Differences Between Pain Au Chocolat and Chocolate Croissant

Even if you’re a foreigner, you’ve probably heard of the famed French chocolate desserts. You may eat the pain au chocolat or chocolate croissant whenever you want for energy, indulgence, or enjoyment. Is there a distinction between a Pain au Chocolat and a Chocolate Croissant?

To make a pain au chocolat, sandwich one or two dark chocolate sticks between the cubic-shaped dough and wrap it up. In contrast, there is no such requirement while baking chocolate croissants. You may sprinkle chocolate in whichever shape you wish on the triangle-shaped dough to make a moon shape.

Continue reading to discover more about the distinctions between pain au chocolat, chocolate croissant, and chocolatine.

Pain Au Chocolat vs. Chocolate Croissant: What Are the Differences?

In some parts of the globe, the names pain au chocolat and chocolate croissant are used interchangeably. Pain au chocolat, for example, is known as chocolate croissants in Australia, USA, and New Zealand but is recognized as pain au chocolat almost everywhere else. Yet, there are significant distinctions between the two pastries.

Pain au chocolat is often sliced into rectangular forms, resulting in a rectangle-shaped pastry after baking. Chocolate croissants, on the other hand, are sliced into triangles before rolling. Croissants come in either straight across or crescent moon forms.

In France, croissants prepared with pure butter must be straight, but those made with any other fat, such as margarine, must be connected at the ends to make a crescent moon shape.

Calories

A chocolate croissant has an average of 297 calories per serving, whereas a pain au chocolat has 306 calories per serving. [1] [2]

Dough

The same layered dough is used to make both pain au chocolat and chocolate croissant (thats probably the main reason most people call pain au chocolat chocolate croissant). But, unlike puff pastry, croissant dough contains milk and yeast, making the pastry richer, rising faster, and more bread-like.

The croissant dough is often produced by folding it over fat numerous times. It is then laminated by rolling it into a thin sheet. A well-laminated dough might contain hundreds of alternating layers of dough and butter if done properly.

As the dough is heated in the oven, the water in it turns to steam, which puffs up each layer before it evaporates. The butter fat fries the dough layers, making them flaky and crispy. You can see these exquisite, delicate, flaky layers while eating a croissant or pain au chocolat.

Pain Au Chocolat vs. Chocolate Croissant: Which Is Better?

Pain au chocolat is a simple exterior that conceals a world of delight within: buttery, light layers of flaky dough wrapped around two chunks of dark chocolate that melt on your tongue. It mixes the powerful tastes of pure cocoa with a croissant pastry made entirely of butter. Cacao contains antioxidants and flavonoids that are good for your health.

If you don’t like the richer, darker dark chocolate flavor, go for the chocolate croissant. The croissant has a great chocolate flavor without the bittersweet aftertaste. Moreover, the chocolate croissant features a crunchy outer texture and taste, as well as a soft inner texture and flavor.

It is feasible to include pain au chocolat or chocolate croissant into a balanced eating regimen. They are, nevertheless, rather heavy in calories and include saturated fat from butter. As a result, you should exercise caution while consuming them.

What Does Pain au Chocolat Mean?

Pain au chocolat (pronounced pah oh shoh-Koh-lah) is one of the most well-known viennoiseries in the world. It literally translates to “bread with chocolate,” and it’s a traditional French dish that goes well with a warm cup of caf au lait or as an afternoon snack for your family.

Although the precise origin of pain au chocolat is unknown, baking folklore holds that the pastry was formed by accident when a baker’s apprentice neglected to add butter to the dough. To correct the error, the beginner rolled butter between layers of dough until it was fully incorporated. The peculiar flakiness of the pain au chocolat was formed by this unanticipated disaster.

Pain Au Chocolat vs. Chocolatine: What Is the Difference?

There is no technical distinction between pain au chocolat and chocolatine. These are both referring to the croissant dough that has been filled with two dark chocolate sticks. Yet, the name of this delectable chocolate varies depending on where you live in France. Chocolatine is used in the southwest of France, but pain au chocolat is used throughout the remainder of the nation.

Surprisingly, there have been discussions of using the two names interchangeably. In fact, there was a proposal in 2018 to make chocolatine an official synonym for pain au chocolat.

Nevertheless, the French National Assembly lawmakers rejected the plan. However, despite the name argument, pain au chocolat or chocolatine is still respected as a wonderful delicacy enjoyed by people all over the globe.