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? Thatโs why I now make frozen croissants in the air fryer instead!
Why You Need This Recipe
Frozen croissants take all the hard work out of actually making the bread. Thatโs right, just pull your pastry from the freezer and itโs 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, weโre cooking the frozen croissants right from frozen state, which means you can get to eating them that much quicker.
Plus, this method works for all different types of croissants! Trader Joeโs are my favorite, and they make regular, mini, almond, and chocolate frozen croissants. Theyโre all great, and Iโm sure most other brands are too.
Pair them with honey, butter, jam, or my easy Microwave Chocolate Sauce for the perfect bite!
What Youโll Need
- Frozen croissants, any brand (I have Trader Joeโs almond)
- Toppings as desired (optional)
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- While Iโm using Trader Joeโs 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
- 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)
- Brush the tops of the croissants with a little melted butter or egg wash if you want a darker crust (optional). If youโre using the Trader Joeโs almond croissants, skip this or youโll 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, or with some butter, jam, or other toppings as desired!
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 youโre cooking from thawed or frozen, but they come out equally delicious.
Can You Air Fry Trader Joeโs Chocolate Croissant?
Yes, you can air fry Trader Joeโs 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 Joeโs Chocolate Croissants From Frozen?
Yes, you can cook Trader Joeโs chocolate croissants from frozen. They wonโt 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 youโre not concerned about the size of the air bubbles inside.
How Long Do You Cook Trader Joeโs Chocolate Croissants?
Trader Joeโs 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 Joeโs Mini Croissants?
Air fry Trader Joeโs 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 Joeโs Almond Croissants in the Air Fryer?
To make Trader Joeโs 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 Joeโs 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 TJโs 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 itโs up to you what the better method is โ either way theyโll 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
- Itโs normal for a small amount of filling to leak out during cooking with the almond and chocolate varieties (especially from frozen; I didnโt 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
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 Joeโs Foods to Try in the Air Fryer
- Trader Joeโs Latkes in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Trader Joeโs Frozen Falafel
- Trader Joeโs Frozen Hash Browns in the Air Fryer
- Frozen Trader Joeโs Lava Cake in the Air Fryer
- Trader Joeโs Brazilian Cheese Bread in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Trader Joeโs Apple Blossom
Final Thoughts
Frozen croissants like Trader Joeโs 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, theyโre 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 youโre interested in the sandwich option, check out my Smashed Croissant Air Fryer recipe!
Frozen Croissants in Air Fryer (Trader Joeโs Almond)
Equipment
Ingredientsย ย
- 2 Frozen Trader Joeโs croissants, any flavor
- Additional toppings if desired optional
Instructionsย
- 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 Joeโs 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 youโre using the Trader Joeโs almond croissants, skip this or youโll 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
- Iโm using Trader Joeโs 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 Joeโs 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 itโs up to you what the better method is โ either way theyโll 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
- Itโs 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
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