These gluten free puff pastry almond “croissants” combine a perfectly flaky, buttery homemade gluten free puff pastry with a rich and gooey almond frangipane filling. They’re super easy to make and they’re a great way of getting that almond croissant experience with much less effort and even if you can’t eat gluten. And you really can’t tell that these are gluten free, absolutely everyone will love them!
I’ve been seeing almond croissants EVERYWHERE lately. And I know I’ve been promising you a recipe for gluten free croissants for way too long now… but, unfortunately, you’ll have to wait a bit longer for it because croissants (especially gluten free ones) are tricky and I simply don’t want to share a mediocre recipe with you. (But don’t worry, I am still working on it!)
That said, I really wanted something flaky and buttery and absolutely over-stuffed with gooey almond frangipane. So, here’s the next best thing: gluten free puff pastry almond “croissants” (or “not-croissants”, more accurately).
These use my go-to, 100% fail-proof gluten free puff pastry, and they turn out perfectly flaky, shatter-y and buttery every single time. The almond frangipane filling is simply DIVINE. And, importantly, you’d never know that they’re gluten free, absolutely everyone will go crazy over them!
So, okay, they’re not actually *proper* croissants… but they definitely satisfy that almond croissant craving and they taste absolutely incredible. What’s more, they’re also much easier to make than actual croissants, which is another win in my book.
For this recipe, I was actually inspired by the brilliant Joy the Baker who shared something similar a while back – as soon as I saw her recipe, I just knew that a gluten free version had to happen ASAP, and it definitely didn’t disappoint.
Before we get to the bits and bobs of making these AMAZING almond “croissants” – if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest recipes and tips!
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Note: the whole recipe, including the ingredient quantities, can be found at the bottom of this page – just scroll down to the bottom, or click the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of this post.
The fail-proof gluten free puff pastry
This recipe uses my go-to gluten free puff pastry – it’s super quick and easy to prepare (so it’s suitable even for baking beginners) and it puffs up beautifully in the oven. It’s flaky and buttery and it works incredibly well in these puff pastry “croissants”.
You can read more about it here – the puff pastry blog post also includes detailed step-by-step photos and helpful tips to help you along.
The recipe makes a 500g (a bit over 1lb) block of puff pastry, and that’s just enough to make nine generous gluten free puff pastry almond “croissants”.
And just look at how flaky and puffy the pastry is!!! (The photo below shows the gluten free puff pastry baked on its own, without any filling.)
The almond frangipane filling
The almond frangipane is equally easy to make: you just need to mix together softened butter, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, an egg, almond flour (or finely ground almonds) and salt until you get a smooth, spreadable paste. That’s it!
The almond extract really amps up the almond flavour – so, while it is *technically* an optional ingredient, I definitely recommend adding it.
How to make gluten free puff pastry almond “croissants”
To assemble the gluten free puff pastry almond “croissants”, you need to roll out the gluten free puff pastry into an 15×15-inch (38x38cm) square about 2-3mm thin (just under ⅛ inch). Then, divide it into nine equal 5×5-inch (12.5×12.5cm) squares – I usually use a pizza cutter for this, but a sharp knife works too.
Egg wash the edges of the pastry squares and dollop or pipe some of the almond frangipane in the centre of each pastry (see the photo below). You should use up all of the almond frangipane. Make sure to keep the frangipane concentrated towards the centre of the pastry, otherwise it can leak a bit during baking.
Fold two diagonal corners of the pastry toward the centre so that they mostly cover the frangipane filling, with a small amount peeking out at the ends (see the photo below). Press them down gently to stick them to the frangipane filling.
Then, transfer the assembled “croissants” to a lined large baking sheet, egg wash the tops of the folded-over pastry, sprinkle generously with flaked almonds and bake at 400ºF (200ºC) for 18-20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown, crisp, flaky and puffed up.
The flaked almonds will get nicely crisp and toasted in the oven, and the almond frangipane will also get caramelised, especially at the ends where it peeks out of the pastry.
Finally, I like to generously dust them with powdered/icing sugar before serving – just like you would your standard almond croissant.
And there you have it: this covers everything you need to know about these AMAZING gluten free puff pastry almond “croissants”. I’m absolutely IN LOVE with these – they’re just pure flaky, buttery, almondy perfection and I simply can’t get enough of them. And they’re so easy to make!!!
I really hope you’ll love them as much as I do.
Happy baking!
More gluten free pastry recipes
If you’re looking for more amazing gluten free pastries and basic pastry recipes, you’re definitely in the right place!
