The Crispy Croissant Hack To Switch Up Your Breakfast Toast

Imagine what breakfast looked like before TikTok came into the picture: The world was yet to know what pancake cereal was, one-pan egg and bread sandwiches weren't a thing, and the ingenuity of turning a can of cinnamon rolls into crisp waffles was yet to be made public. Those, quite frankly, were dark times.

Breakfast is changing for the better once again, especially for those who like to start their days with a flaky croissant or two. A certain crunchy croissant hack has been making the rounds on TikTok and it involves flattening a croissant with a rolling pin, dousing it in honey or sugar, and then toasting the flat croissant in a pan till it's candied, caramelized, and crispy.

This way of preparing croissants has opened delicious new possibilities for breakfast toasts and sandwiches. Tasty UK, for example, uses two pieces of toasted croissants to make a crunchy breakfast sandwich with scrambled eggs, avocado, and sriracha. You could also use a single toasted croissant and layer some mashed avocados on top for a traditional open-faced avo toast with a candied, crunchy croissant as its base. TikTok creator Meg Quinn, on the other hand, toasts her flattened croissant with honey and then tops it with burrata, pistachio, and prosciutto for a sweet and savory take on the hack.

Quinn tells the New York Post that not everyone who saw her video was happy about turning light and airy croissants into dense and crispy candied toasts, especially since the best part about a croissant is its flaky texture. But not only does she give this hack a 10 on 10 in terms of taste, but notes it's also a good way to use up stale or day-old croissants that aren't as airy anymore. Additionally, this trick makes a croissant an excellent and sturdy vehicle for all sorts of sweet and savory toppings.

Comments on Quinn's TikTok compare her recipe to "a quick version of a baklava" and suggest dipping the flattened croissants in eggs to create a crème brulée French toast of sorts. Another video by Tasty uses the hack to make a Croque Madam sandwich with gruyere, béchamel sauce, ham, and a fried egg. @agoodtable spoons ice cream between two flat croissants toasted with honey and sugar, turning it into a crisp ice cream sandwich. Although it seemed like a sacrilege to do that to a croissant, the TikToker admits that "it tasted quite lovely, if not a little sweet. Sort of reminded me of a palmier."

Other videos show flattened croissants being used to make grilled cheese sandwiches and ice cream sandwiches with fruits stuffed inside — one TikToker even tosses the toasted croissants in some cinnamon sugar to make candied churros. The possibilities here are endless!