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These maple scallion cream cheese croissants turn store-bought croissants into a sweet and savory brunch pastry. A generous scallion filling meets whipped jalapeno cream cheese under a thin maple coating. Every bite gives you buttery pastry, creamy filling, and a crackle of maple sugar.
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What makes this dish special
I first tried a scallion croissant at Miopane, a Taiwanese bakery in Pasadena, and I could not stop thinking about it. It had a thin maple coating baked right onto the pastry and a filling packed with scallions, the same savory scallion filling you find on Chinese and Taiwanese baked breads. I went home determined to make my own version.
Reverse engineering a pastry is exactly the kind of puzzle I love. Going back to my training at the Culinary Institute of America and my years cooking professionally, tasting something once and rebuilding it from the flavors up was part of the job. So I broke the Miopane croissant into its parts. The maple was not a thick glaze. It was maple syrup brushed on and baked until the sugar crisped. The scallion filling was simple, just scallions, butter, salt, and white pepper.
Then I gave it my own spin. Miopane keeps theirs savory, but I wanted a creamy element to play against the scallions, so I whipped cream cheese with a single jalapeno. The jalapeno adds a gentle heat that wakes up the maple. And to keep things easy, I admit I skipped making croissants from scratch. What you end up with are epic maple scallion cream cheese croissants that are slightly sweet, savory, and creamy with a hint of heat. It's mighty delicious, if I do say so myself.
Recipe
Maple Scallion Cream Cheese Croissants
Ingredients
Whipped jalapeno cream cheese
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened at room temperature
- 1 jalapeno seeded and finely minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Scallion filling
- 2 cups finely chopped scallions (about 2 bunches)
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
Remaining ingredients
- 6 large store-bought croissants
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Make the whipped jalapeno cream cheese. Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add jalapeno and salt. Beat in the heavy cream a little at a time until light and pipeable. Transfer to a piping bag or a zip top bag with one corner snipped.
- Make the scallion filling. Stir together the scallions, melted butter, salt, sugar, and white pepper.
- Cut a slit on the top of each croissant, stopping before you cut all the way through. Pipe a generous line of the jalapeno cream cheese along the inside. Spoon the scallion filling over the top, gently pressing down.
- Set the filled croissants on the baking sheet. Brush the pastry with maple syrup and sprinkle the granulated sugar over the wet syrup.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes on the middle rack, until the maple bubbles and sets into a crisp coating. Watch the tips closely, since maple scorches fast. Remove from the oven and let sit on the sheet pan for 5 minutes. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Make cream cheese filling
Start with the cream cheese, since it needs a bit of a head start. Let the cream cheese soften at room temperature to make it easier to mix. If you're short on time, you can microwave it for a few seconds.
Mince one jalapeno as finely as you can, seeding it for a mild filling or leaving a few ribs in for more heat. Then, beat it into the cream cheese with salt.
Once that is combined, add the heavy cream a little at a time and keep whipping until the filling turns light and easy to pipe. Scoop it into a piping bag, or a zip-top bag with one corner snipped, and set it aside.
Step 2: Prepare scallion filling
Finely chop two full bunches of scallions. It will look like a lot, but the scallions are the heart of this croissant, so we need a generous amount.
Melt the butter and pour it over the scallions while it's still warm. Add the salt, sugar, and white pepper, and stir until everything is coated.
There is no need to cook the scallions now. They soften and turn fragrant once the croissants go into the oven.
Step 3: Fill croissants
Heat your oven to 350°F while you fill the croissants. Then, prepare the croissants. Cut a slit in the center of the top, stopping before you cut all the way through.
Pipe a generous line of jalapeno cream cheese inside, then spoon the scallion mixture over the top. Gently press down on the scallion filling to make sure it doesn't fall off.
Arrange the pastries on a lined baking sheet and brush the exposed tops with maple syrup followed by a sprinkle of granulated sugar.
Recipe tip
The granulated sugar is not optional if you want crunch. Maple syrup alone bakes into a sticky, glossy coating that softens as it cools. The sugar you sprinkle on top recrystallizes in the oven and sets into a crisp shell. For the cleanest crust, scatter it in a thin, even layer, not a heavy pile.
Pop the maple scallion cream cheese croissants for about ten minutes, until the maple bubbles and sets. Keep a close eye on the tips, since maple scorches quickly and can turn from golden to burnt fast. Let the pastries sit on the baking sheet to let the sugar harden slightly, and serve them warm.
I was unsure about how these savory croissants would turn out, but in complete honesty, they came out even better than I could have hoped! The cream cheese in the center helps balance the savory scallions and the touch of sweetness from the exterior crust. In my opinion (and my husband's), I think these may be even better than Miopane's. Just saying...
For more savory Asian bakes, check out this Chinese naan bread with chili oil and bacon cheddar scallion milk buns!
Make-ahead and storage tips
- Make-ahead: You can fill the croissants earlier in the day and refrigerate them until ready to bake. Brush maple syrup right before baking.
- Store: Although best enjoyed the day of, you can refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
More savory breakfast recipes
Looking for more savory breakfast ideas? Try these:
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All images shot and styled by Christine Ma. Available for food photography, styling, and recipe development.
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