Croissants Without Yeast or Rising Time: Flaky, Buttery & Ready Before You Panic

Croissants. Those gorgeous, golden, shatteringly flaky little pastry spirals that take professional bakers two days and approximately fourteen lamination steps to make. The ones that sit in the bakery window looking impossibly beautiful while you stand outside thinking, “Yeah, I’ll never make those.”

Well. Hold that thought, because today we’re throwing the rulebook out of the window, skipping the yeast, skipping the overnight rest, and making croissants that are golden, buttery, and flaky in a fraction of the time. No, you didn’t misread that. Yes, this is real life.

We’re using a clever shortcut with self-raising flour and cream that gets you breathtakingly close to the real thing — without the sourdough-level commitment. If you’ve got 45 minutes and an oven that works, you’re already halfway there. Let’s do this.

What Makes This Recipe Awesome

Where do we even begin? Let’s start with the obvious: no yeast. That means no waiting, no proofing, no “why didn’t it rise?” meltdown at 11pm. The dough comes together in about ten minutes and you can have freshly baked croissants on a plate before most bread recipes are done with their first rise. Let that sink in.

The secret weapon here is heavy cream. It provides the richness and fat that would normally come from the laminating process, giving you that tender, flaky interior without needing to fold cold butter into dough seventeen times. IMO, this is one of the greatest baking hacks in existence.

The result? Croissants that are golden on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside, with beautiful layers that actually flake. They’re not identical to a Parisian patisserie croissant — let’s be honest with each other — but they’re dangerously good for something you made in under an hour. And honestly? Even your most skeptical foodie friend will be impressed.

Also, it’s nearly idiot-proof. Even I didn’t mess it up — and I once forgot to add flour to a cake. These croissants are forgiving, flexible, and just begging to be slathered in butter or dunked in coffee.

Shopping List – Ingredients

You likely have most of this already. If not, one quick grocery run and you’re sorted:

• 2 cups (250g) self-raising flour — The unsung hero. It does the heavy lifting so you don’t have to deal with yeast. Grab the self-raising kind, not plain/all-purpose. This matters.
• 1 cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream — Full-fat only, please. This is where your richness, flakiness, and general joy come from. Don’t use half-and-half. Don’t use single cream. Just don’t.
• 2 tablespoons cold butter, cubed — For rubbing into the dough. Adds flavour and helps those layers form. Keep it cold — we’re not making warm soup here.
• 1 tablespoon sugar — A tiny bit of sweetness to help that golden crust develop. You’d miss it if it wasn’t there.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt — Because unseasoned pastry is a tragedy.
• 1 egg, beaten — For the egg wash. The thing that makes your croissants look like a professional made them instead of a tired person in kitchen socks.
• Optional: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract — For a subtle warmth in the dough. Totally optional, but absolutely recommended.
• Extra butter for brushing — Hot-out-of-the-oven butter brush = the chef’s kiss of croissant finishing moves.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Roll up your sleeves. Here we go.

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Non-negotiable. A cold oven = pale, sad croissants. Don’t even think about skipping this. Rookie mistake numero uno.
2. Mix dry ingredients. Combine the self-raising flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Give it a quick whisk to make sure everything is evenly distributed. Takes twenty seconds. Do not skip this.
3. Rub in the cold butter. Add the cold cubed butter to the flour mixture. Use your fingertips to rub it in until the mix resembles rough, coarse breadcrumbs. Work quickly — you want the butter to stay cold. Think of it like a race against warmth.
4. Pour in the cream. Add the heavy cream (and vanilla if using) and stir with a fork until a soft, shaggy dough forms. Don’t overwork it. Rough and a little uneven is totally fine — overworked dough is tough dough, and tough dough is your enemy.
5. Turn out and gently knead. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently bring it together with your hands — about 5–6 folds, no more. Pat it into a smooth rectangle, roughly 12×8 inches.
6. Fold for layers. Fold the dough into thirds like a letter (bottom third up, top third down). Rotate 90 degrees and repeat the fold once more. This is what creates your layers. Feel the magic.
7. Roll and cut. Roll the dough into a large rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into triangles (make a long rectangle and cut diagonal strips across). You should get about 8–10 triangles.
8. Roll your croissants. Starting at the wide base of each triangle, roll towards the point. Curve the ends slightly inward for that classic crescent shape. Place on a lined baking tray with the pointy end tucked underneath.
9. Egg wash time. Brush each croissant generously with the beaten egg. This is what gives them that gorgeous bronzed shine. Don’t rush it. Every surface deserves attention.
10. Bake for 18–22 minutes until deep golden brown and smelling absolutely unreal. Remove from the oven and brush with a little extra melted butter while still hot. Serve immediately, or try to wait. You probably won’t.

Health Benefits

Okay, we’re not going to pretend these are a superfood. They’re croissants. But some of the ingredients do bring honest-to-goodness nutrition to the table — and that counts for something:

• Flour provides complex carbohydrates, which are your body’s preferred source of energy. Carbs are not the enemy — they’re the fuel that keeps you going. Embrace them.
• Eggs are a genuine nutritional powerhouse. Rich in high-quality protein, healthy fats, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, and choline — a nutrient important for brain health. That egg wash is doing more than just making things shiny.
• Butter — yes, real butter — contains fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. It also contains butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that supports gut health and has anti-inflammatory properties. So, butter isn’t evil. It’s just confident.
• Heavy cream contributes calcium, phosphorus, and Vitamins A and D. Full-fat dairy has been increasingly linked in research to feelings of satiety, helping you stay fuller longer. Quality over quantity, always.
• Salt in moderate amounts is essential for fluid balance, nerve function, and muscle contractions. We’re not dousing these in salt — just the right pinch to make everything taste alive.

