The Unexpected Ingredient That Makes TikTok's Viral Gluten-Free Croissants

The croissant is one of the world's most iconic pastries. They're also notoriously difficult to bake — so naturally, the internet is chock full of shortcuts. Life is short, and we're mere mortals. Few people are prepared to tackle a labor-intensive, 24-hour baking challenge that's likely doomed to failure.

Classic croissants are made by laminating dough, a process that involves folding a flat sheet of butter into the mixture to create delicate, ultra-thin layers. Many hacks use premade laminated dough, while others call for rough puff pastry, an easier (though still pretty labor-intensive) alternative. But a viral recipe has introduced a whole new method that stars an unexpected ingredient: rice paper.

These are easier to make than their French counterparts, but they also have another claim to fame: they're gluten-free. Croissants rely heavily on gluten for their iconic honeycomb texture — the structural protein bonds the dough together as it bakes. But even without gluten, the rice paper croissants boast a honeycomb-like crumb.

The recipe, which was popularized by TikTok accounts like @tastyjapan_bf, @twaydabae, and @misojenkitchen, showcases cooks pulling crispy, beautifully browned pastries from ovens and pulling them apart to reveal soft, layered insides. But are they any good, or is this another dubious TikTok food trend like onion coffee? 

Well, no. Even though the pastries matched the croissant's characteristic honeycomb, most reviewers found the texture dense and chewy. But the consensus on social media was pretty unanimous: It does taste like another beloved confection. "This tastes like a mochi," said YouTuber Inga Lam. "Nice and chewy like a mochi," explained LookCatchu.

The comparison makes sense. Both rice paper and mochi are made from rice flour, a type of gluten-free flour widely used throughout Asia. Rice flour is a versatile ingredient, but like most gluten-free powders, it can be pretty dense. That bulk is at odds with the light, flakey texture that most people love (save for one Paris chef who engineered a less flaky croissant).

While you might want to give these croissants a pass if you're not a fan of mochi, most reviewers liked them. Some noted that egg, butter, and vanilla helped give the pastries a more croissant-like aroma, and the crispy outer layer makes them a must-try for mochi doughnut fans. 

While exact ratios vary, the general ingredients of rice paper croissants stay the same: egg, sugar, milk, melted butter, baking powder, a splash of vanilla, and, of course, rice paper. Mix the ingredients — minus the rice paper — in a flat bowl or rimmed baking sheet, then slide in the sheets. Stack 3 to 4 on top of each other, then cut the circles into three pieces with a long, thin triangle in the middle. Arrange them with the triangle pointing up, then layer one of the side sections on top and the other horizontally across the bottom.

Roll the pieces up — carefully, they'll be sticky and delicate by now — and shape them into a crescent shape by squeezing the ends. Dust them with sugar and bake them in an oven preheated to 350 degrees F for 30 minutes (some creators also experimented with air fryers). For a take on pain au chocolat, roll a thin sliver of chocolate inside. Your croissants might not meet the standards of a French pastry chef, but they'll still be a treat for gluten-free folks missing the flakey pastries.