Almond Croissant Recipe
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Easy almond croissant recipe! Lightly sweet, delicately scented & filled with buttery frangipane. Top with flaked almonds & powdered sugar.
Last week I teased you with my fabulous frangipane recipe, and now I’m back to show you what might be its most delicious use of all: almond croissants!
This almond croissant recipe will blow your mind.
Buttery, flaky, and just sweet enough, with a delicate almond and vanilla fragrance. Better than anything you could ever get at a coffee shop, I promise!
It’s an easy-peasy recipe that’s also a great way to give new life to old pastries. So if you have leftover croissants hanging around, give this idea a twirl!
And for more chi-chi French delights, check out my cream puff recipe, my madeleine cookies, and my brioche bread.
Table of Contents
- What is an almond croissant?
- Why this is the best almond croissant recipe
- What do almond croissants taste like?
- Ingredients
- Special equipment
- How to make almond croissants
- How to serve this almond croissant recipe
- Expert tips
- Frequently asked questions
- A few more of my best pastry recipes
What is an almond croissant?
This is a classic French recipe that combines day-old croissants with a buttery almond filling, a lightly sweet and aromatic simple syrup, and a crunchy topping of sliced almonds and powdered sugar.
Why this is the best almond croissant recipe
- Tastes amazing: Not overly sweet, with a hint of fragrant vanilla and almond, and the most delightfully crisp, pillowy, and flaky texture.
- Few ingredients: You’ll only need a few basics to make these.
- Easy to make: Despite their fancy French appearance, almond croissants are actually super-simle to make. Even a beginner baker will have no trouble with these!
- Fancy: They do be fancy tho. They look like something you’d only find at an elegant patisserie!
What do almond croissants taste like?
These are soft in the middle but toasty and crisp on the outside. The flavor is buttery and nutty, with a light sweetness and the barest whisper of almond extract. To die for!
Ingredients
Sugar: You’ll need granulated sugar for the simple syrup, plus powdered sugar for the garnish.
Water: Make sure it’s piping hot, so it can dissolve the sugar.
Flavoring(s): I’ve chosen to use vanilla extract to flavor the syrup. There’s also a little bit of almond extract in the filling. You could use other ingredients to flavor the almond croissants too (more on that below!).
Croissants: It’s best to use old, kinda stale croissants for this. But if you don’t have any that’s fine too! I’m giving instructions on how to dry out fresh croissants below.
Frangipane: This is a classic filling made from ground almonds, butter, eggs, and a little bit of sugar. It whips up in no time flat and I have a full post with tons more info here–> Frangipane.
Almonds: Sliced almonds give these pastries their classic look, as well as lending a tender crunch.
Special equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons: Follow my guide on how to measure ingredients.
- Bowl: A wide, shallow bowl in which to mix up the syrup.
- Whisk: For blending the syrup ingredients.
- Baking sheet: I’m in love with my aluminum baker’s half sheets.
- Parchment: Prevents sticking and makes cleanup a snap!
- Scoop: I love a 1.5-tablespoon trigger scoop for portioning out the filling.
- Spatula: A little offset spatula helps to smooth the filling into an even layer.
- Sieve: Place the powdered sugar in a fine-mesh strainer to dust it onto the pastries.
How to make almond croissants
This easy almond croissant recipe comes together in 4 simple steps.
Step 1: Halve the croissants
Slice the croissants horizontally, like you’re making a sandwich.
Step 2: Dip in syrup
Whisk the sugar, hot water, and whatever extract or flavoring you like together until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Then dip the croissants in the syrup to flavor and moisten them.
Step 3: Fill and top
Spread a few tablespoons of frangipane on the bottom halves of the croissants.
Then pop the tops on and spread them with a very thin coating of the filling, just so the nuts have something to stick to.
Sprinkle sliced almonds on top, pressing lightly so they adhere.
Step 4: Bake!
Slide the tray into the oven and allow the almond croissants to bake until the nuts are turning golden brown and fragrant.
How to serve this almond croissant recipe
These are incredible when they’re still warm from the oven! I would definitely encourage you to enjoy them this way.
I love them for breakfast or as an afternoon snack, with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. It feels so special!
Expert tips
Make your own croissants: For what you see here, I used store-bought croissants. But if you really want to be extra, try making your own! I have a stripped down, simplified recipe with over 400 positive reviews. Grab it here–> Easy Homemade Croissant Recipe.
Use stale croissants: These come out best if you start with croissants that are a few days old and even a little stale. That way they can really soak up the syrup and the filling.
Or dry them in the oven: If you’re not the type to leave croissants lying around to get stale, I totally get that. And I know you need your almond croissant fix asap! So you can halve fresh croissants and arrange them on a baking sheet, then dry them in a 275 degree F oven for about 30 minutes. Works like a charm!
Get more info on the almond filling: I have a whole post dedicated to the filling alone! You can check it out here–> Frangipane.
Try a different flavoring: I think vanilla and almond is a really nice way to flavor these, but you can totally sub something else instead! Try using rum or any kind of liqueur, ground spices, or infusions like rosewater or orange blossom water in place of the extracts.
Frequently asked questions
These are deada$$ phenomenal warm from the oven, but the short answer is yes!
Bake up a big tray and they’ll be fine left at room temp for an hour or so.
If you have any leftovers, stash them in a zip-top bag in the fridge or freezer.
They should last for a week or so refrigerated, or a month or two frozen.
Thaw them in the fridge and reheat them in a low oven until warmed through.
I’ve figured on a serving size of 1 pastry per person.
The nutritional info in the recipe card below is for 1 almond croissant, and it includes everything listed in the ingredients section. Nothing more, nothing less!
A few more of my best pastry recipes
As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Almond Croissant Recipe
Ingredients
For the Syrup
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (118.29 g) water, very hot
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) vanilla extract
For the Almond Croissants
- 12 (684 g) croissants, stale
- 2/3 cup (133.33 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) kosher salt
- 2 (88 g) eggs, large
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups (168 g) almond meal
- 1 1/2 cups (138 g) sliced almonds, (approx.)
For the Topping
- 3 tablespoons (24 g) powdered sugar, (approx.)
Instructions
Make the Syrup
- Place the sugar in a large, shallow dish and pour in the hot water.
- Whisk in the extract until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Fill the Croissants
- Halve the croissants horizontally, like you're making a sandwich.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Whip the sugar, butter, and salt together on medium-high speed until very pale and doubled in volume (approx. 5 to 7 minutes).
- Mix in the first egg until completely incorporated.
- Whip in the second egg, along with the extracts.
- Fold in the almond meal and place 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling* on the croissant bottoms, spreading it into an even layer.
- Dip the croissant tops quickly in the syrup then place them on top of the filling.
- Spread a thin layer of the filling on top of the croissants.
- Top with sliced almonds and bake until the nuts are toasty and fragrant (approx. 15 to 20 minutes.
Top the Croissants
- Dust the tops with powdered sugar.
Can I make Almond croissants ahead (3 days prior)?
Absolutely! I’d suggest keeping them covered tightly and refrigerated. Good luck and enjoy!