Bakery-Style Twice-Baked Almond Croissants

Here’s a secret every French bakery knows: the best almond croissants are made from yesterday’s croissants. Day-old pastries are brushed with syrup, filled with almond cream, topped with flaked almonds and baked again until golden. The result is crisp outside, soft and fragrant inside, and far better than the original.

This version uses GIMA Almond Cream to make the filling richer and quicker, with no special equipment needed.

Twice-baked almond croissants

Makes 6. Prep 20 minutes, bake 15 minutes.

Ingredients

Syrup

• 100g caster sugar
• 100ml water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract, or a strip of orange zest

Almond filling

• 60g unsalted butter, softened
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 100g almond meal
• 80g GIMA Almond Cream
• Pinch of salt

To finish

• 6 day-old butter croissants
• 50g flaked almonds
• Icing sugar, for dusting

Method

1. Make the syrup. Heat the sugar, water and vanilla or zest in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for 1 minute, then cool.
2. Make the filling. Beat the butter and sugar until pale. Beat in the egg, then the almond cream, almond meal and salt until smooth and spreadable.
3. Prepare the croissants. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line a tray with baking paper. Slice each croissant horizontally, leaving one side attached like a book.
4. Soak. Brush the cut sides generously with syrup. Don’t be shy: this keeps the inside soft.
5. Fill. Spread about a tablespoon of filling inside each croissant, close it, then spread a thin layer over the top.
6. Top. Press flaked almonds onto the filling on top.
7. Bake. Bake for 12–15 minutes until the almonds are golden and the filling is set. Cool for 10 minutes, then dust with icing sugar.

Tips

• Stale is better. Croissants that are a day or two old absorb the syrup without going soggy.
• Make ahead. The filling keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring it to room temperature before spreading.
• Freezer-friendly. Freeze filled, unbaked croissants, then bake from frozen for 18–20 minutes.

Variations

• Pistachio croissants: replace the almond cream with GIMA Pistachio Cream and half the almond meal with ground pistachios. Top with chopped pistachios.
• Hazelnut chocolate: use GIMA Hazelnut Cream and tuck a few squares of dark chocolate inside.
• Less sweet: swap the almond cream for GIMA Almond Butter, which is 100% almonds with no added sugar, and add an extra tablespoon of sugar to the filling.

More ways to use almond cream

• Spread on warm toast with sliced banana
• Fill tart shells and top with poached pears
• Swirl through yoghurt with berries
• Stir into hot chocolate for a nutty twist

Find more ideas in our almond recipes.

FAQs

What’s the difference between almond cream and almond butter?

GIMA Almond Butter is 100% roasted almonds with nothing added. GIMA Almond Cream is a sweet spread made with 50% almonds, ready for spreading and baking. See our full guide to nut butter vs nut cream.

Can I use fresh croissants?

You can, but they can turn soggy. If your croissants are fresh, warm them in a low oven for 5 minutes to dry them out first.

Contains almond (tree nut), milk, egg and gluten. Check all labels for allergens.