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Store-bought croissants are transformed into these ridiculously Easy Almond Croissant Recipe! This shortcut recipe result in a warm batch of flaky, buttery, tender almond croissants that will rival a French bakery. They are stuffed with lots of rich creamy almond filling and the recipe all comes together with minimal effort.
These almond croissants are a great option for Christmas morning to pair with a hot cup of coffee. If you’re looking for more tasty baked goods, you have to try my Bakery-Style Pistachio Muffins, Orange Cranberry Muffins, Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls, and Peach Cobbler Cinnamon Rolls.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Almond Croissant Recipe
Who has time to learn how to make homemade croissants from scratch? Practically none of us. Laminated dough (croissant dough) is an art that takes lots of skill and practice. For those of us that desire almond croissants but loves instant gratification even more, this recipe is for you. I get so tired of them being sold out at my coffee shop that I was determined to find a way to make my own stash any time – and so can you!
We use day-old croissants (that’s actually what French bakeries do) but if you didn’t plan ahead, don’t worry, you can dry them out in the oven first.
My favorite part is that you control how much creamy almond filling to put inside. I like smothering a thick layer from edge to edge so you have filling in each bite.
Whether you enjoy these almond croissants for an indulgent breakfast with coffee or for a afternoon treat, you will adore these any time, any place.
Key Ingredients
You won’t believe how easy these almond croissants are to make and the short ingredient list reflects that!
Croissants – grab your favorite croissants or just nab them from your local supermarket. You can use mini croissants or standard size (which is what I used in the photos). It’s important these are left out overnight or dried out in the oven first.
Simple Syrup – just filtered water, granulated sugar, and gold rum. You can omit the gold rum but I highly recommend it.
Almond Flour – fine almond meal or almond flour. I used Bob’s Red Mill but Blue Diamond also makes a great one.
Butter, Sugar, Egg – these items will be combined with the almond flour to make the almond filling.
Almond – we use almond extract and sliced almonds for a garnish for optimal almond flavor.
Powdered Sugar – just enough for dusting the tops of the warm croissants after they bake.
How to Make This Easy Almond Croissant Recipe
Prep the croissants
Start by making sure the croissants are dried out. I store them uncovered at room temperature overnight. They need to be dry otherwise the simple syrup and filling will make them soggy.
If your croissants are fresh, slice them horizontal and bake in the oven at 175 degrees for about 30-40 mins flipping halfway through or until they feel dry (but not rock hard).
Make the simple syrup & almond cream filling
Make a simple syrup by combining water, rum, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat just until the sugar melts. Set it aside to cool while you prepare the filling.
In a large bowl combine the sugar, almond flour and butter. Use a hand mixer to blend it until smooth. Add the egg and almond extract then blend until fluffy and smooth, similar to a frosting consistency.
Assemble and bake
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Quickly dip each side of each croissant (top and bottom half) into the simple syrup, dripping off the excess. You don’t want them soaking, just a quick tap onto the surface of the syrup.
Use a knife or offset spatula and spread 2-3 tablespoons of the almond filling on the inside of each bottom half of the croissants. Add the tops on. Then smooth a thin layer of almond filling onto the tops.
Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top (about 1 tbsp per croissant) and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Then dust with powdered sugar.
Do You Have to Use Day Old Croissants?
Ideally, yes. It’s much better to buy them the day before and leave them on the counter uncovered overnight. I know, it feels weird to actually intentionally dry out croissants but it’s necessary for them to be day-old for when they get rehydrated.
If you didn’t have time to let them dry out overnight, place them on a baking rack sliced open, and bake at 175 degrees for 30-40 minutes, flipping halfway through (or until they are dried out but not rock hard).
FAQ’s
You can but I don’t recommend it. The flavor is not as good. It’s just almonds and sugar so you don’t get the butter that melts into the croissants. They will taste a bit cheaper and the filling will just stay clumpy.
Surprisingly, yes. It’s the ground almonds in the almond flour that will never blend fully in the filling. So it will appear grainy. Once you bake it, this goes away and the baked texture will not be grainy.
It’s highly recommended. Don’t worry, you wont be able to taste spiked or alcohol flavored. Instead of adds a deep nutty, oak taste that just enhances the almond taste.
Dark or golden rum starts as a clear spirit that makes light rum. Instead of being bottled immediately, it’s aged in charred oak or wood barrels over time creating a darker color and bold flavor. Gold rum has flavors of molasses, oak, vanilla, caramel and nutty flavor like burnt sugar. In a lot of cases, gold rum is preferred for baking.
I hope you enjoyed this easy almond croissant recipe. I look forward to your questions and feedback below.
Be sure to tag me @BadBatchBaking using hashtag #badbatchbaking if you made this recipe and I will feature you on my story! Plus, I LOVE to see your baking accomplishments.
Easy Almond Croissant Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 one-day-old large croissants left uncovered overnight
- diced almonds about 1 tablespoon per croissant
- powdered sugar for dusting
Simple Syrup
- 3/4 cup water
- 3 tablespoons rum
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Almond Filling
- 1 cup almond flour or almond meal
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 stick salted butter softened (8 tbsp)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp almond extract
Instructions
Prep the croissants
- Start by making sure the croissants are dried out. I store them uncovered at room temperature overnight. They need to be dry otherwise the simple syrup and filling will make them soggy.
- If your croissants are fresh, slice them horizontal and bake in the oven at 175 degrees for about 30-40 mins flipping halfway through or until they feel dry (but not rock hard).
Make the syrup and filling
- Make a simple syrup by combining water, rum, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat just until the sugar melts. Set it aside to cool while you prepare the filling.
- In a large bowl combine the sugar, almond flour and butter. Use a hand mixer to blend it until smooth. Add the egg and almond extract then blend until fluffy and smooth, similar to a frosting consistency.
Assemble and bake
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Quickly dip each side of each croissant (top and bottom half) into the simple syrup, dripping off the excess. You don’t want them soaking, just a quick tap onto the surface of the syrup.
- Use a knife or offset spatula and spread 2-3 tablespoons of the almond filling on the inside of each bottom half of the croissants. Add the tops on. Then smooth a thin layer of almond filling onto the tops.
- Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top (about 1 tbsp per croissant) and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Then dust with powdered sugar.
Here are some additional photos for your Pinterest boards:
These croissants are flaky, buttery and oozes with creamy almond filling. They are insanely better than any bakery I’ve ever had.