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If you've got 20 minutes, that's all it takes (hands-on time) to put together these Ridiculously Easy Almond Croissants. They look like they came from a fine French patisserie and they're ridiculously delicious too!
This easy almond croissant recipe came about quite serendipitously. I'd requested a few boxes of puff pastry in my last grocery delivery order, not really having a specific purpose for it. I just love having my freezer stocked with this super convenient product. At the same time, I just happened to have almond croissants on my brain. For some reason, I had been remembering the delicious, flaky, frangipane-filled, toasted-almond-topped pastries that Scott and I enjoyed during the seven years that our daughter, Cait, lived in London (yes, the British make EXCELLENT croissants too).
I was actually getting ready to re-test a new blondie recipe (coming up soon!) when the thought hit me: "I wonder if you could make croissants from puff pastry?". I knew it wouldn't be exactly the same as the flaky, multi-layered, laminated dough that classic French (and British) croissants are made from, but I was so intrigued with the idea that I quickly abandoned my blondie project.
Out came the puff pastry as well as butter, sugar, eggs and almond flour to put together an easy frangipane (almond filling). I just had to wait for the puff pastry to thaw a bit. Once it was ready, I simply unfolded the dough (no rolling), cut it into triangles and covered it with the delicious frangipane (sweet almond cream). Then it was simply a matter of rolling up the triangles, croissant-style, brushing them with an egg wash (egg and water) and topping with sliced almonds.
When I peeked in the oven, halfway through the baking time, I was thrilled with the magic that was transpiring. The cold, flat puff pastry dough was living up to its name, puffing up beautiful and taking on a golden hue. Ten minutes later I pulled them out, anxious for these little beauties to cool a bit.
The first bite immediately took me back to England and France and all the little cafés, patisseries and boulangeries we developed a reputation for enjoying so much (our kids say we can sniff out a good bakery like bloodhounds can track their prey). I could hardly wait to bring one to Scott, who was working in his office.
I presented him with the powder sugared-coated confection and said, "Want to take a trip back in time?". He took one bite, rolled his eyes and said, "I think I need a moment of silence". I laughed but I knew just what he meant, they're that good!
I've been playing with the technique ever since and have tweaked and refined it a little along the way. I decided to wait until the last few minutes to add the almonds as they tend to toast too much (aka, burn) in the hot oven if they're added at the beginning. In order to make the almond topping adhere, I simply thin out the leftover frangipane filling with a splash of milk and brush it over the partially-baked croissants before sprinkling with the almonds. They cling to the croissants beautifully and toast a bit during the last few minutes of baking.
Although this recipe is truly ridiculously easy (you don't even have to roll the dough), I wanted to show you clearly how the dough is cut and rolled into croissants. So I had Scott take a few pics of the process. Here you go!
- Unfold thawed (but still cold) puff pastry on a work surface. Divide each sheet into 3 fairly equal size rectangles. I use Pepperidge Farm puff pastry. Each sheet is around 10x15-inches. If you use a different brand, you may need to adjust a bit.
- Cut each rectangle into two long triangles. I use my pastry scraper (a wonderfully versatile kitchen tool) for this, but you could also use a sharp knife.
- Place all of the triangles with the short, flat end facing you. Cut a small slit at this end of each triangle (this will make it easier to roll up pretty-shaped croissants).
- Scoop 2 teaspoons of frangipane onto each triangle. Spread the frangipane over the surface of each triangle.
- Starting at the slit end, roll the dough into croissants, spreading the dough apart a bit at the slit as you start to roll.
- Repeat this process with the other sheet of puff pastry, then place all of the croissants onto the prepared sheet pan.
A MUST for the Ridiculously Easy Café category
If you're a regular Café reader, you know the deal regarding our Ridiculously Easy recipes. But there are lots of new readers, as well, so I'll take a minute to explain. Here, at The Café, we have a special, beloved-by-our-readers, category of recipes that we call Ridiculously Easy. You can check them all out here and you can read more about them in more detail in this post. But to be concise, our Ridiculously Easy recipes are the ones that make you look like a kitchen rock star (in this particular case, a French kitchen rock star) with minimal effort.
