Easy refrigerator croissants. The butter is cut into the flour instead of laminated, and the dough rests overnight.
Ingredients
Each cost is for the amount this recipe uses, not the whole package. Pantry staples like flour, sugar, vanilla and spices cost more on your first trip, then last for many batches. Rows marked “Not priced”, like water and toppings, aren't in the total.
| Ingredient | Price used | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Yeast mixture | ||
| 1 tablespoon yeast | $0.45/tbspEstimate · priced from a 4-oz jar | $0.45 |
| 1 cup warm water | Not priced | — |
| Batter | ||
| ¾ cup evaporated milk | $1.29/12-oz canEstimate | $0.65 |
| ⅓ cup sugar | $1.02/lbBLS, Sep 2026 | $0.15 |
| 1 cup flour | $0.55/lbBLS, Sep 2026 | $0.14 |
| 1½ teaspoons salt | $0.01/tspEstimate | $0.02 |
| 1 egg | $2.27/dozenBLS, Sep 2026 | $0.19 |
| ¼ cup melted butter | $3.96/lbBLS, Sep 2026 | $0.49 |
| Dough | ||
| 1 cup firm butter | $3.96/lbBLS, Sep 2026 | $1.98 |
| 3 cups flour | $0.55/lbBLS, Sep 2026 | $0.43 |
| Total | $4.50 | |
| Per croissant (32 croissants) | $0.14 | |
Yeast mixture
- 1 tablespoon yeast
- 1 cup warm water
Batter
- ¾ cup evaporated milk
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup melted butter
Dough
- 1 cup firm butter
- 3 cups flour
Directions
- Make the yeast mixture. Stir the yeast into the warm water and set aside.
- Make the batter. Beat the evaporated milk, sugar, 1 cup flour, salt, egg, and melted butter together with a mixer. Stir in the yeast mixture.
- Make the dough. In a very large bowl, cut the firm butter into the 3 cups flour. Pour the batter over it and stir until well mixed. Do not knead.
- Chill overnight. Cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Shape. When ready to bake, roll the dough into a circle ¼ to ½ inch thick. Cut into pie-shaped wedges, then roll each wedge up from the wide end to the narrow end.
- Rise. Place on a cookie sheet and let rise for 10–12 minutes.
- Bake. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, until golden.
Notes
- Keep the dough cold until you're ready to roll it out. Cold butter makes flakier layers.
- Let the melted butter cool slightly before beating it in with the egg.
How we priced this recipe
- BLS, Sep 2026: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Average Price Data, U.S. city average, September 2026.
- Estimate: Food Butler estimate of a typical U.S. store-brand shelf price, October 2026. Neither BLS nor USDA publishes an average price for these items.
Your store's prices will differ. See all recipes.