Almond Cream Filling (Frangipane)
Quick and easy Almond Cream filling recipe sometimes known as Frangipane is made with almond flour, butter, sugar, eggs, and flour that are whipped together to create a fluffy mixture. It is used to fill pastries, tarts, croissants, and even toast.
Here’re some recipes that are made using this delicious almond-flavored filling that you might like – Pear Frangipane Tart, Almond Pineapple Tart, Plum Almond Tart, and Almond Croissant.
Almond Cream is also known as Creme D’amande (pronounced: creme d’mand) in French. This versatile almond-flavored filling can be utilized in so many recipes and eaten so many ways, that it’s pretty important to keep it in your recipe book of baking basics.
In its raw form, it looks like a fluffy almond mixture but baked in a tart it rises and becomes fluffy almondy flavored filling. If you’ve eaten a Bear Claw pastry, you’ve probably tasted this almond filling. It’s delicious, so simple to make, and I just know you’ll love it!
What is Almond Cream Filling made with?
Almond Cream is made with almond flour (almonds ground into fine flour) or almond meal (coarser almond flour), eggs and sugar in equal amounts by weight, and sometimes flour.
Difference between Creme d’Amande and Frangipane
Both the creme d’amande and frangipane are almond-flavored fillings for desserts and use almonds as the main ingredient.
Frangipane starts with creme d’Amandes as the base, then has cream pâtissière (think – custard) mixed in.
Both Creme d’Amandes and frangipane need to be baked since they use raw eggs and are used as filling for many desserts. Creme d’Amande and frangipane is often found used interchangeably.
In France and many French-style bakeries around the world, you will see almond cream and frangipane as an addition to a large variety of desserts, pastries, and cakes.
The almond cream filling can be made with blanched almond flour (almonds without the brown skin) or unblanched. This one is made with unblanched almonds.
Interesting fact: The almond cream has lots of nuts, so it is loaded with vitamins and nutrients. With all of its vitamin E, calcium, protein (did you know that of all the tree nuts, almonds are highest in protein), and fiber, you just might feel better about that stuffed croissant that you ate for breakfast 😉
Almond Cream – Frangipane Ingredients
Find the recipe card with the full recipe & instructions at the bottom of the page
- unsalted butter, room temperature
- granulated sugar
- eggs, room temperature,
- almond flour (or finely ground almonds if you don’t have flour)
- all-purpose flour
- vanilla extract
- almond extract
How to make Almond Cream Filling:
- Add all ingredients to a bowl of a mixer.
- Whip on medium and then high speed until fluffy and thoroughly combined, scraping down the bowl often.
- To fill small pastries or tarts, transdfer cream to a ziplock bag, twist it closed, snip the corner and squeeze the filling into the tart to fill.
Where to use Frangipane recipe?
- As tart filling: like this Pineapple & Frangipane Tart, or this Pear & Almond Cream Tart, or a Bakewell tart (shortbread tart dough layered with jam, then the almond crem and baked).
- As croissant filling (like in this Almond Cream Croissant recipe), then baking them for a decadent breakfast.
- As French toast stuffing – Put this frangipane filling between two slices of bread, before dipping it into some beaten egg and cooking it in a skillet with butter. Sprinkle the toast with powdered sugar or drown it syrup and breakfast fit for a king is served. Best breakfast ever!
Variations:
This Almond Cream filling can become Hazelnut Cream filling or any other nut-flavored filling by swapping out the almonds for any other nut flour you would like. To use different nuts instead of almonds, for different flavored fillings just replace the full amount of almond flour with whatever type of nut flour you want to use.
Also, to make the frangipane filling into a chocolate almond filling fold in 1 tbsp of sifted cocoa powder together with the flour.
How to fill a tart with almond cream –
Blind bake the tart. Allow it to cool. Fill with this filling and bake for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until the filling has puffed all the way in the center. To make a berry tart, fill with almond cream, then press the berries in before baking.
How to make French Toast with Almond Cream
Sandwich a heaping tablespoon of filling between 2 slices of bread. Soak the sandwich in an egg & sugar mixture. Cook on both sides over medium heat in a buttered skillet, until golden crust forms.
Can I make my own almond flour?
Yes! just to make your own almond flour add almonds to a high-powered blender or food processor and pulse until fine flour forms. Scrape down the sides and mix every so often to ensure that no large chunks of almonds are left in the mixture. Do not over-process or the mixture will turn into almond butter.
You can also use a fine grinder, or a coffee grinder to mill almonds into almond flour.
Can almond cream be made ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare the filling up to 3 days before you would like to use it for a baked filling. Just keep the filling in a closed container, refrigerated.
You can also freeze the almond cream in a closed container for up to a month. To thaw, leave in the fridge until no longer frozen and creamy.
Here are some recipes with this Almond Cream:
- Almond Cream Puff Pastry Braid – Puff Pastry filled with almond cream topped with a sugar glaze.
- French Almond Cream Pear Tart – Tart with fresh pears and this almond cream.
The Easiest Almond Cream Filling (Creme d’Amandes)
Quick & Easy French Almond Cream – just add ingredients to the bowl & whisk. Great for filling pastries, tarts, croissants & toast, and cakes.
