Use Up Leftover Croissants With This Gooey Upgrade That'll Take You Back To Childhood

When you see buttery, flaky croissants gracing the breakfast table, you know the day is starting on the right foot. Of course, they're just as good (if not better) used for a ham and cheese or chicken salad sandwich. There's really no wrong way to enjoy the versatile pastry — you just have to eat them before they go stale. One creative way to use them up is to transform them into a dessert for your inner child's heart. Instead of thinking savory, use those leftover croissants as an upgraded foundation for gooey s'mores, ditching graham crackers.

While you can use fresh croissants, ones that are a day or two old are ideal. The staleness that starts to settle in works to your advantage as it creates a sturdier vessel for the chocolate and marshmallows. And if you are already familiar with how to make s'mores with graham crackers, you don't need to learn any new techniques to put them together.

If you go the traditional s'mores route and roast your marshmallows over a fire, heat them until they are slightly melty or fully charred, depending on how you prefer them. Once they're heated to your liking, carefully place them over the chocolate in a croissant sliced ¾ the way lengthwise and give the hot mallow a minute or so to melt the chocolate. But you don't need a campfire to make delicious s'mores. You can also put them together indoors and tuck some extra goodies into your ooey-gooey treats to level them up.

One of the best things about croissant s'mores is the many ways to make them. Too cold outside? You can easily make s'mores in the dead of winter using a kitchen torch. Another (and arguably better) way to make croissant s'mores indoors is your oven's broiler function. Cut the pastries completely in half lengthwise and place chocolate on one half and marshmallows on the other. Set the broiler to high and heat on a lined baking sheet for about three minutes, keeping a close eye on them to prevent burning. Using this method gives you the additional benefit of crisping up the croissant, which provides extra stability and a texture upgrade.

While milk chocolate is typically the standard for s'mores, opting for grocery store chocolate bars made with 100% cacao introduces a more complex flavor that complements the sweet nature of the marshmallows. On the other hand, the buttery texture of white chocolate or a refreshing burst of flavor from mint chocolate would both put an interesting spin on an elevated s'more.

Spreads are also a welcome addition. Peanut butter and chocolate obviously go hand in hand, and slathering on some creamy Nutella would add notes of roasted hazelnut to the dessert. Fruity spreads, like a raspberry jam or blackberry preserves, introduce a tart contrast to all that sweetness. Sneaking in fresh fruit, like sliced strawberries, has a similar effect. Croissant s'mores is a terrific treat to experiment with, pairing flavors that complement your choice of chocolate to create the ultimate childhood throwback.