These crispy and flaky apple pie almond croissants are filled with almond frangipane and tender cinnamon apples that taste just like apple pie filling. This is my favourite way to transform slightly stale store-bought croissants into bakery-worthy pastries!
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Notes from the baker
These apple pie almond croissants are THE pastries to make during apple season and in the Fall season. The apple pie filling tastes just like well, apple pie filling, and it only takes about 10 minutes to make. The idea of almond croissants stuffed with tender, spiced apples is enough to make me cry. They taste as good as they sound.
Homemade almond croissants are the absolute easiest and most delicious bakery-style pastry you can make at home. My favourite thing to do is buy a big box of croissants from Costco and completely transform them into almond croissants. You can't even tell they're from Costco afterwards.
Have fun elevating your own grocery store croissants. It's seriously magical what a little homemade love can do to these often overlooked pastries.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Crispy and flaky croissants. Almond croissants are known to be extra crispy thanks to the slightly dried-out croissants and the double baking process.
- Creamy almond frangipane filling. The frangipane filling is almost custard-like with a fragrant almond flavour.
- Tender apple pie filling and topping. The apple filling tastes just like the inside of an apple pie except you can easily make it on the stovetop. I could eat it by the spoonful.
- Easy to make. We're using store-bought croissants so don't be intimidated by these pastries. The first half of the work is already done for you.
Tools
- Baking sheet - Any baking sheet or baking tray that you would bake cookies on will do!
- Electric hand mixer - A hand mixer makes creaming the butter much easier and faster. It's not entirely necessary for this recipe (you can use a spatula) but I use a hand mixer in almost all of my recipes.
- Pastry brush - You'll need a pastry brush to apply simple syrup on the croissants. If you don't have one, you can just drizzle it on with a spoon but make sure it's distributed evenly.
- Piping bag - Piping the frangipane onto the croissants is easy and mess-free (and satisfying!). If you don't have a piping bag, you can spread the frangipane onto the croissants with a spoon or spatula.
Ingredient notes
As always, the full recipe card with ingredient amounts and instructions is at the bottom of this post! Keep reading for more details on each ingredient or skip ahead to the recipe.
- Water
- Granulated sugar
- Apples - Use your favourite tart apples that you would use for apple pie. I'd recommend using Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Ambrosia, or Braeburn apples. Peel and finely dice them.
- Brown sugar
- Cornstarch - Cornstarch soaks up the juices and extra liquid and turns them into a delicious jammy glaze that coats the apples.
- Cinnamon
- Lemon juice
- Almond flour - Almond flour is simply finely ground almonds. You can usually find it in the baking section or health food section of a grocery store. You'll want to get a "superfine" option for the smoothest frangipane. You can also make your own almond flour by grinding blanched (peeled) almonds in a blender or food processor. You want to grind them to a fine powder but don't take it too far or you'll start making almond butter.
- Powdered sugar
- Salt
- Unsalted butter - Your butter needs to be softened to room temperature otherwise it'll be hard to mix and can cause the mixture to curdle once the eggs are added.
- Eggs - These should also be at room temperature to prevent the mixture from curdling.
- Almond extract (optional) - This adds a strong and sweet almond flavour to the frangipane that makes it taste like almond croissants from bakeries. It's not required though so you can omit it or replace it with vanilla extract.
- Croissants - Croissants that are a few days old and a little dried out are perfect for making almond croissants. if your croissants are too fresh, they won't get as crispy and caramelized when baked again. I always use Costco croissants for my almond croissants because they're cheap and slightly underbaked so they don't get completely burnt when you bake them again.
- Sliced almonds - For topping the almond croissants, just like in the bakeries.
How to make apple pie almond croissants
Make the simple syrup
Dissolve sugar - In a small pot, stir together water and sugar. Bring it to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar has dissolved. Transfer a small portion of the simple syrup to a small bowl to brush on the croissants later. Transfer the rest to a clean, airtight container to cool and store in the fridge.
Make the apple pie filling
Boil - In a small pot, stir together diced apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, water, and lemon juice. Cover and bring it to a boil on medium heat.
