Warm croissants are possibly one of the greatest indulgences in life. So flaky, so soft, so…buttery. Yep, buttery croissants are problematic when you’re on a vegan diet. Thankfully, you don’t need to live without this classic French staple.
With a couple of simple tweaks to a standard recipe, you can learn how to make vegan croissants right in your kitchen. How fancy!
Timeframe for Making Vegan Croissants
The first thing to know about how to make vegan croissants is that it’s a multi-day process. You’ll need at least two days, but three is more realistic. Factor this into your planning; start the process a few days early if you want your croissants for the weekend.
Day 1
Make the dough and prepare your butter square. Store both in the refrigerator overnight.
Day 2
Wrap the butter square in the dough and roll out. Fold the dough and roll it out again. Fold and roll the dough for the third time. Chill the dough for half an hour between each fold and roll. This process is called lamination & creates those flaky, buttery layers.
Day 3
(or still day 2) Roll out one final time and shape your croissants. Let them rise for two hours and bake!
Ingredients for Vegan Croissant
Nearly all of the ingredients for making croissants are naturally vegan. Except, of course, the star ingredient: butter. Fortunately, that’s an easy fix. Vegan butter was once the most challenging ingredient to find when learning how to make vegan croissants. Fortunately, there are more and more options on the market every year.
The only other ingredient that isn’t vegan is the egg for the egg wash before baking. Fortunately, a little maple syrup mixed with water makes a tasty substitute.
Types Of Vegan Butter
Coconut oil is a frequent vegan substitute for butter, but not this time. It doesn’t provide the right consistency and would change the taste too much.
It’s crucial that your butter doesn’t melt while working it into the dough, so you want something with a minimum of 80% fat; this ensures it stays solid longer.
Naturli vegan block and Country Crock Plant Butter with Avocado Oil are both good options. However, the Country Crock doesn’t come in sticks, so it may be more challenging to work with it to make your butter square. Also, it tends to be softer.
If you can get your hands on Earth Balance Baking Sticks, it’s an excellent brand. This might be your best choice for vegan croissants.
Ingredients For Vegan Croissant Filling
There is nothing wrong with just a plain croissant — it’s oh-so-yummy and feels like you’re treating yourself to something decadent. But, if you’re looking for an extra boost to your treat, add a little something to the center.
When you shape your croissant dough, try inserting a little bit of one of these fillings for a scrumptious surprise. Can’t decide? Perhaps you’ll need to make a few extra batches!
Don’t be overwhelmed! This may seem like a complicated project, considering it takes a few days, but once you see how to make vegan croissants, you’ll realize they are pretty simple!
Vegan Croissant Dough
2 packets of active dry yeast (4 ½ tsp)
1 cup of lukewarm water
3 ½ cups of bread flour
¼ cup of sugar
2 tsp salt
6 tbsp vegan butter, room temperature
Vegan Butter Square
1 cup vegan butter, room temperature
Syrup Wash
2 tbsp maple syrup
4 tbsp water
Instructions
Dough and Butter Square – Day 1
Combine yeast and warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Allow to sit for 10 minutes or until foamy.
Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to yeast mixture, along with 6 tbsp vegan butter. Using the paddle attachment, mix until it forms a ball.
Switch to hook attachment to knead the dough for 10 minutes on medium speed. Continue kneading until dough is stretchy.
Transfer to a greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth, setting in a warm place. Allow dough to rise for an hour or two. Dough should at least double in size.
Deflate the dough and remove from bowl. Fold dough over, forming a rectangle. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
Place the vegan butter sticks for butter square between two pieces of parchment paper. Roll the butter into a 6X6 square. Store in refrigerator.
Laminate the Dough – Day 2
Sprinkle a thin layer of flour over your workspace. Next, roll your dough into a rectangle, aiming to make it twice as large as your butter square.
Unwrap your butter square and place it in the center of one-half of your dough. Fold the other half on top of the slab, and press down on the dough all around it, creating a seal.
Roll the dough until it measures 8’x24”. Fold one half of the dough to the center, and bring the other half to meet it. Fold it in half once again to create four layers. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Remove dough from refrigerator and repeat Step 3 two more times.
If you aren’t baking your croissants today, chill dough in refrigerator overnight.
Shaping and Baking – Day 3 (or still 2)
Take half of your croissant dough out of the refrigerator, leaving the other half to chill.
Roll your dough into a large rectangle on a lightly dusted counter. The approximate measurement should be 9”x18”.
Using a knife or pizza dough cutter, cut your dough into thirds, lengthwise. Using these rectangles as your guide, cut them into triangles.
Roll each triangle from the broad side down to its point.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, lay rolled croissants on the tray, point side down.
Mix syrup wash and lightly brush onto each croissant.
Let croissants rise until they’ve doubled in size, around one or two hours.
Once your dough has risen, bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Then, lower the oven to 350 degrees and continue baking for 12-15 minutes.
Once they are a toasty golden brown, remove from oven and allow to cool on a baking rack for at least 5 minutes.
Hi, my name is Brett White, and I have a passion for cooking, and following a raw diet. Eating raw has completely changed how I view food, and has led me down a much healthier and happier path in life over the last three years.
Through Addicted To Veggies, I want to share with you my favorite raw recipes. From brownie recipes, to recipes containing pumpkin, my site is full of delicious and wonderful options to consider.
