Evolution of the Croissant: Cronuts. Cruffins & Crombolini

The Origins of the Croissant

Despite being synonymous with French cuisine, the croissant’s roots trace back to Austria. The ancestor of the croissant is the kipferl, a crescent-shaped pastry popular in Austria as early as the 13th century. The kipferl was typically made with a denser, bread-like dough rather than the airy, laminated layers we associate with croissants today.

The transformation into the modern croissant began in the 17th century, following the Battle of Vienna in 1683. Legend has it that Viennese bakers created the crescent-shaped pastry to celebrate Austria’s victory over the Ottoman Empire, symbolizing the crescent moon on the Ottoman flag. When Austrian princess Marie Antoinette married King Louis XVI of France in 1770, she introduced the kipferl to the French court, where local bakers refined it into a flaky, buttery delicacy using laminated dough techniques. By the 19th century, the croissant had become a staple in French patisseries.

The Rise of Hybrid Croissants

In the 21st century, the croissant underwent an exciting transformation with the rise of hybrid pastries. Innovative chefs experimented with textures, fillings, and shapes, leading to the birth of trendy new variations. Among the most famous are the cronut, cruffin, and crombolini.

The Cronut: The Croissant-Donut Fusion

One of the most revolutionary croissant hybrids, the cronut, was introduced in 2013 by Dominique Ansel, a French pastry chef based in New York. As the name suggests, the cronut is a combination of a croissant and a donut—deep-fried croissant dough filled with flavored cream and coated with sugar or glaze. The cronut quickly became a viral sensation, with long lines forming outside Ansel’s bakery daily and black-market cronuts selling for exorbitant prices. This innovative treat sparked a wave of copycats and inspired countless other hybrid pastries.

The Cruffin: The Croissant-Muffin Delight

Following the cronut’s success, another hybrid emerged—the cruffin. Created by Australian baker Ry Stephen at Mr. Holmes Bakehouse in San Francisco in 2014, the cruffin combines the flaky, buttery layers of a croissant with the shape and structure of a muffin. Baked in a muffin tin and often filled with custards, jams, or chocolate, the cruffin offers a deliciously unique twist on the traditional croissant.

The Crombolini: The Next Pastry Sensation

The crombolini is a relatively new addition to the world of croissant hybrids, blending the textures of a croissant and a bombolini (an Italian filled doughnut). It maintains the laminated layers of a croissant but takes on a rounder, more compact shape, often bursting with luscious fillings like vanilla cream, pistachio, or fruit compote. While not as globally recognized as the cronut or cruffin, the crombolini is gaining popularity in artisan bakeries and social media feeds worldwide.

Why Are Hybrid Croissants So Popular?

The popularity of hybrid croissants can be attributed to several factors:

• Innovation and Novelty – These pastries offer a fresh twist on a beloved classic, making them exciting for food lovers and adventurous eaters.
• Social Media Appeal – Instagram-worthy creations drive trends in the food industry, and the visually stunning layers and fillings of hybrids make them highly shareable.
• Texture and Flavor – The combination of crispy, buttery layers with creamy or sweet fillings provides an irresistible sensory experience.
• Limited Availability – Many hybrid pastries, like the original cronut, are produced in small batches or for a limited time, creating high demand and exclusivity.