Croissant Ice Cream Sandwich

This croissant ice cream sandwich is a French-toast-style spin on the classic ice cream sandwich, made with warm, caramelized croissants sandwiched together with ice cream. It is one of the easiest recipes on my entire site, and I almost did not share it for that exact reason. But it is so good and such a smart way to use up leftover croissants that I could not keep it to myself.

The method is simple: flatten two croissant halves, caramelize them in butter and sugar the same way you would for French toast, then sandwich cold ice cream between the two warm, crunchy halves while everything is still hot. That contrast of warm, cold, crunchy against creamy is what makes this croissant ice cream sandwich so much better than a plain croissant with a scoop on the side. And, it takes about 10 minutes from start to finish. No-bake desserts can't really get any better than this.

Katalin's key take on which croissants to use for this ice cream sandwich

You genuinely do not need to make croissants from scratch for this, and I would actually tell you not to. Fresh, warm, super soft croissants are lovely to eat plain, but they are too delicate to flatten and caramelize cleanly. They tend to tear or turn gummy in the pan.

What works best is a croissant that is a day or two old. Whether that is one you baked yourself and let sit uncovered on the counter overnight, or a store-bought one. The slightly firmer, slightly drier crumb holds its shape when pressed flat and soaks up the butter and sugar rather than falling apart.

I have made this with all three of the common options, and here is how I would rank them:

• Bakery croissants, a day or two old: my first choice. They have real butter layers, and by day two, they are firm enough to flatten without tearing.
• Frozen, bake-at-home croissants: also great, and what I actually used for the version pictured here. Bake them fresh, then let them cool and sit out for a few hours (or overnight) before you use them, rather than using them straight out of the oven.
• Packaged, ready-to-eat croissants from the grocery store: the most convenient option and totally fine to use. They are usually a little denser to begin with, which honestly makes them easier to flatten and less likely to fall apart in the pan. However, make sure they are butter croissants, not some vegetable-oil-tasting croissant.

How to make this croissant ice cream sandwich

Start by slicing each croissant in half horizontally. Press down firmly with the palm of your hand (or use a rolling pin for a flatter, more even result) until each half is noticeably thinner. Do not worry about being too gentle here. A firmer press gives you more surface area for caramelizing.

Spread a thin, even layer of softened unsalted butter over both sides of each half, then press that buttered side into a plate of granulated sugar so it picks up a good, even coating.

Heat a saucepan or skillet over medium heat; no oil or extra butter is needed in the pan itself. Lay the croissant halves in the pan and press them flat until the sugar melts and turns a deep golden caramel color. This happens faster than you would expect. In just a couple of minutes, so stay at the stove and don't walk away. Then, flip and repeat with the other side.

Once both halves are deeply caramelized, you will have a flat, crackly, golden crust on the outside and a warm, soft croissant in between. While it is still hot, add a generous scoop of ice cream to one half and close it up with the other. Press down just enough to help it hold together without squeezing the ice cream out the sides.

Eat it immediately. It will be messy, but so worth it! This is not a dessert you assemble ahead of time and let sit on a plate.

What ice cream to use

Plain vanilla is the classic choice here because it lets the caramelized croissant do most of the talking. That said, this format is very forgiving.

Chocolate is a natural pairing, especially if you think of this as a play on a chocolate croissant. Coffee or dulce de leche ice cream leans into the caramel notes even further, while something fruitier, like strawberry or raspberry, provides a nice contrast against the buttery crust. Whatever is already in your freezer will work, this recipe doesn't need a specific flavor to succeed.

Storing & serving

Honestly, there is not much to store here. The entire appeal of this dessert is the temperature and texture contrast, warm and crunchy against cold and creamy, so I always make it to order rather than ahead of time. Once assembled, the ice cream will start melting into the croissant within a few minutes, and the caramelized crust will soften as it cools.

If you have leftover caramelized croissant halves without ice cream, you can keep them at room temperature. They hold their crunch well, so you can also crush them up and use them as a crunchy topping over ice cream or yogurt later.

Flavor variation ideas

Once you have the base technique down, this is an easy one to play around with. A pinch of flaky sea salt over the caramelized croissant right before you add the ice cream turns this into a salted caramel version, and I do this almost every time now. A drizzle of my homemade caramel sauce over the top pushes that even further.

Crushed toasted nuts, like pecans or hazelnuts, pressed into the caramelized sugar coating before it fully hardens add a nice crunch. If you want something a bit more indulgent, a spoonful of chocolate sauce or a few chocolate chips melted into the warm croissant right before the ice cream goes in works really well too.

My expert tips

1. Use croissants that are a day or two old rather than fresh out of the oven. They flatten and caramelize far more cleanly.
2. Stay at the stove while the sugar caramelizes. It goes from perfectly golden to burnt within seconds, and I have learned this the hard way more than once.
3. Keep the heat at medium, not high. This gives the sugar time to caramelize evenly throughout before the outside scorches.
4. Press the croissant halves firmly and evenly flat. An unevenly flattened croissant caramelizes unevenly too, with some spots burning before others even color.
5. Have your ice cream out and ready to scoop before the croissant goes in the pan. This whole recipe moves fast once the sugar starts to caramelize, and you do not want to be searching the freezer at that point.

You really only need a saucepan or skillet for caramelizing, a rolling pin (or clean hands) to flatten the croissants, and an ice cream scoop for assembly. No special equipment required for this one.

Try some of my other easy dessert recipes

If you like desserts that come together fast but still feel a little special, here are some more of my go-to quick treats:

• Croissant French Toast Casserole
• Crème Brûlée
• Mini Tiramisu Cups

For even more ideas, check out my full roundup of summer desserts.

Have you tried this recipe?

Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe card and let me know which ice cream flavor you used!