Almond croissants are the king of all croissants, but they're so expensive!
I'm going to show you how to make your regular croissants taste like they came right out of a Parisian bakery!
Flaky, buttery croissants, filled with a sweet, sticky frangipane, topped with a crispy, chewy topping and finished with flaked almonds and a dusting of confectioners' sugar. I can't think of anything better to have with a cup of coffee in the morning.
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I love to make these for a weekend breakfast or brunch.
I like to use nice large croissants, but you can swap them out for smaller croissants if you prefer. If you use smaller croissants, the filling and topping should be enough to make 6-8.
📋 What do we need?
📺 Watch how to make it
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
👩🍳PRO TIP This recipe is perfect for croissants that are a little bit stale. Simply dunk them in the sugar/water glaze for a few seconds longer and it will totally revitalise those croissants so they taste fluffy and fresh!
Finish with a good dusting of confectioners' sugar before serving.
They can be served right away, or at room temperate. They also reheat really well, so they're great for making ahead!
The filling will be lovely and squidgy when the croissants come out of the oven. If you prefer it to be a little drier, simply add less frangipane to the inside of the croissant and more on top of the croissant.
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Easy Almond Croissants Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large shop bought croissants - either fresh - or a day or two old
Glaze:
- 120 ml (½ cup) water
- 1 tbsp golden caster sugar - or superfine sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Frangipane:
- 90 g (¾ cup) ground almonds
- 60 g (4 tbsp) soft (but not melted) unsalted butter
- 100 g (½ cup) golden caster sugar - or superfine sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 small egg
- ½ tsp almond extract
Also:
- 4 tbsp flaked almonds
- 1 tbsp confectioners' sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 175c/350f Fan.
- Make a slit, lengthways, in each of the croissants along the outer side.4 large shop bought croissants - either fresh
- Make the glaze first. Place the glaze ingredients into a small pan and bringing to the boil. Bubble for a minute or two until the sugar dissolves, then turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly.120 ml (½ cup) water, 1 tbsp golden caster sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Now make the frangipane. Place the ground almonds, butter and sugar in a bowl and beat together with a wooden spoon.90 g (¾ cup) ground almonds, 60 g (4 tbsp) soft (but not melted) unsalted butter, 100 g (½ cup) golden caster sugar
- Add in the salt, egg and almond extract and mix until combined.1 pinch of salt, 1 small egg, ½ tsp almond extract
- Carefully dip (but don't soak!) each of the croissants in the glaze and allow the excess to drip off. It will be very watery, but don't worry, this glaze is just there to add a little moisture to the croissants and to make the outside a little crispier when cooked.
- Place the croissants on a baking tray. Take a spoon and spoon half of the frangipane mixture inside the croissants.
- Spread the rest of the frangipane on top of the croissants.
- Sprinkle the flaked almonds on top and place the croissants in the oven for 12-14 minutes - until the top is golden brown and crisp (the inside should be hot, but it won't crisp up - it will be like a creamy paste).4 tbsp flaked almonds
- Take out of the oven and leave to cool slightly, then sprinkle on confectioners' sugar and serve.1 tbsp confectioners' sugar
Video
✎ Notes
The egg may not be fully cooked through, so if you can't eat raw egg, then I would recommend cooking for longer, until the croissants filling is piping hot in the middle. This may take an extra 5-10 minutes, and you will need to cover the croissants for this last part of cooking, so the croissants don't overcook on the outside. Can I make them ahead? Yes. Make the croissants up and cook them as per the recipe. Then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven, uncovered, at 175c/350f Fan for 6-8 minutes, until hot throughout. Ingredient swaps
- Swap out the ground almonds for ground pistachios or cashews
- Swap out 30g (¼ cup) of the ground almonds for 4 tbsp of dessicated coconut
Nutrition
This recipe was first posted April 2017. Updated October 2022 with a couple of recipe tweaks, added tips, some blog housekeeping and a recipe video.
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Catherine says
Oh I'm having a go at these. Look lush😋
Minnie says
Kids have booked marked this ready to make for father's day, ( think they secretly want them themselves really - but who could blame them). Looking forward to a messy kitchen😂
Karly says
Any way I can bring Paris to me, I'm doing it. These look absolutely INCREDIBLE!
Chris Waghorn says
I don't care that it's almost midnight here and I'm in bed, I'd eat one of these without giving it a second thought if I had one right now! Yum!