- Extra Flaky All-Butter Gluten Free Pie Crust
- Homemade Gluten Free Filo Pastry (Phyllo Dough)
- Easy Gluten Free Apple Turnovers
- Gluten Free Double Chocolate Paris-Brest (Choux Pastry)
- Gluten Free Danish Pastry (Pain aux Raisins)
- Gluten Free Savoury Pumpkin Flaky Pastries
If you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest recipes and tips!
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The book that will teach you how to make ANY recipe gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free or vegan (and still taste spectacular)
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The book that will teach you how to make ANY recipe gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free or vegan
Gluten Free Puff Pastry Almond “Croissants”
These gluten free puff pastry almond “croissants” combine a perfectly flaky, buttery homemade gluten free puff pastry with a rich and gooey almond frangipane filling. They’re super easy to make and they’re a great way of getting that almond croissant experience with much less effort and even if you can’t eat gluten. And you really can’t tell that these are gluten free, absolutely everyone will love them!
Note that the prep time below *does not* include the preparation of the gluten free puff pastry.
Print Rate SAVE
5 from 6 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook/Bake Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 50 minutes mins
Servings 9
Author Kat | The Loopy Whisk
Ingredients
- 1 batch homemade gluten free puff pastry (The recipe makes a 500g/about 1lb block of puff pastry, you'll need the full amount for these puff pastry "croissants".)
Almond frangipane filling:
- 70 g (½ stick + 1 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 100 g (½ cup) caster/superfine or granulated sugar (For a slightly sweeter almond frangipane filling, you can increase the sugar to 125g or ½ cup + 2 tablespoons.)
- ½ tsp vanilla bean paste (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- ¼ tsp almond extract (optional but recommended)
- 1 US large/UK medium egg, room temperature
- 150 g (1½ cups) almond flour or finely ground almonds
- ¼ tsp salt
You'll also need:
- 1 US large/UK medium egg, whisked (for egg wash)
- 60 g (⅔ cup) flaked almonds
- 1-2 tbsp powdered/icing sugar, for dusting the baked puff pastry almond "croissants"
Instructions
Gluten free puff pastry:
Prepare the gluten free puff pastry as per the recipe.
You can prepare the puff pastry in advance and then keep it either in the fridge (for up to 1 week) or in the freezer (for up to 1 month).
If you've kept the puff pastry in the freezer, give it enough time to thaw (either at room temperature or in the fridge overnight) before you start assembling the puff pastry "croissants".
Almond frangipane filling:
In a bowl, mix together the softened butter, sugar, vanilla and almond extract (if using) with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula until well combined and smooth. Don't cream or whisk the mixture, you don't want to incorporate too much air into it.
Add the egg and mix until well combined.
Add the almond flour (or ground almonds) and salt, and mix well until you get a smooth mixture with a thick, spreadable, paste-like consistency. Set aside until needed.
Assembling the puff pastry almond "croissants":
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position, pre-heat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and line two large baking sheets with parchment/baking paper.
Before you start rolling out the gluten free puff pastry, make sure that it's not too cold and therefore too hard, otherwise it could crack as you roll it out.
It should be pliable and malleable enough so that you can easily roll it out. If you press down on it with a finger, it should leave an indentation – but it should feel firm, not too soft to the touch.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the gluten free puff pastry into a large 15x15-inch (38x38cm) square. The pastry should be about 2-3mm thin (just under ⅛ inch).
Divide the pastry into nine 5x5-inch (12.5x12.5cm) squares; I usually use a pizza cutter for this, but a sharp knife works too.
Egg wash the edges of the pastry squares and dollop or pipe some of the almond frangipane in the centre of each pastry. (You should use up all of the almond frangipane filling.)
Make sure to keep the frangipane concentrated towards the centre of the pastry, otherwise it can leak a bit during baking.
Fold two diagonal corners of the pastry squares toward the centre so that they mostly cover the frangipane filling, with a small amount peeking out at the ends (see blog post for photos).
Transfer the assembled “croissants” to the lined baking sheets, egg wash the tops of the folded-over pastry and sprinkle them generously with flaked almonds.
Baking the puff pastry "croissants":
Bake, one baking sheet at a time, at 400ºF (200ºC) for 18-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown, crisp, flaky and puffed up. The flaked almonds will get nicely crisp and toasted in the oven, and the almond frangipane will also get caramelised, especially at the ends where it peeks out of the pastry.
While the first baking sheet is in the oven, keep the other one in the fridge until it's ready to be baked.
Transfer the baked puff pastry almond "croissants" from the baking sheet onto a wire rack to cool. You can serve them either warm or at room temperature, dusted generously with powdered/icing sugar.
Storage:
The puff pastry almond "croissants" are at their very best on the day of baking (that’s when the pastry will be perfectly crisp, so that it shatters beautifully when you bite into it) but they keep well in a closed container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
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