Croissant Bark Is The Best Way To Use Day-Old Pastries

We've all been sent home with a paper bag of pastries from a brunch that inevitably end up sitting on the kitchen counter until they go stale. Pastries that aren't fresh off the shelves, even if we purposely buy them in bulk, can be easily cast aside once they're past their prime. But, hold onto those day-old croissants and breathe new life into them by making croissant bark.

Croissant bark is a brittle made by flattening and baking day-old (or fresh, this isn't a hard rule) croissants so they become flavorful crisps. After flattening the croissants with a rolling pin and coating them with a sugary syrup, you'll crisp up the flattened croissants in the oven and end up with crunchy delights. This delicious, waste-free hack was invented by a bakery in Seattle  as a new, smart way to use up day-old croissants and other classic pastries — and now you can bring this hack to your kitchen. It's easily customizable to accommodate all your favorite croissant flavors, and they make a perfect on-the-go snack or specialty breakfast. So whether you work in a bakery or have leftovers at home, you'll want to give this bark a try before giving up on your still very usable food.

Croissant bark is one of those recipes you can make without having to buy new ingredients, which makes it the perfect leftover meal. For maximum crispiness, cut the croissants in half diagonally and roll them as flat as possible before dipping them into a syrup made with half-and-half and sugar, plus your desired flavoring agents. You can also replace the half-and-half with honey to go dairy-free. Some recipes suggest cinnamon and orange zest for a warmer taste, but you could leave the base as is, or add other ingredients, such as cocoa powder or maple syrup.

Baking the croissant bark takes around two hours, but you can adjust the length based on your preferred crispiness. You should also be sure to flip the bark periodically. To forgo long baking times, you can also try crisping your croissant bark in a cast iron skillet.

Of course, the fun part is the toppings! This is truly a choose-your-own-adventure experience where you can harken back to your favorite croissant flavors. Add chocolate chips or a spread of Nutella and strawberries, or melt some cheese and add ham for a sweet and savory snack. Pay homage to a blueberry almond croissant with some roasted almonds and honey, drizzled nicely over a marzipan and blueberry paste. You can even have guests personalize their toppings.

Make croissant bark part of a dessert charcuterie board, and pair it with assorted dipping sauces. You could also serve your bark as a substitute for a breakfast biscuit. It's the perfect dunking addition to morning coffee, as the croissant bark will soak up the liquid, giving you a warm and crunchy bite. Or, turn your day-old croissants into crispy tea crackers. 

Don't let the fun stop with croissants though! There are plenty of other day-old pastries and baked goods that you can give a new lease on life by turning them into bark. Bakery bread is an obvious choice that will easily turn into crostini. You can try flattening your cinnamon rolls and crisping them up on the griddle in their smashed state, then transferring them to the oven to crisp up. Rolling them extra flat, and keeping them pressed down while cooking by squishing them with a burger press or bottom of a pan will keep them from rising. In turn, this will help make them flaky when you bake them into brittle.