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? That’s why I now make frozen croissants in the air fryer instead!
Frozen croissants take all the hard work out of actually making the bread. That’s right, just pull your pastry from the freezer and it’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, we’re 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 Joe’s are my favorite, and they make regular, mini, almond, and chocolate frozen croissants. They’re all great, and I’m sure most other brands are too.
Frozen croissants, any brand (I have Trader Joe’s almond)
Toppings as desired (optional)
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
While I’m using Trader Joe’s almond croissants, you can swap in chocolate, regular, or their mini as well. Alternatively, grab a different brand if preferred – 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 330°F (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 you’re using the Trader Joe’s almond croissants, skip this or you’ll dislodge the almonds
Cook on the air fry setting for 12-15 minutes at 330°F until croissants are browned and cooked through (or until a thermometer reads 180°F-190°F when inserted into the center of the bread)
Serve plain, or with some butter, jam, or other toppings as desired!
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 you’re cooking from thawed or frozen, but they come out equally delicious.
Can You Air Fry Trader Joe’s Chocolate Croissant?
Yes, you can air fry Trader Joe’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 Joe’s Chocolate Croissants From Frozen?
Yes, you can cook Trader Joe’s chocolate croissants from frozen. They won’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 you’re not concerned about the size of the air bubbles inside.
How Long Do You Cook Trader Joe’s Chocolate Croissants?
Trader Joe’s chocolate croissants should be cooked for 12-15 minutes at 330°F 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 Joe’s Mini Croissants?
Air fry Trader Joe’s mini croissants from frozen in a preheated air fryer set at 350°F for 4-5 minutes.
Time may vary slightly based on your specific air fryer.
How Do You Make Trader Joe’s Almond Croissants in the Air Fryer?
To make Trader Joe’s almond croissants in the air fryer, cook for 12-15 minutes at 330°F 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 Joe’s frozen croissants without proofing. Frozen, the almond croissants measure approximately 3.5” long x 2” wide x 0.5” high. After cooking, they measured about 3.75” long x 2.5” wide x 1.25” high
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 it’s up to you what the better method is – either way they’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
It’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
Trader Joe’s Brazilian Cheese Bread in the Air Fryer
Final Thoughts
Frozen croissants like Trader Joe’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, they’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.
Preheat your air fryer to 330°F (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 Joe’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 you’re using the Trader Joe’s almond croissants, skip this or you’ll dislodge the almonds
Cook on the air fry setting for 12-15 minutes at 330°F until croissants are browned and cooked through (or until a thermometer reads 180°F-190°F 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
I’m using Trader Joe’s almond croissants, but you can swap in chocolate, regular, or their mini as well. Alternatively, grab a different brand if preferred – 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 Joe’s frozen croissants without proofing. Frozen, the almond croissants measure approximately 3.5” long x 2” wide x 0.5” high. After cooking, they measured about 3.75” long x 2.5” wide x 1.25” 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 it’s up to you what the better method is – either way they’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
It’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
I enjoy trying new recipes, creating my own, and dabbling with new techniques all the time. My husband loves to protest when I make him my guinea pig, but it’s all for the love of food!
