If you love bakery-style breakfast treats that look impressive but are actually super easy to make, these mini strawberry cheesecake croissants are going to become a new favorite. Flaky, buttery croissants are stuffed with sweet cheesecake filling and homemade strawberry sauce, and topped with a caramel-honey glaze and a buttery crumble topping.
A Heartfelt Note from Nikki and Halie
If you’ve been following our blog for a while, you know that our family is the heart behind everything we create here. What you might not know is that a few years ago, our mom walked through one of the toughest challenges of her life when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Up until now, we’ve kept that part of our family’s journey private. But as we reflect on how far she’s come, how much strength she showed, and how many other families are walking the exact same road today, we felt it was finally time to open up and share her story.
Baking with Love: A Sweet Tribute to Our Mom
If there’s one thing our mom taught us growing up, it’s that food has a magical way of bringing comfort, warmth, and hope right into the kitchen when you need it most. These Mini Strawberry Cheesecake Croissants are a sweet, flaky new recipe on the blog, but this batch carries an extra-special meaning for our family. You might notice a copy of Real Talk, Real Hope by Dr. Loren Rourke tucked into the background of our photos – a book that holds a deep, personal connection for us because of what our mom went through during her breast cancer journey.
Why This Book Means So Much to Our Family
When our mom was diagnosed and going through her surgery and treatment, it felt like our family’s world shifted in an instant. Trying to navigate appointments, medical jargon, and all the uncertainty was completely overwhelming. Dr. Rourke, who was actually our mom’s surgeon, wrote Real Talk, Real Hope after our mom’s journey to give other patients and their families that exact guide we wished we had back then. What makes this book so extra special is that our mom is actually featured in it as one of five “Warriors” sharing their real, unfiltered stories! Dr. Rourke included their experiences to give newly diagnosed women real hope from people who have walked in their shoes. Seeing our mom’s journey honored in print alongside four other amazing women is something our whole family is so proud of. Make sure to watch their sit-down interview located above the recipe card below.
These croissants remind us of a mix between a Danish and a bakery-style pastry, but with far less work. They're perfect for brunch, holidays, showers, or even a fun weekend breakfast, and great to make for bake sales and Breast Cancer Awareness month.
You can serve these alongside recipes like breakfast crunchwraps with bacon and sausage, cinnamon roll croissant French toast, or ham and cheese hash brown casserole for the ultimate brunch spread.
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make with store-bought mini croissants.
- Sweet cheesecake filling paired with homemade strawberries.
- Crispy crumble topping adds the perfect texture.
- Great for brunch, breakfast, dessert, or special occasions.
- Bakery-style recipe without complicated steps.
- Perfect make-ahead breakfast treat.
- A delicious recipe for bake sales, potlucks, and for Breast Cancer Awareness month.
Key Ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Mini Croissant Rolls: The buttery, flaky base that makes these pastries feel bakery-style without a ton of effort. They crisp up beautifully in the oven.
- Cream Cheese: The heart of the cheesecake filling. It adds that rich, creamy texture that makes the pastries extra indulgent.
- Powdered Sugar & Vanilla: Sweeten and smooth out the cheesecake filling while adding a warm, dessert-like flavor.
- Strawberries: Bring a fresh, fruity sweetness that balances all the rich, buttery flavors.
- Lemon Juice: Brightens the strawberry filling and keeps it tasting fresh instead of overly sweet.
- Butter, Brown Sugar & Honey: These come together to create the caramel glaze that gives the croissants their sticky, golden, bakery-style finish.
Variations
- Use Different Berries: Any of your favorite berries work for the filling. You can even use mixed berries.
- Chocolate Strawberry Croissants: Add mini chocolate chips to the cheesecake filling for a chocolate-covered strawberry flavor.
- Lemon Strawberry Cheesecake Croissants: Add fresh lemon zest to the cheesecake filling for a bright citrus flavor.
- Nutty Crunch Croissants: Add chopped pecans or walnuts to the crumble topping for extra crunch.
How to Make Mini Strawberry Cheesecake Croissants
Step 1: Bring the strawberry mixture to a boil. Then, reduce the heat and simmer until thickened and reduced. Cool.
Step 2: Beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Then, beat in the remaining filling ingredients.
Step 3: Mix the flour and brown sugar. Then, cut in the cold butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Step 4: Cut down the center of the croissants and then across. Pull the corners back to make a pocket.
Step 5: Fill the pockets with strawberry filling, top with cream cheese filling, and fold the triangles back over.
Step 6: Mix the glaze ingredients. Then, brush the croissants all over with it. Add some crumble topping.
Step 7: Bake until golden brown and crisp.
Step 8: Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Use softened cream cheese for a smooth filling.
- Let the strawberry filling cool before stuffing the croissants.
- Don't overfill, or the filling may spill out while baking.
- Serve warm for the best texture and flavor.
- Line your baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
Mini Strawberry Cheesecake Croissants FAQs
Yes. Homemade strawberry filling gives the best flavor, but store-bought strawberry jam or pie filling works perfectly as a quick shortcut.
These croissants will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Yes, you can. Wrap the croissants in plastic wrap and freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven until warmed through and crisp again.
Reheat them in the oven for the best flavor and texture. Just pop them in at 325 until warm.
Try These Other Sweet Breakfast or Brunch Treats
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Mini Strawberry Cheesecake Croissants
Ingredients
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Strawberry Filling
- 2 cups strawberries
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Caramel Honey Glaze
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon honey
Crumble
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon butter, cold and cut into small cubes
- 12 mini store-bought croissants
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°.
Strawberry Filling
- In a medium saucepan add the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Bring strawberries to a boil, and reduce heat to medium low, stirring occasionally.
- Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until thickened and most of the liquid has reduced down.
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Cheesecake Filling
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on low for 2-3 minutes or until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat on low until the sugar is incorporated.
Crumble
- In a small bowl mix flour and brown sugar together. Cut in cold butter with the backs of forks or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse sand.
Prepare the Croissants
- Cut a slit down the center on top of the croissant until you get to the folded end, making sure not to go through the bottom side.
- Cut a slit horizontally, again making sure not to go through the bottom.
- Gently peel back the top, leaving the sides intact so you have a star shaped pocket in the center.
- Add 1 teaspoon of strawberry filling to the pocket of the croissants.
- Add about 1 1⁄2 tablespoons of cream cheese mixture on top of the strawberry filling.
- Carefully pull the star edges back towards the center of the croissant. Repeat with the remaining croissants.
Caramel Honey Glaze
- In a small bowl melt the butter.
- Add the brown sugar and honey, and mix until the butter is fully incorporated.
- Brush the bottoms of each croissant and place onto a foil lined cookie sheet.
- Brush the tops and the sides of the croissants with remaining caramel glaze.
- Sprinkle the tops with crumble.
- Bake at 375 for 15-16 minutes or until browned and hardened.
- Remove from the pan immediately and cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- Use softened cream cheese for a smooth filling.
- Let the strawberry filling cool before stuffing the croissants.
- Don't overfill, or the filling may spill out while baking.
- Serve warm for the best texture and flavor.
- Line your baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
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