This easy Almond Croissants Recipe is made with day old croissants that have been filled with almond frangipane and topped with toasted almonds and powdered sugar. These beautifully flaky croissants with almond cream bring the taste of a Parisian bakery home.

The Best Almond Croissants

As someone who has never been to France, I make bold statements about my homemade almond croissants tasting like they came straight out of a cafe in the heart of Paris.

Honestly, I have no idea if these bring the taste of Paris home into your kitchen; however, what I do know is that one of my favorite local bakeries, owned and operated by a French baker, makes an incredible French almond croissant that is worthy of naming your firstborn after.

I’m not so confident in my baking abilities that I’ll say these french pastries outshine my local favorite bakery, but I will say, they come pretty darn close to being a suitable substitute when you can’t get the real deal.

If you’ve never tried an almond croissant before, you’re in for one of the best culinary comeback stories of all time. A fresh baked croissant—all hot and flaky and buttery—is perhaps one of the simplest joys in all the world. However, a stale, day-old croissant that’s more chewy and dry than it is soft and buttery? Not so much a joy.

And this is where the comeback story comes in, because flaky Almond Croissants are the croissant 2.0. They need to start with stale croissants to be absolutely perfect. They begin by soaking the day old croissant in a simple syrup, then they’re filled with a homemade almond cream (aka almond frangipane), and then they’re toasted in the oven until golden brown.

Why I Love These Homemade Almond Croissants:

This Easy Almond Croissant Recipe makes the best flaky croissant filled with a sweet almond frangipane filling, both inside of the croissant and on top of the croissant. Each croissant top has a crisp exterior with a buttery, flaky inside.

Store-Bought Croissants: Yes, this is the recipe for everyone who does not have time to make homemade croissants from scratch, because you have more interesting things to do than laminate dough for 36 hours.
- Most grocery stores have a day old bakery section, which are often filled with croissants. Or, if I buy the giant container from Costco, I use any leftover croissants to make these almond ones.
Easy: This is such an easy recipe for almond croissants! Namely, because we’re using store-bought croissants. The homemade almond cream (aka the almond croissant filling recipe) is made with a few ingredients that are simple to find, if you don’t already have them on hand.
Almond Paste: This is an almond croissant recipe with almond paste, which is an ingredient you can find at most grocery stores. The almond paste is used as an ingredient in the almond frangipane that goes inside the almond croissant recipe.
- I prefer to use almond paste rather than almond flour, because I find the almond paste has a stronger flavor. Plus, if we used almond flour, we would have a bunch leftover. I don’t use almond flour regularly so I didn’t want to buy an expensive ingredient that would just sit in the pantry.
Better Than Starbucks: If I think these are on par with my local French bakery, then these are 100% better than a Starbucks almond croissant (no offense, Starbs). There’s nothing like a homemade almond croissant french bakery style.

Ingredients:

This is a really simple recipe for almond croissants, and you only need a few simple ingredients to make the frangipane and the simple sugar syrup.

Simple Syrup:

Water
Granulated Sugar
Almond Extract: You can omit the almond extract if you don’t have any on hand. There will be plenty of almond flavor in these croissants with the almond frangipane and toasted almonds on top. However, if you have almond extract available, I’d use it! It really amps up the simple syrup flavor.
Vanilla Extract

Almond Cream Filling

Unsalted Butter: You don’t need salt in this recipe so use unsalted butter.
Almond Paste: This is an ingredient you can find in your grocery store’s baking section. Do not confuse it with marzipan or almond flour.
Eggs
Cornstarch
Vanilla Extract

Other Ingredients:

Croissants: You need to use stale, day-old croissants. Fresh croissants are too soft and they won’t bake up quite as well.
Sliced Almonds: To enhance the almond flavor, we add sliced almonds on top. Plus, it gives the croissants extra texture.
Powdered Sugar: Powdered Sugar on top makes these look like they came straight from a bakery! And, a little extra sugar never hurt things either. (Words to live by.)

How To Make Almond Croissants:

This is a brief overview of how to make almond croissants from scratch, but the full recipe and details are in the printable recipe card below.

Simple Syrup: Whisk sugar, water, almond extract, and vanilla extract together in a small pan. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it comes to a boil and the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool.
Almond Cream (aka frangipane): With a hand mixer or standing mixer, beat unsalted butter and almond paste together until well combined. Add in eggs, cornstarch, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
Assembly: Cut croissants in half. Brush simple syrup on the insides of both croissant halves with a pastry brush. Then, spread 1-2 Tbsp of the almond frangipane filling on one half of the croissant. Then, top with the other half. Brush the simple syrup on top of the croissant. Spoon a little of the almond filling on top of each croissant. Press sliced almonds on top.
Bake: Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until the croissants are golden brown.
Serve: Top with powdered sugar and serve.

What Is Almond Paste?

Almond paste is a mix of ground almonds and sugar, and usually it’s made with egg whites and almond extract. If you can’t find store-bought almond paste, you can make a homemade version and use it in this recipe.

Is Almond Paste The Same As Marzipan?

No, almond paste is different than marzipan. Marzipan is more of a candy, and it’s often used in cake decorating. It cannot be substituted for almond paste in this recipe, because it won’t have the right flavor and texture.

What Is Almond Frangipane?

A frangipane is a creamy almond filling that is often made with ground almonds, sugar, eggs, and butter. Instead of using ground almonds and sugar in this frangipane recipe, I opted for store bought almond paste.
I don’t know if almond paste frangipane is a traditional or technical way to make frangipane, however, this recipe has all of the same components as an almond frangipane: almond, sugar, butter, and eggs. The almond paste just takes the place of the almonds and sugar.

Storage Tips:

This Almond Croissants recipe really tastes the best when served fresh or served within the first 24 hours.

Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge. If you store at room temperature, they will last probably 1-2 days; in the fridge, 3-4 days. You can eat them cold, warm, or at room temperature.
Freezing Tips: Individually wrap each baked and cooled croissant in plastic wrap and store in the freezer. You can either let them defrost in the fridge, then reheat in the oven or microwave. Or, you can reheat from frozen in the microwave.
- Just note, these almond croissants taste their best when fresh. While you can freeze them, they won’t taste as good as they do when they are fresh.

Can I Make Almond Croissants Ahead Of Time?

While I would suggest making these the day of, you can make these the day before and store them overnight (at room temperature or in the fridge). You can eat these cold, or you can reheat them in the oven right before serving. Top with powdered sugar before serving.

Other Shortcut Recipes To Try Next:

Quick and Easy Almond Croissants From Scratch Tips & Tricks:

Croissants: Definitely use day old croissants. You need a dry, sturdy croissant to soak up the simple syrup and almond cream filling, otherwise the croissants will be soggy. When baked, you will have a flaky croissant with a sweet almond filling.
Simple Syrup: Because you’re using day old croissants, you need a simple syrup to add moisture and flavor.
- You will probably have leftover simple syrup. You can store it in the fridge and use it on baked cakes or in mixed drinks, lemonade, iced tea, etc.
Almond Paste: Most store-bought almond paste can be found in your grocery store’s baking section. They are generally sold in 7oz or 8oz containers. You can use either in this recipe—the 1 oz difference won’t make much difference in the overall almond filling.