Crepes and croissants are easily two of the tastiest delicacies the French have bestowed upon us, but do you know how to properly reheat croissants?
That complexly simple mixture of sugar, butter and dough is one that’s hard to beat. Enjoy your croissants with butter, jam, or on their own – these puffy pastries will not disappoint.
However, if you don’t reheat croissants well enough, you might end up disappointing yourself. You really can’t blame it on the croissant then.
Here are a few ways you can store and reheat croissants so they’re back to their fresh selves whenever you decide to indulge again.
How to Store Croissants
You can store croissants in a plastic bag after wrapping them in a plastic sheet or in aluminum foil. Ideally, you want to store croissants at room temperature to keep them fresh for a longer time.
Be careful not to squash their exterior while wrapping croissants in the sheet or foil, though you want to make sure they’re also wrapped tightly.
Alternatively, if the room temperature is relatively warm, you can store croissants in the exact same manner as described for storing at room temperature, except in the refrigerator to keep their freshness intact.
Now that you’ve learnt the art to store them, let’s look at how you can reheat in a microwave, an oven, or a toaster oven.
Different Ways to Store Croissants?
Room Temperature
Croissant, or any kind of baked goods, remain fresh and to the best quality at room temperature. The problem is that they only last for about two days. So if you plan on consuming them within that time, it is best to store them in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out.
Refrigerate
When refrigerated, the shelf life of a croissant is extended for up to 5 to 7 days. Just wrap them tightly in a plastic wrap or aluminum foil or place them in an airtight container and put in the fridge. Refrigeragted croissant will return to room temperature within an hour of removing from the fridge.
Freeze
Frozen croissants are safe to eat for up to a year, but they would remain fresh for up to 2 months. To freeze them, double wrap the croissants tightly, by first using a plastic wrap and then an aluminum foil and place them in the freezer. If you have brought pre-frozen croissants, follow the date and instructions on the package.
Reheat Croissants in a Microwave
If you’re short on time, set on a plate inside the microwave and reheat for approximately 10-15 seconds on full power.
If you have some time to get into more specific details, heat croissants on 30% power for around 40 seconds if you’re reheating a single large croissant. If you want to reheat 2 croissants, reheat them for about 1 minute at the same power.
If after touching the croissant you feel they aren’t warm enough, continue to reheat for 8-10 seconds until you reach the desired warmth.
Eat and enjoy the scrumptious treats quickly, before they cool down and become hard or dry.
Reheat in an Oven or Toaster Oven
The more effective way to reheat croissants the following day while reviving them as close to their original, fresh selves as possible is to reheat them using an oven or a toaster oven.
To reheat croissants, preheat the oven to 300°F/150°C and heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Heating it fully or partially covered in foil produces a crust that is more moist.
Using a microwave to heat it up may make it more “soggy”, but some people prefer that!
If you’re not in the mood to use the full-sized oven, use the toaster oven instead to reheat croissants while preserving the crisp flakes.
Reheat them at 375°F for 2-3 minutes if you’re using your toaster oven for fresh croissants that are stored at room temperature.
If, however, you want to reheat croissants that were already baked and then stored in the fridge or freezer, remove the wraps and place them in the toaster oven for about 7 minutes.
Keep a watch – depending on the size of, and the temperature inside your oven, you may be able to reheat croissants in 5-10 minutes.
In case you want to heat unbaked croissants that were then frozen to store, you want to thaw your croissants for a little while before you heat them for 15 minutes.
To get the perfect brown-gold texture and color, reheat croissants by baking them for around 5 minutes at 425°F. Follow this with an additional 10-13 minutes in the oven at 375°F.
Using the microwave, oven, or toaster oven will do the job and reheat croissants for you to devour. However, if you don’t want to sacrifice on the crispiness and freshness too much, you definitely want to use the oven or toaster oven to reheat in place of the microwave.
How to Reheat Croissants on the Stovetop or in a Sandwich Press
If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to reheat croissants, the stovetop or a sandwich press are both excellent options. Simply place the croissants on a lightly oiled baking sheet or in the sandwich press, and heat for a few minutes until warmed through.
How to Reheat a Chocolate Croissant
There are a few different ways that you can reheat a chocolate croissant. One way is to wrap it in foil and place it in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes. Another way is to microwave the croissant for about 15 seconds on high power. Lastly, you can heat the croissant in a pan on the stove over low heat for a few minutes until it is warmed through.
Assuming you have already made or purchased your chocolate croissants, here are three ways to reheat them so they taste just as delicious as when they were first made:
1. Wrap the croissant in foil and place it on a baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and heat for about 10 minutes.
2. microwave the croissant on high power for 15 seconds.
3. Place the croissant in a pan on the stove over low heat and heat for a few minutes until warmed through.
Whichever method you choose, be sure not to overcook the chocolate croissants or they will become dry and crumbly.