Cookbooks
Never Say Never to Dolce
A brand-new collection of 50 approachable homemade desserts – from iconic Cannoli to Dolci al Cucchiaio and more – that proves there’s always room for a little sweetness.
Manuela’s Sweet Temptations
A collection of 50 irresistible dessert recipes, from classic Italian treats to modern favorites—including gluten-free options.
The Complete Italian Cookbook: Essential Regional Cooking of Italy
A collection of 50 irresistible dessert recipes, from classic Italian treats to modern favorites—including gluten-free options.
Flaky Almond Frangipane Puff Pastries
Flaky puff pastry filled with rich almond frangipane, topped with toasted almonds and powdered sugar—easy to make, elegant, and irresistibly delicious.
If you love almond croissants but don’t want to spend hours making laminated dough, these flaky almond frangipane puff pastries are the perfect alternative.
Crispy, buttery, and filled with rich almond cream, they’re everything you could want in a pastry—without the fuss.
Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon treat, they deliver that almond croissant experience with a fraction of the effort. Absolutely everyone will love them!
The Puff Pastry
The beauty of this recipe is that it starts with store-bought puff pastry. You can use refrigerated dough, which is easy to re-roll, or frozen sheets that just need a little thawing before use.
Both work wonderfully, and either way, you’ll save yourself the time and trouble of making puff pastry from scratch.
If needed, roll the puff pastry out into a large 15×10 inch rectangle, about 2–3 mm thin, and cut into six even 5×5-inch (12.5×12.5 cm) squares. You can use a large knife or a pizza cutter for neat edges.
The Almond Filling
The almond frangipane is equally easy to make—you just need to mix together softened butter, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, eggs, and almond flour (or finely ground almonds) until smooth and spreadable.
That’s it! No fancy equipment or techniques required.
The almond extract really amps up the nutty flavor, so while you could skip it, I highly recommend keeping it in. Once the filling is ready, spoon it into a piping bag (no tip needed!) so it’s easy to portion out onto your pastry squares.
Assembling the Pastries
To assemble, brush the edges of the puff pastry squares with egg wash. And pipe the almond frangipane diagonally across the pastry squares, fold two opposite corners toward the center, and press lightly in the middle to seal.
Now brush the top with egg wash, sprinkle with sliced almonds, and bake until puffed and golden.
The result? Gorgeous, bakery-style pastries with crisp, flaky layers and a gooey almond center.
Storage Tips
These almond puff pastries are best on the day they’re baked—when the pastry is still perfectly crisp and flaky.
That said, they also keep well in a closed container at room temperature for 3 days or so The pastry will soften slightly, but the flavor remains irresistible. You can also warm them up right before serving!
Whether you serve them at brunch, as an afternoon treat, or for a cozy weekend breakfast, these almond frangipane puff pastries are a quick and easy way to enjoy that almond croissant flavor—without the extra work.
Ready to try this recipe too?!?
Other Almond Desserts you might like:
- Almond Croissant Cake Bars
- Gluten-Free Almond Ricotta Cake
- Italian Almond Biscotti
- Almond Crumble Bars with Jam
- Torta Caprese (Almond-Chocolate Italian Cake)
- Almond Swirl Pastries
- Italian Almond-Orange Cake
VIDEO RECIPE
Flaky Almond Frangipane Puff Pastries
Flaky puff pastry filled with rich almond frangipane, topped with toasted almonds and powdered sugar—easy to make, elegant, and irresistibly delicious.
Servings:
6
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
25 min
Resting Time
Total Time
40 min
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons (65 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 large eggs, divided
- 2 cups (200 g) almond flour
- 1 large rectangular puff pastry sheet (13 oz / 375 g)
- 1/2 cup (50 g) toasted almond slices
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix with a spatula until smooth and well combined (do not whisk—avoid incorporating too much air).
- Add one whole egg and one egg white (reserve the second yolk for egg wash). Mix until incorporated. Add the almond flour and stir until you have a smooth, thick but spreadable paste. Transfer to a piping bag (no tip needed).
- Unfold the puff pastry, roll if needed to a 10 x 15 inch rectangle. Cut into 6 squares, about 5 inches each side. Beat the reserved egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the edges of each pastry square with this egg wash.
- Pipe the almond frangipane filling diagonally across the center of each square. Fold two opposite corners toward the center, overlapping slightly, so that a little filling still shows at the tips. Brush the tops with more egg wash, then sprinkle with almond slices.
- Place pastries on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 18–22 minutes, or until golden brown and puffed. Check after 15 minutes—move the baking sheet down if browning too quickly, or up if too pale. Cool for 5 minutes, dust with powdered sugar, and serve warm.
