Can you eat croissant ice cream sandwiches for breakfast? Asking for a friend.
Testing viral food trends is one of my favorite parts of my job, but lately it’s becoming a bit of a problem. Not because the trends are bad. Quite the opposite. Between Diet Coke coffee becoming my new afternoon pick-me-up and pan-fried glazed doughnuts permanently ruining ordinary doughnuts for me, I keep stumbling into recipes I can’t stop endorsing. At this point, I’m starting to worry I’m losing my ability to be objective. (Thankfully, espresso lemonade recently reminded me that the internet can still get things spectacularly wrong).
When videos of croissants stuffed with ice cream bars started flooding my feed, I had a feeling this one might quickly join my list of new favorite foods.
I was right.
What is a croissant ice cream sandwich?
If you’ve spent any time on social media lately, you’ve probably seen this one. The trend starts by slicing off the pointed end of a croissant and carving out just enough room inside for a chocolate-coated ice cream bar. Once it’s nestled in place, you gently pull out the wooden stick, leaving behind an ice cream sandwich that somehow feels both completely ridiculous and entirely logical.
How to Make a Croissant Ice Cream Sandwich
I used a croissant from my favorite local bakery, Farmstead Bread, which has a stand at our weekly farmer’s market. My neighbor works there and recently introduced me to the shop’s croissants. After tasting those, I wanted to use one for this trend. In a dessert this simple, the croissant isn’t just a vessel for the ice cream—it’s half the experience. A standard grocery-store croissant just wasn’t going to cut it.
For the filling, I went with a Tillamook Vanilla Ice Cream Bar, figuring the classic vanilla-and-chocolate combination would let the pastry do most of the talking.
To make one, start by slicing off about the top quarter of the croissant. Using a small knife, gently twist inside the center to create enough room for the ice cream bar. You don’t need to remove much pastry—just enough for the bar to slide in without crushing the croissant.
Next, unwrap a chocolate-coated ice cream bar, and carefully push it into the croissant until it’s fully nestled inside. Hold the croissant firmly with one hand and gently pull the wooden stick straight out with the other.
How does it taste?
This one works because each ingredient contributes something the others can’t. The croissant isn’t simply replacing cookies or wafers. Its crisp outer layers stay wonderfully flaky while the buttery interior catches just enough melting ice cream to become almost custardy without turning soggy. Then comes the satisfying crack of the chocolate shell before the creamy vanilla ice cream melts into everything else.
Every bite delivers something a little different: crisp pastry, tender buttery layers, crunchy chocolate and cold, silky ice cream. It somehow feels richer than the sum of its parts, like the dessert version of a really good pain au chocolat crossed with an ice cream sandwich.
I’m going to add this to my list of croissant trends worth a permanent place in my meal plans, with smashed croissants and Caesar salad stuffed croissants.
