Matcha Almond Croissants

Turn leftover store-bought croissants into crispy and flaky matcha almond croissants filled with matcha frangipane. They’re baked again to achieve crispy perfection that’s bakery-worthy.

Jump to:

• What are almond croissants?
• What you’ll love about this recipe
• Ingredients
• How to make matcha almond croissants
• Tips & tricks
• Storage
• More matcha recipes to try
• Recipe

I knew I nailed this matcha almond croissant recipe the moment I took my first bite. They’re crispy, flaky, and buttery - everything you would want from a croissant. The deep and earthy matcha frangipane flavour in the middle transforms these almond croissants into something really special.

The beauty of almond croissants is that you don’t actually have to make the croissants yourself. That’s a whole different skill level. Instead, you can turn store-bought croissants into almond croissants that almost taste like they came out of a French bakery. This is one of my favourite easy recipes. All you really need to make is the matcha filling and then bake!

What are almond croissants?

Almond croissants are a French pastry made by soaking regular croissants in a sugar syrup and filling them with an almond frangipane paste. They’re baked a second time until the frangipane and sugar syrup caramelizes and they’re extra crispy.

The croissants used for almond croissants are often the leftovers that are a couple of days old. They are given new life and become even crispier and flakier when double-baked because they start out drier than fresh croissants.

What you’ll love about this recipe

• It’s surprisingly easy to make these matcha almond croissants since you don’t have to make the croissants yourself (but you can if you want to).
• It’s a great way to use up leftover, slightly stale croissants.
• These matcha almond croissants are so crispy and flaky with a buttery and soft filling.
• If you’re a matcha lover like me, you’ll love this matcha twist on a classic baked good.

Ingredients

• Almond flour - This is the main ingredient for the frangipane filling. It’s very finely ground blanched (peeled) almonds. You’ll usually find it sold as “super-fine almond flour” - the same one used for making macarons. It’s lighter in colour and has a finer texture than almond meal.
• Powdered sugar
• Salt
• Unsalted butter - This should be softened to room temperature as it needs to be soft enough to cream with a mixer.
• Eggs - I always buy large eggs and they should also be at room temperature so that they incorporate well with the butter and other ingredients.
• Matcha powder - Use culinary grade matcha powder, as opposed to ceremonial grade, which is made specifically for mixing into food and can withstand the baking process without losing its matcha flavour.
• Croissants - You can use any butter croissants from the grocery store or from a higher quality bakery if you want to get a little fancy. I just used croissants from Costco - they’re very affordable for a large pack and does the job. For best results, use them after a few days or leave fresh ones out on the counter overnight. You actually want them to be a little bit stale so that they get super crispy when baked.
• Slivered almonds - These are for sprinkling on top of the croissants. Optional but highly recommended. Don’t forget them like I did!

How to make matcha almond croissants

Prep - Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Make matcha frangipane - In a medium mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to cream the softened butter until very creamy, about 3 minutes. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix on low speed after each one until combined. Sift in the almond flour, powdered sugar, matcha powder, and salt. Mix on low speed until combined. Transfer this frangipane to a piping bag and snip about 1” off the tip of the bag.

Fill croissants - Slice your croissants in half lengthwise and place the bottom halves on the baking sheet. Pipe a generous amount of the matcha frangipane on each croissant. Place the top halves of each croissant on top of the frangipane. Use any remaining frangipane to pipe a line on top of each croissant and press slivered almonds on top to stick to the frangipane (optional).

Bake - Bake almond croissants for about 20 minutes until deep golden brown and very crispy. Let croissants cool on the baking sheet. Dust with powdered sugar and matcha powder. Enjoy while warm or once cooled!

Tips & tricks

• Use day-old croissants - Slightly stale croissants actually work better for almond croissants than fresh ones. They get extra crispy when they start out a little bit dry. Leave fresh croissants out on the counter uncovered overnight or use leftover croissants after 2-3 days.
• Brush croissants with simple sugar syrup - Mix 1:1 sugar and water and heat on low-medium heat until dissolved. Brush this simple syrup on both sides of the cut croissants before filling with frangipane for more sweetness and caramelization. I decided to skip this in the recipe to make them easier. These matcha almond croissants are perfectly good without it but you can do it if you want to take your almond croissants to the next level and stay true to the classic almond croissant technique.

Storage

Store leftover almond croissants at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped with plastic wrap for up to 3 days. Bake them in the oven or in a toaster oven at 350F for 4-5 minutes to crisp them back up before eating.

Freezing and reheating

Freeze almond croissants by wrapping them well in plastic wrap or placing them in freezer bags. Freeze for up to 1 month.

To reheat, bake them at 350F for 8-10 minutes straight from the freezer. Do not thaw first. Bake until crispy and warm throughout.

More matcha recipes to try

• Matcha Strawberry Cake
• Matcha Cream Puffs (Choux au Craquelin)
• Matcha White Chocolate Cookies
• Matcha Mille Crepe Cake
• No-Bake Matcha Cheesecake with Oreo Crust
• Matcha Cookies

Recipe