Exactly How To Reheat Croissants [I Test 9 Methods]

Here’s the best way to reheat your croissants – based on tried and tested methods.

Th best way to reheat croissants is in the oven. Preheat the oven to 200°F/95°C and heat the croissant for 6-7 minutes (less in a toaster oven). If you want a less flaky texture, cover the croissant in foil. You can also use the broiler setting.

Keep reading for all the juicy details of my experiment.

A note on my experiment

I ordered several croissants from my local bakery and left them overnight. The following day I tested 9 different methods of reheating them to see which one worked best.

I tested reheating croissants in:

• the oven (with and without foil, and several different temperatures)
• the microwave (with and without a damp paper towel)
• the air fryer
• the toaster
• the stove (with butter)

The oven at a lower temperature (200°F/95°C) was my favorite reheating method, followed by the stovetop and the toaster.

The air fryer and the microwave were disappointing. However, the microwave does have its place for really stale croissants.

How to reheat croissants in the oven

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F/150°C.
2. Cover the croissant with foil.
3. Heat the croissant for 6-7 minutes in a conventional oven or 3-4 minutes in a toaster oven or under the broiler.
4. Remove the foil for the last 2 minutes of cooking.

I also tested reheating the croissant at 350°F/180°C degrees, but I found the croissant to be quite a bit dryer after this.

Croissants are delicate, so a lower heat works better.

Foil vs no foil

Using foil at first helps keep some moisture in the croissant and keeps the middle soft. And removing the foil towards the end allows the crust to crisp up.

If you don’t like a crispy crust you can keep the foil on the whole time.

If you prefer the outside of your croissant to have a really crispy texture, skip the foil completely.

Pros: the outside of the croissant was crisp and flaky, while the inside was soft and warm and you could still see the layers. It’s also ideal for big batches because you can fit several croissants in at one time.
Cons: it’s a bit slow (but 100% worth it for the results).
Bottom line: the oven was definitely my favorite method.

How to reheat croissants in the toaster

1. Cut your croissant in half so it will fit in the toaster slots. A bread knife works best.
2. Set the toaster to a low setting (if you can, not all toasters are adjustable).
3. Toast the croissant for around a minute before checking on it.
4. Toast for 10-20 seconds longer if you think the croissant needs it.
5. Remove from the toaster, butter, and serve.

A bread knife makes it very easy to cut the croissant cleanly. If you try to use another type of knife, you’ll find it very hard to get a clean cut without completely squishing the croissant (a crime).

Pros: it’s quick and you get good results.
Cons: you have to cut the croissant in half, so you don’t get the joy of biting into the middle of a big fluffy croissant, but it tastes just as good.
Bottom line: this is the perfect option if you don’t have access to an oven.

How to reheat croissants on the stove

1. Cut the croissant in half lengthways using a bread knife.
2. Melt some butter in a pan on a medium heat. You can also use cooking spray.
3. Put the croissant face down in the pan and heat it for 3-4 minutes until the cut side starts to turn golden brown.
4. Remove the croissant from the pan and serve.

The croissant soaks up all the butter, making it even more decadent than it already is. And you get a nice crispy texture on the cut side.

But if you want to keep things vaguely healthy, use a low calorie cooking spray instead of butter.

You can also use a sandwich press instead (without closing the lid!). If you close the lid, you’ll end up with a very squished croissant.

Pros: the resulting croissant tastes amazing and super buttery.
Cons: you have to cut the croissant in half, so you don’t get the joy of biting into the middle of a big fluffy croissant. This also isn’t the healthiest method.
Bottom line: this is the perfect option if you don’t have access to an oven.

How to reheat croissants in the microwave

The microwave isn’t a great method for reheating croissants. The croissants will end up very greasy and chewy.

If you still want to microwave your croissants, here’s how:

1. Put the croissant on a microwave-safe plate.
2. Cover the croissant with a damp paper towel (optional).
3. Put the croissant in the microwave and heat it for 10-15 seconds.
4. Eat the croissant immediately.

The microwave melts the butter in the croissant, which is why the result is so greasy.

The melted butter also means the croissant collapses and you lose the signature layers. There won’t be a flake in sight with a microwaved croissant!

When you heat a croissant in the microwave, it’s important to eat it as soon as possible. The croissant will start drying out within a few minutes and will quickly become an inedible brick.

Damp paper towel vs no damp paper towel

I recommend wrapping your croissants in a damp paper towel. The damp towel acts as another source of moisture for the microwave to target. 

This means the butter doesn’t melt as much, and the croissant had a slightly dryer, chewier texture. This is personal preference though!

You can also microwave the croissants with a glass of water in the microwave. this will have the same effect as a damp paper towel.

Pros: it’s super quick and convenient.
Cons: the croissant was soggy and greasy.
Bottom line: the microwave is okay if you really want a warm croissants, but I’d use a method if you can.

How to reheat croissants in the air fryer

1. Set the air fryer to 200°F (95°C).
2. Place the croissant in the air fryer basket.
3. Heat the croissant for 1-2 minutes.

The lower temperature and short cooking time protects your croissant from drying out too much (the air fryer can be very harsh).

For my first test, I reheated my day-old croissant for 2 minutes at 300°F/150°C, and the croissant came out tasting like cardboard. It was the least edible croissant out of all my tests.

When I lowered the temperature, the croissant was better but still a bit dry.

Pros: really quick and good if you like crispy croissants.
Cons: very easy easy to overheat the croissant and dry it out.
Bottom line: I would avoid the air fryer when it comes to reheating croissants. It’s too drying.

