These mini pineapple cherry cheesecake croissants are a bakery-style treat that’s surprisingly easy to make at home. Flaky mini croissants are stuffed with a sweet cream cheese filling and homemade pineapple cherry filling, brushed with a buttery caramel glaze, and topped with sweetened coconut for the perfect tropical-inspired dessert.
Whether you’re serving them for brunch, holidays, baby showers, or simply satisfying a sweet craving, these mini croissants are guaranteed to disappear fast.
If you love easy cream cheese desserts, be sure to check out my lemon cheesecake bars, pineapple cream cheese dessert, and strawberry cream cheese pie.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to prepare with simple ingredients
- Flaky, buttery croissants
- Sweet homemade pineapple cherry filling
- Rich cheesecake-style cream cheese center
- Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert
- Beautiful presentation for holidays and parties
- Tropical flavors everyone loves
Key Ingredients
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
- Mini Croissants Rolls: The buttery, flaky base that holds all the fillings.
- Cream Cheese: Creates a rich, creamy cheesecake filling that balances the fruit’s sweetness and adds a smooth texture.
- Pineapple: Brings a bright, tropical sweetness and a little tang that keeps the pastries from tasting overly rich.
- Maraschino Cherries: Add that classic pineapple-upside-down-cake flavor combination, plus a pop of color and sweetness.
- Butter, Brown Sugar & Honey: Create a sweet, sticky caramel glaze that coats the croissants.
- Shredded Sweetened Coconut: Brings a tropical finishing touch with a little texture and extra sweetness.
Variations
- Berries: Use berries in place of pineapple and cherries to make variations like these raspberry cream cheese croissants.
- Apples and Other Fruits: Use your favorite diced fruits for versions like these apple cheesecake croissants with caramel glaze.
- Add Pecans: Sprinkle chopped pecans on top for added crunch.
- More Tropical Flavor: Add a little finely diced mango to the pineapple mixture.
- Toast the Coconut: Toast the coconut before sprinkling it over the croissants for even more flavor.
How to make Mini Pineapple Cherry Cheesecake Croissants
Step 1: Bring the pineapple and sugar to a boil. Then, simmer until thickened and reduced. Add the cherries and continue cooking until a thick filling forms. Set aside to cool.
Step 2: Beat the cream cheese until creamy. Then, beat in the vanilla and powdered sugar.
Step 3: Cut a slit down the center of each croissant, then make several horizontal cuts to form a pocket.
Step 4: Gently pull back the layers, fill the croissants with cheesecake and pineapple filling and fold the layers back over.
Step 5: Mix the melted butter with the glaze ingredients, then brush the mixture all over the croissants.
Step 6: Bake until golden and crisp. Cool slightly on a wire rack and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Warm fruit filling can soften the croissants too much before baking. Let it cool completely before assembling.
- Adding too much filling can cause the croissants to burst open while baking.
- Room temperature cream cheese creates the smoothest cheesecake filling.
Mini Pineapple Cherry Cheesecake Croissants FAQs
Canned pineapple works perfectly for filling. Just be sure to drain it well before cooking so it doesn’t become too watery.
Yes. Full-size croissants work well. Simply increase the amount of filling in each croissant and add a few extra minutes to the baking time if needed.
Make sure your filling is fully cooked before stuffing the croissants, and don’t overfill them.
You can refrigerate these croissants for up to 3 days. Be aware that they will absorb moisture from the filling as they sit.
Yes. Once baked and cooled, store them in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.
Overfilling the croissants can cause the filling to spill out as they bake. Stick to the recommended amounts and gently fold the croissant layers back over the filling.
Make These Croissants for Brunch or Dessert With:
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Mini Pineaple Cherry Cheesecake Croissants
Ingredients
- 10 mini croissant rolls
Pineapple Cherry Filling
- 1 cup diced pineapple
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
- ½ cup maraschino cherries, coarsely chopped
Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Caramel Glaze
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ¼ cup shredded sweetened coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°.
Pineapple Cherry Filling
- In a medium saucepan, add the pineapples and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Bring pineapple mixture 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.
- Add maraschino cherries and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Cream Cheese Filling
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on low for 2-3 minutes or until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat on low until the sugar is incorporated.
Prepare the Croissants
- Cut a slit down the center of the croissant lengthwise until you get to the end, making sure not to go through the bottom side.
- Next, cut multiple slits horizontally, again making sure not to go through the bottom.
- Gently peel back the top, leaving the sides intact so you have a pocket in the center.
- Add about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese to the pocket of the croissant.
- Add 2 teaspoons of pineapple filling over the cream cheese.
- Carefully pull the star edges back towards the center of the croissant.
- Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Caramel Glaze
- In a small bowl, melt the butter then add the brown sugar and honey. Mix until the butter is fully incorporated.
- Brush the bottoms of each croissant and place onto a foil lined cookie sheet, or into a pancake sheet pan.
- Brush the tops and the sides of the croissants with remaining caramel glaze.
- Sprinkle the tops of each croissant with shredded coconut .
- Bake for 15-16 minutes or until browned and hardened.
- Remove from the pan immediately and cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- Warm fruit filling can soften the croissants too much before baking. Let it cool completely before assembling.
- Adding too much filling can cause the croissants to burst open while baking.
- Room temperature cream cheese creates the smoothest cheesecake filling.
Nutrition
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