Croissant waffles happen the moment frozen croissant dough meets a hot waffle iron: the edges turn crackly and caramelized, the inside stays soft and full of the same buttery layers you'd get from a bakery croissant. People started calling them croffles once cafes and food trucks got in on the trend, a slightly goofy name for a genuinely good pastry, and it's stuck for a reason.
The Short Version
Two ingredients is what makes these about as foolproof as waffles get for a crowd. Roll defrosted croissant dough in sugar, drop it in the waffle iron, and you get a caramelized, crunchy exterior with a soft, flaky interior every time. The only way to miss is starting with dough that's still frozen at the center, so give the croissants a full defrost in the fridge first (straight from the fridge is fine) and every batch turns out the same.
This is the one I make when I need breakfast for a crowd: it holds up warm in a low oven or right at room temperature, so it's easy to set out for a buffet.
This takes about 15 minutes start to finish, once the croissants are thawed.
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What I Learned Making This
I've tested this with frozen mini croissants from Whole Foods, Target, and Trader Joe's, side by side. All three cook up the same way once they hit the iron, so the real difference comes down to which croissant flavor you like best. Mine, in order: Whole Foods, then Target, then Trader Joe's.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
- Frozen mini croissants (defrosted): I've tested Whole Foods, Target, and Trader Joe's frozen mini croissants side by side, and all three work. The difference between them comes down to which flavor you prefer (mine is Whole Foods, then Target, then Trader Joe's). I reach for the mini size because more of them fit on my waffle iron at once (regular-size croissants work too, you'll just be down to one at a time). Defrost in the fridge in a single layer before using.
- Can't find frozen unbaked croissants? Puff pastry dough can be used instead of frozen croissants. Cut puff pastry into rectangles, or whatever shape fits your waffle maker, and lay the pieces flat in the iron rather than rolling them up like a crescent roll. Rolled dough takes much longer to cook through, and the outside can scorch while the inside is still doughy. When it's cut flat, it cooks evenly.
- Already-baked mini croissants: Got leftover baked croissants from a bakery or a brunch spread? Those go straight into the waffle iron.
- Granulated sugar: Regular granulated sugar is what caramelizes against the hot iron for that crackly shell. Skip it entirely if you're headed toward a savory version instead (more on that below).
Got extra frozen croissants left in the bag? Bake them off as-is and use them in my decadent chocolate bread pudding instead of croffles.
How to Make Croissant Waffles
Preheat and roll
Preheat and lightly grease waffle iron. Roll each defrosted croissant in sugar.
Cook
Place sugared croissants in the waffle iron and cook until golden brown.
Serve
Top with any number of toppings (see ideas below). Serve warm.
Serving Suggestions
Powdered sugar and maple syrup are the classic route, but the fun of a croffle is treating it more like a food truck order than a plated breakfast. A few combinations worth trying:
- Strawberries and cream. Sliced strawberries and lightly sweetened whipped cream, the simplest combination.
- Bananas and Nutella. Warm the croffle first so the Nutella melts slightly into the crisp edges, then add sliced banana on top.
- Biscoff and berries. Warmed Biscoff cookie butter drizzled over, with fresh raspberries or blueberries to cut the sweetness.
- Cinnamon-sugar with a cream cheese drizzle. Roll the croissant in cinnamon sugar instead of plain sugar, then drizzle with cream cheese thinned with a little milk and powdered sugar. It reads like a cinnamon roll.
- Salted caramel and toasted pecans. Warm caramel sauce and toasted pecans, a good direction if you're serving these as dessert instead of breakfast.
- Savory ham and cheese. Skip the sugar coating, tuck a slice of ham and cheese between two warm croffles, and eat it like a sandwich.
- Bacon and eggs. Also skip the sugar coating here. Instead place cooked bacon and any type of egg (scrambled, over easy, fried) on a croffle and enjoy an open faced breakfast sammie.
Making these for a crowd? Set finished croissant waffles on a wire rack over a sheet pan and keep them in a 200°F oven while you work through the rest of the batch. Or skip the oven entirely as they're just as good served at room temperature, which makes them easy to set out for a buffet. Add a small topping bar (bowls of fruit, a jar of Nutella, a pitcher of syrup) and everyone can build their own, which is half the fun of the food truck version anyway.
Storage and Reheating
Freezer: Cool leftover croffles completely, then freeze in a single layer in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Pop frozen croffles in the toaster for 1-2 cycles or until heated through. You can also reheat them in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes. Avoid the microwave since it tends to turn the sugared crust soft.
FAQs
Yes, crescent roll dough works, though the waffles won't be as flaky as they are with real croissant or other laminated dough. Roll the triangles into crescent shapes, roll them in sugar, and bake as directed in the recipe.
Before You Make This
- Defrost fully in the fridge, not the counter. An overnight fridge thaw is enough. It's fine to cook them straight from the fridge; no need to let the dough come to room temperature first.
- Roll gently, don't press. You want the sugar to coat the surface, not squash the layers flat before they ever reach the iron. The waffle iron does plenty of flattening on its own.
- Preheat past the ready light. Most waffle irons signal "ready" before the grates are actually hot enough to crisp on contact. Give it a few extra minutes so the sugar caramelizes fast instead of slowly steaming the dough.
- Grease the grates, even on a nonstick iron. A light brush of melted butter (or nonstick spray) keeps the sugar from gluing the croffle to the plates, which is the difference between a clean release and a torn one.
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Recipe
Croissant Waffles (Croffles)
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 12 mini frozen croissants, defrosted (or 6 regular size croissants)
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Instructions
- Preheat waffle iron to medium. Lightly grease iron.
- Pour sugar onto a plate and gently roll croissants in sugar. Place croissants on preheated waffle iron and cook for 4-6 minutes or until baked through.⅓ cup granulated sugar, 12 mini frozen croissants, defrosted
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Frozen mini croissants: All three brands I tested (Whole Foods, Target, Trader Joe's) work. Defrost covered overnight in the fridge, in a single layer, before using.
- Already-baked mini croissants (leftover from a bakery or brunch spread) also work straight in the waffle iron, no raw dough needed.
- Puff pastry dough can be used instead of frozen croissants: cut into rectangles or a shape that fits your waffle maker and lay flat in the iron. Don't roll it up like a crescent roll; the outside of rolled puff pastry dough can scorch before the inside is done.
- Skip the sugar for a savory version: ham and cheese folded into a warm croffle, or use it for an egg sandwich. Or enjoy as dessert with ice cream and hot fudge or caramel sauce.
- Freeze leftovers: cool completely, then freeze in a single layer in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: toaster for 1-2 cycles, or a 350-degree oven for 5-10 minutes if reheating from frozen. Skip the microwave, it softens the sugared crust.
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Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
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