Almond Croissant Recipe

Want to feel like a total pastry chef with minimal effort? Make these amazing Almond Croissants and you’ll get exactly that! The recipe uses store-bought croissants that you fill with almond cream (super easy) and bake. What you get is a crispy-brittle croissant, with toasty almonds and the most delightfully fragrant almond center.

The Best Almond Croissants

We have several french bakeries in town and they make the best Almond Croissants ( Croissant Aux Amandes). I love everything about them! The brittle shell of the all-butter croissant, loads of almonds, and the centers have plenty of almond filling (Crème D’amandes).

A sip of good, hot coffee to go with each bite and you’ll be sent somewhere into the stratosphere of some other dimension. Just make sure to keep your eyes closed as you savor each bite.

When working on this recipe, those experiences are exactly what I was inspired by. And I’m happy to report that this recipe got all the tick marks for the perfection I was aiming for. I hope you give them a try and see exactly what I’m talking about!

Serving suggestion: drizzle the baked Almond Croissant with Nutella spread.

Quick Overview 

See bottom of the post for the recipe card for precise measurements & instructions.

Ingredients:

• Stale Croissants – chose good quality, all-butter croissants
• Almond Slices – this will add crunch and flavor to the top of the almond croissants

Vanilla Syrup ingredients:

• Water – will add some moisture back into the croissant
• Granulated Sugar – sweetens the syrup.
• Vanilla Extract – adds a hint of vanilla flavor to the whole pastry.

Almond Cream (Cream d’Amandes)

• Butter
• Almond meal/flour – you can buy it already made, or make your own almond meal by grinding almonds in a food processor or a high-powered blender.
• Granulated Sugar
• Almond extract – one of the key ingredients that adds a beautiful almond aroma to the cream d’amandes.
• Eggs – eggs bind the cream, use any large eggs.

How to Make the Best Almond Croissants

• Air dry – Leave the fresh croissants uncovered for 1-2 days to dry them out.
• Make syrup by combining water, sugar & vanilla extract.
• Make the almond cream by whipping the butter, sugar, almond flour, eggs & almond extract until fluffy.
• Cut each croissant into 2 halves, horizontally.
• Dip each croissant into syrup, coating it well without making it soggy.
• Fill the inside with almond cream. Spread more of the cream over the top.
• Press the top into almond slices and set the croissants onto a baking sheet.
• Bake until golden in color. Cool & enjoy!

From left to right, top to bottom. 1 – Cut the croissants in half. 2 – coat both halves in syrup. 3 – spread the filling inside. 4 – top the croissant with almond cream. 5 – dip the top with cream into almonds. 6 – set on a baking sheet & bake.

Tips for achieving perfection:

• Use stale croissants. Depending on the initial softness of the croissant you’ll need more or less time. What you’re looking for is for the outside to be well dried, but the inside to still have softness. The croissants will be dipped into the syrup before baking, which will help them to regain some of the moisture, but if you start with too soft of a croissant the syrup will make it too wet and the weight of the almond filling and almonds will make them flat from the weight.
• Use all-butter croissants. Paying a premium for a good croissant goes a long way in this recipe. Cheaper croissants are sometimes made with a mixture of butter & margarine to save money. The margarine has a higher melting point, so eating one sometimes leaves an unpleasant film in the mouth. An all-butter croissant not only has the most amazing butter aroma but also a very pleasant mouthfeel.
• Use finely ground almond flour. You can buy store-bought almond flour or if you have almonds you can make your own almond flour. This can only be achieved with a high-powered blender or a high-powered food processor. To make your own, add almonds to a blender or a food processor and blend in long pulses, stopping to scrape the sides until the mixture resembles sand. Do not overprocess or you will get almond butter.

Serving suggestions:

• Sprinkle some powdered sugar or drizzle with warmed-up Nutella spread.

How to store the almond croissants: 

The almond croissants are best eaten the same day they’re made but can be stored covered for up to 1 day.

Almond Croissant Calories:

Depending on the size and the ingredients used the croissant calories will vary. This particular recipe that uses large croissants has 684 calories per 1 almond croissant. Use mini croissants if you wish to reduce calories per serving, or just cut each croissant in half.

Also, make these other recipes with ALMOND CREAM:

• Puff Pastry Almond Cream Braid – tastes just like the Bear Claw pastry, but made at a fraction of the time.
• Pear & Almond Cream Tart – this combo is incredible!
• Pineapple & Almond Cream tart – another winning combination!
• Almond cream & plum tart – this one is sugar-free.

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The Best Almond Croissant Recipe

5 from 3 votes

An easy recipe for the best Almond Croissant. This recipe uses stale croissants that are filled and topped with almond cream, then sprinkled with almonds and baked. It's so good!

Author: Marina | Let the Baking Begin

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Keyword: almond croissant, easy almond croissant

Calories: 684 kcal

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 8 stale croissants (leave open to air for 1-2 days to stale them)
• 1 1/2 cups almond slices

Vanilla Syrup

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Almond Cream (creme d'Amande)

• 1/2 cup butter, unsalted, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract

Instructions

1. 1 or 2 days before: Leave fresh croissants open to the air for 1 or 2 days to make them stale and ready for this recipe. The outside of the croissants should be slightly dry. This will allow them to take on the syrup and still keep shape when baked.

Vanilla Syrup

1. In a saucepan combine 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil and stirring dissolve the sugar. Remove off the heat, stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract and allow to cool. Set aside.

   Tip: this step can be done several days ahead. Just allow to cool and refrigerate in a closed container until needed.

Almond Cream

1. Make the almond cream: (click here to see step by step pictures) in a bowl of a mixer, combine 1/2 cup sugar, 3/4th cup almond flour, 2 Tbsp flour, and 1/2 cup of softened butter. Whip for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is well combined; it will look crumbly. Now add 2 eggs, one at a time, whipping well before adding the next. Set aside.

   Tip: this step can be done several days ahead. Once made, refrigerate in a closed container until needed.

When ready to assemble & bake

1. Prep:

   Line a large 15"x21" rimmed baking sheet with parchment to prevent sticking when baking.

   Preheat oven to 350F with the rack centered.

   Add the sliced almonds to a bowl about the width of the croissants. Set aside.

Assemble:

1. Cut each croissant in half horizontally.

   Quickly dip each half on both sides into the syrup ensuring that they're well coated in syrup, but not soggy. Set on the prepared baking sheet, cut side up

2. Fill with almond cream: Spread about 3 tablespoons of almond cream on the bottom half of the croissant. Cover with the other half. Now spread about 1 tablespoon of the almond cream over the top of the croissant.

3. Dip the tops of each cream topped croissant into the almond slices, then press and wiggle the croissants to adhere to as many almond slices as possible. Set them back down on the prepared baking sheet, almond slices side up.

4. Bake in a preheated to 350F oven for about 20 minutes or until the almonds and the croissants are well golden. Then, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving.

5. Serving suggestion: sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle with Nutella.

   To drizzle with Nutella, heat the hazelnut spread in the microwave for about 5-7 seconds to warm it just slightly. Then, transfer to a ziplock bag. Snip off the end and drizzle the Nutella on top of each croissant.

Nutrition Facts

The Best Almond Croissant Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 684 Calories from Fat 360

% Daily Value*

Fat 40g62%

Saturated Fat 15g94%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 4g

Monounsaturated Fat 13g

Cholesterol 110mg37%

Sodium 388mg17%

Potassium 224mg6%

Carbohydrates 71g24%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 45g50%

Protein 13g26%

Vitamin A 839IU17%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 102mg10%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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