9 Perfect Methods To Exactly Know How To Reheat Croissants

Is there anything better than having dessert for breakfast? 

While bacon and eggs are great, sometimes it is nice to wake up and have a sweet treat to get your day rolling.

The croissant is one of the tastiest, and most convenient, food items a person can have for breakfast.

It tastes great, can be used alongside sweet or savory toppings, and it is easily portable (providing you don’t mind getting pastry flakes all over your clothes).

But, picture this: you bought a croissant the day before, and you want to heat it up so that it will taste the way it should. 

How can you successfully reheat a croissant, or any kind of pastry, without losing its delicious flavor and texture?

In this article, we have listed 9 different methods of how you can reheat a croissant. We have also stated which method we prefer, and which ones we would rather avoid, even if they can be utilized successfully.

9 Ways To Reheat A Croissant: Which Is Better?

Below, we have listed 9 different ways that you can successfully reheat a croissant. 

Some of these methods require more time and effort than others, so you will want to consider beforehand what you will be able to achieve within a short (or longer) timespan, e.g., if you’re running late to work.

Once we have stated each and every reheating method, along with the pros and cons, we will tell you which one we recommend using.

So, let’s get started.

1. Reheating A Croissant In A Microwave

First on this list, we will be looking at the most obvious reheating method that most people decide to opt for. That is, of course, reheating the pastry in the microwave.

Using a microwave to reheat food is hardly a new concept. We have been doing this for countless decades, and it very rarely lets us down.

It supplies heat in an even and consistent manner, providing us with heated food in little to no time at all.

The biggest letdown about reheating food in a microwave is, often, that the food loses its original texture. Crunchy foods become mushy, softer foods become harder, etc., etc.

The same can be said for when a croissant gets warmed up in a microwave. It will successfully reheat in a short period of time, but all crispiness and flakiness will be stripped away almost immediately.

Additionally, the butter within the croissant’s pastry will melt while being heated in this way, creating a mushy, particularly soft texture once it has been reheated. 

That being said, this is one of the easiest ways to reheat a croissant. Here is how you can successfully do it yourself

1. Find a microwave-safe plate, and place the croissant on top of it.
2. Place the croissant in the microwave on a medium heat, and allow the microwave to heat the pastry only for around 15 seconds.
3. Remove the croissant from the microwave, and check the temperature. If it is warm enough, leave it cool down a little before consuming. If not, place it back in the microwave for short, five-second intervals until it’s heated completely.

2. Reheating A Croissant In A Microwave (Covered In A Wet Paper Towel)

With the exception of a small technical tweak, the following technique is nearly identical to the previous one on this list…

The croissant will still need to be reheated in the microwave, but first you must wrap it in a moist paper towel.

But why, you could be asking. Well, damp paper towels seal in the moisture and keep food from drying out, which is the cause of this. 

The croissant will effectively heat up if you use the first technique we recommended, but it will almost certainly dry out almost completely.

You can try to savor some of the pastry’s wetness by using a wet paper towel. But after reheating, you’ll want to consume it fast to avoid moisture being fully lost.

Here is how to reheat a croissant in the microwave while wrapping it in a wet paper towel

1. Find a microwave-safe plate, and place the croissant on top of it.
2. Grab a piece of paper towel, and lightly dampen it with some water. Don’t use too much water, or the paper towel will disintegrate.
3. Wrap the towel around the croissant, making sure that it is completely covered.
4. Place the croissant in the microwave on a medium heat, and allow the microwave to heat the pastry only for around 15 seconds.
5. Remove the croissant from the microwave, and check the temperature. If it is warm enough, leave it cool down a little before consuming. If not, place it back in the microwave for short, five-second intervals until it’s heated completely.

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3. Reheating A Croissant In The Oven At 300°

The croissant is reheated using the following technique in a 300° oven.

Although this approach could take a bit longer than the others, the results are quite consistent, giving you a croissant that still tastes and feels much like the one you first bought.

After all, baking croissants in an oven is how they are created. It seems to reason that this is also one of the finest methods for reheating them.

In contrast to the microwave, the oven evenly cooks the entire croissant without melting the butter.

This indicates that the croissant maintains its shape and that when you bite into it, you are able to see all of its layers.

