Chocolate Butter Croissants

Homemade Chocolate Butter Croissants – Worth the Two-Day Wait

Right then – this one’s for the croissant fans who don’t mind getting their hands a bit floury and are up for a bit of a pastry challenge. We’re talking homemade chocolate butter croissants, made over two days with a lovely flaky finish, subtle cocoa notes, and – because I couldn’t help myself – a few cheeky chocolate chips thrown in too (recommended!).

I followed a pretty classic laminated dough recipe, but swapped out the regular butter in the base dough (the détrempe, if you’re being fancy) for chocolate butter that I found in a supermarket. I still used normal butter for the lamination to keep those clean layers, but the chocolate base added a nice tint and a subtle flavour lift. I’ll be honest – the flavour from the chocolate butter alone wasn’t massively bold, but it gave the dough a deeper colour and paired brilliantly with the chocolate chips I rolled in later.

Two Days? Really?

Yes – and honestly, it’s worth it. You mix and knead your dough on day one, let it rise, chill it, laminate it with cold butter, then pop it in the fridge overnight to relax. On day two you shape your croissants, let them rise again in a warm, humid oven (more on that in a sec), then bake until golden and crisp. It’s a bit of a labour of love, but once you bite into a freshly baked croissant with proper layers, it all clicks.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Chocolate Butter Croissants

Day 1 – Dough & Lamination

1. Mix the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a mixing bowl.

2. Add the cold milk and water, and knead for 5 minutes on low speed.

3. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes – helps the flour hydrate and develop.

4. Add the chocolate butter, cubed, and knead for another 5 minutes until smooth.

5. Form into a ball, cover, and leave it to rise for 1–2 hours until doubled in size.

6. Chill the dough for 30 minutes in the fridge – this firms it up before laminating.

7. Shape your cold butter into a flat square, roughly 20cm, using parchment paper to help.

8. Roll the dough into a rectangle, about 40x20cm, place the butter in the centre, and fold the dough over to encase it.

9. Roll the dough gently, rotate 90°, and do your first book fold – fold quarters into the centre, then fold in half.

10. Chill for 15–30 minutes, depending on how soft the dough is.

11. Do a second fold – roll out the dough again, fold it like a letter in thirds, and roll it into a tidy rectangle.

12. Wrap the dough and chill overnight – this gives the gluten time to relax and keeps the butter firm for shaping.

Day 2 – Shape, Proof & Bake

1. Create a warm, humid environment – boil water in a pan and place it in your (turned off) oven to build steam.

2. Roll the dough into a long rectangle, keeping it neat and even.

3. Cut into triangles – slice the dough into wide bands, then cut diagonally to form isosceles triangles.

4. Add chocolate chips – pop a few chips near the wide end of each triangle before rolling.

5. Roll into croissants, from wide base to tip, tucking the point underneath.

6. Place on a lined tray, spaced apart, and proof in your steamy oven for 1.5 to 2 hours, until puffed and wobbly.

7. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan) once proofed.

8. Brush gently with egg wash – just the tops, not the edges or layers.

9. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until golden brown, crisp, and smelling incredible.

Chocolate Butter: Tips & Takeaways

Using chocolate butter in the base dough did mean I had to chill it a bit more than usual – cocoa butter softens quicker than regular dairy fat, so the dough got a bit sticky at times. Nothing major, just worth keeping an eye on and don’t be afraid to throw it back in the fridge mid-roll.

The real game changer, though, was the chocolate chips. I added them just before shaping – rolling each triangle from the wide end to the tip with a few chips tucked inside. They gave a rich little hit of flavour that worked really nicely with the cocoa-infused dough.

Steamy Stuff: Getting That Rise Right

Here’s a tip I’d 100% recommend – proof your shaped croissants in a warm, steamy oven. I brought a pan of water to the boil, stuck it in the bottom of my (turned-off) oven, and let the croissants rise in there for a couple of hours. That humid environment helped them puff up beautifully without drying out. I tested a batch at room temperature and they just didn’t get that same oomph.

Would I Make These Again?

Absolutely. If you’re already a fan of baking and want to take your croissant game to the next level, chocolate butter croissants are a fun twist. You get a bit of cocoa flair, a good excuse to sneak in some chocolate chips, and that lovely “I made these from scratch” moment at the end. They freeze well too, so you can stockpile a few for later – always a win.