Frozen Croissants in the Air Fryer (Trader Joeโ€™s)

I love croissants. The tender, flaky pastry layers and the delicious buttery taste are the perfect treat for breakfast, brunch, and even lunch sandwiches. Who has time for that rolling and proofing though? Thatโ€™s why I now make frozen croissants in the air fryer instead!

trader joe's frozen croissants in the air fryer dinners done quick

Why You Need This Recipe

Frozen croissants take all the hard work out of actually making the bread. Thatโ€™s right, just pull your pastry from the freezer and itโ€™s ready to bake!

Instead of the tedious process of thawing and proofing the dough, you can skip all that thanks to the air fryer. Yeah, weโ€™re cooking the frozen croissants right from frozen state, which means you can get to eating them that much quicker.

breaking apart a fluffy trader joe's air fried croissant

Plus, this method works for all different types of croissants! Trader Joeโ€™s are my favorite, and they make regular, mini, almond, and chocolate frozen croissants. Theyโ€™re all great, and Iโ€™m sure most other brands are too.

Pair them with honey, butter, jam, or my easy Microwave Chocolate Sauce for the perfect bite!

What Youโ€™ll Need

trader joe's frozen croissants next to box
  • Frozen croissants, any brand (I have Trader Joeโ€™s almond)
  • Toppings as desired (optional)

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

  • While Iโ€™m using Trader Joeโ€™s almond croissants, you can swap in chocolate, regular, or their mini as well. Alternatively, grab a different brand if preferred โ€“ Costco makes a great frozen croissant as well
  • I typically top my croissants with some powdered sugar but you can use anything else you like as well

How to Cook Frozen Croissants in an Air Fryer

  1. Preheat your air fryer to 330ยฐF (or the closest equivalent setting your air fryer offers)
  2. Place the frozen croissants in the preheated air fryer basket, allowing space between each one (they will expand during cooking)
place trader joe's croissants in air fryer basket
  1. Brush the tops of the croissants with a little melted butter or egg wash if you want a darker crust (optional). If youโ€™re using the Trader Joeโ€™s almond croissants, skip this or youโ€™ll dislodge the almonds
  2. Cook on the air fry setting for 12-15 minutes at 330ยฐF until croissants are browned and cooked through (or until a thermometer reads 180ยฐF-190ยฐF when inserted into the center of the bread)
  3. Serve plain, or with some butter, jam, or other toppings as desired!
overhead view of air fried trader joe's croissants on a plate next to blueberries

What to Serve With Croissants

  • Powdered sugar
  • Jam
  • Butter
  • Chocolate sauce
  • Caramel sauce
  • Nutella
  • Honey
  • Ice cream
  • Yogurt
  • Fresh fruit
  • Eggs
  • Lunch meats
  • Chicken salad
  • Smoked salmon
  • Bacon
  • Cheese
  • Coffee
  • Fruit juice

Try your air fryer frozen croissants with a side of my easy Microwave Chocolate Covered Strawberries or learn How to Make Coffee in the Microwave for a beverage pairing!

Top them with some Sangria Wine Jelly or serve them alongside some Banana Almond Butter Overnight Oats!

Recipe FAQs

Can You Cook Frozen Croissant in an Air Fryer?

Yes, you can cook a frozen croissant in an air fryer. They may be cooked from frozen, or defrosted and proofed ahead of time.

The timing will change slightly depending if youโ€™re cooking from thawed or frozen, but they come out equally delicious.

Can You Air Fry Trader Joeโ€™s Chocolate Croissant?

Yes, you can air fry Trader Joeโ€™s chocolate croissants.

Air frying is similar to convection baking, so your croissants will come out with a browned exterior and warm baked interior.

Can You Cook Trader Joeโ€™s Chocolate Croissants From Frozen?

Yes, you can cook Trader Joeโ€™s chocolate croissants from frozen. They wonโ€™t rise quite as much as proofing ahead of time, but will still increase in size.

The inside comes out gooey while the exterior browns. This is a great time saving option if youโ€™re not concerned about the size of the air bubbles inside.

How Long Do You Cook Trader Joeโ€™s Chocolate Croissants?

Trader Joeโ€™s chocolate croissants should be cooked for 12-15 minutes at 330ยฐF in the air fryer, or 20-25 minutes in a standard range oven.

Times may vary slightly between various air fryer brands and models.

How Do You Air Fry Trader Joeโ€™s Mini Croissants?

Air fry Trader Joeโ€™s mini croissants from frozen in a preheated air fryer set at 350ยฐFย  for 4-5 minutes.

Time may vary slightly based on your specific air fryer.

How Do You Make Trader Joeโ€™s Almond Croissants in the Air Fryer?

To make Trader Joeโ€™s almond croissants in the air fryer, cook for 12-15 minutes at 330ยฐF from frozen, or 8-12 minutes from defrosted.

Use a piece of parchment or a silicone mat to make removal easier.

Can You Air Fry Almond Croissants?

Yes, you can air fry almond croissants. The air fryer will bake the dough and warm the interior filling.

They may be cooked from frozen or defrosted state.