This is how you can reheat a croissant in the oven at 300°

1. Before anything else, make sure that your oven has been preheated to 300°. Allow the oven to fully preheat before placing anything inside.
2. Place the croissant on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. This will ensure that it does not get stuck to the tray once it has been reheated.
3. Allow the croissant to heat up for around 5 minutes.
4. Once the time is up, remove the croissant from the oven. It should now be scalding hot, but still flaky and crisp.

5. Remember to wait a few minutes before eating, as the croissant will likely be very hot from the oven.

4. Reheating A Croissant In The Oven (Wrapped In Foil)

With just one small change to the strategy, the following method is nearly identical to the previous one this method calls for wrapping the croissant with tin foil, as opposed to merely putting it on a baking sheet and letting it heat up.

The surface of the croissant gets much crispier and flakier when you reheat it without covering it with anything. This is because the hot air is hitting the entire product, which causes it to start cooking all over.

The meal is only being heated while it is wrapped in tin foil; it is not yet entirely cooked. Because the exterior is protected by the foil, it doesn’t get crispy or flaky; all that happens is that it gets warmer.

However, this is a great way to reheat a croissant if you dislike getting the flaky bits everywhere while you are eating.

This is how you reheat a croissant in the oven while being wrapped in foil

1. Before anything else, make sure that your oven has been preheated to 300°. Allow the oven to fully preheat before placing anything inside.
2. Loosely wrap the croissant in some tin foil, and then place it on a baking tray.
3. Allow the croissant to heat up for around 5 minutes.
4. After this time has passed, remove the tin foil and place it back in the oven uncovered for another 2 minutes, at most.
5. Once the time is up, remove the croissant from the oven. It should now be scalding hot, but still flaky and crisp.
6. Remember to wait a few minutes before eating, as the croissant will likely be very hot from the oven.

5. Reheating A Croissant In A Toaster

If you ask someone who works early morning shifts, the toaster is among the world’s best inventions.

With the help of this appliance, we can virtually instantaneously heat up some food items so that we may enjoy crispy, warm meals before we leave the house and begin our days.

You could always opt for a piece of toast, or a Pop Tart, but what about that croissant that you bought yesterday that you never got around to eating?

Even though it’s not the best method, warming a croissant in the toaster is actually a pretty good one.

However, since you have to cut a croissant in half so that it will fit in the toaster, it takes away from the fun of eating a croissant whole.

Now that you’ve heard the pros and cons, here is how you can reheat a croissant in a toaster

1. First things first, make sure that your toaster is set to a fairly low setting. If the temperature is too high, you risk burning your croissant.
2. Using a bread knife, carefully slice your croissant horizontally. You should be left with two equally-shaped halves of a croissant that can fit inside the slots of your toaster.
3. Insert the two halves of the croissant into the slots of the toaster, and push down.
4. Allow the croissants to heat up for around a minute, and then check on the progress. They may be ready to go, but if not, put them back into the toaster for a little longer.

6. Reheating A Croissant In The Air Fryer

Seriously, is there anything an air fryer can’t accomplish?

Compared to ovens, stoves, and even microwaves, these cooking tools are relatively new in the culinary world, but they are already gaining popularity.

It appears that nearly anything may be placed into an air fryer and cooked quickly.

Additionally, because the air fryer uses no oil throughout the cooking process, this method is far healthier than, for instance, using a frying pan and oil.

Can an air fryer be used to reheat a croissant? The quick answer is ‘yes’, but it’s probably not the most effective approach.

Similar to the microwave, the air fryer has the tendency to make croissants dry up much more quickly while being reheated.

So, it all depends on how you prefer the texture of your croissant to be.

If you’re a fan of crisp-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside pastries, and you’re not a fan of hardened, almost stale croissants, then you should probably avoid this method.

But, if you’re in a rush to reheat your treat, or you’re simply curious as to whether this method can be successfully used, then there is nothing stopping you from trying this method.

