Flakey, buttery golden croissants filled with an irresistible creamy custard and strawberries and then finished off with a dusting of powdered sugar! The perfect dessert that is easy to make and always impresses. They look like they were purchased from a bakery thanks to one secret ingredient trick!
I grew up in Orange County and one of my favorite bakeries was just a 10 minute drive away. It’s called Cream Pan and they are super famous for their strawberry croissants. People line up just to try them out and they are so worth it every time. I used to always have my mom take me on Wednesdays because I had late start in high school. We’d have breakfast there and then get dropped off at school. I showed my mom the picture of these and she couldn’t believe they looked just like the bakery’s. This recipe means so much to me and I really hope you enjoy it!
The Custard
First up, we’re going to make the custard! You only need 6 ingredients and you probably have all of them on hand already.
Here are the ingredients you need:
- whole milk
- vanilla extract
- sugar
- cornstarch
- salt
- egg yolks
- unsalted butter
In a bowl, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add the egg yolks and beat together until it turns lighter in color. Set aside.
To a pot over medium heat, add the whole milk and vanilla extract. You don’t want to boil it, just a simmer on the edge.
Slowly add in a splash of the warm milk to the batter and whisk together until smooth. Slowly add more warm milk as you whisk until it’s all added and super smooth.
Return to the pot over medium heat and continuously whisk until it thickens up, just a few minutes. Immediately take off the heat and transfer to a bowl. Allow it to cool and then pop in the fridge to chill.
The Croissant
Moving on to the easiest part of this recipe, the croissant! Now not to be intimidated because we won’t be making croissant dough from scratch. Instead we’ll be using puff pastry from the store. And this is not just to save us time and effort. The strawberry croissants from Cream Pan resemble puff pastry a lot more than actual croissants so that’s where I got this idea. My mom would always say oh I can just make these at home, they probably just use puff pastry. Now I’m not sure if that’s what Cream Pan actually uses but I promise they taste just as good.
My favorite brand of puff pastry to use is Pepperidge Farm. You can find it in the freezer aisle at most supermarkets. It comes with two large sheets.
Just cut each sheet into 4 small squares. You may have to trim some off if you want the croissants to be smaller. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Then make the egg wash by whisking together an egg and a splash of milk. Brush each puff pastry square with egg wash and fold in half into a triangle. Press down to ensure it doesn’t pop open too much in the oven. Brush the top with more egg wash.
Pop in the oven to bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes or until golden brown all around. Take out of the oven and allow to cool completely.
Filling the Croissants
Once cool, slice open the croissants to open them up and fill with the custard. You can add as much or as little as you’d like. Then add sliced strawberries and close. Dust the top with powdered sugar and repeat with the rest.
They are typically served cold and that’s how I like to enjoy them. To store any leftovers, transfer them to a container and keep in the fridge.
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Strawberry Croissants
Ingredients
- 1 package puff pastry 1 pound
- sliced strawberries
EGG WASH
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
CUSTARD
- 1 2/3 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Start out by making the custard. To a mixing bowl, whisk together cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Then add all the yolks and beat until it gets lighter in color. Set aside.
- To a pot over medium heat, add the milk and vanilla extract. Combine together and heat it just until it starts to bubble on the edges. You do not want to boil it or it will be too hot.
- Take off the heat and slowly add a little in at a time to the batter. This is so you don’t shock the egg yolks and cook them. Keep on slowly integrating the warm milk until it’s all whisked in and very smooth.
- Then transfer back to the pot and heat over medium-low heat. Continuously whisk together for a few minutes until it starts to thicken up. Immediately take off the heat and add the butter. Mix together until the butter is melted in and incorporated. Transfer the custard to a bowl.
- Cover and pop in the fridge to chill.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk to make the egg wash. Set aside.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the two puff pastry sheets into 4 squares each so you have 8 pieces. You can also trim them to make the croissants smaller.
- Brush the sheets with egg wash and fold each one. Press down on the edges to ensure it doesn’t rise and open too much. Brush the outside with egg wash now too.
- Pop in the oven to bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown all around.
- Take out of the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Cut each croissant in half to open it up and fill it with the custard and sliced strawberries.
- Dust the tops with powdered sugar and enjoy!
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