I finally nailed my Homemade Almond Croissants with a single unlikely trick that people keep asking me about.

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I still get a little thrill thinking about the first time I pulled a tray of Homemade Almond Croissants from the oven. I press layers of unsalted butter into paper thin folds, then tuck a nutty whisper of almond flour inside, and somehow the texture flips between crunchy and pillowy in the best way.

It feels a little dangerous, like I found a shortcut to making something that looks fancy but tastes honest. If you want a name for it, think of this as my Almond Croissant Recipe From Scratch, a project that asks for patience, curiosity, and a willingness to eat the mistakes.

Ingredients

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All purpose flour: main structure, mostly carbs and some protein, low fibre, neutral taste.
Cold laminating butter: creates flaky layers, high fat, rich mouthfeel, important for texture.
Almond flour: adds nutty protein, healthy fats, moist crumb and strong almond flavour.
Granulated sugar: sweetens dough lightly, feeds yeast a bit, helps browning and caramel.
Instant yeast: leavens dough, makes it airy, needs warmth and time, dont rush.
Eggs: enrich dough and frangipane, add protein, help brown the crust.
Milk: hydrates flour, adds fat and lactose for gentle sweetness, helps browning.

Ingredient Quantities

500 g all purpose flour (about 4 cups)

55 g granulated sugar (about 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp)

10 g fine sea salt (about 1 3/4 tsp)

10 g instant dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp)

300 ml whole milk, cold or slightly chilled (about 1 1/4 cups)

60 ml cold water (about 1/4 cup)

50 g unsalted butter, softened for the dough (about 3 1/2 tbsp)

300 g unsalted butter, very cold and pliable for laminating (about 1 1/3 cups)

2 large eggs (1 for frangipane, 1 for egg wash)

1 tbsp milk or water for egg wash

120 g almond flour or finely ground almonds (about 1 cup)

100 g powdered sugar for frangipane (about 3/4 cup)

100 g unsalted butter, softened for frangipane (about 7 tbsp)

1 tsp almond extract

1 tbsp all purpose flour for frangipane (about 8 g)

a pinch of salt for the frangipane

60 g sliced almonds for topping, optional (about 1/2 cup)

icing sugar for dusting, optional (as needed)

How to Make this

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1. Make the dough: mix 500 g flour, 55 g sugar and 10 g salt in a bowl, keep the 10 g instant yeast separated a little from the salt and sprinkle it into the cold milk + 60 ml water; add the milk mix and 50 g softened butter to the flour and stir till a shaggy dough; knead 3 to 5 minutes till smooth, shape into a square, wrap and chill about 1 hour till firm but still pliable. Tip: keep everything cold, that preserves layers.

2. Prepare the butter block: put 300 g very cold butter between parchment, bash and roll it into an even rectangle about 20 x 15 cm, about 1 cm thick; refrigerate if it softens, you want it cold but bendable.

3. Encase the butter: roll chilled dough into a rectangle roughly 25 x 18 cm, center the butter block, fold dough edges over to fully enclose the butter and seal the seams; gently roll to a long rectangle about 60 x 20 cm, watching not to let butter squeeze out.

4. Laminate with 3 single folds: do a letter fold (fold into thirds), rotate 90 degrees, wrap and chill 30 to 45 minutes; repeat two more times for a total of 3 turns. Use a little flour if sticky but not too much, keep dough cold between turns.

5. Final roll and cut: after the last chill roll the dough to roughly 30 x 40 cm, thickness about 4 to 5 mm; trim edges and cut into triangles with a base ~10 cm wide (you should get about 12).

6. Make frangipane: beat 100 g softened butter with 100 g powdered sugar until creamy, add 1 egg, 120 g almond flour, 1 tbsp flour, 1 tsp almond extract and a pinch of salt; mix to a spreadable paste. This is your filling, tastes great, don’t be stingy.

7. Shape croissants: for each triangle lightly stretch the base, put about 1 tbsp frangipane near the base, then roll tightly toward the tip; tuck the tip underneath to keep it from unrolling. Tip: roll snug but not squashing the layers, that keeps the flaky texture.

8. Proof and preheat: place shaped croissants on a parchment lined tray, cover loosely and proof in a warm spot until puffy and nearly doubled, about 90 to 120 minutes; while they proof preheat oven to 200 C (400 F) for at least 30 minutes, reduce to 190 C if using convection.

9. Egg wash, top and bake: whisk the remaining 1 egg with 1 tbsp milk or water and brush gently over each croissant; if you like, pipe a little extra frangipane on top, sprinkle 60 g sliced almonds, then bake 15 to 22 minutes until deep golden and well risen (watch closely toward the end).

