This is the authentic recipe from Hop’s restaurants. If you remember their honey butter croissants, they were given to all guests prior to the meal as a free appetizer. While the restaurant is long gone from my area, I can enjoy them year-long thanks to their corporate headquarters!
I’ve heard time and time again that the restaurant industry is brutal. Sometimes you make it, and sometimes you don’t. I was saddened when a chain restaurant around us, Hop’s, had closed all of its area locations many years ago.
Hop’s was a restaurant/brewery that I enjoyed going to with friends. They brewed their own beer and had some good entrees as well. But the main reason I loved going was for the honey butter croissants. While many restaurants offer bread as the pre-meal appetizer, Hop’s went one step further and served these steaming hot, sweet bites of heaven prior to the meal service.
Like I said, I was bummed when Hop’s closed its locations around me. I craved those buttery croissants with the honey butter drizzle. I scoured the interwebs for a copycat recipe but to no avail. So I did the next logical thing: I emailed their corporate headquarters. My sentimental note must have worked because they actually wrote me back and shared the recipe!
In time, I will find the courage to make my own croissants, but for now, I am sticking with the grocery store brand. I also made my own honey butter (recipe below), but Hop’s preferred brand is Downey’s Honey Butter sauce. This recipe was taste tested and approved by both my daughter and husband. Enjoy – they are ridiculously addictive!
Honey butter croissants from Hop's restaurants
Ingredients
- 1 batch croissants homemade or store-bought
- Downey's Honey butter sauce sold at Amazon, Wegman's and Shop-Rite; homemade version is below
Homemade honey butter sauce
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 3/4 cup honey
Instructions
- Prepare croissants according to the manufacturer's instructions, or make your own.
- Mix the powdered sugar, butter and honey together. Drizzle on top of the prepared croissants and enjoy.
Croissants already taste amazing. Then you go and put a honey butter sauce on top? I don't know if I can handle all that deliciousness! 😀
These are beautiful, Eva. Great recipe! Love the addition of honey butter sauce too… drool!
I'll save this recipe…looks delicios!Have a nice day!
my husband called Hops croissants "Buttery Nipples" he loved them.
I loved these! My roommate in college and I were once "cut off" from the honey butter croissants at Hop's. I can't wait to make these!
Omg thank you so much! I looked for this recipe for years just as you did but I never thought about contacting them. I was just sitting here daydreaming about those delicious croissants at hops and decided to look it up again. I was so thrilled to find this! I will be making these tomorrow. Thanks again.
i was wondering if these croissants supposed to be dessert cause HOPS serves them before your food so does that mean that HOPS serves Dessert before dinner ???????LOL and for free ????
Hi, thanks for sharing this recipe. Should I use unsalted butter for this?
Author
I would recommend unsalted so you can control the salt in the final product. Otherwise you can’t remove salt from salted butter.
What is proof? I cannot find anything in my oven instructions about what a proof is or how to do it?
Author
Bread proofing is the final step in making yeasted bread before baking and when shaped dough is allowed to rise one final time.
Can you share the actual recipe you got from corporate? I would love to try to make my own croissants. Thanks
Author
Hi Ashley – they didn’t share the croissant recipe … only the honey butter part. You might inspire me to ask for it soon though!
Made these for Christmas dinner , tasted great . Just like the restaurants ! We go there in Arlington Va on the way to the airport most every time we visit my daughters . My grandkids love them !
Author
That’s awesome, Susan! Glad your grandkids loved them!
Thank you SO MUCH for this! I’ve been talking about a d craving these for YEARS.
Author
You are so welcome! Hope you enjoy it!
I have always been in love with these croissants,tgey are the best , I used this recipe tonight for Sunday dinner. And my house was fighting for them. Thank you for this it was really a good look. I am forever grateful especially since Hops has now been closed down.
Author
Glad you enjoyed them!
I never went to the restaurant, but I love how these look and they sound delicious.
Author
I used to love going to Hop’s. Their honey butter croissants was truly the best thing – and they were free!
Eva, thanks so much for sharing this. My husband and I talk about how we miss HOPS so much!!! We loved the food and the croissants would have me driving 45 minutes from where I lived to purchase 2 dozen and eat them throughout the week.
I am going to make the honey sauce. I appreciate you so much for sharing this.
Marty in VA
Author
Your note made my day, Marty! I hope you guys enjoy the croissants with the honey sauce!
Did you use bakery croissants or cresent rolls from a can?
Author
I used crescent rolls from a can 😄
While watching a K-drama with my daughter with a storyline about going being able to go back to your past I asked what time of her life she would choose to go back to. Without hesitation she said she would go back to when we used to go to Hops because she loved their croissants so much. I literally laughed out loud! Then she proceeded to Google Hops croissants and up popped this post.
Author
Those honey butter croissants were the best! We’d always ask the waitstaff for more! 😊