Say hello to one of my all-time favorite sandwiches! We love these Cranberry Croissant Sandwiches like woah!
Sometimes, when it’s particularly sweltering outside, I crank the AC and pretend it’s fall. It isn’t until I’m curled up with a book, wearing my fuzziest of sweaters and sipping a scorching cup of coffee, that I realize I’m being totally and utterly ridiculous.
Sometimes the escape is nice. And the gorgeous sunshine makes it that much nicer! Sunny days like this just don’t exist in the Autumn and Winter months so a little pretending goes a long way.
Lately it’s my tastebuds that have been doing the pretending. Somewhere amidst the seemingly never ending bevvy of chilled salads and grilled veggie kebabs lies a crazy craving for spiced muffins, steamy chili, and winter squash.
Luckily I froze a boatload of butternut squash, a few soups, and my beloved crockpot cranberry sauce. I think it’s safe to say that most of you know what I whipped up with the cran-apple sauce upon defrosting? No? Here’s a hint:
Cranberry Croissant Sandwiches
I actually defrosted the sauce specifically for this sandwich after finding the fluffiest, flakiest, most amazing “everything” croissants at my local Harris Teeter bakery. Hello match made in heaven!
Cranberry Croissant Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 4 ounces regular or neufchatel cream cheese
- 4 TBSP leftover cranberry sauce
- 2-3 TBSP chopped baking walnuts [minced or left chunky!]
- 1 TBSP honey [use a little… or a lot!]
- ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
- for the sandwich:
- 1 croissant
- 8 cucumber slices, or to taste
- 2 romaine lettuce leaves, torn
- 3-4 slices organic turkey (for t-rex option)
Instructions
Here’s how to make this wildly addictive spread:
- Soften cream cheese to room temperature.
- Combine with a few heaping spoonfuls of leftover cranberry sauce.
- Next fold in chopped walnuts [optional, but beyond delicious!] and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.
- Drizzle a tablespoon of honey into the mixture and stir. Simple and deeeeelicious.
- Rather not wait for the cream cheese to soften? Break out your food processor and whip the cream cheese, cinnamon and honey to perfection before adding your sauce. Then fold in the minced walnuts Just be sure to unplug the food processor before trying to lick it clean. You’re welcome.
- Serve this heavenly spread at room temperature with sliced green apple, whole grain crackers, and crunchy celery sticks. Or just go crazy and spread it on everything in sight.
To make the sandwich:
- Pile a fresh bakery croissant with the cinnamon walnut cranberry cream cheese spread above, then pile high with fresh sliced cucumbers, crisp lettuce, and anything else you'd like to throw into the mix! It's also phenomenal with oven-roasted sliced turkey breast. Whether you go veg or t-rex it up, this sandwich is positively amazing!
Notes
Nutrition
I also threw together some ridiculously yummy fall-spiced muffins for you, but that post and recipe will take me a teeny bit longer to write, so it’s not quite ready to kick off the week with. Trust me, it’s worth the wait.
I can’t be the only one with seasonally-challenged cravings right now, right?
Anyone else willing to fess up to their absurdities?
If you get a chance to try these cranberry croissant sandwiches (wouldn’t they make the ULTIMATE tea sandwiches!? LOVE!), let me know!
Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
Hi my name isJoan, I love to cook & now I m going thru abit tough time, I browsed your site–you are most amazing cook Davy person!!! I feel so much better & inspired by your ‘rambling’& blurbs. Thx for taking time for sharing Jenn!!! Waiting on the muffin recipe.
Thanks Joan! Wishing you a wonderful week and hope you get a chance to try one of the recipes soon! <3 xoxo
I totally had a big bowl of veggie chili for lunch last week…on one of the hottest days of the year, no less. And it was delicious!
Generally, though, I love spring and summer food. I wait all year for berries and peaches and melons and grilled everything.
I’m glad that I’m not the only one who is channeling fall! I have been diving into all sorts of pumpkin-spiced things lately!
An everything croissant. Wow, I’m jealous.
My cravings have switched more to spring/summer fare especially with local strawberries popping up everywhere, although I still love me a grilled cheese sandwich this time of year.
That sounds and looks AMAZING.
Love! I am so all on the pumpkin right now! Can’t wait to make something delish to share
I’m right there with you! I busted open a can of pumpkin last week for some fall fakeout myself. I made pumpkin chocolate chips cookies, pumpkin french toast, a pumpkin protein smoothie and finally pumpkin oatmeal! Now it is time for me to move on to apple flavored things 🙂
Oh wow that sandwhich looks sooo good! I made up some cranberry ginger muffins a few weeks back and am contemplating digging the rest of my cranberries out of the freezer later this week 🙂
I am looking forward to that muffin recipe! That looks SUPER tasty! 🙂
I love croissant sandwiches and cranberry spreads. They seem to go so well together. That croissant looks amazing! Fall is my favorite season. 🙂
Yum! Looks delicious 🙂 I enjoy fall, but I’m not going to rush summer! I’m holding out on this recipe until September!
I LOVE croissants!! I could eat one for dessert!! <3
Also you are so silly with cranking up the a/c and acting like it’s fall. But I like silly so it’s okay. 😉
Looking forward to that muffin recipe, they look like they are delicious 🙂
Haha it was in the 90’s here in Richmond over the weekend, and Alex and I had grilled cheese and vegetable soup last night… hahaha
Haha I LOVE that you are all about the fall flavors. Right now, I can’t get enough cherries … both the fake ones my dad has been using to top my “heal soon” ice cream dinner or the real ones he has been setting out for me every morning that came from a bag that accidentally slipped into my suitcase when I was leaving. Whoops!!
oh no…. the cranberry crack… can’t…resist..time for me to go digging in my freezer too!
I just ate a giant bowl of tomato basil bisque, but I’m not so ready for fall to be here yet! Our bambino is due in October, and I’m nowhere near prepared yet so let’s just take this summer nice and slow, shall we? 😉
Oh my good heck… that sounds AMAZING! The pretending AND the sauce ;)I can’t wait to make the sauce!
As Asian as it sounds….a big, steaming bowl of Pho always make me happier. No matter how hot it is outside. That’s what AC is for, right? 🙂
That Cranberry spread looks amazing, and that bread get out! I so need to visit my local bakery more! I totally got a craving for Broccoli cheddar soup last week when it was 94 degrees. So didn’t care it! So yum!
Wow that spread looks awesome! Definitely want to try this 🙂
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
I had a pumpkin muffin yesterday while in cool San Fran and it made me miss fall/seasons in general!
mmm i want it ALL! h wanted to make chili the other day.. weird. chili in the summer?! so we did. and it was great! xo jillian ps that croissant looks SO good.
Our weather here is so wonky that it totally throwing me through a loophole!! I had soup last night because it’s what I wanted to stay warm!!
I used to do the FAKE OUT all the time when I lived in chapel hill!!
Hello, I remember I used to come here then.I stopped blogging for a while and now Im back.Its so nice to find your place again.As always you have a nice place and foods are awesome.I am your follower again.
I made chili this week. It finally hit 90 degrees in Virginia and I had a craving for chili. And it was amazing.