Chocolate Croissants (dairy-free)

Every single time I stop by Whole Foods, I must have one of their chocolate croissants. For as long as I could remember, I really wanted to bake a dairy-free version so that Brek could enjoy them as well.

After I mastered the art of croissant dough, I ventured into baking variety of savory and sweet croissants. Nothing compare to chocolate croissants. They really do take the cake. Not only are they relatively easy to make, they are so addicting.

Making the chocolate croissants are pretty much the same technique as making mini-croissants. The difference between two of my recipes is the shape of the croissants. If you prefer the classic croissant shape, you can certainly make them that way. You may need to use less chocolate chunks. No change to baking time.

Ready to bake???

Chocolate Croissants
makes 8

1 croissant dough
1/4 cup or more for dusting
1/4 cup (2 oz.) palm shortening
1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chucks
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Line the baking pan with non-stick mat. Set aside.
2. Roll the croissant dough out to about 9 by 15 inch. TIP: No need to be accurate as the dough will need to be measure and cut to size.
3. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.
4. Working with each piece at a time, place a row of chocolate chunks at the short end and fold the dough over them. (picture 1)
5. Place one more row of chocolate chunks.
6. Fold the dough over the chocolate until the small log is formed.
7. Press to seal the edges.
8. Place it in the prepared pan.
9. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
10. Allow the dough to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes. NOTE: In a hurry? Go head and preheat the oven while the dough is resting in the fridge (or at a room temperature during winter months).
11. Once ready, preheat the oven to 400F degrees.
12. Make the baking soda wash by dissolving the baking soda to warm water.
13. Brush the baking soda wash over the croissant dough.
14. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.
15. Allow the croissants to rest for 5 minutes. Enjoy them while they are piping hot or warm. TIP: For more chocolatey flavor, drizzle more melted chocolate over the chocolate croissants.

STORING: Keep the chocolate croissants in a container at a room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Allergy Info: These chocolate croissants are free from or can be made without dairy, egg, corn, legume (soy or peanuts), nuts (not palm), and fish. If you don't have dairy allergy, you can go ahead and use the same amount of butter instead of palm shortening.