Viral Flat Croissants with Matcha Chocolate

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.

So I kept seeing these flat croissants absolutely EVERYWHERE on my feed, and at first I was skeptical. Like, isn’t the whole point of a croissant all those buttery, flaky layers? Why would you flatten it?

But curiosity got the better of me, and wow, I get the hype now. 🤯

This Korean flat croissant trend transforms a regular croissant into this crispy, caramelized, almost candy-like treat that’s completely different from the original. The key is pressing it down while it’s cooking in honey butter, so you get this gorgeous golden crust on both sides that’s sweet, crunchy, and dangerous (in a good way). I took it a step further and added matcha white chocolate to half, because why not make it even more extra?

The reaction has been wild! My version even got shown briefly on a segment of Good Morning America, which still feels surreal. But the best part? It’s actually super simple to make at home with just a few ingredients.

For another quick fried bread snack with the same crisp payoff, check out these 4-Ingredient Cinnamon Toast Sticks, leftover bread crusts deep-fried and tossed in cinnamon sugar, churro-style.

Get Recipe Ingredients

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nomtastic Foods 🍽️ Easy Recipes & Dope Kitchen Gadgets (@nomtasticfoods)

It’s also part of my 36 Easy Asian Desserts, if you want more delicious inspo.

What Makes These Flat Croissants So Irresistible

The magic happens when you compress all those flaky layers together while frying them in honey and butter. Instead of the soft, pillowy texture you normally get, you end up with this crackly exterior that’s packed with caramelized sweetness. It’s almost like a croissant cracker meets a pastry cookie? Hard to describe, but SO good.

The honey caramelizes as it cooks, creating these deep, toasty flavors that pair perfectly with the buttery croissant. Then the matcha white chocolate adds this beautiful bitter-sweet contrast that cuts through all that richness. You get crispy, you get chewy bits in the middle, you get chocolate. It’s a texture and flavor party in your mouth.

I love that this recipe lets you completely customize the toppings too. I went with matcha white chocolate because I’m obsessed with that flavor combo, but you could do regular chocolate, Nutella, Biscoff spread, more honey, or even savory options. The pressed croissant becomes this perfect canvas. If you love getting creative with croissant pastries, you should also check out my Ube Croissants and viral cookie croissant (crookie) for other easy, viral twists that are just as impressive!

Tips for Making Perfect Flat Croissants

Use Day-Old Croissants

Fresh croissants are amazing for eating normally, but slightly stale ones actually work better for this recipe. They’re easier to flatten and hold their shape better when you press them. If your croissant is super fresh and squishy, you can pop it in a 300°F oven for about 5 minutes to dry it out a bit first.

Don’t Skip the Pre-Flattening Step

Before the croissant hits the pan, use a rolling pin to flatten it on a cutting board as much as you can. I know it feels weird to squish a perfectly good croissant, but trust me! This helps it cook more evenly and makes the final pressing step way more effective. It’s still going to puff up a little when it hits the heat, which is totally normal.

Press Firmly and Consistently

This is where the real transformation happens. You need to press down HARD for about 20 seconds on each side. If you don’t have a burger press (I didn’t), a small saucepan with parchment paper works perfectly. The goal is to compress all those layers together while the honey caramelizes. Don’t be shy about it! The croissant might seem a little floppy when you first take it off the heat, but it’ll crisp up and harden as it cools.

Watch Your Heat Carefully

Medium heat is your friend here. Too hot and the honey will burn before the croissant gets crispy. Too low and you won’t get that gorgeous caramelization. If you notice the bottom getting too dark too quickly, lower the heat a touch. The whole cooking process should take about 3-4 minutes total.

Let It Cool Completely Before Adding Chocolate

I know waiting is hard (believe me, I get it), but if you add the chocolate while the croissant is still warm, it’ll just melt into a puddle. Let it cool on parchment paper for at least 5-10 minutes, or pop it in the fridge for a few minutes to speed things up. The chocolate will set much prettier on a cool surface.

Storage and Leftovers

These flat croissants are definitely best eaten fresh, when they’re at peak crispiness. The texture starts to soften after a few hours as the moisture from the chocolate seeps in.

That said, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. To crisp them back up, put them in a 350°F oven for about 3-4 minutes, but only if you didn’t add the chocolate or other toppings that would melt or burn! Don’t microwave them or they’ll get soggy.

