A chocolate croissant at Starbucks costs $3.95 and was likely baked from frozen that morning. This recipe makes 8 for about $6.00 in ingredients, and they’re genuinely fresh — warm from your oven with layers that shatter when you bite into them.

• Keep everything cold. Cold butter creates steam during baking, which is what separates the dough into flaky layers. If the butter gets soft at any point, stop and refrigerate for 20 minutes before continuing.
• European-style butter has higher fat content. It makes a noticeably flakier, richer croissant. Brands like Plugra or Kerrygold work well.
• Don’t rush the folds. Each fold triples the number of layers. Three proper folds gives you 27 layers of butter and dough. Rushing creates uneven layers and tough spots.
• Use quality chocolate. Since there are only two main ingredients — butter and chocolate — both matter. Use a good eating chocolate (70% cacao), not baking chips.

Once you have the laminated dough down, try these other Starbucks staples:

• Starbucks Banana Bread — the moist, walnut-studded loaf behind the glass case. Much simpler to make than croissants, just as satisfying.
• Copycat Starbucks Bacon Gouda Sandwich — the egg-and-cheese sandwich on a soft artisan roll that pairs with any morning coffee.
• Copycat Starbucks Cold Brew Recipe — the 24-hour concentrate method that makes a full week of Starbucks-quality cold brew for the price of one cup.

See all Starbucks copycat recipes →