Croissants are a delicious treat with an Austrian origin, though many know it from France. They can be made plain or with other ingredients such as brown sugar, cinnamon, or filled with chocolate.
Not only are croissants enjoyed right away and fresh, but they can also be enjoyed the next day through reheating. In the oven, on the stove, the toaster, microwave, and the air fryer are all ways to reheat croissants to enjoy the next day.
This won’t work for filled croissants, but you can actually toast many croissants to warm them. This method is very simple, just remember to keep the heat low.
Step 1: Cut your croissant in half so that it fits into the toaster.
Step 2: Turn your toaster heat to low. This depends on the kind of toaster you have. If the temperature is controlled by a dial, make sure it is set to less than half.
Step 3: Place the slices in and turn the toaster on.
Step 4: If you want a more toasted croissant, turn the heat on again.
Step 5: Add butter or any other spread that you want and enjoy.
Pros:
Preserves the wonderful flakey texture
Very quick
Little effort
Cons:
Can’t reheat filled croissants with this method
The middle texture is slightly different from being directly toasted
Step 2: Place the croissant into the air fryer basket and heat for 2 minutes.
Step 3: Take out, add any spreads that you want, and enjoy.
Pros:
Super quick
Super easy
Little mess
Cons:
Can easily dry out the croissant
Can’t reheat many at once
In the Microwave
Using the microwave can give better results than the air fryer for a similar amount of reheating time.
Step 1: Wrap the croissant in a damp paper towel (optional.)
Step 2: Place on a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 15-second increments.
Step 3: Check the croissant after each increment. Repeat step 2 until the croissant is nice and heated.
Step 4: Remove the paper towel and allow the croissant to cool down. Enjoy!
Pros:
The damp paper towel helps preserve the moisture of the croissant
Easy for reheated one croissant at a time
Cons:
The texture changes to no longer being flakey
Can’t reheat many at once
On the Stove
Reheating a croissant on the stove is the perfect method in between the oven and the toaster. This method gives you the ability to reheat more than one croissant at a time as long as your pan is big enough.
Step 1: Slice the croissant in half.
Step 2: Over medium-low heat, melt a small amount of butter on a frying pan.
Step 3: Place the insides of the croissants faced down onto the pan.
Step 4: Let the croissant heat until the inside turns golden. You can flip the croissant to the other side, but that is optional and may change the texture.
Step 5: Take off the heat, add any spreads, and enjoy.
Pros:
Can reheat more than one at once
Preserves the flakey texture
Even reheating
Takes little time
Low effort
Cons:
You have to cut the croissant in half so no filled croissants
The inside texture changes to being crunchy instead of fluffy
This is the best way to reheat croissants, though it takes the most amount of effort and time. Though, this method can reheat any kind of croissant.
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350℉
Step 2: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place your croissants onto the sheet.
Step 3: Once preheated, place the croissants into the oven for 3-5 minutes.
Step 4: Take them out and enjoy.
Pros:
Preserves the texture the best
Can reheat many croissants at once
Can reheat filled croissants
Cons:
Takes more time (with the preheating)
Takes more effort
Oven Tips
To change the texture or taste of the croissant, there are a few extra things you can do with the oven method.
Wrap the croissants in foil. This will give an overall moister croissant.
Cook at a lower temperature. A slower reheating process can give a flakier and tastier croissant. Make sure to add more time to the reheating process if you use this method.
Brush the croissants with melted butter before putting them into the oven. Giving a new coat of butter can turn the day-old croissants into fresh tasting croissants.
Can Croissants be Frozen?
To keep your croissants good for longer, they can be put in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Step 1: Wrap each croissant in a layer of plastic wrap. This is to keep any air out.
Step 2: Either place each croissant into its own bag or place them all in a larger freezer bag. Squeeze out any extra air from the bag without crushing the croissants.
Step 3: Label the bag/s with the date of freezing and place them into the freezer.
Thawing
If you freeze your croissants, you really should thaw them before reheating. Thawing will help preserve the texture of the croissants when reheating.
The easiest way to thaw croissants is to leave them in the fridge overnight. This way allows them to thaw slowly so the moisture content doesn’t make the croissants soggy.
Even after thawing, you may want to do some more work to make sure they return to being flakey. The best way to reheat croissants after being frozen is in the oven.
Stale Croissants
It happens, sometimes the croissants are left on the counter for a little too long. You don’t have to throw them out or deal with unpleasantly crunchy croissants. You can return them to being softer.
The easiest way to revive stale croissants is to microwave them wrapped in a damp towel. The moisture from the towel will give the croissants more moisture.
Don’t oven-bake stale croissants. All that will do is dry them out more.
Final Thoughts
There are several ways to reheat croissants. Some methods work better than others, like how reheating them on the stove works way better than in the air fryer. Use which method works the best for you.
You can also freeze croissants, just make sure to thaw them before use. Freezing allows you to keep your croissants good for much longer than leaving them in the fridge or on the counter.
When reheated well, no one will be able to tell that they aren’t fresh!
