French Almond Croissants (Bakery Style)

Almond Croissants are a classic French bakery pastry, and a surprisingly easy one to recreate at home as well! Day-old croissants filled with almond cream and topped with syrup and shaved almonds, yields a warm and flaky pastry that’s oozing with big almond flavor. You only need 25 minutes to make these freshly-baked almond croissants, that look and taste worthy of a French bakery!

You can find almond croissants, or “Croissants Aux Amandes” in almost every French bakery. They were originally invented by boulangeries to use-up their unsold croissants and resell them the next day, garnished with almond cream.

Not only did the idea work well, but there’s very little chance you’ll find a single almond croissant left on a bakery stall at the end of the day! Bakeries have managed to transform leftover croissants into a delicious pastry that is today as sought after as croissants themselves.

Almond Croissants are usually enjoyed for breakfast or for “le goûter” – the 4pm French snack time. They are also great for a weekend brunch!

What I love about almond croissants is how extraordinarily easy they are to make at home. Yet they taste so rich and complex! I had fun developing this recipe as I wanted to show my husband (who loves them!), that anyone can make bakery-style almond croissants in a short amount of time and with very little equipment.

Here are more details about the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, so you too can recreate these marvelous French pastries in your kitchen!

Ingredients you’ll need for French Almond Croissants

French Croissants, store-bought or homemade

The first step is getting your hands on classic French croissants. Ideally, choose good-quality croissants from a bakery of artisan shop. Outside of France, you can also easily find them at the grocery store in large boxes of 6 to 8 croissants – although their quality can vary.

If you have time, you can definitely try and make homemade croissants from scratch! I have an extensive Classic French Croissant 101 Guide. You can also find on my blog a 3-day, 2-day or quicker 1-day recipe for croissants.

Once you have croissants on hand (and you resist the urge to eat them!), let them dry out on your counter overnight, uncovered. Since fresh croissants tend to collapse easily when handled, drying the croissants out ensures they will keep their shape better. It also makes them much easier to be sliced in half.

Almond Cream (or Crème d’Amande)

The croissants are filled with a classic French crème d’amande, consisting of almond flour mixed with butter, eggs and almond extract.

For the almond flour, you can use blanched or unblanched. Choose a high-quality source such as Bob’s Red Mill. Likewise for the butter, try and choose a high-quality European butter. These two staples – ground almond and butter – are the main ingredients in the almond cream, which gives the signature flavor to almond croissants. So splurging a little is way worth it.

The Syrup

Right before baking, the top of the croissants are brushed with a syrup made with water, sugar and amaretto or rum. Amaretto, an Italian almond-flavored liqueur, is wonderful here as it enhances the almond taste even further. I also make the syrup with rum sometimes, as it gives a more subtle taste which allows the buttery flavor of this recipe shine a bit more. The choice is yours!

When brushing the croissants with the syrup, be generous! The syrup also helps replace the lost moisture of these drier, day-old croissants. Along with a golden shiny look from the syrup, a sprinkle of shaved almonds on the croissants gives them a nice crunchy finish.  

Once baked and cooled, top the croissants with a light dusting of powdered sugar to give them a classic French bakery look!

Can I prepare Almond Croissants in advance?

Yes, absolutely! Almond Croissants are a perfect make-ahead breakfast or brunch recipe: you can prepare each component ahead, separately, or even prepare everything the day before. Here are the details:

• French croissants will keep on the counter (uncovered) for up to 2 days before you use them for this recipe. Don’t keep them out any longer or they will be too dry.
• The Almond cream can be prepared up to 5 days ahead and kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
• The syrup can also be prepared ahead and kept for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Once filled with cream and brushed with syrup, the croissants can be kept overnight in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap. You can simply bake them the next morning (as instructed in the recipe card), and enjoy them for breakfast or brunch!

Almond Croissants Variations

Once you master this French Almond Croissant recipe, there are plenty of ways to spruce them up! You can easily add your own twist with one or two other ingredients added inside, on top of the almond cream, before you close up the croissant sandwiches. Here are a few ideas (quantities per croissant):

• 2 chocolate squares
• A smear (about ½ tbsp) of hazelnut chocolate spread
• A smear (about ½ tbsp) of fruit jam or marmalade
• 5-6 fresh raspberries
• 2 strawberries, cut in thin slices
• A few slices of ripe stone fruits (ie. peach or apricot)

As a personal twist, I like to add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest to the almond cream. If you try other variations, I would love to hear about them : let us know in the comments!