Children will always (well, almost always) tell you the truth
Two of our grandchildren, Emmy and Hayes, spent the night last night. Even in the midst of busy children running through the house, I was able to whip up a batch of these easy almond croissants this morning. They hurried through their scrambled eggs for a promise of one of these warm, sweet treats. They each took a bite and without being asked said, "These HAVE to go on the blog!". So there you have it, "from the mouths of babes".
Put puff pastry, almonds and almond flour on your grocery list if you don't already have them. Take 20 minutes and put together a batch of these Ridiculously Easy Almond Croissants. Expect rave review and perhaps even some requests for "a moment of silence"! Bon Appétit!
Café Tips for making these Ridiculously Easy Almond Croissants
- This recipe calls for puff pastry. The most common puff pastry available here in the States is made by Pepperidge Farm. You'll find it in the freezer section of almost every grocery store. It comes in sheets as well as pastry shells. You want the sheets for this recipe.
- Some specialty stores like Trader Joes and Whole Foods carry other brands of puff pastry. Some puff pastries are made with butter and some with shortening. The all-butter puff pastries are delicious, but with this particular recipe, we're adding a filling made with butter so you'll still get delicious flavor even if you use puff pastry made with shortening.
- Puff pastry is easy to work with, but there are a few tips that are important to know:
- Puff pastry usually comes in a box with individually folded and wrapped sheets of dough. Only thaw what you want to use and keep the rest frozen.
- Puff pastry doesn't keep well in the refrigerator for longer than 24 hours.
- Either thaw the dough in the refrigerator for several hours or thaw at room temperature for 30-40 minutes.
- Wait to unfold the dough until it is thawed so it doesn't crack or tear.
- For optimal baking results, puff pastry likes to stay cold. If you're going to use several sheets, work with one at a time and keep the rest in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap, to prevent the pastry from drying out.
- If your puff pastry gets warm while you're preparing these easy almond croissants, simply pop the unbaked croissants into the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes before baking.
- The almond cream filling (aka frangipane) in these croissants calls for almond flour. Almond flour is ground blanched almonds. You can also use almond meal which is ground unblanched almonds. Almond meal is a little coarser so I really like to use almond flour (although I've seen recipes using both almond flour and almond meal).
- Almond flour is really pricy at my local grocery store (almost $20 for a 2-pound bag) so I like to order it online. If you have Amazon Prime, it's usually on your doorstep the next day.
- Don't try to add too much of the frangipane filling or the croissants can get soggy. Two teaspoons is the perfect amount per croissant.
- These croissants are best on the day they are made. However, you can make them ahead and freeze them, unbaked. Pop them in the oven, frozen and just allow a few extra minutes of baking time. That way you can pull as many as you want out of the freezer and have freshly baked croissants any time you get the whim! (You can also freeze the leftover frangipane to use for brushing the croissants when adding the almonds.)
- I like to serve these croissants, warm, shortly after being baked. If you're serving them later in the day, a short, 10-second stint in the microwave makes them "come alive" again!
Thought for the day:
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear other’s results and ideas for variations.
If you've got 20 minutes, that's all it takes (hands-on time) to put together these Ridiculously Easy Almond Croissants. They look like they came from a fine French patisserie and they're ridiculously delicious too!
- 3 tablespoons very soft butter
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon water
- 17.25- ounce package of purchased puff pastry (2 sheets)
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- powdered sugar for sprinkling
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Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line a 13x18-inch sheet pan with parchment paper.
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Combine the butter and sugar in a medium-size bowl. Whisk together well. Add the egg and extracts. Whisk again until smooth.
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Add the almond flour and stir to combine. Add the all-purposeflour and stir again until smooth.
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Combine egg and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Stir vigorously with a fork until well combined. Set aside.
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Unfold thawed (but still cold) puff pastry on a work surface. With a dough cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into 3 equal-size rectangles (see picture above in the post). Cut each rectangle into 2 long triangles.
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Place all of the triangles with the long end, facing you. Cut a small slit at the wide end of each triangle (this will make it easier to roll up pretty-shaped croissants).
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Scoop 2 teaspoons of frangipane onto each triangle. Spread the frangipane over the surface of each triangle.
