How To Turn Day-Old Croissants Into Sweet, Crispy Tea Crackers

The blessing and the curse of most baked goods is that there's a short window for optimal deliciousness. Bite into them while they're fresh — or better yet, still warm — and it'll be the best bite of your whole day (maybe even your whole week). But wait too long to dig in or pick at it a morning or two later, and you'll be greeted by a faint memory of what that treat once was.

Especially with bready baked goods like donuts, pastries, and croissants, you're looking at 1 to 2 days max to enjoy them at ideal freshness. After that, even if they haven't entirely gone stale, they won't taste as good. So let's say you have a leftover box of bakery items from a recent party, or your family couldn't quite get to that whole package of Costco croissants in time. What do you do? Do you toss them? Do you eat them stale, even though the calories aren't really worth it?

There's another way. The beauty of something like a croissant is that this light, buttery delight can be brought back to life. It'll take on a very different form and it won't taste fluffy, but it'll still be delicious and it won't go to waste. It's time to meet the croissant cracker-brittle-cookie mashup you never knew you needed.

There are a lot of recipes out there for ways to turn your old croissants into thin, sweet, crispy treats. Whether you want to make a Croissant Tuile that's more wafery and cracker-like or a Croissant Brittle that's more reminiscent of a cookie, the overall process is generally the same, and it only involves a few steps.

The first step is to take your day-old croissants (they can be homemade or store-bought) and slice them up into thin pieces that are about a ¼ inch thick. Then, you'll want to make a syrup — you could use something cream-based like sugar and half-and-half or sugar and water mixed with honey, maple syrup, or citrus zest for extra flavor. Heat the ingredients of your choice to make a syrup, and brush or dip the croissant pieces, so they're well coated but not soggy.

Then, all that's left is to bake them to crispy perfection. Flatten them as much as you'd like, and bake on low or moderate heat (300-350°F) for 20-45 minutes, depending on how thick they are, until deeply browned and caramelized. For added flavor or texture, feel free to sprinkle on toppings like nuts, sesame seeds, or sea salt. Dig in and enjoy your crunchy creation.

As if croissant cracker-brittle-cookies weren't exciting enough, there are many ways to use old or stale croissants and allow them to take on a new life. If you're looking for more ideas, say no more — we've got you covered.

This Flattened Croissant Toast will take your breakfast to the next level. Rather than slicing up the croissant, you simply flatten the entire thing and toast it in a skillet to be used as a sturdy, delicious vehicle for anything from strawberries and whipped cream, to eggs and avocado, to peanut butter and bananas.

You can also try a Croissant Breakfast Casserole that balances out the sweet, buttery day-old pastry with savory ingredients like onions, pancetta, thyme, and shredded cheese, or even a croissant bread pudding that uses slightly stale croissants in place of bread cubes. Trader Joe's has croissant croutons — so why not make your own? Try cutting your day-old croissants into chunks, covering them with olive oil and rosemary, and baking them in the oven until crispy.