Mini Prosciutto Pesto Croissants are an easy appetiser made with flaky puff pastry, salty prosciutto and fresh pesto. With only a handful of ingredients and quick prep, these little croissants bake up golden and crisp in the oven. They are perfect for entertaining, grazing boards or simple party food and taste best served warm.
Mini Prosciutto Pesto Croissants are one of those effortless appetisers that always impress. Buttery puff pastry is layered with salty prosciutto and fragrant pesto, then baked until golden, flaky and crisp. The combination is simple but incredibly flavourful, making these little croissants perfect for parties, grazing boards or casual entertaining.
Because they use store-bought puff pastry, they come together quickly with very little effort. You can assemble them ahead of time and bake just before serving, which makes them ideal for entertaining or last-minute guests. Serve them warm from the oven and watch them disappear within minutes.
Why You’ll Love These Mini Prosciutto Pesto Croissants
- Only 5 ingredients: Puff pastry, pesto and prosciutto create rich flavour with almost no prep.
- Quick to prepare: Simple assembly and into the oven. Perfect when you need an appetiser fast.
- Buttery and flaky: The puff pastry bakes into crisp, golden layers with a savoury centre.
- Perfect for entertaining: They look impressive on a platter and disappear quickly at parties.
- Easy to customise: Swap the pesto for sun dried tomato pesto or use salami, ham or another cured meat.
How to Make Mini Prosciutto Pesto Croissants
These quick puff pastry bites come together in minutes and bake until golden, flaky and crisp.
- Cut the pastry
Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 5 long triangles. The triangles do not need to be perfectly even. Line two baking trays with baking paper. - Add the filling
Spread a small teaspoon of pesto over each triangle. Top with a small piece of prosciutto and a few basil leaves. - Roll the croissants
Starting at the wide end, roll each triangle towards the point to form small croissants. Place them onto the prepared baking trays. - Egg wash and bake
Brush each croissant with egg wash. Bake in a 200°C oven (180°C fan) for 20 to 25 minutes until golden, puffed and crisp. Serve warm.
Top Tips for Perfect Mini Prosciutto Pesto Croissants
- Keep the pastry cold: Work with chilled puff pastry so it stays firm and easy to handle. If it softens too much, place it back in the fridge for a few minutes.
- Do not overfill: Use only a small amount of pesto and prosciutto. Too much filling can cause the croissants to open while baking.
- Roll from the wide end: Start rolling from the wide end of the triangle and roll towards the point to create a neat croissant shape.
- Give them space on the tray: Puff pastry expands as it bakes, so leave space between each croissant for even cooking.
- Bake until deep golden: The croissants should be crisp, puffed and a deep golden colour. This ensures the pastry is fully cooked and flaky.
Serving Suggestions
Mini Prosciutto Pesto Croissants are best served warm from the oven while the pastry is flaky and crisp. Arrange them on a platter as part of a grazing table or appetiser spread with olives, marinated vegetables and a selection of cheeses.
They also pair beautifully with a fresh green salad dressed with lemon and olive oil for a light lunch, or serve them alongside antipasto favourites like roasted capsicum, artichokes and cured meats for easy entertaining.
Make ahead and storage
These Mini Prosciutto Pesto Croissants are easy to prepare in advance, making them perfect for entertaining.
Make Ahead
Assemble the croissants as directed but do not brush with egg wash. Place them onto a baking tray, cover loosely with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 12 hours. When ready to bake, arrange them across two lined baking trays, brush with egg wash and bake as directed until golden and puffed.
Storage
If you have leftovers, allow the croissants to cool completely then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat in a 160°C oven for 6 to 7 minutes or until hot and crisp.
More Easy Appetisers:
- Baked Brie with Chilli Jam
- Creamy Garlic Labneh Dip with Za’atar & Pine Nuts
- Chinese Ham and Chicken Rolls (Cheats Version!)
- Crispy Prawn Balls
- Retro Aussie Curried Egg Dip
Mini Prosciutto Pesto Croissants
Equipment
- 2 large baking trays
Ingredients
- 4 sheets frozen puff pastry, partially thawed
- 135g tub store-bought basil pesto dip
- 5 slices thinly sliced prosciutto, each torn into 4 pieces
- ¼ cup small fresh basil leaves or larger torn leaves
- 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200℃ (180℃ fan forced). Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
- Using a sharp knife, slice each sheet of pastry into 5 long triangles the length of the pastry. Some wont be perfect triangles but this is ok.
- Lay the triangles out on a clean work surface. Roughly spread each triangle with 1 teaspoon of the dip. Top with a few basil leaves and a strip of prosciutto. Roll up each triangle from the wide end to the short end. Place onto prepared trays leaving room between each one.
- Brush croissants with egg yolk to cover and bake in the oven for 20-25 min. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- COOKS NOTES:
Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml & 1 cup = 250 ml.
Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified. - BASIL DIP
You can use any style of pesto dip here that you like. You will need about 1/2 cup. I used a 150g tub Red Rock Deli Basil Pesto, Pecorino & Cashews dip but you could use a sundried tomato dip, any regular pesto or whatever suits your taste buds.
To take these up a notch, sprinkle with a little parmesan over them before rolling them up! - EGG WASH
Using just egg yolks gives the pastry a really rich deep golden colour but if you prefer, just use 1 whole egg, lightly beaten.
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