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Store-bought croissants are transformed into this ridiculously Easy Almond Croissant Recipe! This shortcut recipe yields a warm batch of flaky, buttery almond croissants filled with a generous amount of almond cream and topped with sliced almonds. The recipe all comes together with minimal effort and will rival a French bakery.
These almond croissants are a great option for Christmas morning, paired 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, Cinnamon Roll Bites, and Orange Cinnamon Rolls.
This recipe starts with store-bought croissants
The best part about this almond croissant recipe is that we don’t have to make the croissants from scratch. This recipe begins with pre-made croissants that are left out a day ahead, allowing them to dry just enough to soak up all the goodness we’re about to add back in—rich almond cream and a lightly sweet syrup. (Don’t worry if you didn’t plan ahead, I provide instructions on drying them out in the oven instead!)
By doing this, we get to skip the most time-consuming and technical part of the process: laminating dough. While it’s an incredible skill and undeniably rewarding, this recipe is for those of us who adore instant gratification and may not have a passion for spending hours and hours making these come to life. These almond croissants are bakery-quality, save you time, and require no special skills. They are perfect for brunch, showers, entertaining company, or anytime you’re craving something that feels extra special.
Grab These Ingredients for Almond Croissants
You won’t believe how easy these almond croissants are to make and the short ingredient list reflects that! Be sure to review the recipe card below for a detailed list of measurements.
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.
Sliced Almonds – these thin, crisp almond slices are sprinkled on top of the croissants and baked into the tops, creating a crunchy texture in each bite.
Powdered Sugar – just enough for dusting the tops of the warm croissants after they bake. This adds subtle sweetness and elevates visual appeal, making them look good enough for a bakery counter.
Ingredients for the Syrup
Simple Syrup – just filtered water, granulated sugar, and gold rum. You can omit the gold rum but I highly recommend it.
Ingredients for Almond Cream
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.
How to Make These Shortcut Almond Croissants
Prep the croissants
Make sure your croissants are dry before assembling. I leave mine uncovered at room temperature overnight, but if they’re fresh, you can dry them in the oven at a low temperature until they feel dry to the touch. This step is key to helping the croissants absorb the syrup and filling without becoming soggy.
Make the simple syrup & almond cream filling
Before anything goes into the oven, there are two small but important components that set these almond croissants apart: the syrup and the almond cream. The quick stovetop syrup adds just enough moisture and sweetness to revive the croissants without making them heavy, while cooling it ensures the croissants soak it in evenly.
The almond cream comes together into a smooth, fluffy filling that spreads easily and bakes up rich yet tender. This balance of moisture and texture is what gives you that bakery-style result – crisp on the outside, soft in the center, and filled with almond flavor in every bite.
Assemble and bake
Once the oven is preheated, everything comes together quickly. A light dip in the simple syrup revives the croissants without overpowering them, adding just enough moisture to mimic that fresh-from-the-bakery texture. The almond filling is spread generously inside for richness, then lightly on top so it bakes into a soft, golden layer rather than weighing the pastry down.
A sprinkle of sliced almonds adds crunch and visual appeal, and a short bake brings it all together – crisp edges, warm almond aroma, and a beautifully golden finish. A final dusting of powdered sugar is the perfect touch, adding just a hint of sweetness and that classic bakery look.
Do You Have to Use Day-Old Croissants?
Ideally, yes. It’s best to buy the croissants a day ahead and leave them uncovered on the counter overnight. While it may feel counterintuitive to intentionally dry them out, this step is essential because it ensures the croissants are sufficiently dry to absorb the syrup and filling without becoming soggy.
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.
Looking for More Recipes?
Bakery-Style Pistachio Muffins
Zesty Buttery Orange-Cranberry Muffins
Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon Roll Bites
Stuffed French Toast Bites
Orange Cinnamon Rolls
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:
I have been making these quite often, my husband and I love them! I bought one at a bakery before making them homemade and these are so much better. They are easy to make and so delicious!
Can you make the filling ahead of time?
Yes, this could easily be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
OMG these are incredible! The layer of filling inside is creamy(dreamy) and delicious! The filling spread on top bakes into an almond cookie! This
Croissant is WAY over the top! I thought I was in France!!!
They look a little like bear claws, only better. Can’t wait to try them.
These croissants are flaky, buttery and oozes with creamy almond filling. They are insanely better than any bakery I’ve ever had.