Viral Croissant Ice Cream Bar

This ice cream bar croissant might be the easiest dessert I’ve made all summer. A buttery, flaky croissant gets stuffed with an entire chocolate-coated ice cream bar, then lightly pressed together to create the ultimate croissant ice cream sandwich. It only takes two ingredients and a couple of minutes, but the combination of flaky pastry, cold ice cream, and crunchy chocolate is ridiculously good.

Why This Croissant Ice Cream Sandwich Went Viral

I've been seeing people stuff Magnum bars inside croissants on social media nonstop, and eventually I had to see if something this simple was actually worth the hype. It turns out the combination works way better than I expected, and there's a reason the trend has recently picked up millions and millions of views across TikTok and Instagram.

The chocolate shell gives you that first crisp bite, followed by cold, creamy ice cream and layers of buttery croissant. Squishing the croissant slightly around the bar also makes everything eat like one oversized ice cream sandwich instead of two separate ingredients.

My favorite way to make it is with a lightly toasted croissant, but you can also make it with a fresh croissant. Warming it gives you a warm, flaky exterior against the frozen ice cream and makes the chocolate shell start to soften just slightly.

Ingredients

• 1 plain butter croissant
• 1 Magnum ice cream bar

Ingredient Notes

• Croissant: A fresh bakery-style butter croissant works best because it’s large enough to hold the ice cream bar and has plenty of flaky layers. Avoid very small croissants since there may not be enough room to hollow out the center without tearing them.
• Ice cream bar: I use a Magnum bar because the rectangular shape fits easily inside a croissant and the chocolate shell adds extra crunch. You can experiment with different Magnum flavors or another similarly shaped chocolate-coated ice cream bar.

How to Make an Ice Cream Bar Croissant

Step 1: Hollow out the croissant

Cut about 1 inch off one end of the croissant. Gently pull out some of the soft center to create a cavity large enough to fit the ice cream bar. Be careful not to hollow it out too aggressively or tear through the flaky outer layers.

Step 2: Add the ice cream bar

Slide the frozen ice cream bar into the center of the croissant until the chocolate shell is mostly enclosed by the pastry. Hold the croissant gently around the ice cream, then carefully pull the wooden stick out.

Step 3: Press and serve

Lightly press or squish the croissant around the ice cream bar so the pastry holds the filling. Serve immediately while the croissant is flaky and the ice cream is still frozen.

Expert Tips for the Best Croissant Ice Cream Sandwich

• Use the ice cream bar straight from the freezer. You want it completely firm when you slide it into the croissant. A softened bar will start melting before you finish assembling it.
• Hollow out the croissant instead of slicing it completely in half. Keeping most of the croissant intact helps hold the ice cream bar in place and makes the finished dessert much less messy to eat.
• Choose a large croissant. The ice cream bar should fit comfortably without splitting the pastry open. Bakery croissants tend to work better than mini or tightly rolled versions.
• Remove the stick slowly. Hold the chocolate-coated bar in place through the croissant while pulling the stick straight out. This keeps the entire ice cream bar from sliding back out with it.
• Toast the croissant for a warm-and-cold version. Warm the croissant before hollowing it out, then add the frozen ice cream bar right before eating. If the croissant is extremely hot, let it sit briefly first so the ice cream doesn’t immediately melt.
• Make it right before serving. This isn’t a dessert I’d assemble ahead of time. The croissant will soften as the ice cream melts, so the texture is best immediately.

Ice Cream Bar Croissant FAQs

What is an ice cream bar croissant?

An ice cream bar croissant is a croissant stuffed with a frozen chocolate-coated ice cream bar. The croissant is hollowed out, the bar is pushed inside, and the wooden stick is removed so you can eat it like a croissant ice cream sandwich.

What ice cream bar works best in a croissant?

A rectangular chocolate-coated ice cream bar works best because it fits easily inside the hollowed croissant. Magnum bars are especially convenient for this method and the one most of the viral videos use, but other similarly shaped bars can work too.

Should I toast the croissant first?

You can. A lightly toasted croissant gives you a crisp, warm pastry surrounding cold ice cream, which creates a really good temperature contrast. Just add the ice cream immediately before serving.

How do you keep the ice cream from melting?

Keep the ice cream bar frozen until the moment you assemble the dessert. Prepare and hollow the croissant first, then take the bar out of the freezer, insert it, remove the stick, and serve right away.

Can I make ice cream bar croissants ahead of time?

I don’t recommend it. The ice cream will begin melting into the croissant and soften its flaky texture. Prep the croissants ahead if needed, but wait to add the ice cream bars until you’re ready to eat.

Can I use a different flavor of ice cream bar?

Absolutely. Chocolate, caramel, almond, vanilla, cookie, and other chocolate-coated ice cream bars can all work. The method stays the same, so it’s an easy dessert to customize with your favorite flavor.

More Viral Dessert Recipes

• Watermelon ice cream
• Dot cake
• Mango pancakes
• Pringles chocole block
• Chocolate crunch cake