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Almond Croissant Pudding Recipe

Marrying the classic almond croissants with bread and butter pudding to make this crispy on the outside and custard like inside almond croissant pudding. It is such deliciously simple dessert recipe to bake up.

I have been seeing almond croissant everything on social media for the last few weeks. It has been going viral online people have made a variety of almond croissant recipes but also gotten creative with them. I have seen almond croissant cookies, almond croissant blondies, almond croissant toasts, almond croissant cinnamon rolls, almond croissant bars etc. I only thought it fitting to make my own take on the classic almond croissant with this almond croissant pudding.

It is a simple dessert recipe you can assemble ahead of time, bake it until golden and just set. It is yummy served warm directly from the oven. There are crunchy almond bits, fluffy almond cream, flakey croissants soaked in a yummy vanilla based egg custard. It is an indulgent treat but worth every single bite and a fantastic recipe to feed a crowd. So before we get into the recipe let us understand more about almond croissants and why they are trending at the moment.

What is a croissant and what is it made of?

A croissant is French puff pastry that is a laminated dough with butter which bakes into a flakey and light pastry. Croissant means crescent as it is shaped into a crescent before proofing and baking. The dough is a yeast leavened product that makes it incredibly soft and tender on the inside and crusty on the outside. Typically all croissants ingredients are flour, yeast, salt, sugar, milk, butter and eggs. However this can vary depending on the bakery making it. 

What are almond croissant made of?

An almond croissant consists of stale croissants and almond cream also known as almond frangipani. The croissants are slit in half, brushed with sugar syrup/simple syrup and stuffed with this almond cream, it is baked with flaked almonds until golden and crispy. Commonly it is served with a dusting of icing sugar. 

What is almond cream?

Almond cream is a classic French staple pastry cream that is made with almond flour, eggs, butter, sugar, almond extract, vanilla and rum (optional). Some recipes call for a small amount of flour and pinch of salt. It is creamy, sweet and very nutty, perfect to bake into tarts, puddings and has multiple uses in patisserie and baked goods. Check out my Galette De Rois recipe for inspiration. 

What is bread and butter pudding?

Bread and butter pudding is a British dessert recipe usually made with stale bread and an egg custard. The recipe preparation can vary based on the type of recipe being made. Some recipes ask for the pudding to be baked in a water bath while others don’t need it. Most of the recipes include raisins soaked in rum or chocolate chips as well. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream, double cream and a dusting of icing sugar. 

What is almond croissant pudding?

Almond croissants soaked in an egg custard and baked until golden. Thats it. We make out almond croissants by getting stale croissants and making our almond cream at home – a simple one bowl and whisk recipe. We then make a simple egg custard and soak these croissants in until most of the custard has been soaked up. Top it with flaked almonds (just like traditional almond croissants would be) and bake until golden. Dust with icing sugar and serve it warm with double cream. 

Why are almond croissants so good?

Almond croissants are delicious because the croissants are soaked in a simple syrup (making sure it is soft and gooey once baked), filled with a rich almond cream that is buttery, nutty and very tasty on its own let alone stuffed into a croissant. More cream is added on top and baked with flaked almonds that give it a superb crunch. They are flakey, sweet, crunchy, soft, gooey and indulgent in every bite. Hence they are YUMMY!

Who invented the almond croissant?

In 1813 August Zang was credited to be the first person to create a croissant however it was only in 1915 that Sylvain Claudius Goy added yeast into a brioche dough and created a laminated dough recipe that was then popularized. However the crescent shape pastry was inspired from the Austrian kipfel which is a butter cookie. There are debates about this inspiration till today about the pastry and cookie. 

Are almond croissants healthy?

I am not someone to say a certain food is healthy or unhealthy. In saying this, almond croissants are not healthy in terms of the fact that it is not filled with good fats etc. they are high in calories too but they are definitely worth enjoying. 

Why are almond croissants viral/trending?

Almond croissants are found in all if not most French bakeries/boulangires. They look fancy and are so delicious, hence when a video on how to make them at home popped up on tiktok, everyone jumped on board. These almonds croissants not only were simple to make, needed no fancy equipment or ingredients yet produced bakery style almond croissants that were perfect in look and taste. Creators on tiktok went one step further and made almond croissant inspired pastries, baked goods and sweet treats. 

What ingredients do you need to make this almond croissant pudding?

To make this almond croissant pudding we ned stale croissants –  have used mini butter croissants but you can use any you can get your hands on. For the almond cream we need butter, castor sugar, eggs, almond flour, salt, corn flour, almond extract, dark rum (which is optional but so yummy). For the egg custard we need eggs, castor sugar, vanilla, milk, cream and salt. I have topped the pudding with flaked almonds (classic almond croissant style) and granulated sugar for that crust once baked. 

