing is an option
Made with Valrhona chocolate
Plain butter croissants have a flavor like no other, but when you want something slightly sweet and filled with chocolate, a chocolate croissant is the answer. Luckily you don’t have to head to a bakery or wait long at home, as this set of 12 is shipped frozen. To bake, get one (or more) out of the freezer and let it thaw for 8 hours. If you’re in a hurry, though, you can heat up your oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit, turn off the heat, and place the croissant(s) in the oven for 30 minutes to speed up the process. This is enough time to quickly whisk up an egg wash if you want because the croissants don’t have one.
They bake for 20-22 minutes, meaning the entire process can less than an hour, making these perfect for a decadent breakfast or afternoon treat. Sometimes chocolate croissants lack a bit in how much chocolate is actually inside—these have two bars of dark Valrhona chocolate each.
Quantity: 12 | Proof Required: No | Egg Wash Required: Optional
PHOTO: Courtesy of Nuchas
Argentinian croissants look much like the French version, but they’re a little sweeter along with the distinct buttery flavor of a French croissant. These come with a sweet honey syrup that’s lightly brushed onto the croissants after baking, giving them a crisp, sweet finish. Even though they’re a little sweet, they’re still appropriate for savory uses.
While these aren’t quite last-minute croissants, they only need 30 to 60 minutes to thaw before baking, so there’s no need to plan for them the day before. This includes 16 croissants, packed in two small boxes with eight croissants in each.
Quantity: 8, 16, or 24 | Proof Required: No | Egg Wash Required: No
PHOTO: Courtesy of Williams Sonoma
Mini foods are cute, and mini croissants are no exception. These are perfect for the breakfast buffet, or they can be split and filled for appetizers. Like the full-size version of these croissants, they’re made by hand by a pastry chef and shipped frozen for easy storage for later enjoyment. They require a nine-hour thaw and rise before baking and can be egg-washed before baking for a shiny finish. Then, 15 to 20 minutes in the oven, and they’re ready for serving. These come in a pack of 24 or 48.
Quantity: 24 or 48 | Proof Required: Yes | Egg Wash Required: Yes
Final Verdict
If you want bakery-worthy croissants at home whenever you want Gaston’s Bakery Croissants are a great option—and affordable for 15. The taste and texture of gourmet croissants is unmatched, though, and you can get it at home with the Galaxy Desserts Classic Croissants at Williams Sonoma.
What to Look for in Frozen Croissants
Quantity
This is a subjective consideration depending on your purposes. If you are looking for something to keep on hand for unexpected guests, look for a product that comes in the 10 to 15 range. If you know you are entertaining, choose a product that comes in larger quantities or even something in a smaller, bite-size form.
Ease of Preparation
Ask yourself if it is important to have a product that is already baked and just requires thawing and heating or if you are willing to thaw, proof, egg wash, bake, and possibly add toppings. Basically, how much work you are willing to do dictates the type of product you choose.
Ingredients
Fresh croissants are made from a dough layered with butter that’s rolled and folded repeatedly. This process is called laminating. When purchasing your products, look through the list of ingredients to see if butter is named. Croissants are made flaky and tasty by virtue of the use of butter.
FAQs
How do you reheat frozen croissants?
If you order frozen croissants, check the instructions on the package or included in the shipment. Some frozen croissants are dough and need proofing as well as egg wash before going to the oven. If you order croissants that are already baked, they only need to be heated. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, place them on a prepared sheet pan, and heat for about 15 minutes. Again, check the baking/reheating instructions sent with the package for the best results.
In terms of what you can do with a croissant after it’s been reheated, Jenni Field, a pastry chef and the founder of Pastry Chef Online, suggests making it into a great savory lunch. “Thoughtful choice of sandwich fixings can elevate a frozen croissant to new heights,” she says. “My current favorite is fried egg with spicy bacon jam, pepper jelly, and melted cheddar. The sticky, savory jam plays nicely with the sweet spice of the jelly and the mellow egg.”
Or you can go a more sweet route. “If you have leftover croissants, they work wonders as a bread replacement in a classic bread pudding,” says Devan Cameron, a chef and the owner of Braised & Deglazed. “Simply cut the croissants into large pieces, toast in the oven until dried slightly, and use in your favorite bread pudding recipe.”
Can fresh croissants be frozen?
In short, yes. Follow the below steps:
Be sure the croissants are completely cooled, and wrap each one in food film. Put them in an airtight, freezer bag. This affords double protection against drying out or freezer burn. Be sure to label the bag with the date. Fresh to frozen croissants are generally good for about a month in the freezer.
How long do frozen croissants last?
The products on this round-up last anywhere from six months for the Angelina Bakery Plain Croissants to four months for the SeaBear Bake-at-Home variety to one month for the Williams Sonoma Ready to Bake Chocolate Croissants.
For any others, the manufacturer usually includes information about this on the box or on its website, in addition to having a “Best By” or expiration date. “If storing for longer than three months, make sure they are wrapped tightly in aluminum foil and an airtight plastic bag,” says Jessica Formicola, a recipe developer and the owner of Savory Experiments. “They are best defrosted, unwrapped at room temperature for about 30 minutes, but you can wrap them in a paper towel and heat for 15 seconds increments at 50 percent power in the microwave.”
How We Selected and Tested
To compile this list, our team of editors and contributors spent hours researching the best frozen croissants on the market, evaluating their key features—like flavor, quantity, and price—in addition to reviews from customers and other trusted sources. We then conducted a taste test of several, choosing some to be on this list. However, since then some options have gone out of stock or been discontinued, so we have updated the list with other favorites based on personal experiences and expert insights.
Why Trust The Spruce Eats?
The author of a cookbook about bread baking, Donna Currie has made her fair share of homemade croissants. She says that while they can be worth the effort, buying them is much, much easier. That’s why she personally sampled croissants from every vendor on this list. It’s good to have plenty of alternatives, and it’s even better to have croissants in the freezer for an easy treat any day of the week.
This roundup was updated by Carrie Honaker, a food writer who loves to make fresh croissants, but appreciates frozen ones for their ability to ease the preparation burden when time is short. Her work has appeared in many publications, including Bon Appetit, Allrecipes, and Wine Enthusiast.
Amanda McDonald is an editor at The Spruce Eats and has over seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing about all things food — from what new products are at the grocery store to chef-approved hacks that keep tricky leftovers fresh for days. She also updated this article to include the most up-to-date information.
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