The Best Vegan Strawberry Croissants (Cream Pan Copycat)

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These vegan strawberry croissants are absolutely delightful.  A great vegan copycat for the famous (if you live in California) and delicious Cream Pan strawberry croissants, these are made with a flaky puff pastry croissant, a smooth pastry cream, sweet, juicy strawberries, and lightly dusted with powdered sugar.

INGREDIENTS FOR VEGAN STRAWBERRY CROISSANTS

For the Strawberry Croissants:

• Puff Pastry: Store-bought puff pastry is easy to find, easy to use, and perfect for making vegan croissants.
• Pastry Cream: I have a great vegan pastry cream recipe here.
• Fresh Strawberries: for the juiciest and sweetest strawberries, I recommend buying these organic and in season. 
• Powdered Sugar: this is optional, but I love the added sweetness and the fact that powdered sugar makes the croissants look much prettier. Just be sure to use organic sugar to ensure that it is vegan.

For the Vegan Egg Wash:

• Plant Milk: Soy milk works best for this because it is high in protein, but I have also used almond milk in a pinch and gotten pretty good golden brown results.
• Vegan Butter: This adds the needed fat element. I like to use salted vegan butter for the added flavor, but feel free to use unsalted for this.
• Agave Syrup: This helps the egg wash to caramelize on the croissant during baking. You may also use maple syrup if you don’t have agave syrup on hand.

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN STRAWBERRY CROISSANTS

For the Egg Wash:

1. Melt the butter in a small bowl by microwaving the butter for about 10 seconds.
2. Remove the melted butter from the microwave.
3. Add the plant milk and agave syrup.
4. Mix and set aside.

For the Strawberry Croissants:

1. Prepare the vegan pastry cream and leave it to chill in the refrigerator until ready to use.
2. Thaw the puff pastry according to the package instructions.
3. Preheat the oven according to the temperature on the package.
4. Cut each puff pastry sheet into 4 equal squares.
5. Brush the puff pastry squares with the vegan egg wash.
6. Fold the puff pastry squares in half diagonally to form triangles and transfer them to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Leaving about ½ inch between each pastry.
7. Brush the tops of the puff pastry triangles with more "egg wash".
8. Gently press down the edges with your finger to seal the pastries.
9. Bake the pastries according to the temperature and time on the package instructions.
10. Cool. Allow the pastries to cool completely for about 10-15 minutes.
11. Slice. Thinly slice the strawberries lengthwise.
12. Slit. Slice the croissants open at the seams just far enough to open them, but not all the way through.
13. Fill. Using a spoon or a pastry bag, add about ¼ cup of the pastry cream to the inside of the croissants and layer the strawberries on top of the cream.
14. Dust the croissants with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.
15. Enjoy!

Pro Tip:

Puff pastry needs to be cold before baking. If your pastry is no longer cold after folding and brushing the "egg wash", place the baking sheet of pastries in the freezer for about 5 minutes to chill the dough again before baking. This step will ensure that the croissants will rise properly and have the most desirable texture.

I hope you love this vegan strawberry croissants recipe! If you try it or any other QP recipes please let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment or rating below.

MORE VEGAN DESSERT RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

• Easy Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Popsicles | Good Humor Copycat
• Easy Vegan Biscoff Banana Pudding
• The Best and Easiest Vegan Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière)

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