Make your own French pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants) at home—flaky, buttery, and just like the ones from a Parisian bakery! This easy recipe is perfect for breakfast or an afternoon treat to delight the whole family.
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Making homemade pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants) as delicious as the ones from a bakery is absolutely possible, even for baking beginners!
This recipe uses a laminated dough (croissant dough), the same kind used for homemade croissants, It’s a puff pastry enriched with yeast, with chocolate sticks (chocolate batons) nestled at the heart of each pastry.
Golden, crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside, these French pastries are a true classic that you can master at home.
With my tips and tricks, you'll nail these homemade chocolate croissants with ease. They’re perfect for a decadent breakfast or an irresistible sweet treat!
Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredients you need
You’ll need these ingredients to make traditional pain au chocolate:
- Cold water and whole milk.
- All-purpose flour (or a mix of half cake flour and half all-purpose flour)
- Table salt
- Fresh baker's yeast or active dry yeast or instant yeast.
- Granulated sugar.
- Unsalted butter, melted and cooled (or softened for the dough) and unsalted butter with at least 80% fat content for laminating.
- Chocolate stick (bar of chocolate) or semisweet chocolate chips
How To Make Homemade Pain au Chocolat
Here are some quick visual instructions. Don’t forget that the full instructions with exact ingredients can be found in the main recipe card below!
Start by mixing the active dry yeast in the milk and water in the large bowl or the large mixing bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough attachement.
Then add the remaining ingredients: flour, sugar, melted butter, and salt, and knead for about 5 minutes.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge to chill for about 1-2 hours.
Take the butter out of the fridge and place it on a piece of parchment paper. Fold the edges to form a 20 cm square.
Use a rolling pin to shape butter by gently tap the butter, spreading it into a smooth and flat square of butter.
Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to form a rectangle 20 cm (8 inches) wide by 40 cm (16 inches) long.
Place the block of butter in the center of the dough and fold the edges over to completely enclose the butter.
Folding process
Make a double fold: Roll the dough into a long rectangle, fold a quarter of the top down, then fold the bottom over the remaining three-quarters, and fold in half. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
Make a single fold: Roll out the dough, fold one third of the top down, then cover with the other edge. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
Shaping the Pain au Chocolat
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle measuring 24 cm wide by 56 cm long (about 9.5 x 22 inches).
Cut the dough in half lengthwise to create two strips, then divide each strip into rectangles measuring 8 x 12 cm (about 3 x 4.5 inches).
Place one stick of chocolate about 1 cm (½ inch) from the edge of a rectangle, roll the dough over to cover the stick, add a second chocolate stick, and continue rolling until the dough is fully wrapped.
Baking
Place the pain au chocolat on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let them proof at room temperature for about 2 hours.
Brush the pain au chocolat with an egg wash using a pastry brush.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and bake the pain au chocolat for 20-25 minutes, until they are puffed and golden brown. Let them cool completely before enjoying!
Tips for this recipe
Storage instructions
Room temperature: Store the croissants in a paper bag or a metal box to maintain their texture.
Freezing: To keep them longer, you can freeze them before baking.
Variations & Substitutions
Recipe Questions
Can I make pain au chocolat ahead of time?
Yes, you can! Shape the dough, place the unbaked pain au chocolat on a tray, and freeze them. When ready to bake, let them thaw and rise at room temperature before baking.
What kind of chocolate should I use?
Traditionally, pain au chocolat is made with dark chocolate sticks (batons). However, you can use milk or white chocolate for variations.
Can I use store-bought puff pastry?
For the best results, homemade laminated dough is ideal, but store-bought puff pastry can be a quicker alternative for beginners.
Why didn’t my dough rise properly?
Check your yeast freshness and ensure the dough was proofed in a warm, draft-free environment. Avoid letting the butter melt into the dough during the folding process.
How do I get the perfect flaky layers?
Make sure the butter and dough are at the same consistency before laminating, and follow the resting times between folds.
Can I reheat them?
Yes, reheat them in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for 5-7 minutes for a fresh-from-the-bakery experience. Avoid using the microwave as it can make them soggy.
