How to Eat Croissants

Co-authored by Quynh La

Last Updated: June 24, 2024 Fact Checked

Croissants are a traditional French pastry, best enjoyed at breakfast time fresh and on their own, or accompanied by coffee. If you’ve ever eaten a croissant, you know how messy they can be! There are many ways to eat a plain croissant on its own to avoid getting crumbs all over yourself and butter on your fingers, or for a more complete meal you can even make them into a delicious breakfast sandwich!

Ingredients

Croissant Breakfast Sandwich

1 croissant
2 eggs
1 slice of ham
1 slice of cheddar cheese
1 tbsp (14 g) of butter or cooking oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Makes 1 serving

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Eating Plain Croissants

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1
Enjoy a croissant warm or at room temperature but always fresh-baked. It’s just as tasty to eat a croissant toasted or at room temperature. Heat a croissant up in the oven or a toaster oven at home, or eat them at room temperature on-the-go.
- Put a croissant in the oven or toaster oven at 350 degrees F (175 C) for 5 minutes to heat it up.
2
Wrap a napkin around the bottom half of the croissant. Get a large enough napkin to fit around the whole croissant. Wrap it around the bottom half of the croissant and eat it from the top down.^{[1]
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- Good croissants are very buttery and flaky, so use a napkin to avoid making a mess and keep your fingers grease-free.
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3
Peel off the top center part of the croissant and eat it first. Hold down the two ends of the croissant with the thumb and index fingers of one hand. Tear off the middle top layer with your other hand and enjoy the crunchiest part of the croissant.^{[2]
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- Try to do this on a plate if you can to catch crumbs.
4
Tear the croissant apart into 3 sections for a different way to eat it. Look at where the croissant is naturally divided into 3 sections and tear them apart from each other on a plate. Eat each piece separately over the plate to catch the crumbs.^{[3]
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- This method works well to avoid a mess if you don’t have a napkin.
5
Use a fork and knife to cut apart the croissant as an alternative to tearing it. Put the croissant on a plate. Hold a fork and knife in whichever hand you prefer for each, and cut the croissant apart bite-by-bite.^{[4]
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- This is the least messy way to eat a croissant and to keep your hands clean.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Pairing Croissants with Fillings and Spreads

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1
Dunk a croissant in coffee before each bite for a delicious pick-me-up. Tear the croissant apart and dip it into a cup of coffee of your choice, such as black coffee or a cappuccino. Eat the whole bite right away.^{[5]
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- Don’t hold the croissant in the coffee too long, or it will become soggy and fall apart.
2
Try spreading salted butter on a croissant to complement its buttery flavors. Cut or tear the croissant into pieces and butter them up before each bite. The salted butter will enhance the already buttery flavor of croissants.^{[6]
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- You can still dunk the croissant in coffee with butter on it if you want.
3
Fill a croissant with fresh fruit and whipped cream for a sweet treat. Cut up some fruit of your choice like strawberries or peaches. Slice a croissant in half and stuff the fruit inside, top it with whipped cream, and eat it.^{[7]
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- Don’t cut the croissant all the way through. Think of it like a hot dog bun and leave it connected on one side so that it can hold all the fruit and whipped cream easily.
4
Try spreading some Nutella on a croissant. Cut the croissant in half and spread Nutella on both halves. Put the halves back together and eat it like a sandwich.^{[8]
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- You can add fruit like strawberries to this pairing as well for a variation.
5
Experiment with different cheeses to pair with your croissant. Try out different cheeses such as brie or cheddar and put them inside a croissant like a sandwich. Cheese is always good with a croissant and you’re sure to find a pairing you like!^{[9]
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- You can drizzle honey on the cheese to create a delicious sweet and savory croissant.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making a Croissant Breakfast Sandwich

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1
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 C) and heat up a frying pan. Put a frying pan on the stovetop and set the burner to medium heat. Add 1 tbsp (14 g) of butter or cooking oil to the frying pan.^{[10]
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- Keep an eye on the butter or oil to make sure it doesn’t start to burn. Lower the heat if it starts to smoke.
2
Whisk together 2 eggs in a bowl with a fork. Season the eggs with salt and pepper to taste. Add anything else you like in your scrambled eggs.^{[11]
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- Add some shredded cheddar cheese to the eggs for an extra-cheesy breakfast sandwich.
3
Scramble the eggs in the frying pan for 2-3 minutes with a spatula. Stir the eggs frequently to scramble them evenly. Remove the frying pan from the heat when they are completely cooked.^{[12]
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- Substitute 1 fried egg for the scrambled eggs if you want.
4
Slice a croissant in half and place the two parts on a baking sheet. Use a serrated knife to cut the croissant into two even top and bottom halves. Place them side-by-side in the middle of the baking sheet.^{[13]
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- Try to use a fresh-baked croissant from a bakery so you end up with a crispy and fresh breakfast sandwich.
5
Layer 1 slice of ham, 2 scrambled eggs, and 1 slice of cheese in the croissant. Lay down the slice of ham first on the bottom half of the croissant. Pile the scrambled eggs on top of the ham and top it off with the slice of cheese.^{[14]
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- Don’t put the top half of the croissant on the sandwich yet. It will toast better if you leave it off.
- You can substitute bacon for the ham if you prefer.
6
Bake the croissant for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts and it is toasted. Keep an eye on the sandwich as it bakes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven when the croissant starts to get crispy and the cheese starts to bubble.^{[15]
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- Remember that baking time for different ovens can vary. Set the timer to 10 minutes but make sure to check on the sandwich every few minutes to keep it from burning.

Community Q&A

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Question

Should croissants be heated?

Community Answer

They are quite lovely heated, but they can be eaten cold. It all depends on your preference and resources, really.

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