If you want to reheat your croissant in an air fryer, here is how you can do so

1. Before anything else, make sure to preheat your air fryer to 250 °F, or 120 °C.
2. Open up the air fryer basket, and place the croissant inside. Then, re-close the air fryer basket.
3. Allow the croissant to heat for around 1 minute, 2 minutes at a push.
4. After this time has passed, open up the basket to check the croissant. If the texture seems to be suitable, and the pastry is warm throughout, remove it from the air fryer.
5. If the croissant still isn’t warm enough, place it back in the air fryer for a further 30 seconds. Be careful not to heat it for too long, or the croissant may completely solidify.

7. Reheating A Croissant On The Stove

This may be one of the strategies that demands the most labor because you will need to actively participate in the cooking process rather than relying just on the cooking device.

You will need a frying pan and butter for this heating method. While you could use some oil, we advise using butter because it will give the croissant much more taste.

Additionally, the majority of people already butter their pastries, so this is doing it beforehand!

You might want to avoid using this procedure if you want your croissants soft on the inside but crunchy on the outside.

However, if you’re craving a croissant that is crisp all over, today is your lucky day. And, this is the perfect reheating method for you…

Here is how you reheat a croissant on the stove

1. Using a bread knife, carefully slice your croissant horizontally. You should be left with two equally-shaped halves of a croissant.
2. Place your frying pan on the stove, and turn the heat up to around medium. 
3. Add some butter into the pan as it heats up, allowing it to slowly melt.
4. Once the butter has completely melted, place both halves of the croissant flat-side down into the pan.
5. Allow the croissant to cook for around 4-5 minutes, using a spatula to keep a check on the heating process. You want the pastry to become a golden color, but you don’t necessarily want it to become a dark brown, or burnt.
6. Once the croissants look cooked to your liking, remove them from the heat and place them on a plate.

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8. Reheating A Croissant After Refrigeration

Nothing is more annoying than realizing you have pastries in the cupboard that are close to expiring but that you won’t be able to consume before they mildew.

These kinds of situations can leave you feeling helpless. Everyone dislikes wasting food, especially when it’s something delicious like a croissant.

To extend the shelf lives of croissants before their use-by date, some people choose to store them in the refrigerator. Is this a wise choice?

It depends, really. In all honesty, no matter whatever method you decide to use, a croissant that is kept in a refrigerator uncovered will probably become quite dry and brittle once it has been heated through.

On the other hand, storing croissants in the refrigerator helps keep them fresher for longer.

The pastry will stay edible for a longer period of time as a result of the cooler temperatures, making it less likely that mold and bacteria will grow and multiply on it.

But if the warmed-up croissant doesn’t taste good when you eat it, what good is it?

Well, there is a method for reheating a chilled croissant.

While it may make more sense to place the pastries in a paper bag, or cover with cling film, your best chance at preserving the soft texture of a croissant is to cover it with tin foil before refrigerating.

The tin foil absorbs the temperature, keeping the cold air out of the pastry, whilst still keeping it chilled enough to keep bacteria at bay.

This way, when you reheat the chilled croissant, it still won’t have its original texture, but it won’t be completely futile.

So, if you want to save a croissant from an impending use-by date, but want to successfully reheat it in a day or two, we recommend wrapping it in some foil.

However, we do not recommend leaving the croissant in the refrigerator for more than two days. This will undoubtedly dry the pastry out, and then it will be unsalvageable.

9. Reheating A Croissant After Freezing

What options are there if a croissant is going to go bad, if refrigeration should be avoided because it will entirely dry out the pastry? Is there a way to prevent their approaching destruction?

Actually, the answer is yes.

We are all aware that the best approach to preserve food fresh and edible for a longer period of time is to freeze it. That this is the greatest way to keep a croissant fresh should come as no surprise.

Therefore, in order to keep it edible for longer, the croissant should be wrapped in an airtight plastic bag and frozen while it is still fresh.

The key here is to remove any surrounding air from the croissant while it is being preserved. When placing in an airtight bag, make sure that all the air has been squeezed out before placing in the freezer.

In fact, one foolproof way to get rid of any excess air from the bag is to place a straw through a small opening, and sucking all the air out before quickly resealing.

As we said earlier, the best time to freeze a croissant, or any type of pastry, is while it is still fresh. Once the pastry has begun to dry out, there will be no way of saving it. 

Think ahead, and decide whether you should freeze your croissants while they’re still good to eat.

Which Is The Winner?

We provided a list of nine approaches to effectively reheat a croissant above.