You will also love
I hope you enjoyed this homemade French chocolate croissant recipe! Feel free to rate it and leave a comment to let me know what you think. Happy baking!
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Pain au Chocolat Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 14 pain au chocolat
Description
Homemade pain au chocolat recipe, Crispy on the outside and incredibly soft on the inside, these are perfect for breakfast, an afternoon snack, and more (makes about 14 pain au chocolat).
Ingredients
- 500 g (4 cups) of flour – all-purpose flour
- 10 g (1 ¾ tsp) of fine salt
- 20 g (2 tsp) of fresh baker’s yeast
- 65 g (⅓ cup) of granulated sugar
- 35 g (2 ½ tbsp) of melted and cooled butter
- 150 ml (⅔ cup) of cold water
- 100 ml (½ cup) of cold whole milk
- 250-300 g (1 to 1 ¼ cups) of unsalted butter (for laminating)
- 28 chocolate stick or chocolate chips
Instructions
Dough:
- Mix the fresh yeast in cold water and milk in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
- Add the flour, sugar, salt, and melted and cooled butter, then knead for about 5 minutes until you get a smooth dough.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours (this helps the dough firm up and makes it easier to incorporate the butter).
Butter Block:
- Prepare the butter by cutting it into large pieces and placing it in the center of a sheet of parchment paper.
- Fold the edges to form a square about 8 inches by 8 inches.
- Use a rolling pin to gently tap and spread the butter into a flat sheet.
- Place the butter sheet in the fridge and remove it 30 minutes before working with the dough (the butter should not be too hard or too soft—it should be the same consistency as the dough to integrate smoothly).
Laminating:
- Incorporating: Roll the dough out into a rectangle about 8 inches by 16 inches. Place the butter block in the center of the dough and fold the edges over to fully enclose it. Then give the dough a 90-degree turn so the opening is facing you.
- Double Turn: Roll the dough into a large rectangle (about ⅛ inch thick). Fold one quarter of the top down, then fold the bottom over the remaining three-quarters and fold again in half (like a wallet fold). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Single Turn: Take the dough out of the fridge, placing the opening on the right. Roll it out again into a long rectangle, fold one-third of the top towards the center, then fold the other edge over it (single roll fold). Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours.
Shaping the Pain au Chocolat
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle measuring 22 x 9.5 inches (56 x 24 cm) with a thickness of about ⅙ inch (4 mm).
- Using a ruler and a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, cut the dough into two equal strips, each 4.7 inches (12 cm) wide along the 9.5-inch (24 cm) side.
- Place a chocolate stick (or aligned chocolate chips) along the bottom edge of the rectangle. Roll the dough to fully cover the chocolate stick.
- Place a second chocolate stick just at the edge of the rolled dough and continue rolling until the rectangle is completely rolled, ensuring the final edge sits on the side, not underneath the pastry.
Baking
- Place the shaped pain au chocolat on a parchment-lined baking sheet, ensuring they are well spaced.
- Cover with a clean towel and let rise for 1.5 to 2 hours until doubled in size.
- Brush the pain au chocolat with an egg wash made of egg yolk and a little milk using a pastry brush.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and bake the pain au chocolat for 20-25 minutes until they are puffed and golden brown.
- Let cool slightly before enjoying!
Notes
Storage: Pain au chocolat are best enjoyed the same day, but you can store them in a paper bag or a metal box for 1 to 2 days. To freeze, place the uncooked croissants on a baking sheet, freeze them, then store in a freezer bag.
Tips:
- Yeast: Substitute fresh yeast with dry yeast (7g of dry yeast for every 10g of fresh yeast).
- Speed up proofing: Place the dough in a slightly warmed oven at 86°F (30°C) or in a turned-off oven with a bowl of boiling water to accelerate rising.
- Use a digital scale: For better results, weigh the ingredients with a kitchen scale instead of using measuring cups.
- Handle gently: Don’t overwork the dough to preserve the butter layers.
- Use high-quality butter: Opt for butter with at least 82% fat content for the best flaky texture.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: bread, brioche
- Cuisine: French
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