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Add one tablespoon of milk to the leftover frangipane and set aside.
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Starting at the wide end, roll the dough into croissants, spreading the dough apart a bit at the wide end as you start to roll.
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Repeat this process with the other sheet of puff pastry, then place all of the croissants onto the prepared sheet pan, spacing 1½ inches apart.
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Brush each croissant with the egg wash, lightly but covering all of the exposed surfaces.
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Place in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with the diluted frangipane. Sprinkle each croissant with a scant tablespoon of sliced almonds. Return to the oven for another 5-7 minutes or until medium golden brown.
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Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Allow the croissants to cool for 10 minutes then sprinkle with powdered sugar. Put on your French bakers hat and serve warm or at room temperature. Bon Appétit!
Frangipane recipe adapted from The Spruce Eats
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Lisa says
The amount of deliciousness in these is unheard of! You know how you always wish there was more of the almond inside the croissants? Wish no more! There is just the right amount with this recipe. Easy to make and a real crowd pleaser.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much for sharing your review, Lisa!
Jenny Chua Chong Ming says
Hi Chris
Just came across your "Cafe" website and I can't wait to try your "incredible ridiculously easy recipe".
I have just retired and a novice in baking and cooking and am from Malaysia.
I love reading the Bible verses that you quote - a reminder to our Heavenly Father's goodness at tis time.
God Bless!
Jenny Chua
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you so much, Jenny! So glad you found us, and I hope you enjoy the recipes!
JB says
Followed recipe. Outside was done. Inside was still doughy. If I cooked longer the outside would burn.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi JB,
The inside is supposed to be somewhat creamy as it's a frangipane filling. If it was doughy though, your oven may be running a little hot. If you make them again, reduce the heat and bake them a little longer.
Tracey Graves says
Hi Chris!
I made another of your fantastic recipes! Soooo good! Question...is the center of the croissant supposed to be a bit doughy? They were a beautiful brown when I took them out. I baked them in 400 degree oven for 15mins(I used an oven thermometer), did the topping of almonds and back in for 10 mins. They tasted fantastic just wondering about the center.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, for sharing your review, Tracey! I'm so happy you enjoyed them.
Regarding the center, I've always described authentic French almond croissants as being a little "custardy" in the center. That's the texture of the almond paste, definitely a little different than a regular croissant but super delicious!
dorothy says
Just found this recipe. I love anything almond, cant wait to try them. I especially like the idea of making ahead and freezing. Thank you
Chris Scheuer says
I hope you enjoy them, Dorothy!
Terri says
Hello! I made these and froze the majority for future breakfast treats. I dropped the frangipane in tablespoon dollops onto cling wrap, then froze it along with the croissants. Now I'm questioning that decision... is that the way you do it? Thaw the frangipane and brush it on after the croissants are baked (then pop them back into the oven as the recipe states)? Or do you brush it on before freezing them?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Terri, I think either way would work. I usually brush them before freezing then freeze them uncovered for about an hour. After an hour I put them in a storage bag or container. That way, they don't stick together.
Victoria Conery says
I have no almond flour what do i do thank you vicky
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Vicky, I think I would either go with a different recipe as almond flour is a very integral part of this recipe. That being said, if you have blanched almonds you can grind your own almond flour in a food processor.
Danielle says
Hello! Recipe looks delicious, almond croissants are the best! In the UK we can buy ready made ‘croissant pastry’ that is chilled..could I use this instead of puff pastry? I’m assuming so but didn’t know if the texture would be too different.
Chris Scheuer says
Lucky you! Yes, that should work great, Danielle!
Sharon says
Hi, I have all the ingredients except for almond flour. I do have almond paste. Can I still make these. Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
That should work great, Sharon!
Carole says
Hi Chris, thank you for such an incredible recipe! I made these to take around to the neighbours on Christmas Eve and they tasted amazing but a lot of the filling leaked out so they didn’t look particularly great. I want to make them again with a bit more almond essence - my daughter’s request - and would so love them to look a bit more like yours. What did I do wrong?
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Carole! I'm so happy you enjoyed these. I wonder if they got a little too warm before baking. You might want to refrigerate the rolled up croissants for awhile before baking.
