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How to make a Ham & Cheese Croissant
A ham and cheese croissant is buttery, flaky, and wonderfully satisfying, with savoury ham and melted cheese tucked inside a crisp, golden croissant. It’s quick to prepare and perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an easy lunch when you want something warm without much effort. Best served straight from the oven while the cheese is still gooey, it’s simple comfort food that never really needs improving.
Ham and Cheese Croissant
This ham and cheese croissant is one of my favourite quick brunches or lazy lunches. I take a flaky, buttery croissant, stuff it with good-quality ham and plenty of melty cheese, then bake it until golden and crisp. It’s simple, satisfying, and always hits the spot. Whether I’m feeding guests, treating myself on a Sunday, or using up leftovers, it’s the kind of easy comfort food that feels indulgent without much effort at all.
Ingredients
- 4 croissants
- 200g thinly sliced deli ham
- 4 slices Gruyere or Swiss cheese
Instructions
Grill Method
- Slice each croissant in half. Layer the ham over the bottom half and top with a slice of cheese.
- Place under a hot grill until the cheese is melted and golden. Top with the other half of the croissant and serve immediately.
Sandwich Press Method
- Slice each croissant in half. Layer the ham over the bottom half and top with a slice of cheese.
- Place the top half of the croissant on and cook in a panini or sandwich press until the pastry is golden and flaky and the cheese is melted through.
Notes
- This is one of those things that barely needs a recipe but is worth doing properly. Good croissants, good ham, good cheese. That's the whole secret.
- Croissant quality matters enormously here. A good bakery croissant with proper layers and a flaky, buttery exterior will give you a far better result than a supermarket one.
- Gruyere is the classic choice and for good reason. It melts beautifully and has a nutty, slightly sweet flavour that pairs perfectly with ham. Swiss cheese is milder but works just as well.
- The grill method gives you a more open, toasted result with a gooey, golden cheese topping. The sandwich press gives you a more compact, evenly melted croissant that's a bit like a French croque monsieur.
- For something more indulgent, spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard on the bottom half of the croissant before adding the ham.
- Thinly sliced deli ham works best here. Thick cut ham can overpower the delicate croissant and make it difficult to eat neatly.
- Don't press too hard in a sandwich press. Croissants are delicate and you want to warm and melt rather than crush them flat.
- These are best eaten immediately while the cheese is still melted and the pastry is warm and flaky.
- Not suitable for storing, reheating, or freezing once assembled.
What I Cook With
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 544Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 1203mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 30g
Please note, this nutrition information is to be used as a guide only. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Serve this with
- Serve with my Tomato Relish for a sweet, tangy contrast to the salty ham, melted cheese and buttery croissant. It’s especially good spooned straight inside while everything’s still warm.
- Try my Cheese and Bacon Muffins for something a little different as part of a brunch or breakfast spread. They keep the same savoury, cheesy vibe without feeling like another version of the croissant.
- Top with a poached egg for a more substantial breakfast or brunch. The runny yolk works beautifully with melted cheese, salty ham and flaky pastry.
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You Can’t Beat a Classic
Let me tell you, it absolutely blew my mind when I moved to the UK and discovered that ham and cheese croissants weren’t a thing in Scotland. I’m not exaggerating. I scoured cafes, asked around, and came up completely empty-handed*. How did they not know about this classic? I always thought it was universal, the kind of staple you’d find anywhere with a pastry cabinet. Turns out, it might just be an Aussie thing. Who knew?
So naturally, after years of going without this nostalgic favourite, I nearly cried with joy when I found out Woolies had started stocking gluten-free croissants. As someone with celiac disease, it was a very happy little miracle. Okay, maybe that’s dramatic, but you try going years without biting into a flaky, buttery croissant and see how you feel!
I’ll be the first to admit nothing beats a proper croissant fresh from the bakery, still warm, with crumbs falling everywhere like confetti. But honestly, these gluten-free ones hit the spot. Toast them up, pile them with ham and cheese, and you’ve got a pretty perfect little breakfast or lunch. It’s the kind of food that doesn’t need dressing up, doesn’t try too hard, and still manages to feel special. It reminds me of home, of shopping trips with Mum, of weekend cafe lunches and frothy milkshakes. It’s comfort food in the best possible way.
*Yes, I’m celiac, but back then I was a bit naughty.
Growing Up in Liverpool: The Cafe Classic
I grew up in Liverpool. Not the one in the UK, but the one tucked away in South West Sydney. And while it’s not exactly known for its fine dining scene, it had one thing going for it – an incredible mix of cultures that meant there was always something new and delicious to try. I think that’s where my obsession with food really started. There was always something simmering in a neighbour’s kitchen, or a local cafe serving up a dish I’d never heard of but instantly loved. It made the world feel close and exciting.
