The croissant, a classic Parisian pastry, has given birth to many trends globally, leading to new creations like the cruffin and the Cronut. More recently, a bakery has introduced its own twist: the “crookie,” which seems to have captured the attention of the internet & social media. It’s simple, take the humble croissant, stuff with chocolate chip cookie dough and bake to perfection. Despite appearing unconventional, according to this BBC article, these pastries reflect the croissant’s complex history, originating from Viennese influences rather than France in the 1830s. Contrary to popular belief, the croissant’s flaky layers owe to Arab techniques adopted by French bakers. Its evolution to being stuffed with cookie dough may not have been on the minds of those early bakers, but it’s fair to say the croissant has seen many variations over the years.

So what is the Viral Crookie?

The Crookie, originating in Paris in October 2022, was conceived by Stéphane Louvard of Maison Louvard. On a whim, Louvard split them in half, filled them with chocolate chip cookie dough, and rebaked them until the cookie set, creating a the now iconic mashup which is taking the internet by storm after gaining momentum when a TikTok influencer discovered them in February 2024. With demand skyrocketing, Louvard now produces 1,500 crookies daily, rising to 2,000 on Saturdays. The crookie’s popularity stems not only from social media but also from its meticulously crafted components: starting with house-made croissants, each crookie is generously filled with 60g of cookie dough and topped with 40g more before being rebaked for 10 minutes. Louvard attributes the crookie’s irresistible gooeyness to the exceptional chocolate.

Ingredients you will need for the Viral Crookie:

The premise is simple, croissants, cookie dough, stuff, top and bake. Though my version adds a little good quality dark chocolate inside and then melt some to drizzle over the tip before dusting with icing sugar.

Croissants:

It’s best to use croissants that are about half a day old as they become a little firmer and are easier to slice.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:

Chocolate chip cookie dough serves as the filling for the Crookie. You can make the dough yourself, I have a recipe here, or use storebought. A sprinkle of sea salt is well worth adding to add a nice balance to the sweetness.

Dark Chocolate:

The addition of dark chocolate is not completely necessary but will give your crookie it’s best results. I used Madagascan single origin dark chocolate with 67% cocoa solids but any dark chocolate with cocoa solids above 60% will give you the best results. It’s optional to stuff the croissants with extra chocolate and top with melted but upon testing it defintely gave the best ooze.

Icing Sugar

For a finishing touch, the Crookie can be dusted with icing sugar before serving. Icing sugar adds a touch of sweetness and visual appeal to the pastry, creating a nice contrast against the golden brown exterior of the croissant. This optional garnish enhances the presentation of the Crookie and adds a hint of sweetness to the overall flavor profile. Plus it looks PRETTY!

How to Make Crookie- Cookie Croissants at Home:

Creating the viral cookie croissant from Paris in your own kitchen is surprisingly simple and quick. Just follow these easy steps:

1.Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
2. Slice the croissants in half lengthways, ensuring not to cut all the way through.
3. Ensure the cookie dough is at room temperature and slice, inserting a slice each into the croissants. Place any leftover dough on top of the croissants.
4. Break up some of the dark chocolate into rough pieces and insert into the croissants, as well as placing some pieces on top.
5. Transfer to the oven to bake for 12-15 minutes, until the cookie dough has baked.
6. If you fancy it, melt the remaining dark chocolate in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water and once the croissants are out of the oven, drizzle over for extra indulgence.
7. Finish with a sprinkle of icing sugar and enjoy!

We’ve tried and tested the trend and this one gets a thumbs up. Easy to adapt at home and plenty of variations you could add to put your own twist. I think this is definitely a trend that’s not going anywhere for a while.

Get the recipe here.