Bottom line: these are a treat — a real, joyful, butter-scented treat — and they deserve to be enjoyed as one. No guilt required.

Avoid These Mistakes

• Forgetting to preheat the oven. We said it in the instructions and we’re saying it again here because people do this. Pale, limp, underbaked croissants are the consequence. Don’t.
• Using warm butter. Cold butter = flaky layers. Warm butter = greasy, flat dough that doesn’t know what it wants to be. Pop your butter in the freezer for 10 minutes before starting if your kitchen runs warm.
• Overworking the dough. The more you knead, the more gluten develops, and the tougher the result. You want tender, not chewy. Handle the dough gently and walk away the moment it comes together.
• Making the triangles too thick. Roll the dough thinner than you think you need to. Thick triangles mean thick croissants that don’t cook through evenly. Aim for about 1/4 inch.
• Skipping the egg wash. You worked hard for these croissants. Give them the glow-up they deserve. No egg wash = dull, pale, sad pastry. Takes thirty seconds. No excuses.
• Using plain flour instead of self-raising. The whole point of skipping yeast is that the self-raising flour provides the lift. Plain flour won’t do that. You’ll end up with something closer to a flat, dense cracker. FYI — this is the most common mistake people make.
• Not leaving enough space on the tray. Croissants expand. Give them room. A crowded tray means they’ll bake into each other and lose their shape. Think: personal space for pastry.

Variations You Can Try

Once you’ve nailed the base recipe, the world is your (butter-filled) oyster. Here are some riffs worth trying:

• Chocolate Croissants: Place a few pieces of dark chocolate at the wide end of each triangle before rolling. Roll, bake, and try not to eat four in a row. They’re genuinely dangerous and absolutely worth it.
• Ham and Cheese Croissants: Add a thin slice of good ham and a strip of Gruyere or Swiss cheese before rolling. Savory, melty, perfect for brunch. This one gets the most requests at my table — just saying.
• Almond Croissants: Brush with a quick almond cream (butter, almond flour, sugar, egg) before baking, and top with flaked almonds. Fancy-looking with minimal effort. The ratio of effort to impressiveness here is unmatched.
• Cinnamon Sugar Croissants: Mix 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle over the dough before rolling. Warm, sweet, smells like autumn. Highly recommend.
• Gluten-Free Version: Use a 1:1 gluten-free self-raising flour blend. The texture will be slightly different but still delicious. Add an extra tablespoon of cream if the dough feels dry.
• Whole Wheat Version: Substitute half the self-raising flour with whole wheat self-raising flour for a nuttier, more wholesome croissant. They won’t be as light, but they’ll taste earthy and wonderful.
• Mini Croissants: Cut smaller triangles for bite-sized versions — perfect for a party platter or for convincing yourself you’ve had ‘just one.’

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are these ACTUALLY as good as real croissants?

Define “real.” Are they identical to a croissant from a Parisian patisserie? No. Are they golden, flaky, buttery, and wildly satisfying? Absolutely yes. For a no-yeast, no-wait version, they punch way above their weight class.

Q: Can I use plain flour if I don’t have self-raising?

You can — but you’ll need to add 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt per cup of plain flour to replicate the self-raising effect. It works, but it’s more steps. Your call.

Q: Can I use milk instead of heavy cream?

Technically yes, but why hurt your croissant like that? Milk has less fat, so you’ll lose richness and flakiness. If cream isn’t an option, try full-fat sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt thinned with a splash of milk. Same fat content, similar result.

Q: Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes! Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before rolling and baking. In fact, resting it in the cold actually helps the layers form better. Morning croissants with zero morning effort — that’s the dream.

Q: Can I freeze them?

Baked croissants freeze beautifully. Cool completely, wrap tightly in foil, freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 8–10 minutes straight from frozen. They come back to life like nothing ever happened.

Q: My croissants didn’t flake much. What went wrong?

Most likely the butter was too warm, the dough was overworked, or you skipped the folding step. All three of those things matter enormously. Cold butter, gentle hands, and those two letter-folds are what create the layers. Don’t rush the process.

Q: Can I make these dairy-free?

Yes! Use full-fat coconut cream instead of heavy cream, and a good-quality vegan butter. The texture changes slightly — a little denser — but the flavour is still excellent. Brush with plant-based milk for the egg wash.

Final Thoughts

You came for a croissant recipe and ended up discovering that you’re apparently the kind of person who makes croissants from scratch. On a weekday. Without yeast. Who are you? You’re incredible, that’s who.

This recipe exists as proof that great baking doesn’t have to be complicated, time-consuming, or stressful. Sometimes the best things come from simple ingredients, a little technique, and the confidence to just go for it without overthinking.

Serve them warm, fresh from the oven, with good butter and maybe a pot of coffee or tea. Eat them in your pajamas or set a proper table — either way, these croissants make the moment feel special.