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup almond flour (can be replaced with hazelnut, pistachio or walnut flour for a variation of flavor)
- 2 large eggs room temperature,
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract optional, but strongly recommended
Replace almond extract with any 1 of the optional add-in below
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 1 tsp coffee extract
- 1 tbsp rum
Instructions
Quick method for making Almond Cream
-
Add all ingredients to the bowl of a mixer and beat or whip on medium speed to bring everything together and then high speed until fluffy and thoroughly combined (~ 5 minutes).
Traditional method for making Creme d'Amandes
-
Add 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup sugar to a bowl of a mixer and whip on high for about 4 minutes or until the butter is lighter in color and very fluffy.
Add ¾ cup of almond flour and beat for another 20-30 seconds to incorporate.
Now add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating or whipping well after each addition.
Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract and 1 TBSP of almond extract (or any other one optional add-ins) and mix to incorporate.
Storing
-
The almond cream filling can be refrigerated in a closed container for up to 3 days, or frozen in a closed container for up to a month.
Recipe Notes
- To fill small pastries or tarts: transfer cream to a ziplock bag, twist to seal, snip off the tip and fill.
- To use as a tart filling: blind bake the tart. Allow it to cool. Fill with this filling and bake for 30 minutes to 1 hour until the filling has puffed all the way in the center. To make a berry tart, press the berries into the unbaked filling and then bake.
- To use as french toast stuffing: sandwich a heaping tablespoon of filling between 2 slices of stale bread. Soak the sandwich in an egg & sugar mixture. Cook on both sides over medium heat in a well buttered skillet, until golden crust forms.
Tips: *Use different nuts instead of almonds, for different flavored fillings. Just replace the full amount of almond flour with whatever type of nut flour you want to use. **If you do not have almond flour, process the nuts with sugar in a blender until fine. Do not over-process or you will get almond butter.
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Marina | Let the Baking Begin
Can I bake this then add it in between layers of sponge cake or would it be to hard to transfer? Kind of like the meringue in the Kiev cake?
I haven’t tried that, but I think it might work. Without testing it myself I can’t say for sure though.
I am a little confused by the use of flour. I thought that using like heavy cream would work. Can you explain the difference
Flour is used to absorb some of the liquid/fat in the cream during baking and thickening the filling. Cream will only add more richness and thin out the filling.
Hi, Just wondering if I can use this Almond cream for a crepe cake or would it be to runny?
Thank you
Almond cream has raw eggs, so it is for use in things that will be cooked later. So, it wouldn’t work for a crepe cake.
Thanks for sharing this special recipe. I’m crazy to try it this Christmas season.
I hope you love it!
How many cups does 125 g of butter convert to?
It’s about 1/2 cup and 1/2 Tbsp.
I want to know do u need to cook the almond cream filling when pairing it with fruit? And if so how do u do that
Yes you do. In the post I have links to a couple of recipes for fruit tarts paired with this almond cream as the filling.
Can you use almond cream in between layers of sponge cake instead of whipped cream if you are making a layered cake or does it need to be cooked in the oven because of the eggs?
I wouldn’t use this cream since, yes, it does use raw eggs and needs to be cooked before it is used.
I would love to make these as a tart. After I blind bake the tart , what temp you vase the filled tarts at? There is no mention of temperature in the recipe.
Hi Marina,
The recipe calls for ground almonds and all purpose flour. Is that the same as using almond flour that you mention in the tips section?
Thank you!
Pam
Thanks for the question Pam!
Yes in this recipe the ground almonds and the almond flour are the same thing.
Thanks for sharing your recipes. For those of us outside of the US, could you also give quantities in weight (i.e. grams) please. We have no idea what measure a cup is.
I would like to make it as a butter to serve on toast. Is there a way to adapt the recipe so that the egg is cooked?
Is this the same thing as almond paste?
Almond paste tastes about the same, but is usually thicker and only contains ground almonds and may be glucose?
Does it keep at all in the fridge or must it be used right away?
It keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days just fine. I haven’t tried leaving it longer so can not vouch for longer…
On your recipe, it calls for 3/4 cup ground almonds and 2 tbsps all-purpose flour. What if I have almond flour, how does this fit in your recipe. Thanks.
Use the almond flour/meal in place of the 3/4 cup ground almonds, this will actually make for creamier almond cream 🙂
Does your recipe still call for the 2 tbsps flour with 3/4 cup almond flour/meal?
Yes it does. Anything from 1 to 2 tablespoons works fine in this recipes.
Can this be used to fill croissants, or is it too runny?
Hmm.. I am not sure, I have not used in croissants. I know they use this filling for twice baked croissants (a baked croissant is cut lengthwise, filled with almond cream, then baked again until) but not sure about using it as the filling for the dough before it’s baked…
I’m grateful for this post. I love almond and you have inspired me in so many ways to use this. Wonderful post, thank you! (New follower, too.)
That’s awesome foodeewife! I’m glad that this post’s had a positive influence on you 😀
it looks delicious
Thanks Gigi!
I never even considered all the other uses for this. Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
Thank you & Enjoy!