10. Finish and serve: cool 10 to 15 minutes, dust with icing sugar if desired and serve warm; leftovers keep in fridge or freeze — reheat briefly in oven to revive the crisp layers. Small hacks: chill trays between batches, rotate racks mid bake for even color, and dont overproof or you’ll lose crispness.

Equipment Needed

You’ll need these tools to make the croissants:

1. Digital kitchen scale (weigh flour, milk and butter accurately, pastry needs precision)
2. Large mixing bowl (for the dough, use stainless or glass)
3. Rolling pin (for flattening the dough and butter block)
4. Bench scraper (for folding, trimming edges and cutting)
5. Pastry brush (for the egg wash)
6. Baking sheets (at least one or two, chill between batches for best results)
7. Parchment paper (line trays and keep butter from sticking)
8. Plastic wrap (wrap dough between turns to keep it cold)
9. Sharp chef knife or pizza wheel plus a ruler (trim edges and cut even triangles)
10. Refrigerator/freezer space and an oven (you need good chilling room and a well preheated oven)

FAQ

Q: How cold should the laminating butter be? A: Very cold but still pliable. Press the 300 g block into a flat rectangle and chill until firm, not rock hard. If it’s too soft it will smear into the dough, if it’s too hard it will crack. Keep everything cold and work quick, or pop the dough back in the fridge between steps.

Q: How many turns do I do and how long do I chill between them? A: Do three single turns (fold into thirds) with about 20 to 30 minutes chill between each turn. That gives distinct layers without overworking the dough. Total chilling time should be at least an hour, longer is fine.

Q: Can I make stuff ahead or freeze at any point? A: Yes. You can refrigerate the dough overnight after the first rest, or shape croissants, freeze them on a tray then bag them for up to a month. Bake from frozen but add 5 to 10 minutes to bake time, or thaw overnight in the fridge and proof before baking.

Q: How do I know when the croissants are proofed and ready to bake? A: They should look noticeably puffy and jiggle when you move the tray but not be deflated. Do a gentle poke test: the indent should spring back slowly. If it springs back fast they need more time, if it stays flat they’re overproofed.

Q: My butter leaks or the layers clump together, what went wrong? A: Usually the butter got warm or you didn’t seal the edges tightly. Chill shaped croissants for 15 to 30 minutes before baking, press seams closed when you roll them, and keep your hands cool. Work fast and chill if the butter starts to smear.

Q: How long and at what temp do I bake, and how do I reheat leftovers? A: Bake at about 190 to 200 C (375 to 400 F) for 18 to 22 minutes until deep golden. To reheat, warm in a 160 C (325 F) oven for 5 to 8 minutes to crisp them up. Don’t microwave or they get soggy. Frangipane keeps 3 days in the fridge, croissants 1 to 2 days in an airtight container.

Homemade Almond Croissants Recipe Substitutions and Variations

All purpose flour: Use pastry flour for a more tender, delicate croissant, same weight (500 g) but expect a softer dough. Use bread flour for stronger gluten and taller, chewier layers, same weight but you might need a slightly longer rest. For gluten free try a 1 to 1 gluten free baking blend that contains xanthan gum, however laminating will be harder and results are less flaky.
Butter for laminating (300 g): Swap with European style butter (higher fat, around 82 to 86 percent) for richer flavor and better butter pockets, keep it very cold. Or use a block baker’s margarine made for laminating if you want more tolerance during rolling, but flavor will differ. Avoid spreadable butter, it melts too fast.
Almond flour (120 g): Replace with finely ground hazelnuts or pistachios at the same weight for a tasty twist, texture will be slightly oilier. You can also make almond meal by pulsing blanched almonds in a food processor and sifting. If you’re desperate, use 100 g all purpose flour plus 1 teaspoon almond extract, but the frangipane will be less rich.
Instant dry yeast (10 g): Use active dry yeast at about 12.5 g and dissolve it in the warm milk or water until frothy before mixing. Or use fresh yeast at about 30 g, crumble and dissolve in liquids. If you use rapid rise yeast use the same weight but proofing times will be shorter so watch the dough closely.

Pro Tips

1. Work fast and keep it cold, but not frozen. If the butter starts to smear into the dough stop and chill the wrapped dough 10 to 20 minutes, then continue. Rushing when the butter gets soft is the fastest way to kill your layers.

2. Use the lightest dusting of flour possible when rolling, and use a bench scraper to lift and move the dough instead of dragging it with your hands. Too much flour makes the layers glue together and you wont get that flaky lift.

