Chef John's Best Pastries and Breakfast Treats

Chef John's Banana Bread

The secret to this banana bread is adding just enough dark chocolate chips to develop a richer flavor but not enough to qualify it as chocolate banana bread. "Banana bread is one of those things people rarely make on purpose," notes Chef John, "only when those last three bananas are almost black. This scrumptious banana-walnut loaf is so good, you'll want to make it well before the bananas get to that condition."

Chef John's Chocolate Croissants

"Making your own chocolate croissants takes a while, but for these crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside pastries, it's time well spent," says Chef John . "Properly done, this should ride that line between sweet pastry and a savory bread, so don't overdo it with the chocolate chunks; otherwise you'll lose that beautiful balance. Other than that, not much can go wrong. Just be sure to bake them until nicely browned, and let them cool before enjoying."

Kouign-Amann

"Pronounced 'queen-a-mahn,' kouign-amann wouldn't be one of the world's greatest pastries if it also weren't a legendary labor of love," says Chef John. "The irresistible combination of sweet, salty, sticky, buttery, crispy, flaky, and tender is something you must experience to believe. Made with bread flour, the dough is a little different from croissants or puff pastry. Salt is also key here; the authentic ones are about as savory as they are sweet."

Chef John's Scones

These simple scones are remarkably quick and easy to make at home. Delicious with any jam or marmalade you can think of, these scones are also excellent old-school style, served with clotted cream. "I have to say, I am very impressed," says Chef John. "It was light, tender, moist and very delicious."

Chef John's Blueberry Muffins

These fresh homemade blueberry muffins are perfect for breakfast or brunch, of course. But who can resist them for afternoon, evening, and even midnight snacks? Not us. They're just too good.

Chef John's Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Make amazing pumpkin cinnamon rolls from scratch with sinfully delicious cinnamon sugar filling and a cream-cheese glaze. "The addition of pumpkin puree made these the best cinnamon rolls I've ever tasted," says Chef John.

Pecan Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Sour cream or crème fraiche gives the cake a tender crumb and tangy flavor. But really, this cake is primarily about the incredible crumb topping. "For me, the best part about coffee cake is the crispy, crunchy, buttery crumbs," says Chef John. "So here I significantly upped the amounts used. Bake times will vary according to pan size and composition."

Chef John's Sweet Potato Biscuits

"This would be a great way to use leftover sweet potatoes," says Chef John, "By forming and folding dough, we develop beautifully buttery layers and avoid overmixing. Amazing with just plain butter, but for a little seasonal twist, I made a pomegranate spread."

Puff Pastry Shells

Puff pastry shells are elegant containers for both sweet and savory fillings. "These are fairly simple to make, and once baked the real fun begins, as they can hold so many amazing fillings," says Chef John. "The key is making sure your puff pastry dough is very firm, and very cold, preferably still partially frozen, before you start cutting it. You want nice clean cuts, because if you mash the layers of pastry together, your shells will not rise as high, and they can also bake into some strange shapes."

Chef John's Cronuts

Believe the hype! It's true, the cronut is an amazing hybrid combining the crispy flakey croissant with a delicious fried yeast donut. "Cronuts are the donuts that make people go nuts!" says Chef John. "They have the shape and flavor of a doughnut, yet feature the crispy, flaky texture of a buttery croissant. In Part I, I'll show you how to make the dough; in Part II, we'll fry, eat, and analyze."

• How to Make Cronuts, Part II

Chef John's Croissants

Chef John's homemade croissants are tender and buttery on the inside, crispy on the outside. "I wouldn't describe making homemade croissants as easy since there are multiple steps, and it does take at least half a day," says Chef John. "But it's really not that hard either; and certainly simpler than flying to Paris, which is the only other way to enjoy these amazing pastries."

Chef John's Apple Fritters

Chef John shares his technique for making apple fritters with that perfect pillowy-soft texture. "I didn't think I liked apple fritters, but turns out I just don't like chunks of almost raw apple, surrounded by a doughnut," says Chef John. "Maybe I've just been going to the wrong shops, but I've never enjoyed the texture, and always wanted to try them with cooked apples."

Chef John's Sticky Buns

"It's been my experience with baking that the harder a dough is to work with, the better it comes out," says Chef John, "and this is no exception—the contrast between this beautifully tender, airy dough and the sweet, crunchy, sticky topping is just otherworldly. "

"Thousand Layer" Chocolate Brioche

Brioche on its own is luxurious, but when Chef John laminates the dough to give it flaky, extra-buttery layers, it's exceptional. "Feel free to stuff these with other goodies like nuts and dried fruit instead of, or in addition to, the chocolate chunks, but just be careful not to over fill."

Pumpkin Conchas

Chef John's seasonal take on Mexican sweet buns might become your new favorite breakfast treat. "Have you ever been eating a sweet bun or roll and thought to yourself, 'This is great, but I wish it had a thin, crispy sugar cookie covering the top?' Well then, you're going to love [these]."

More of Chef John's Best Baking Recipes

• Chef John's 5-Star Bread Recipes
• Chef John's Best Cake Recipes
• Chef John's Best Christmas Cookies