Bright strawberries perfectly compliment the fruity frangipane filling for a twist on a classic favorite. Can be made with homemade or storebought croissants. Makes enough for 12 large croissants.

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I didn’t know I liked almond croissants until I tried a strawberry almond one at a coffee shop at a coffee shop in Los Angeles.

Sometimes you don’t know you like something until you try a really good version of it. I like to think of the strawberry almond croissant as my gateway to liking frangipane (the almond flour filling that turns into a caramelized custard when baked). Since trying this croissant, I have not seen anything else like it. When I hosted my home coffee shop recipe, I set out to recreate the recipe.

The other great thing about almond croissants is that they are meant to be made with stale 1-2 day old croissants, making them the perfect make ahead pastry that. Truly—making an almond croissant with a freshly made croissant is messy and almost pointless. When the croissants have sat out for about a day, they stiffen up and are much easier to cut in half and add the filling. Then you revive them by baking them in the oven, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how flakey and crispy the final product is (better than the original in my opinion).

I started with using my favorite recipe for cheater croissant dough from Sarah Kieffer. I also like the recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction for croissants, though it takes a couple of days to make fully.

For the purposes of this recipe, I’m going to assume you have the croissants already made, whether they are store bought or from the recipes I linked above. The below directions explain how to prep the croissants, make the filling, and bake them.

Ingredients

12 one to two day old croissants

Simple Syrup

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 strawberries (fresh or frozen), chopped
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Frangipane Filling

1 cup almond flour (different than almond meal)
1/2 heaping cup freeze dried strawberries, plus more for topping
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup/1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 large eggs at room temperature
1/3 cup Slivered almonds, for topping
Powdered Sugar, for topping

Equipment you’ll need:

Hand mixer or stand mixer: My preference is the hand mixer

Small Saucepan: For making the simple syrup

Measuring cups: To measure

Measuring spoons: To measure

Medium bowl: For mixing the frangipane

Baking pan or cookie sheet: For baking the croissants

Parchment paper: To line the cookie sheet for baking

Step by Step Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and place the rack in the center of the oven.

Start by bringing your eggs to room temperature by leaving them out on the counter for 1 hour or placing in a bowl of warm water for 15 minutes. Allow the butter to come to room temperature for about 15 minutes. While you’re waiting, make the strawberry almond simple syrup. Add the sugar, water, and strawberries to a small saucepan over medium heat. Let it come to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the sugar is fully dissolved then add the almond extract.

Strain out the strawberry chunks using a fine mesh strainer into a wide shallow dish to cool.

Next, pulverize the freeze dried strawberries by putting in a plastic bag and squishing with a rolling pin. You can leave small chunks of strawberries, but you want it to be mostly turned into a powdered form. You can use a food processor or blender to achieve this as well if you don’t mind the extra dishes.

Add all ingredients except the eggs to the mixing bowl, and mix on medium high for two minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl to make sure it is all mixing evenly. Then add the eggs one at a time, and mix together thoroughly, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.

Cut all croissants in half length wise like you are going to use them for a sandwich (see above). Dip the insides of croissant lightly in simple syrup and lightly squeeze out the extra, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Spread 3 tablespoons of filling evenly on the inside of the croissant, and close. Spread one tablespoon on top of the croissant as a glue and add slivered almonds.

You should be able to fit all of the croissants snuggly on a half sheet rimmed baking sheet, but if they don’t all fit, then divide them evenly between two baking sheets.

Bake for 25 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the frangipane turns golden brown and starts to caramelize.

Cool for fifteen minutes before eating. Store in an airtight container and eat within 2 days. Revive in a toaster oven.

Alternatively, you can freeze in an airtight container and revive in the oven at 300°F for 15-20 minutes.

Can this recipe be doubled?

Yes! You may need to make the mixture in a double mixer, and you would probably get a better bake if you baked both trays separately.

Can this recipe be halved?

Yes, it can be halved with some creative measuring. To measure half of an egg, scramble the egg first and weigh out about 28 grams or half it by volume.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes, after filling the croissants and putting the frangipane and almonds on the top, you can cover the whole pan with plastic wrap and bake the following morning (don’t wait more than about 12 hours, or it could get soggy).

Can this recipe be made gluten-free?

The way I developed this frangipane recipe, it is gluten-free. If you find gluten-free croissants, this would be a great filling for them.