Pain Au Chocolat Recipe (2024)

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Here's a quick and easy recipe for pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants). If you're looking for something buttery, chocolaty and decadent to bake, look no further.

Pain Au Chocolat Recipe (1)

I'm surprising myself lately - making French pastries and joining a gym (no cause and effect, by the way). This winter I couldn't live up to my longtime motto of "exercising outside with my dog - rain or shine." I needed a backup plan for when it was below 12 degrees - (Boston, MA) way too often! So I gave in and joined a gym.

I don't do a lot of baking. As you might have noticed, there are precious few desserts on Panning The Globe. My passion is mostly for savory dishes. But I do have a weakness for dark chocolate, and and when I need something buttery and decadent for a Sunday brunch, nothing beats pain au chocolat. Plus, it's shockingly easy to make excellent pain au chocolate with store-bought puff pastry dough.

Pain Au Chocolat Recipe (2)

Puff pastry is a light flaky pastry dough used for a variety of savory and sweet creations including the French pastry pain au chocolat. The literal translation is "chocolate bread" but bread is way too tame of a word to describe these.

I highly recommend that you try one fresh from the oven - warm and buttery with the chocolate softened, soooo good. The kind of good where you take your first bite and then close your eyes and groan as it melts in your mouth.

Pain Au Chocolat Recipe (3)

I hosted a small brunch last weekend for some girlfriends. A big warm basket of pain au chocolat was sitting on the kitchen island to greet everyone as they arrived. When I plan a menu for company, one of my strategies is to choose some ingredients that I think are natural party 'stars'. Bacon, potatoes, goat cheese, soft-poached eggs, and chocolate are high on the list.

Here are the other dishes I served at the brunch: smoked salmon quesadillas with goat cheese, Shakshuka; and bacon & onion skillet potatoes.

How to make pain au chocolat

They're extremely easy to make when you start with frozen puff pastry.

  1. Defrost the puff pastry.
  2. Cut it into the pastry sheet into 12 rectangles.
  3. Roll up a hunk of dark chocolate in each piece of dough.
  4. Brush the dough with egg wash and sprinkle it with sugar.
  5. Bake and watch the magic happen in the oven!

Pain Au Chocolat Recipe (4)

Pain Au Chocolat Recipe (5)

Pain Au Chocolat Recipe (6)

Pain Au Chocolat Recipe (7)

Quick, Easy (Almost) From Scratch Pain Au Chocolat

If you're wondering why I didn't make the puff pastry from scratch, I thought about it, but puff pastry is a particularly challenging dough. It has tons of buttery layers that make it puff up when you cook it. Creating all those thin layers of butter and dough is very time consuming because the dough needs frequent refrigeration between kneading and turning, to keep it at just the right temp so when the butter is layered in, it stays on top and doesn't absorb into the dough.

The good news is,pre-made frozen puff pastry is a great option. I was very happy with two brands that I found at Whole Foods:DufourandGoodwives. Dufour wonCooking Light's Artisanal Taste Test Award.I've heard positive reviews ofTrader Joe's frozen puff pastry, as well. All three brands contain the same wholesome ingredients you would use to make puff pastry at home: flour, butter, water and salt.

Pain Au Chocolat Recipe (8)

These homemade chocolate croissants are as good as any pain au chocolate I've ever tasted, and you can whip up a dozen in less than 45 minutes.

Pain Au Chocolat Recipe (9)

Here's the Pain Au Chocolate recipe. If you try this recipe I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and comment. I'd love to know what you think!

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Pain Au Chocolat Recipe (10)

PAIN AU CHOCOLAT

★★★★★5 from 1 review
  • Author: Lisa
  • Total Time: 35 mins
  • Yield: 12 1x
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Description

French pastry featuring bitter sweet chocolate enveloped in a flaky, buttery dough. Quick and easy.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed but chilled (see thawing directions)
  • A few tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • I 4-ounce bar of semisweet chocolate (I recommend Ghirardelli Semisweet Baking Bar) cut into 12 rectangular pieces.
  • 1 egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
  • 2-3 tablespoons sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour your work surface. Cut your puff pastry, with a sharp knife or pizza cutter, in half lengthwise. Cut each half into sixths, giving you 12 rectangular pieces.
  2. Brush top of dough lightly with egg wash. Place a piece of chocolate in the center of the dough strip. Fold one end over it. Then fold over the other end. Press the seam with the tines of a fork to seal. Add a little extra egg wash to the seam, if it's not adhering. Repeat with all 12 pieces.
  3. Place the pastries seam side down on the baking sheet. Brush the tops with egg wash. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake for 20 minutes in the center of the oven, until puffed and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Category: Breakfast, brunch, dessert
  • Method: bake
  • Cuisine: French