How to store Almond Croissants

These French Almond Croissants are best enjoyed hot, right out of the oven – when the almond cream is still warm and soft. But you can definitely enjoyed them cool a few days later, as this is how they are sold and enjoyed in French bakeries.

• For keeping them any longer, store them in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. You can then enjoy them as is, or reheat them for a few minutes in the oven so they crisp back up.
• You can also freeze the croissants for up to 3 months. If you do freeze them, make sure they are completely cooled off before wrapping them individually in plastic film and then together in a freezer safe container. For reheating, let them thaw overnight on the counter and reheat in the oven.

Common Questions

What is the difference between crème d’amande and frangipane?

If you’re a beginner to French baking, crème d’amande can look and taste similar to frangipane – used for plenty of classic French fruit tarts and galettes. However, they are different. Here’s how:

• Crème d’amande : almond flour with butter, sugar, eggs and almond extract.
• Frangipane : Crème d’amande + crème patissière.

Frangipane is indeed more complex as it consists of crème d’amande, mixed with a crème patissière. The proportions can vary from 75% crème d’amande with 25% crème patissière, to 50/50. It results in a richer tasting cream, that is also often less expensive, as it uses fewer almonds – which are the most expensive ingredient here.

While tasting less complex and rich, crème d’amande allows the flavor of almonds to shine more. It is less creamy and has more of a spread consistency. It is perfect for this recipe as it is easy to spread the cream inside the croissants. The croissants also don’t end up oozing out a ton of cream when baking, as they would do with frangipane.

Can I use almond meal instead of almond flour?

Yes, for this recipe, you can! Almond meal, in comparison to almond flour, is slightly coarser (not as finely ground). Almond meal is also often made from raw unpeeled almonds resulting in a brown-speckled mix, while almond flour is made from peeled almonds. 

That being said, using almond meal instead of almond flour in the recipe won’t alter the finished croissants very much. The only change would be that the texture of the almond cream will be slightly thicker. But once spread into the croissants and baked, the substitution is nearly unnoticeable. The taste remains the same.

I hope you’ll love this French Almond Croissants (Bakery Style) recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment. 

More French baking recipes you may like:

• Chouquettes (French Sugar Puffs)
• Classic French Butter Brioche (Brioche Pur Beurre)
• Classic French Toasts (Pain Perdu)
• Overnight No-Knead Bread
• French Bakery Beignets
• Roasted Hazelnut Financiers
• Chocolate Chip Cookies with Fleur de Sel

French Almond Croissants (Bakery Style)

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 4.6/5

( 5 voted )

Ingredients

8 (day-old) medium/large croissants, left at room temp overnight, uncovered
100g (1/2 cup) sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 stick/8 tbsp (115g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (100g) almond meal/almond flour
1 tsp almond extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp lemon zest (optional)
For the syrup:
4 tbsp (15ml) amaretto or rum
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp water
For topping:
3 tbsp sliced almonds
Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 1 – Make the syrup. In a small pot, combine the 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1 tablespoon of water and the 4 tablespoons of amaretto. Bring to a slight simmer and stir for about 1 minute until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Step 2 – Make the almond cream. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, salt and soft butter until homogeneous and frothy. Whisk in the eggs, one by one. Finally, whisk in the ground almond, almond extract, lemon zest (optional) and mix until smooth.

Step 3 – With a sharp serrated knife, slice each croissant in half, like you would for a sandwich. Place on the prepared baking sheet. 

Step 4 – Spread about two tablespoons of the almond cream on the bottom half of each croissant. Place the top halves over top and press lightly to seal.

Step 5 – Brush the top of the croissants generously with the syrup and sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the croissants are golden-brown. Some almond cream may ooze out slightly, this is normal (it will harden as it cools). Carefully with a spatula, transfer the croissants to a wire rack and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Notes...

This recipe can be easily cut in a half for 4 people.