Air Fryer Cherry Cream Cheese Croissants 🥐💖🍒

honestly sound like something you’d grab from a cute little bakery display… except here, you’re making them in 20 minutes in your air fryer. Zero intimidation. Maximum reward.

Your recipe is already spot-on: flaky crescent dough, tangy-sweet cream cheese filling, bright cherry pie filling, and a little powdered sugar snow on top ❄️. I’ll keep the recipe itself as you wrote it, just expand with extra tips, details, and ideas — and then I’ll give you a clean, final recipe card at the end.

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Why These Croissants Are So Irresistible 🥐✨

These Air Fryer Cherry Cream Cheese Croissants tick all the boxes:

• Fast – From fridge to plate in around 20 minutes ⏱️
• Easy – Uses refrigerated crescent dough, no kneading or proofing
• Pretty – Golden brown, powdered sugar-dusted, with cherry peeking out 💖
• Comforting – Creamy vanilla cheesecake-like filling wrapped in warm pastry
• Air fryer–friendly – No need to heat the whole oven for a small batch

They’re perfect for:

• Weekend breakfast or brunch
• Valentine’s treats or date morning 💘
• Dessert when you “just want something sweet”
• Impressing people with minimal effort (our favorite category 😌)

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Ingredient Breakdown 🧺

Let’s go through each ingredient you used and talk about what it does.

Crescent Dough 🥐

1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent dough

This is your shortcut to flaky, buttery pastry without making croissant dough from scratch (which is a whole project). Crescent rolls bake up tender and golden, and they’re very forgiving when you stuff them with filling.

• Make sure the dough stays chilled until you’re ready to shape — warm dough gets sticky and harder to work with.
• Separate gently along the perforated lines so each triangle stays intact.

Cream Cheese Filling 💛

4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

This trio gives you a mini cheesecake vibe inside your pastry:

• Cream cheese: Provides richness and that tangy cheesecake flavor. Softening it makes it easy to mix smoothly.
• Sugar: Sweetens the filling and balances the tang.
• Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and that bakery smell and flavor we all love.

Make sure the cream cheese is soft (room temp or close), or you might get little lumps. If it’s a bit too firm, you can microwave it in 5-second bursts until just softened.

Cherry Pie Filling 🍒

1/3 cup cherry pie filling

This brings bright, juicy sweetness and color. Cherry pairs beautifully with cream cheese and vanilla — it feels classic and a little fancy.

• Use about 1 teaspoon per croissant, as you wrote, so it doesn’t leak out too much.
• You can pick cherries with a bit of filling, rather than just the sauce, for a nice bite.

Egg Wash 🥚

1 egg (for egg wash)

The egg wash is what gives the croissants that gorgeous golden-brown shine:

• Beat the egg with a fork until smooth.
• You can add a tiny splash of water or milk if you like, but it’s optional; your recipe works fine with just the egg.

Finishing Touch 🌨️

Powdered sugar (for dusting)

Once they’re baked and slightly cooled, a dusting of powdered sugar makes them look like café pastries. It adds light sweetness and makes them feel extra special.

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Step-by-Step with Extra Tips 👩‍🍳

Your directions are already correct. I’ll keep them the same and just add a bit more context and best-practice air fryer tips around them.

1. Preheat Your Air Fryer

Preheat your air fryer to 320°F (160°C).

Not all air fryers require preheating, but many bake more evenly if you do. Preheating ensures the croissants start puffing and browning right away.

• If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat mode, just run it empty for 3–5 minutes at 320°F (160°C).

2. Make the Cream Cheese Filling

In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth.

Tips:

• Use a fork, small whisk, or spatula to mix.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl so no sugar pockets remain.
• The mixture should be smooth, creamy, and spreadable — not runny.

This is your “cheesecake layer” inside the croissant. 😍

3. Prep the Dough

Unroll the crescent dough and separate into triangles.

• Open the can carefully (the pop always gets people 😂).
• Unroll the dough on a clean, lightly floured or parchment-lined surface if you like.
• Separate each triangle gently along the perforated lines.

Try not to stretch them too thin — you want enough dough to wrap around the filling.

4. Fill with Cream Cheese and Cherry

Place a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture on the wide end of each triangle and top with a teaspoon of cherry pie filling.

This is where the magic happens 💖

• Keep the filling slightly away from the edges so it doesn’t immediately ooze out.
• Stick to about 1 tbsp cream cheese + 1 tsp cherry per triangle, just like you wrote — that’s a great ratio for flavor and structure.
• If a little filling peeks out when rolling, that’s okay. It’ll caramelize slightly.

5. Roll and Tuck

Roll up the triangles, starting from the wide end and tuck in the sides to enclose the filling.

• Roll fairly snugly, but don’t squeeze so hard that everything squishes out.
• As you roll, you can gently tuck the corners and sides inward to help trap the filling.
• The goal is a compact little croissant shape with sealed-ish ends.

You don’t have to be perfect — a bit of ooze is part of the charm.

6. Egg Wash for Shine

Beat the egg and brush over each croissant.

• Beat the egg in a small bowl until no streaks remain.
• Use a pastry brush (or clean finger if you’re desperate 😅) to lightly brush the tops and sides of each croissant.
• Try not to soak them; a light coat is enough.

This step helps the croissants turn deeply golden and gives them a glossy finish.

7. Air Fry

Place the croissants in the air fryer basket, ensuring they don’t touch.

• Leave a bit of space between each croissant so hot air can circulate.
• You can line the basket with parchment paper made for air fryers or a perforated liner to catch drips, but don’t fully block airflow.
• If your air fryer is small, cook in batches rather than crowding.

Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

• Start checking at around 7–8 minutes the first time you make them — every air fryer is a bit different.
• They’re done when:
  • The tops are golden brown.
  • The dough looks puffed and cooked, not raw in any folds.

8. Cool Slightly and Finish

Let cool slightly and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

• Let them rest for a few minutes so the filling sets a bit (and doesn’t burn your mouth 🥵).
• Use a small sieve or sifter to dust powdered sugar over the tops for that bakery look.

Serve warm for the best experience — the cream cheese will be creamy, and the cherry will still be slightly gooey. 🤤

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Flavor Variations & Ideas 🌈

You’ve already got a fabulous base recipe. Here are some fun variations you could try another time:

• Chocolate Cherry 🍫🍒
  Add a few mini chocolate chips on top of the cream cheese before the cherry.
• Lemon Cheesecake 🍋
  Swap the cherry pie filling for lemon curd and keep the cream cheese mixture as-is.
• Mixed Berry 🫐
  Use a mixed berry pie filling instead of cherry.
• Glaze Instead of Powdered Sugar
  Mix a simple glaze of powdered sugar + a teaspoon of milk + a drop of vanilla, and drizzle over cooled croissants.

Your core recipe stays the same — these are just optional twists if you want to play.

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Serving Suggestions 🍽️

These croissants are perfect:

• On a brunch table with coffee, scrambled eggs, and fruit ☕🥚🍓
• As a dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
• For special occasions like Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, or birthdays

They look fancy, taste amazing, and secretly require very little effort. Win–win.

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Storage & Reheating 🧊

If you somehow have leftovers (big “if” 😅):

• Store cooled croissants in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2–3 days.
• Reheat:
  • In the air fryer at 300°F (150°C) for a few minutes, until warmed.
  • Or in the microwave for about 10–15 seconds (though the air fryer keeps them crisper).

They’re best fresh, but they reheat nicely.

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