Cook off water - Uncover and allow most of the water to evaporate, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and coated in a jammy glaze. Transfer the apple filling to a bowl and let it cool completely before using.
Make the almond frangipane
Prep - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Cream butter - In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the softened butter until it becomes very creamy. Add the almond flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Beat together until combined.
Add eggs - Mix in the eggs one at a time. Finally, mix in the almond extract (optional). Transfer the frangipane to a piping bag and snip the tip off. Set aside.
Prepare the croissants
Brush - Cut each croissant in half lengthwise. Use a pastry brush to brush simple syrup on both halves of the croissants.
Filling - Pipe a generous squiggle of frangipane on the bottom halves of each croissant. Add a heaping spoonful of apple pie filling on top of the frangipane and spread it out slightly. You can use all of your apple filling now or save some for adding on top of the croissants later.
Topping - Place the top halves of the croissants on top of the filling. Pipe a line of frangipane on top of each croissant. Press a small handful of sliced almonds on top of the frangipane.
Bake - Bake for about 22-25 minutes or until the croissants are crispy and golden brown.
Finishing touches - Top each almond croissant with another small spoonful of apple pie filling and dust with powdered sugar before serving warm or let them cool completely.
Storage
These apple pie almond croissants are best eaten on the same day they are baked for the best crispy and flaky texture. They can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the fridge for up to 3 days.
They are best served warm or at room temperature so you'll want to reheat them in the oven or toaster oven to crisp them up again before serving.
Freezing
To freeze these almond croissants, skip the apple topping. Let the almond croissants cool completely after baking and then freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 1 month.
Reheat them in the oven at 350°F for 15 minutes or until they're warm and crispy.
More almond croissant recipes to try
Recipe
Apple Pie Almond Croissants
Equipment
Ingredients
Simple Syrup (see notes)
- 230 g water
- 200 g granulated sugar
Apple Pie Filling
- 400 g tart apples, peeled and finely diced (about 3 small apples)
- 30 g brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 100 g water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, (about 1 lemon)
Almond Frangipane
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 100 g almond flour
- 60 g powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon almond extract, optional
Croissants
- 6 croissants, day-old
- sliced almonds, for topping
- powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
Simple Syrup
- Dissolve sugar: In a small pot, stir together water and sugar. Bring it to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar has dissolved. Transfer a small portion of the simple syrup to a small bowl to brush on the croissants later. Transfer the rest to a clean, airtight container to cool and store in the fridge.
Apple Pie Filling
- Boil: In a small pot, stir together diced apples, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, water, and lemon juice. Cover and bring it to a boil on medium heat.
- Cook off water: Uncover and allow most of the water to evaporate, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and coated in a jammy glaze. Transfer the apple filling to a bowl and let it cool completely before using.
Almond Frangipane
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Cream butter: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the softened butter until it becomes very creamy. Add the almond flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Beat together until combined.
- Add eggs: Mix in the eggs one at a time. Finally, mix in the almond extract (optional). Transfer the frangipane to a piping bag and snip the tip off. Set aside.
Croissants
- Brush: Cut each croissant in half lengthwise. Use a pastry brush to brush simple syrup on both halves of the croissants.
- Filling: Pipe a generous squiggle of frangipane on the bottom halves of each croissant. Add a heaping spoonful of apple pie filling on top of the frangipane and spread it out slightly. You can use all of your apple filling now or save some for adding on top of the croissants later.
- Topping: Place the top halves of the croissants on top of the filling. Pipe a line of frangipane on top of each croissant. Press a small handful of sliced almonds on top of the frangipane.
- Bake: Bake for about 22-25 minutes or until the croissants are crispy and golden brown.
- Finishing touches: Top each almond croissant with another small spoonful of apple pie filling and dust with powdered sugar before serving warm or let them cool completely.
Notes
- Simple syrup: The recipe here makes about a cup of simple syrup - much more than you need for these almond croissants. I figured if you're going to go through the trouble of making it, you might as well make more. The extra can be stored in a clean, airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month. You can use it to make drinks and cocktails, brush it on cakes to keep them moist, or make more almond croissants. If you don't want to make this much simple syrup, you can halve or even quarter the recipe.
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