Keywords: chocolate croissants recipe, pain au chocolat recipe

Pain Au Chocolat Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you know when pain au chocolat is cooked? ›

If it feels like a marshmallow, that means it's time to bake. Place the pain au chocolat in a preheated 375 degree oven and bake… Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown or until you just can't stand it anymore because your mouth is watering from the smell of buttery bread baking. Hot homemade Pain au Chocolat.

Is pain au chocolat dough the same as croissant dough? ›

Chocolate croissants and pain au chocolat are the same pastry; “pain au chocolat” is the French name for chocolate croissants. They are made from the same pastry dough as traditional croissants, but with the addition of chocolate inside and baked in a rectangular shape.

Do you eat pain au chocolat hot or cold? ›

You can enjoy chocolate croissants (or pain au chocolat) any way you'd like, but many suggest eating them warmed to slightly melt the chocolate on the inside, as the chocolate will harden when cooled. However, it is recommended to heat the chocolate croissant in the oven instead of the microwave.

What is the difference between chocolate croissants and pain au chocolat? ›

“Pain au Chocolat” is a croissant but shaped as a rectangle, with a couple of chocolate sticks tucked inside as it's rolled. As a croissant, it's laminated dough layered (27 layers, to be precise) with butter. Brioche can be laminated as well but its a different formulation, often shaped a bit like a monarch's crown.

What does pain au chocolat mean in French? ›

pain au chocolat {noun}

EN. pastry with chocolate filling.

Can you eat out of date pain au chocolat? ›

Eating expired chocolate is generally considered safe, but there are a few key factors to consider. 'Best before' dates indicate when chocolate may lose its optimal flavour and texture but not necessarily its safety.

Can you eat undercooked pain au chocolat? ›

Safety Information

DO NOT EAT RAW DOUGH.

What pastry is pain au chocolat made from? ›

Semisweet chocolate "batons" form the basis for the traditional pain au chocolat, a yeasted puff pastry dough wrapped around a stick of chocolate.

What do they call pain au chocolat in America? ›

In the United States and sometimes in English Canada, they are commonly known as "pain au chocolat" or "chocolate croissants". In the Netherlands, they are sold at most cafés, supermarkets and bakeries and are commonly known as a chocoladebroodje.

What is the Italian version of pain au chocolat? ›

Pane al Cioccolato /Italian Chocolate Bread.

Can i air fry pain au chocolat? ›

The favourite French sweet pastry is amazing cooked from frozen in the air fryer and ideal for an easy breakfast or brunch. Puff pastry in the air fryer is amazing and you will love the golden glow on your pain au chocolat when cooked in the air fryer.

Can you put pain au chocolat in the toaster? ›

Buttery and flaky viennoserie pastry with dark chocolate filling, made by hand daily for the freshest and fluffiest bite. To reheat, put in microwave for 1 min & then toaster for 3 mins - do use an aluminium foil to cover the top of the pie whilst in toaster to prevent charring of the top crust.

How do you keep pain au chocolat fresh overnight? ›

Place each finished pain au chocolat onto a lined baking tray, then cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight.

Can vegans eat pain au chocolat? ›

Vegan Pain Au Chocolat are a dream come true and not too difficult to make at home. There is nothing better than a warm freshly baked chocolate croissant! Just like my vegan croissants, this recipe is simplified as much as possible so you can make flaky, buttery vegan pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants) at home.

Is pain au chocolat vegan? ›

Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

What alcohol is in pain au chocolat? ›

Dough (87%): Wheat flour, margarine (vegetable fats and oils (palm, rapeseed), water, emulsifiers (mono-and diglycerides of fatty acids), salt, acid (citric acid)), water, sugar, wheat gluten, dextrose, raising agents (glucono-delta-lactone, potassium carbonates, diphosphates), ethyl alcohol, salt, thickener (xanthan ...

What kind of chocolate is used in pain au chocolat? ›

I recommend using Ghirardelli brand because the bars are thin and the thin pieces roll up neatly in the croissant dough. I use bittersweet chocolate, but you can use milk chocolate, semi-sweet, or darker chocolate. Keep Dough Cold: Make sure the dough is ALWAYS cold.

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