To get more almond flavor, just up the extract a little bit. And since every flour is a little different, you could add a little extra flour to the frangipane to keep the filling from leaking.
Carole says
Thank you so much Chris, I’ll try both of those suggestions. And apologies for not leaving a star rating before. It was the first time I’ve ever commented on a web page. I think your entire site is a resounding 5 stars!
Happy New Year to you,
Carole
Alicia says
Made these to go with afternoon Christmas coffee, and they were so good! Even my French husband approved. 🙂 I could eat the frangipane all by itself. Thanks so much for this easy recipe!
Vassa says
I have all the ingredients and I’m going to bake these tomorrow! Weekend treat:)
Meg says
Can these be prepared the day before and frozen?
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, they can!
Brenda says
Hi how far in advance can I make the frangipane?
Chris Scheuer says
Because it involves a raw egg, I would mix up the frangipane right before I'm going to use it.
Michael Cabezudo says
Thank you for the recipe , they look and are delicious, I’ve posted a pic of ours
A couple questions about the frangipane ?
I found 2 teaspoons to be quite a bit of filling and that left me not enough to brush my second 1/2 dozen at the 15 min interval
I guess I could make another batch and use a little less , ok going in for a second serving lol
Thanks again
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Michael, for takng the time to leave a review. It has worked well for me to use 2 teaspoons but you may have better results using a little less filling.
Maryjo says
Hi… My favorite pastry at Starbucks is their almond croissant. But with Covid there hasn’t been a lot of it incentive to go to the café. I tried your recipe today and for the most part I liked it. However, the almond filling isn’t as sweet & “almondy” as I am accustomed to at Starbucks. Might I add a bit more sugar & extract?
Chris Scheuer says
Of course you can adjust this recipe to your taste, Maryjo!
Brianna Bogue says
Hi! I'm just now starting to get into attempting to baking and am excited to try these. I was wondering, there's a Cafe around the corner that makes chocolate almond croissants that my friend and I love. I thought it'd be nice to make him some for Christmas! If I wanted to add chocolate to a few would I just add chips to the frangipane? Would I melt them before or just allow the oven to handle that during baking? (Sorry if these are silly questions, I just want to be sure) thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Brianna, I would add some mini chocolate chips or chopped chocolate to the frangipane. Don't melt them ahead, the chocolate will melt nicely in the frangipane.
Denise LaGasse says
Chers Chris and Scott,
What a delightful find as I have been trying to figure this out for some time!
I made an orange version of the Mamie cake which I know well from having lived with both of our French grandmothers and alo had 8 great aunts who were fabulous mamie bakers!
Will be trying this recipe soon, but I am going to have to swim 22 laps or a half-mile a day before I become deserving by Sunday. The cake part is the easiest, and the croissants are planned for Sunday. I expect that this is a very good solution to the agony of layers and butter. Best regards with many thanks. Bientot~--Denise LaGasse (no place for the accent in this box: Lah-Gah-Say, family from Aquitaine but I am here in Florida, COVID stuck for the past few months and new moments)
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! You made me laugh, Denise! I love that your aunts and French grandmothers made the Mamie cake. You truly know the real deal!
Hope you enjoy the croissants. They're different than authentic French almond croissants but also delicious!
And I know what you mean about swimming. Scott and I swim 40 laps a day to make up for having this food blog! 😂
edith russo says
I just made these yesterday and they are so delicious.
I'd like to call out a modification to the instructions, you don't list the egg & water for the egg wash. I thought I had used the egg in the wrong place, but the recipe actually required 2 eggs!
The only pastry sheets in my store were gluten-free, not too thrilled about the texture.
I print the recipe and I would have loved to have the pictures of how to cut and roll in the printed version. I see I should have put the croissant upside-down, so that the tip was underneath. They looked cute with the little tail to the side.
Great recipe, I now have to try it again, with gluten pastry sheets and arranging correctly on the sheet...at least that's my excuse!
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so happy you enjoyed them Edith!
And thanks for pointing out the omission of the 2nd egg. You're totally right about that. I've corrected the recipe.
