Chocolate Almond Croissants

This recipe for the easiest and most delicious buttery and flakey croissants is just too good to be true! They’re crispy on the outside, filled with the creamiest almond filling, and finished off with the richest chocolate. They taste like they came straight out of a French bakery, dare I say even better!

Now here’s a little back story on these croissants! My favorite pastry ever is an almond croissant, I’ve had an obsession with them for as long as I can remember even as a kid. My sister and I made it our mission to find the best almond croissant when I lived in Orange County, trying a new bakery every weekend! When I moved to the Bay Area, I had Arsicualt bakery saved on my Yelp bookmarks since 2015. It was so far from where my university was and without a car, I never got to go.

After getting married in 2020 and living not too far away, my husband and I finally went to Arsicault bakery and tried out their almond croissant, chocolate almond croissant, and kougin amman. I can’t begin to describe how good that first bite was. It might be the best sweet bite I’ve ever had. I’ve tried so many other croissant places after that and nothing has even come to close. That’s how incredible they are.

When I tell you I made this copycat recipe and told my husband to try it and he said it might be even better than Arsicault, I couldn’t believe it. Now I know technically I cheated by using store-bought croissants but it just goes to show you can fancy up something so simple and turn it into something so incredible yet easy! Plus, almond croissants were invented to recycle day old croissants so I’m just following protocol! Let’s make them.

The Almond Filling

The most important part of this recipe that puts the almond in almond croissant is the filling! You might have also heard the almond filling called frangipane which is basically just a sweet almond-flavored custard or cream that is used most commonly in tarts and croissants. It’s super easy to make from scratch. Here are the ingredients you need:

• almond flour
• granulated white sugar
• salt
• unsalted butter, room temp
• vanilla extract
• almond extract
• large eggs
• heavy cream

Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and beat together using a hand mixer. You can also use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, if you have one. The final consistency should be fluffy, creamy, and thick!

The Simple Syrup

Since these are old croissants, we got to spruce them up and make them soft on the inside. The simple syrup does just that while adding a nutty sweet flavor to the croissants. Here is what you need:

• water
• granulated white sugar
• almond extract

To a small pan or pot over medium heat, add the water, sugar, and almond extract. Bring to a boil so all the sugar is dissolved and then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature so it thickens up.

Assembling and Baking

Once the almond filling and syrup are prepared, it’s time to assemble and bake.

Start by preheating the oven to 350°F. Slice the croissants in half to open up like a book. Soak both sides in the almond syrup. Be generous with it. You can use a pastry brush or just dunk them in the syrup very quickly.

Add the almond filling across the whole inside and add chocolate to taste. You can add much or as little chocolate as you like depending how rich you want the taste to be. I like to add just a little so the primary taste is the almond. Now, fold the croissant shut to close it again. Add a line of almond filling across the top and sprinkle on sliced almonds. Repeat with the rest of the croissants.

Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes until crispy all around. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Finish off with a dusting of powdered sugar to enjoy!

Chocolate Almond Croissants