Air Fryer Croissant Sandwiches with Pesto and Havarti

These air-fried croissant sandwiches are crispy, cheesy, rich, and easy to make. Flaky croissants get super crispy and mild Havarti cheese turns melty in the air fryer in less than 4 minutes in this easy recipe.

If you like bold savory flavors, you'll like these air fryer pesto and cheese croissant sandwiches.

This is a pretty rich sandwich recipe, with a buttery croissant, mayo, pesto, and cheese, but the lettuce and pickled red onions help cut through the richness.

You can skip the pesto or mayo if you want to cut out some fat.

The melty cheese and flaky fresh croissants are decadent and the lettuce and pickled red onions bring freshness to the sandwich. Try it today for a quick and easy, delicious breakfast!

Love making lunch in the air fryer? Try air fryer grilled cheese sandwiches or air fryer garlic bread pizza toast for something fun.

Looking for another fresh sandwich? Try cucumber sandwiches with cream cheese.

Ingredients

See the recipe card for exact amounts.

• croissants: Use large croissants for this recipe.
• pesto: I used a store-bought basil pesto for this recipe but homemade oregano pesto or pepita pesto would be good too!
• mayo: any mayo is fine
• cheese: I like Havarti for its mild flavor and ability to melt.
• toppings: Shredded romaine lettuce adds freshness and pickled red onions add some much-needed acidity and tanginess to cut through the super savory and rich flavors in this sandwich.

Substitutions

• pesto: try red pesto, made with sundried tomatoes!
• cheese: try cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, Gruyere, or Monterrey Jack.
• toppings: choose other toppings like tomato, cucumber, or other mixed greens.

Instructions

Cut the croissant in half.

1. Mix the mayo and pesto together in a small bowl.

2. Spread the pesto mayo on the four cut sides of the croissant.

3. Layer the cheese on one side of each croissant.

4. Place the croissants on an air fryer tray or the air fryer basket.

Air fry for 2-4 minutes.

I use a tray style air fryer and air fry my croissant for 2 minutes and then rotate the top and bottom trays before air frying for another minute.

This crisps the croissant and also melts the cheese.

5. Place the finished croissant on a plate or croissant. Add freshly cracked black pepper on the cheese side. 

6. Add shredded lettuce and pickled red onions.

Place the top side of the croissant on top of the lettuce to make the sandwich.

Tips for making air fryer croissant sandwiches

What to serve with croissant sandwiches

These sandwiches would go well with fresh vegetables like a broccoli crunch salad or Mexican-inspired chopped salad for lunch or dinner.

For more easy air fryer recipes, browse my air fryer category.

Storage

These sandwiches are best eaten as made. The pesto mayo can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week.

Recipe

Air Fryer Croissant Sandwiches

author : Jacqueline Piper

5 from 1 vote

Pesto and Havarti cheese add big flavor to flaky crispy croissant sandwiches. Only 3-4 minutes in the air fryer!

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 minutes mins

Total Time 9 minutes mins

Servings 2

Equipment

• Instant Pot Vortex Plus Air Fryer or similar

Ingredients

  

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• ▢ 2 large croissants
• ▢ 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• ▢ 2 tablespoons pesto
• ▢ 80 grams sliced Havarti cheese
• ▢ black pepper
• ▢ shredded lettuce (to serve)
• ▢ pickled onions (to serve)

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Instructions

 

• Mix the mayo and pesto together in a small bowl.
• Cut the croissants in half lengthwise.
• Spread pesto mayo on each cut side of the croissants.
• Place the cheese on one side of the croissant.
• Place the croissants on an air fryer tray or basket. (My air fryer has two trays).
• Air fry at 350°F for 3-4 minutes. My air fryer has an upper and lower tray so I air fry for two minutes, and then swap them. Then I air fry again for 1-2 minutes, depending on how long the upper croissant needs to toast.
• Once the croissants are done, carefully move them to a cutting board or plate. They will be very hot.
• Crack black pepper over the cheese. Add lettuce and pickled onion. Add the top of the croissant to make a sandwich and then serve.

Video

Notes

Preheat the air fryer so the croissant starts crisping and the cheese starts melting right away.

Use thinly sliced or finely grated cheese to ensure it melts in the 3-4 minutes of cooking time.

Toast the croissant open-faced, not closed, so the cheese melts.

Watch carefully, croissants crisp in a matter of minutes in the air fryer.

For best results in a tray-style air fryer, rotate the top and bottom trays after 2 minutes. This will help you achieve even crisping on the croissants.

A tray-style air fryer makes it easier to make two sandwiches at a time. If you're using a basket-style air fryer, you'll need to make sandwiches in batches.

Customize the sandwich with your favorite spread like mayo and Dijon mustard instead of the pesto. Try your favorite fillings like fresh sliced tomatoes or cucumbers. 

Turn these sandwiches into croissant breakfast sandwiches by adding scrambled eggs or a fried egg.

Nutrition

Calories: 564kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 16gFat: 41gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gCalcium: 293mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate. Values vary based on products used.

Read our full Nutrition Disclaimer.

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