Seven of those methods involved physically rewarming the pastry, while the final two involved preserving the croissant to keep its original texture.

Which approach is the best, though? If you want the nicest croissant for your morning, which one of the methods should you choose?

Well, it really depends on what your priorities are. 

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to reheat your pastry before you’re leaving the house, and you’re already late for work, the microwave method is probably the best way to go.

While this method won’t preserve the texture of the pastry, it is, by far, the fastest way to reheat a croissant, and it requires the least amount of effort.

However…

If you’re in a privileged position in which you can take your time, and reheat your pastry in a more efficient way, then we 100% recommend reheating your croissant in an oven.

This method is foolproof. After all, as we mentioned earlier, croissants are literally originally baked inside an oven.

The heat from an oven helps the pastry rise, and it won’t cause the structure to become too hard, or too soggy.

More specifically, we recommend using the oven method, but while initially wrapping the croissant in foil. This will ensure that the pastry remains crisp and flaky, but the inside becomes soft and pillowy.

So, overall, we recommend the oven-with-foil method, if you have the time to spare.

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Other Helpful Reheating Tips For Pastries

Now that you know how to reheat a plain croissant, here is how you can reheat some other pastries.

Reheating A Pain Au Chocolat

Pain au chocolats have similar structures to croissants, with the biggest differences being the shape (croissants being long and rounded, pain au chocolat’s being shorter and square-shaped) and the use of chocolate.

Just like the croissant, you will want to reheat a pain au chocolat in the oven at 300°. In fact, this is probably the only way that you should reheat one of these sweet treats.

If you reheat a pain au chocolat in a microwave, there is a high chance that the chocolate will burn rather than melt. This will give the pastry a bitter, burnt taste.

The same will likely happen if you reheat it in the air fryer or a toaster. So, if you ask us, you should stand by the oven method.

Reheating A Ham And Cheese Croissant

A ham and cheese croissant is different from a regular croissant since… well, it contains ham and cheese.

Similar to the pain au chocolat, the cheese in this croissant may harden and burn if you try to reheat it in the microwave. For this reason, we also recommend heating it up in the oven.

Don’t forget to cover in foil before putting it in to reheat.

Final Thoughts

If you want to reheat a croissant in a short amount of time without any effort, your best bet is to throw it into the microwave for a couple seconds.

However, you will likely lose all the crispy texture that makes a croissant so delicious.

Our favorite way to reheat a croissant is to wrap it in foil, place it in an oven at 300° for a couple minutes, and then remove the foil for a further few minutes to allow the pastry to become crispier.

All the methods we mentioned above are usable, but each one will create a different texture, good and bad. Ultimately, it depends on which one you prefer to use!

We hope you found this article helpful.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Croissant Just Bread?

A croissant is a French pastry made from a rich, yeast-based dough that is rolled and folded to form a crescent shape. This dough is layered with butter and sugar and then baked. Croissants are typically filled with sweet cream, cheese, or jam.

Is Croissant A Healthy Snack?

Crispy, buttery, and flaky, croissants are one of the most popular morning breakfast items in France. With the rise of fast food chains, croissants are often found in the pastry case at Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts.

However, these croissants are usually high in fat and calories, so they are not the healthiest option.

What Is Special About Croissants?

The croissant is a type of French pastry, which is made of flaky, buttery dough that is layered with rich, sweet-scented dough of yeast bread dough and rolled out into a crescent shape.

It is then baked with an insulating layer of butter and is usually topped with a layer of sugar, which gives the pastry its characteristic golden-brown color.

Croissants are commonly topped with a variety of fillings such as chocolate, cream, jam, cheese, etc.

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Jess Smith

Hi, my name is Jess Smith, and I love cooking in my spare time. Around three years ago, I decided to give up my day job as a teacher to pursue my passion for food. While I have enjoyed sharing tips and tricks on Social Media, I have decided to expand my horizons through this blog.

Through this blog I hope to help others learn the basics and more intricate details of cooking. I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to cook a meal, only to realize you are missing one ingredient from your list. This is why I love to write articles chatting readers through some great substitutes that can be used in an emergency.

I hope you will find this blog useful, and that it will help you to develop your culinary skills, to help you cook up a storm!

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