What equipment do you need to make this almond croissant pudding?

To make the almond cream we need a bowl and spoon to mix the ingredients together. To make the egg custard we need another bowl and whisk. I have used bread knife to slit the croissants, an 8×8 inch glass dish to bake the pudding in the oven. 

How to make this almond croissant pudding?

Preheat the oven to 180℃. To make the almond cream – In a small mixing bowl add the butter, castor sugar and almond extract. Mix together until smooth. Add the eggs and mix again. Add the dark rum, almond flour, corn flour, salt and baking powder, stir together until smooth. Slit the croissants and add two tablespoons worth of the cream into the croissants and spread a teaspoon worth of the mixture on top of the croissants. Repeat until done, you will have a little mixture remaining, set it aside. To make the egg custard – In a mixing bowl add the egg, sugar, vanilla and whisk until combined. Add the milk, cream and whisk together until smooth. Assemble – In an 8×8 inch tin add the almond cream stuffed croissants and stuff them in snugly. Pour over the egg custard and allow the croissants to soak up the mixture for a minimum of 15 minutes. Generously sprinkle over flaked almonds and granulated sugar. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden and the center is not wobbling. 

Serving and storing this almond croissant pudding?

I love serving this pudding warm with cold heavy cream. A little dustin of icing sugar makes it look even more like a traditional almond croissant. It is delicious with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream as well. If you prefer enjoying this dessert cold – go right ahead! Making for a delicious midnight snack or even better breakfast/brunch sweet treat recipe. The leftovers can be stored in the fridge. I like to let it cool down completely before covering the baking dish with aluminum foil or cling wrap. Transfer to the fridge and it stays for up to 5 days. You can enjoy it cold or warm it in the microwave for 20 seconds before serving with heavy cream. 

Looking for more viral recipes to make?

Now that we have covered how to make this Almond Croissant Pudding, you can have a look at the video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more baking recipe inspiration. 

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.

Almond Croissant Pudding Recipe

Marrying the classic almond croissants with bread and butter pudding to make this crispy on the outside and custard like inside almond croissant pudding. It is such delicious dessert recipe to bake up.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Soaking Time 15 minutes
Course Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Sweet tooth
Cuisine British, French

Equipment

  • Mixing bowls
  • Whisk
  • Spoon
  • 8x8 inch Baking dish
  • Bread knife

Ingredients
  

  • 12 mini butter croissants

For Almond Cream

  • 100 gm butter room temperature
  • 75 gm castor sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 100 gm almond flour
  • 45 gm corn flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp dark rum
  • 2 drops almond extract

For Egg Custard

  • 2 eggs
  • 50 gm castor sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 125 ml milk
  • 75 ml heavy cream
  • Pinch of salt

For The Top

  • 100 gm flaked almonds
  • 45 gm granulated sugar

Serving

  • Heavy cream
  • Icing sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180℃.

To make the almond cream -

  • In a small mixing bowl add the butter, castor sugar and almond extract. Mix together until smooth. Add the eggs and mix again.
  • Add the dark rum, almond flour, corn flour, salt and baking powder, stir together until smooth.
  • Slit the croissants and add two tablespoons worth of the cream into a croissant and spread a teaspoon worth of the mixture on top of the croissant.
  • Repeat the process until done, you will have a little mixture remaining, set it aside.

To make the egg custard -

  • In a mixing bowl add the egg, sugar, vanilla and whisk until combined. Add the milk, cream and whisk together until smooth.

Assemble -

  • In an 8x8 inch tin add the almond cream stuffed croissants and stuff them in snugly.
  • Dollop the extra almond cream into the gaps of the croissants (nothing precise).
  • Pour over the egg custard and allow the croissants to soak up the mixture for a minimum of 15 minutes.
  • Generously sprinkle over flaked almonds and granulated sugar. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is golden and the center is not wobbling.

Notes

  • Stale croissants make the best pudding. You can use 6 large croissants if you don’t have 12 mini ones.
  • For the almond cream you can use regular flour in place of the corn flour and if you have amaretto you can go ahead and add 1 tbsp of it, leave out the almond extract in that case.
  • You assemble the pudding the nigh before, cover and let it soak overnight. The next morning, preheat the oven, remove the cover and bake it until done.
  • Don’t over bake the pudding as it can get a little dry. We want it wet and we don’t want it to split hence when you shake the dish there shouldn’t be a wobble which means the custard is baked through and soaked into the croissants.

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