Expert Recipe Tips

  • This recipe method is for cooking Trader Joeโ€™s frozen croissants without proofing.ย  Frozen, the almond croissants measure approximately 3.5โ€ long x 2โ€ wide x 0.5โ€ high. After cooking, they measured about 3.75โ€ long x 2.5โ€ wide x 1.25โ€ high
  • For comparison, I also tested the overnight proofing method before cooking TJโ€™s croissants. After proofing, they measured 4โ€ long x 2.5โ€ wide x 1.5โ€ high. After cooking, they measured about 4โ€ long x 2.5โ€ wide x 2 ยผโ€ high. The end result tasted the same, but there was a much larger air pocket in the middle (which supports the height difference)
  • If you want to follow the proofing method, thaw the croissants overnight (allowing them to rise at room temperature for 6-7 hours at the minimum) before cooking in the air fryer as normal. However, this requires planning ahead significantly more so itโ€™s up to you what the better method is โ€“ either way theyโ€™ll be flaky and delicious!
  • My frozen croissants were perfect with a gooey center after 12 minutes in a Ninja air fryer. At 15 minutes, they were less gooey and more doughy (but not overdone), so adjust based on your preference. Other air fryer brands and models may vary slightly
  • Itโ€™s normal for a small amount of filling to leak out during cooking with the almond and chocolate varieties (especially from frozen; I didnโ€™t have as much issue with the proofed ones). You can use a piece of parchment or a silicone mat in your air fryer to keep the mess down
air fryer trader joe's almond croissants stacked on top of each other on a plate

Storage and Reheating Tips

  • Store any leftover croissants in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. I do not recommend refreezing after baking, as it will draw out moisture
  • To reheat croissants in the air fryer, use a temperature of 320ยฐF-325ยฐF and air fry for 2-3 minutes, until croissant is warmed through

More Trader Joeโ€™s Foods to Try in the Air Fryer

Final Thoughts

Frozen croissants like Trader Joeโ€™s are so delicious and easy to make in the air fryer. They come out buttery, flaky, and perfectly done in a fraction of the time the oven requires!

Whether you have mini, regular, chocolate or almond filled croissants, theyโ€™re all equally great in your air fryer. Since you can skip the long proofing process without sacrificing flavor, the air fryer truly makes great frozen croissants.

Serve these delicious pastries with butter and jam, or go a little more decadent with chocolate or caramel. Add some sliced meats for a sandwich and make it a lunch! Either way, these croissants are perfect to keep on hand in the freezer any time you have a craving.

If youโ€™re interested in the sandwich option, check out my Smashed Croissant Air Fryer recipe!

trader joe's frozen croissants in the air fryer dinners done quick featured image

Frozen Croissants in Air Fryer (Trader Joeโ€™s Almond)

Make Trader Joeโ€™s frozen croissants easily in your air fryer. Theyโ€™re ready in under 20 minutes, and perfectly flaky, warm, and delicious!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 17 minutes
Course Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine American, French
Servings 2
Calories 340 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
ย ย 

  • 2 Frozen Trader Joeโ€™s croissants, any flavor
  • Additional toppings if desired optional

Instructions
ย 

  • Preheat your air fryer to 330ยฐF (or the closest equivalent setting your air fryer offers)
  • Place the frozen croissants in the preheated air fryer basket, allowing space between each one (they will expand during cooking)
    2 Frozen Trader Joeโ€™s croissants, any flavor
  • Brush the tops of the croissants with a little melted butter or egg wash if you want a darker crust (optional). If youโ€™re using the Trader Joeโ€™s almond croissants, skip this or youโ€™ll dislodge the almonds
  • Cook on the air fry setting for 12-15 minutes at 330ยฐF until croissants are browned and cooked through (or until a thermometer reads 180ยฐF-190ยฐF when inserted into the center of the bread)
  • Serve plain, with powdered sugar, or with some butter, jam, or other toppings as desired!
    Additional toppings if desired

Notes

  • Iโ€™m using Trader Joeโ€™s almond croissants, but you can swap in chocolate, regular, or their mini as well. Alternatively, grab a different brand if preferred โ€“ Costco makes a great frozen croissant as well
  • I typically top my croissants with some powdered sugar but you can use anything else you like as well
  • This recipe method is for cooking Trader Joeโ€™s frozen croissants without proofing.ย  Frozen, the almond croissants measure approximately 3.5โ€ long x 2โ€ wide x 0.5โ€ high. After cooking, they measured about 3.75โ€ long x 2.5โ€ wide x 1.25โ€ high (so they do rise)
  • If you want to follow the proofing method, thaw the croissants overnight (allowing them to rise for 6-7 hours at the minimum) before cooking in the air fryer as normal. This will give your pastry some more volume, particularly on the length and width. However, this requires planning ahead significantly more so itโ€™s up to you what the better method is โ€“ either way theyโ€™ll be flaky and delicious!
  • My frozen croissants were perfect with a gooey center after 12 minutes in a Ninja air fryer. At 15 minutes, they were less gooey and more doughy (but not overdone), so adjust based on your preference. Other air fryer brands and models may vary slightly
  • Itโ€™s normal for a small amount of filling to leak out during cooking with the almond and chocolate varieties. You can use a piece of parchment or a silicone mat in your air fryer to keep the mess down
  • Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand and flavor of ingredients, toppings added, and quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only

Nutrition

Serving: 85gCalories: 340kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 6gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 220mgFiber: 2gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 300IUVitamin C: 1.8mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1.8mg
Keyword almond croissants, croissants, frozen croissants in air fryer, frozen croissants in ninja air fryer, trader joeโ€™s almond croissant instructions, trader joeโ€™s almond croissants, trader joeโ€™s chocolate croissants air fryer, trader joeโ€™s croissants air fryer, trader joeโ€™s croissants without proofing
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trader joe's frozen croissants in the air fryer dinners done quick pinterest
Katie Vine

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