How to reheat really stale croissants

If you have VERY stale croissants, a helpful trick is to reheat them in the microwave for 5 seconds before transferring them to the oven. 

Once a croissant gets past a certain level of staleness, the oven will no longer work to ‘refresh’ it. Instead, the oven will dry the croissant out even more.

The microwave helps to re-moisturize the croissant before the oven so this doesn’t happen. Make sure you transfer the croissant from the microwave to the oven quickly, or the croissant will dry out again.

How to reheat a frozen croissant

1. Do not thaw your frozen croissant before reheating it.
2. Unwrap the croissants while preheating the oven to 350°F/180°C.
3. Heat the frozen croissants in the oven for 7-8 minutes.
4. Serve the croissants when they’re soft and fluffy.

Thawing the croissants before you reheat it is a sure fire way to end up with a soggy, flat croissants.

Just don’t do it. Trust me.

If you have a huge croissant you want to heat straight from frozen, a good tip is to microwave it for 5-10 seconds before putting it in the oven. This will soften the croissant a bit and make sure the middle heats up before the outside burns. 

A few seconds will be more than enough.

Any longer than this and the texture will be ruined. Also, make sure you move the croissant from the microwave to the oven straight away.

How to store croissants

The best way to store croissants is to wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and keep them at room temperature. Pick a cool, dry place for maximum freshness. The croissants will stay fresh for up to 2 days. For longer-term storage, you should freeze the croissants.

If you’re going to eat the croissants within a day, then it’s okay to keep them rolled up in whatever packaging you got them in, even if it’s just a paper bag.

Can you refrigerate croissants?

It’s best not to refrigerate croissants if you don’t have to. They’ll dry out very quickly in the fridge and become stale a lot faster. It’s much better to freeze the croissants instead if you want to prolong their shelf life.

I was intrigued to see what happen to a croissant in the fridge, so I did a test.

I kept most of my croissants rolled up in paper bags in the cupboard. But I wrapped one in foil and put it in the refrigerator. 

When I checked on the croissants the next day, the refrigerated one was much harder than the room temperature ones and wasn’t really edible (although it was okay once I reheat it)

How to freeze croissants

It’s best to freeze croissants when they’re still fresh so you can retain their flaky texture. Wrap room temperature croissants in plastic wrap, then put them in a heavy-duty freezer bag with all the air squeezed out. The croissants will stay at best quality for a month. 

Packing each croissant individually with a double-layer provides the best protection against freezer burn, which is a real risk with delicate pastries.

It eliminates as much air as possible from the croissants’ environment, which is the main cause of freezer burn.

To get as much air as possible out of the freezer bag, I use a straw. I close the bag leaving a tiny hole where the straw is, suck all the air out and then quickly close up the gap as I pull the straw out. It works a treat!

The fresher the better when you’re freezing croissants. But make sure the pastries are completely cool before you put them away. Any residual heat can cause condensation, which will drip back onto the croissant and make it soggy.

How to reheat a chocolatine (chocolate croissant)

The best way to reheat chocolatine is in the oven. Preheat the oven to 250°F/120°C and put the chocolate croissant on a cookie tray. Reheat the chocolatine for 5-6 minutes in a conventional oven or 3-4 minutes in a toaster oven. If you want a less flaky texture, cover the chocolatine with foil.

How to reheat a ham and cheese croissant

The best way to reheat a ham and cheese croissant is in the oven. Preheat it to 250°F/120°C and put the croissant in for 5-6 minutes (or 3-4 minutes in a toaster oven). The croissant will crisp up and the cheese will become nice and gooey again. For a less flaky croissant, cover it in foil.

What to do with stale croissants

Is your croissant too far past it’s best to be salvageable?

Don’t panic. Not all is lost.

You just need to get a little creative. You can use stale croissants in a lot of the same ways as you’d use stale bread. Here are some recipe ideas for using up leftover croissants:

• Croissant bread pudding. Chocolate croissants work perfectly for this idea.
• Croissant french toast. Take your french toast to the next level! French toast is great with strawberries and cream.
• Croissant croque madame. The finest ham and cheese sandwich you’ll ever have.
• Croissant toasties. Ham and cheese is the obvious one, but a tuna melt is also delicious!
• Croissant brittle. Thinly sliced stale croissants covered with sugar and then baked in the oven until they’re hard and caramelized. A little slice of heaven.

The BEST Way To Reheat Croissants

Here's the best way to reheat your croissants – based on tried and tested methods.

4.72 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: French

Keyword: croissant, reheat croissant

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 7 minutes

Servings: 1 person

Calories: 406kcal

Equipment

• Foil

Ingredients

• 1 piece croissant
• 1 piece pain au chocolat etc

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 200°F (95°C).
• Cover the croissant with foil (optional, see notes below).
• Heat the croissant for 6-7 minutes in a conventional oven or 2-3 minutes in a toaster oven.
• Remove the foil for the last 2 minutes of cooking (optional, see notes below).

Notes

Should you use foil?

Using foil traps any steam the croissant produces and results in a moister croissant, but the crust of the croissant won’t be crispy or flaky (like it is without foil).

Instead, the crust is soft. You can always combine the two methods and cover the croissant with foil at first, then uncover it for the last few minutes to crisp the exterior. This is my preferred method because you get the moist inside and the flaky outside.

Nutrition

Serving: 100g | Calories: 406kcal