3. Dont overfill with frangipane. A small amount near the base is all you need, otherwise the extra weight and moisture will slow the rise and cause leaking. If you want more almond flavor, pipe a tiny dot on top after shaping, not inside the roll.

4. Proof by feel not by the clock. Aim for puffy and slightly springy not collapsed, proof times change a lot with room temp. If your kitchen is warm let them proof a bit less, if its cool give them more time. If they get too soft, chill the tray briefly before baking.

5. Preheat thoroughly and bake on a hot, heavy tray or stone for best lift and crisp base. If they brown too fast tent loosely with foil in the last few minutes. Rotate trays midway through baking and cool on a rack so steam can escape, that keeps the crust crisp.

Homemade Almond Croissants Recipe

Recipe by Francis Mead

0.0 from 0 votes

I finally nailed my Homemade Almond Croissants with a single unlikely trick that people keep asking me about.

Servings

servings

Calories

881

kcal

Equipment: You’ll need these tools to make the croissants:

Ingredients

500 g all purpose flour (about 4 cups)
55 g granulated sugar (about 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp)
10 g fine sea salt (about 1 3/4 tsp)
10 g instant dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp)
300 ml whole milk, cold or slightly chilled (about 1 1/4 cups)
60 ml cold water (about 1/4 cup)
50 g unsalted butter, softened for the dough (about 3 1/2 tbsp)
300 g unsalted butter, very cold and pliable for laminating (about 1 1/3 cups)
2 large eggs (1 for frangipane, 1 for egg wash)
1 tbsp milk or water for egg wash
120 g almond flour or finely ground almonds (about 1 cup)
100 g powdered sugar for frangipane (about 3/4 cup)
100 g unsalted butter, softened for frangipane (about 7 tbsp)
1 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp all purpose flour for frangipane (about 8 g)
a pinch of salt for the frangipane
60 g sliced almonds for topping, optional (about 1/2 cup)
icing sugar for dusting, optional (as needed)

Directions

Make the dough: mix 500 g flour, 55 g sugar and 10 g salt in a bowl, keep the 10 g instant yeast separated a little from the salt and sprinkle it into the cold milk + 60 ml water; add the milk mix and 50 g softened butter to the flour and stir till a shaggy dough; knead 3 to 5 minutes till smooth, shape into a square, wrap and chill about 1 hour till firm but still pliable. Tip: keep everything cold, that preserves layers.
Prepare the butter block: put 300 g very cold butter between parchment, bash and roll it into an even rectangle about 20 x 15 cm, about 1 cm thick; refrigerate if it softens, you want it cold but bendable.
Encase the butter: roll chilled dough into a rectangle roughly 25 x 18 cm, center the butter block, fold dough edges over to fully enclose the butter and seal the seams; gently roll to a long rectangle about 60 x 20 cm, watching not to let butter squeeze out.
Laminate with 3 single folds: do a letter fold (fold into thirds), rotate 90 degrees, wrap and chill 30 to 45 minutes; repeat two more times for a total of 3 turns. Use a little flour if sticky but not too much, keep dough cold between turns.
Final roll and cut: after the last chill roll the dough to roughly 30 x 40 cm, thickness about 4 to 5 mm; trim edges and cut into triangles with a base ~10 cm wide (you should get about 12).
Make frangipane: beat 100 g softened butter with 100 g powdered sugar until creamy, add 1 egg, 120 g almond flour, 1 tbsp flour, 1 tsp almond extract and a pinch of salt; mix to a spreadable paste. This is your filling, tastes great, don't be stingy.
Shape croissants: for each triangle lightly stretch the base, put about 1 tbsp frangipane near the base, then roll tightly toward the tip; tuck the tip underneath to keep it from unrolling. Tip: roll snug but not squashing the layers, that keeps the flaky texture.
Proof and preheat: place shaped croissants on a parchment lined tray, cover loosely and proof in a warm spot until puffy and nearly doubled, about 90 to 120 minutes; while they proof preheat oven to 200 C (400 F) for at least 30 minutes, reduce to 190 C if using convection.
Egg wash, top and bake: whisk the remaining 1 egg with 1 tbsp milk or water and brush gently over each croissant; if you like, pipe a little extra frangipane on top, sprinkle 60 g sliced almonds, then bake 15 to 22 minutes until deep golden and well risen (watch closely toward the end).
Finish and serve: cool 10 to 15 minutes, dust with icing sugar if desired and serve warm; leftovers keep in fridge or freeze — reheat briefly in oven to revive the crisp layers. Small hacks: chill trays between batches, rotate racks mid bake for even color, and dont overproof or you'll lose crispness.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.