King Cake Stuffed Croissants (Printable)

Flaky croissants with a spiced pecan cream filling, perfect for festive occasions and brunch.

# What You'll Need:

→ Croissants

01 - 8 large store-bought or bakery croissants, preferably day-old

→ Pecan Filling

02 - 1 cup pecan halves or pieces
03 - 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 large egg
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Icing and Decoration

10 - 1 cup powdered sugar
11 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
12 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - Purple, green, and gold sanding sugars for decoration

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a food processor, pulse pecans until finely chopped but not a paste.
03 - In a mixing bowl, cream together softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla extract. Stir in chopped pecans until well combined.
04 - Using a sharp knife, split each croissant horizontally, leaving a hinge so they open like a book.
05 - Evenly spread pecan filling inside each croissant, then gently close.
06 - Place stuffed croissants on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden and filling is set.
07 - While croissants bake, whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth, thick, and pourable.
08 - Let croissants cool slightly, then drizzle with icing. Immediately sprinkle with purple, green, and gold sanding sugars in festive stripes.
09 - Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The filling stays creamy and warm inside while the croissant exterior crisps up in the oven, creating that textural contrast that makes you close your eyes when you bite into it.
  • You get to serve something that looks like you spent hours at a French bakery, but the whole operation takes less time than a decent brunch reservation.
  • The spiced pecan flavor tastes sophisticated and deeply satisfying without being heavy or overly sweet.
02 -
  • The filling will seem soft when you spread it, but it sets during baking—if you refrigerate the filled croissants before baking, the filling actually holds more securely and spreads more evenly, so making them the night before is a gift to your morning self.
  • Don't skip the egg in the filling; it's the difference between a dry, crumbly texture and something that stays tender and almost mousse-like inside the warm croissant.
03 -
  • Add a tablespoon of cream cheese to the pecan filling for a subtle tanginess that balances the richness and makes the texture even more luxurious—it's not traditional, but it's transformative.
  • If you want the filling to stay visible inside the croissant instead of melting throughout, refrigerate the filled croissants for at least 2 hours (or overnight) before baking so the filling doesn't soften too much in the oven.
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