Making croissant dough is indeed hard work — don’t throw away those scraps and end pieces. Save them to turn into crispy, buttery, and delicious cinnamon twists instead!
I hope you saved your dough scraps when you made homemade butter croissants last week. Considering the time and effort that goes into that dough, even the smallest scrap feels just as valuable as one of the perfectly formed croissants.It would be a tremendous waste to throw them in the trash just because they come from the end pieces.
Today, I’m going to teach you how to make cinnamon twists so you can make the most out of any leftover dough! You can even just bake these in small cubes and use them in this Almond Croissant French Toast Bake instead of day old croissants.
Table of Contents
Helpful tools
I typically prefer a French rolling pin when making my cinnamon twist recipe as it allows for greater control over the amount of pressure. I also like to use a pizza cutter to slice the dough, but you can use a regular knife if that’s all you have.
Ingredients and substitutions
As always, you’ll find the complete list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the end of this post. Below are some notes and substitution tips:
- Croissant dough – Since we already did all the heavy lifting last week making the croissant dough, homemade cinnamon twists are easy-peasy lemon squeezy. You could also use store-bought croissant dough or puff pastry dough if you’re short on time, but the twists won’t come out as rich and flakey.
- Egg – creates an egg wash when combined with a bit of water. It creates a glossy, golden-brown finish and helps the cinnamon sugar stick.
- Sugar – adds sweetness and a caramelized coating to the cinnamon twists when baked. Brown sugar would give you a deeper flavor.
- Cinnamon – for a warm and spicy note that pairs wonderfully with the sugar and buttery dough.
How to make cinnamon twists
The following instructions, step-by-step photos, and tips are here to help you visualize how to make the recipe. You can always skip straight to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Shape the dough
Use your hands to squish the dough together to form a roughly-shaped rectangle, then roll it out to 12 inches long and about ¼ inch thick. Slice into pieces about ½ inch to ¾ inch in width until you have 6 strips.
Tip: If you stored the dough in the freezer, it’s a good idea to thaw it in the fridge the night before so it is easier to work with. It will come to room temperature faster, which can shorten the rising time required. You can work with it straight from the freezer, but colder dough will take longer to rise.
Twist & let rise
Gently stretch each strip so as not to break it, then fold in half, twisting from the top, down. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and let rise until puffy. Rising time can take as long as half a day depending on the weather. It’s best to shape the dough during the first half of the day, allow it to rise through the afternoon, and bake in the late afternoon or early evening for an after-dinner dessert.
Note: If you want to make cinnamon twists for breakfast, it’s okay to let them rise overnight if the weather is colder. During a hot summery night, they may rise too much and collapse, in this case let them rise overnight in the fridge.
Bake
When ready, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Beat the egg with water to make the egg wash and combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush the egg wash over each soon-to-be cinnamon twist, then sprinkle generously with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake for 28 minutes, cool on a wire rack, and serve. Enjoy!
Storage
Cinnamon twists will keep for about 1-2 days in an airtight container at room temperature, or up to 3-4 days in the fridge. While they will technically last longer in the refrigerator, understand that the cold temperature can make the pastry less flaky over time. As such, I usually keep them in a container on the counter!
If you keep these in the fridge, reheating will help refresh and crisp them back up, use your oven or a toaster oven instead of the microwave (they won’t come out crispy when nuked). 5-7 minutes at 325 degrees F will heat them up nicely.
This recipe also freezes well. Wrap each cinnamon twist tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then store in the freezer for up to 1 month. To reheat, pop in the oven directly from frozen at 325 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.
More croissant recipes
📖 Recipe card
Cinnamon Twists from Croissant Dough Scraps
Equipment
- Pizza Wheel
Ingredients
- Dough scraps from 1 batch of croissant
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon of water
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
Instructions
- Take the dough scraps out of the fridge or freezer (allow it to thaw first), and put them together to form a rectangle.
- Roll it out to 12” long and about ¼” thick.
- Slice into strips about ½” to ¾” in width. One batch will yield approximately 6 strips.
- Stretch each strip and fold in half twisting from the top down.
- Place the twists on a parchment lined baking sheet and let rise until puffy. This could take 2-4 hours depending on the day’s temperature.
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Beat one egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make egg wash.
- Add sugar and cinnamon to a small bowl and combine thoroughly.
- Brush egg wash all over the twists and sprinkle cinnamon sugar generously to cover each twist completely.
- Bake for 28 minutes, rotating the pan half way through if necessary.
- Cool on a wire rack before serving.
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Can u use pie crust take twist
Yes, you can.
Is there a way to make the dough athome?
Hi Ava, I used croissant dough scraps for this recipe. You can make the croissant dough at home, or a puff pastry dough which is similar to croissant dough but without yeast (I do not have a recipe for this and do not have a recommendation at this time since I haven’t found a perfect one quite yet but you could try Erin McDowell’s.)
Can you use crescent roll dough for this? I’m referring to the kind you buy from the grocery store that comes in a tube like the grand biscuits come in.
Hi May, puff pastry dough would be a much closer substitute but you can use crescent roll dough. I think it will be very fluffy instead of flaky, but will still taste good!
This is so smart! Just did this with my leftover dough. Thank you!
Hi Gracie! I’m so glad you find this useful!!
We love cinnamon twists and you use the croissant leftovers perfectly in this recipe !
I have been on a puff pastry spree at my end .. THese Cinnamon Swirls are something that I need to try.
Cinnamon whirls are my boyfriend’s fav so he would absolutely love these, can’t wait to try them!
WOW these cinnamon twists look so crunchy and buttery! I love cinnamon in anything! Can’t wait to try this delicious recipe ♥
wow! These cinnamon twists will be great for snacking! I’m bookmarking the recipe to give it a try!
Thanks Priya!