Flavor Variations to Try

While the matcha white chocolate version is my current obsession, here are some other combos I’ve been thinking about:

Classic Chocolate: Just use melted dark or milk chocolate instead of the matcha version. Simple but delicious.

Biscoff Everything: Spread Biscoff cookie butter on half and drizzle melted Biscoff on top. Cookie butter lovers, this one’s for you.

Nutella Hazelnut: Nutella spread with crushed hazelnuts sprinkled on top while it’s still wet. Can’t go wrong here.

Strawberry White Chocolate: Use freeze-dried strawberry powder instead of matcha in the white chocolate. Super pretty and tastes like strawberries and cream.

Cinnamon Sugar: Skip the chocolate entirely and just coat the warm croissant in cinnamon sugar. Sometimes simple is best.

The pressed croissant technique also reminds me of the creative ingredient swaps in my Korean Sweet Potato Bread Recipe, where taking a traditional concept and adding your own spin makes it even better.

Ingredients

For the Flat Croissant:

• 1 croissant (slightly stale works best, but fresh is fine)
• 1 tsp butter (for the pan)
• 2 tbsp honey (use good quality for best flavor)

For the Matcha White Chocolate Topping:

• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
• 1 tsp matcha powder (culinary grade is fine)

Substitution Notes:

• Butter: Can use coconut oil or another neutral oil, but butter tastes best
• Honey: Maple syrup or agave work, but won’t caramelize quite the same way
• White chocolate: Any chocolate works! Dark, milk, or even vegan chocolate
• Matcha: Swap for cocoa powder, freeze-dried fruit powder, or skip entirely

Equipment

• Burger Press
• Sauce Pan
• Frying Pan
• Cutting Board
• Spatula
• Mixing Bowls
• Parchment Paper

Instructions

1. Heat a pan over medium heat and add the butter, swirling it around to coat the bottom evenly. While it’s heating up, place your croissant on a cutting board.
2. Use a rolling pin to flatten the croissant as much as possible. Don’t worry if it’s not perfectly flat, it’ll puff up a bit when it hits the heat, and that’s totally normal. Just get it as compressed as you reasonably can. Place the flattened croissant in the buttered pan.
3. Drizzle the honey evenly over the top of the croissant, then immediately flip it over so the honey side is down. This helps the honey caramelize directly against the pan for maximum crispiness.
4. Now comes the fun part! If you have a burger press, use that to press down firmly on the croissant for about 20 seconds. No burger press? No problem, I used parchment paper topped with a small saucepan and pressed down hard. You really want to compress those layers together. Flip the croissant and repeat on the other side, pressing for another 20 seconds.
5. Once both sides are golden and caramelized (about 3-4 minutes total cooking time), transfer the croissant to a sheet of parchment paper. Don’t worry if it seems a little floppy, it’ll firm up and get super crispy as it cools. Let it sit for at least 5-10 minutes, or pop it in the fridge to speed things up.
6. While the croissant is cooling, put the white chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each one, until it’s completely smooth and melted. This usually takes about 1-1.5 minutes total, but microwaves vary.
7. Spoon about 1/3 of the melted white chocolate into a small Ziploc bag and seal it. Set this aside, we’ll use it for the drizzle later. Add the matcha powder to the remaining chocolate in the bowl and stir thoroughly until there are no lumps. The mixture should be a beautiful green color.
8. Make sure your croissant is completely cool (seriously, wait for it!), then use a silicone spatula to spread the matcha white chocolate over half of the croissant in an even layer. You can do a clean line down the middle or get creative with it.
9. Let the matcha chocolate set until it’s firm to the touch. This takes about 10-15 minutes at room temperature, or you can pop it in the fridge for 5 minutes to speed things up. Once it’s set, snip a tiny corner off the Ziploc bag and squeeze the plain white chocolate out in whatever pattern you want. I like doing zigzags or drizzles, but anything looks good!
10. Let the white chocolate drizzle set for a few more minutes, then dig in! Break it apart with your hands and enjoy all those crispy, caramelized, chocolatey layers.

This viral flat croissant recipe is one of those rare TikTok trends that actually lives up to the hype. The combination of that honey caramelized crunch with the smooth matcha white chocolate is just 🔥

Would you make these with matcha white chocolate, or would you go with a different topping? Let me know in the comments what flavor combo you’d try! And if you make these flat croissants, I want to see them, tag me so I can check out your creations! 🙌

Print