Inventor of the Cronut Dominique Ansel Sets an Opening Date for His Las Vegas Bakery

Nearly 10 years ago, James Beard Award-winning pastry chef Dominique Ansel shook the doughnut world when he invented the Cronut, a fried and frosted croissant-doughnut hybrid with flaky layers. Since then, doughnut shops worldwide — even in Las Vegas — have endeavored to replicate the treat, which is at once sweet, dense, and fluffy, but only Ansel has the original recipe. Las Vegans will get their hands on the original Cronut and Ansel’s other famous pastries when Dominique Ansel Las Vegas opens inside Caesars Palace on October 21.

In his first Las Vegas location, Ansel will sell his signature baked goods, including his Cronuts, which can take up to three days to make. He’ll also bake his Dominique’s Kouign Amann, defined by their tender, flaky layers and caramelized crunchy crust and his Cookie Shots, made using a warm chocolate chip cookie shaped like a shot glass and filled with vanilla milk. Other available treats include the Frozen S’mores, which come wrapped in a torched honey marshmallow, as well as his acclaimed croissant pastries.

Evan Sung

“In addition to bringing some of our signatures from New York, I’m most excited to launch our newest creations for everyone. Like each of our shops around the world, we’ve developed a collection of pastries that will be exclusive to Las Vegas,” said Ansel.

Evan Sung

Spanning more than 1,100 square feet, Dominique Ansel Las Vegas will offer a retail area and cafe-style seating for 20. The space will feature whimsical globe light fixtures hanging from the ceiling and the wafting smells of fresh-baked bread. His Las Vegas “Lucky 7” collection of pastries will include a Lucky Penny Pig, which sandwiches raspberry jam and peanut feuilletine between pig-shaped vanilla cookies, and an edible tiny watering can filled with mascarpone mousse. Other imaginative new pastries include those in the shape of a goldfish and a four-leaf clover.

Evan Sung

Ansel joins other high-profile chefs at Caesars Palace such as Bobby Flay with his Italian restaurant Amalfi and Bobby’s Burgers, Giada De Laurentiis with Pronto by Giada, Lisa Vanderpump and her Vanderpump Cocktail Garden, Guy Savoy with Restaurant Guy Savoy, and Gordon Ramsay, who has Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen and Gordon Ramsay Pub and Grill.

Evan Sung