Regarding having the pictures in the printed version, it's not possible to do that at this time.
Do try it with some good puff pastry! I think you'll REALLY enjoy them! 💕
Linda says
Edith, I wanted the pictures as well for that first time of making so I used the snipping tool on my computer to add them to my printout.
Chris Scheuer says
Good idea!
Joanne R FLOOD says
Made these this morning. Awesome. Found a refrigerated puff pastry at Harris Teeter and it is great. Had good results making chocolate croissants using semi sweet chocolate chips. Nutella was a little too sweet. Thanks, Joanne
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Joanne, for sharing your review! I have seen that refrigerated puff pastry but haven't tried it. Good to know!
Krista P says
Made the recipe yesterday. So easy! My husband loved the almond croissants. Next time I'm going to try adding nutella instead to make chocolate croissants... I really love your ridiculously easy recipes! Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
That's awesome, Krista! Nutella sounds wonderful too! Thanks for sharing your review.
Krista says
Update - I froze half of the batch I made. This morning I popped them into the toaster oven and voila 20 minutes later...hot and fresh almond croissants! I am in awe of this recipe...thank you so much!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Krista, for coming back and sharing your updated review. That is so helpful to other readers!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your updated results, Krista! It's so nice to be able to just pull these out of the freezer for a quick, gourmet treat!
Jannett says
I have not tried it yet, but reading it makes my mouth waters, I love the recipe must try it out.
Chris Scheuer says
Hope you enjoy them, Jannett!
Jayne says
Hello, how should these be store? Can they be stored at room temperature? How long do they last before going bad?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Jayne, like other croissants, these are the best right after they're baked. They're good anytime that first day but I do recommend warming them for 10 seconds in the microwave. It makes them "come alive"!
If you're not going to enjoy them that day, I recommend freezing the croissants, unbaked then baking (right from the freezer) before you want to serve them. You can also freeze the leftover frangipane for brushing to adhere the almonds during baking.
Jill says
Hello Chris:
I am setting a goal to attempt to make homemade croissants this week and came across your recipe for the almond croissants. I can't wait to try this with part of the batch. One question, when I make homemade almond and cranberry biscotti, I always add a bit of almond paste to the recipe to intensify the almond flavor. Have you tried this with these? If so, did it work?
Kindly,
Jill Harris
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Jill, you defiitely could add almond paste although the frangipane does add a lot of that delicious almond flavor. Almond paste is made up of ground almonds, sugar, oil, and sometimes an egg and frangipane is ground almonds, butter, flour, sugar, and eggs so you can see their flavor profiles would be similar.
Jenna says
I'm drooling, these sound so good, thanks Chris!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Jenna!
Rita says
Perfecto.. it reminds of of the French January king cake Galette des rois ..
thank you 😊
Chris Scheuer says
You're welcome, Rita! 💕
Barbara says
Thanks for this recipe!
My question involves the egg...list of ingredients states one egg, but the instructions for the frangipane says “ add the eggs and extracts”. I can’t wait to make these but want to ensure that I am following the recipe correctly.
And a special thank you for always including tips....it is like a visit to your kitchen...
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Barbara, thanks for noticing that. I was probably writing faster than my brain was thinking! It should be egg, not eggs. I have corrected that. I appreciate you taking the time to point it out 💕
Edith Russo says
That sounds delicious, but...have you experimented with chocolate croissants? I would love to see what you come up with!
Chris Scheuer says
I haven't but now you've got me thinking, Edith... 😂💕
Pauly Heller says
Oh yes! Please do!
Sue Hartzell says
Is there a difference between almond flour and almond meal? The ingredients list almond flour, but the instructions call it "meal".
Can't wait to try these!
Thank you, as always, Chris.
Sue H.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Sue, that's a great question.
There is a difference between almond flour and almond meal.
Almond flour is finely ground blanched almonds where almond meal is ground unblanched almonds. Blanching removes the skins therefore almond flour is finer in texture than almond meal.
You can actually use either in frangipane, I've seen recipes with both. I, personally, prefer almond flour because of the finer texture. But I wouldn't go out and buy almond flour if I have almond meal in the house.
I will clarify that in the Café Tips and recipe.