Whenever Mum and I went shopping, we’d sometimes stop at this cafe near McDonalds for lunch in the big Westfield. I can still picture the table, the clatter of plates, the smell of the espresso machine. Mum would always order a cappuccino and a Mediterranean vegetable focaccia. I, on the other hand, was completely devoted to the ham and cheese croissant. Paired with a strawberry milkshake, of course. It was our little treat, our moment together in the middle of a busy day. It felt like magic, and it cemented that combination of flaky pastry, salty ham, and melty cheese as something sacred in my mind.
Food was always an adventure with Mum. From cream teas to doner kebabs the size of my head, short soup to fancy deli salads, every meal was a memory. No surprise I ended up loving cooking as much as I do – it all started in those little cafes and crowded food courts.
The French Bakery in Toowong
In my early twenties, before I knew I had coeliac disease, I was dating a guy who lived in Auchenflower in Brisbane. Just next door in Toowong, there was this little French bakery that was something of a local legend. Their croissants were next level, but their ham and cheese croissants? Oh my. They weren’t just reheated pastries with a slice of cheese thrown in. These were buttery croissants, rolled with the ham and cream cheese already tucked inside. No assembly required. No fuss. Just pure, glorious indulgence.
It’s funny what sticks with you, isn’t it? I don’t have many fond memories of that boy, but I do remember those croissants with a lot of love. That bakery was tiny, always packed, and full of the best smells imaginable. It was the kind of place that made you slow down and savour everything. I think that’s part of the charm of a good ham and cheese croissant. You don’t wolf it down. You take your time, enjoy every bite, and let the crumbs fall where they may.
There’s something so simple and perfect about the balance of it – it doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, it just does what it does really well. That bakery knew it, and I’ve been chasing that same level of pastry perfection ever since.
Food in the West End
After a solid year working in the Brisbane CBD, I recently started a new job based in South Brisbane, right near the West End. If you haven’t visited recently, let me tell you, it’s changed. When I first moved to Brisbane twenty years ago, West End was full of op shops and grungy little cafes. I loved it. These days, it’s become one of the city’s top foodie destinations, and honestly, I’m not mad about it.
Working there is dangerous for someone like me. Every lunchtime, I have to resist the urge to try something new and fabulous. There are so many incredible spots to eat, so many places that cater to gluten-free diets, which is a godsend. One of my favourite discoveries has been the Harris Farm in the West End. It’s enormous and filled with all kinds of delicious treats. The deli section alone could keep me happy for days.
Living and working in a place surrounded by such good food reminds me of why I fell in love with it in the first place. And when I find a ham and cheese croissant that’s coeliac-safe and actually delicious? It’s like a full-circle moment. From those childhood cafes to fancy bakeries, to modern delis in a buzzing suburb, the joy of good food never really changes.
Frequently asked questions
Does the quality of the croissant really matter that much?
Yes, more than any other ingredient here. A good bakery croissant with proper laminated layers, a flaky exterior, and a buttery interior will give you something genuinely excellent. A supermarket croissant will give you something fine but noticeably less so. With three ingredients, the quality of each one is directly reflected in the finished result.
What’s the difference between the grill and sandwich press methods?
The grill gives you an open-faced result with a golden, slightly toasted cheese top and a warm, flaky croissant that you then close before eating. The sandwich press gives you a more compact, evenly melted result that presses everything together into something closer to a French croque monsieur. Both are excellent and the choice comes down to what you have available and the texture you prefer.
Can I add anything else?
Dijon mustard spread thinly on the bottom half before the ham goes on is the most worthwhile addition and takes it from very good to genuinely excellent. Cornichons on the side are the correct accompaniment if you want something to cut through the richness.
Ingredient breakdown
Croissants
The most important ingredient and the one worth spending money on. A good bakery croissant has proper laminated layers that stay flaky under the heat of a grill or sandwich press while the inside warms through and the cheese melts. A supermarket croissant tends to be denser and less buttery, which produces a noticeably inferior result when heated. Buy the best ones you can find.
Deli ham
Thinly sliced rather than thick cut, which is important for two reasons. Thin ham distributes evenly across the croissant and heats through properly under the grill or in the press, while thick cut ham can overpower the delicate pastry and make the croissant difficult to eat neatly. Good quality deli ham rather than pre-packaged sandwich ham makes a noticeable difference in something this simple.
Gruyere or Swiss cheese
Gruyere is the classic choice because it melts beautifully into a smooth, slightly golden layer and has a nutty, slightly sweet flavour that pairs with ham in a way few other cheeses replicate. Swiss cheese is milder and more neutral but melts just as well and works perfectly if Gruyere isn’t available. Either way, a proper slice rather than pre-shredded, which melts more cleanly and gives you better coverage across the croissant.
