These Almond Croissant Cookies are easy almond flour cookies made with just a few ingredients that deliver a delicious almond croissant flavor. Plus, these cookies are egg-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
As a French person, I love almond croissants. Almond paste, like the one I used in my Vegan Almond Croissant Pastry, is such a decadent treat, sweet, with a touch of bitterness from almond extract that I adore. But I am also a lazy baker, and I don’t have the energy to bake my almond croissant recipe.
So, instead, I created an easy 4-ingredient almond croissant cookie recipe inspired by my 3-ingredient almond shortbread. My goal when creating this recipe was to create an easy cookie recipe that tastes like the almond filling in a traditional almond croissant.
Inspired by my previous recipes, I increased the amount of plant-based butter, decreased syrup, and added almond extract. I also covered the cookies with sliced almonds that were grilled in the oven, and with a dust of powdered sugar, which reminded me of a classic almond croissant topping. Finally, as my mum is diabetic and was visiting me on that day, I also tested the recipe using sugar-free sweeteners and can confirm that these are easy to make low-carb as well.
While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, my cooking tips, and step-by-step shots!
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Almond Croissant Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups Almond Flour - (note 1)
- ¼ cup Maple Syrup - (note 2)
- ½ cup Dairy-Free Butter (Unsalted) - melted (note 3)
Optional
- ½ teaspoon Almond Extract - (note 4)
- 3 tablespoons Sliced Almonds
- 1 dust Powdered sugar - (note 5)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Grease with cooking oil spray. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add almond flour, melted cooled plant-based butter, maple syrup, and almond extract if used. I recommend the extract. It adds a delicious almond flavor like in a bakery-style almond croissant.
- Use a rubber spatula to stir the ingredients together and form a smooth almond paste.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a small cylinder of about 1.5 inches (4cm).
- Place each cylinder on the prepared baking sheet, leaving a thumb of space between each, then use your fingertips to bend each cylinder on its extremities and form a crescent shape.
- Press some sliced almonds on top of each.
- Bake the cookies on the center rack of the oven for 13-15 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until golden brown on the edges.
- Cool down at room temperature for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then cool down on a wire rack for 30 minutes.
- Dust powdered sugar on top before serving to decorate.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Ultra-Fine Almond Flour – You can also use almond meal, but the color and texture will be different. The cookies will be darker and a bit gritty.
- Maple Syrup or any liquid sweetener you love, like agave syrup, coconut nectar or sugar-free maple-flavored syrup.
- Almond Extract – This is the key to adding a rich almond flavor to the cookies, which mimics almond croissant paste. You can skip or use vanilla extract if you don’t have this ingredient at home.
- Plant-Based Butter – Add a buttery flavor to the cookies. You can also use coconut oil, but the coconut flavor will be noticeable.
- Sliced Almonds to decorate – This is optional but I like them to mimic a croissant toppings.
- A dust of powdered sugar or sugar-free powdered allulose.
How To Make Almond Croissant Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Slightly oil the paper with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add almond flour, maple syrup, melted plant-based butter, and almond extract.
- Stir with a silicone spatula until the batter comes together into a paste.
- Oil your hands to grab some of the batter and roll a small cylinder.
- Place the cylinder of cookie dough on the baking sheet, then bend it to form a crescent shape. Pinch the end of each cookie to mimic a croissant. Sprinkle and lightly press some sliced almonds on top of the cookie.
- Repeat this process until you shaped all the cookie dough into cookies.
- The cookies will expand in the oven so leave a thumb space between each cookie.
- Bake the cookies in the center rack for 13 to 15 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until lightly golden brown.
Serving
Serve these cookies for an afternoon snack with anything tea or coffee, it goes so well with almond patisserie.
- A cup of skinny vanilla latte.
- A cup of coffee
- Vegan latte
- A cup of black or green tea
Frequently Asked Questions
The recipe will work but you will miss the buttery taste typical to almond croissants. If you choose coconut oil, I recommend using refined coconut oil, it has no coconut flavor compared to unrefined coconut oil.
The recipe work with almond meal but the cookies are darker in color and a bit gritty.
Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days in the fridge.
You can freeze the cookies in airtight zip-lock bags for up to one month and thaw at room temperature the day before.
its a delicious recipe. quick and simple to make. thank you for the recipe.
My pleasure!
will monkfruit sugar work?
No, you need a liquid sweetener or they won’t firm up.
These we absolutely amazing! they reminded me of eating baked goods in Europe in my childhood. All my friends I shared these with raved about them. one friend said it was the best thing she has ever eaten in her life and gives it a Michelin star. haha! I did use regular organic butter as I just happened to have some I needed to use and I also drizzled with melted organic dark chocolate instead of powdered sugar. other than that I copied to the letter. In my mini air forced oven here in Australian tropics they took only around four mins at 160c, so you do have to watch these closely and adjust to your oven and environment. Also each one weighed around 30g and about 18/20mm high… just to take the guess work for anyone else!
Will be making a big batch of these for Christmas gifts I think! a sure hit! Thanks for the beautiful recipe! Genius!
Thank you so so much for this lovely review!
Could I use regular butter?
Sure!
Regular butter works?
Sure!
Great recipe! And so easy to put together.
My husband is now gluten and dairy free and it’s hard to find good recipes that are quick and easy and delicious.
I did use the almond extract and added slivered almonds before baking. Dusted with powdered sugar after cooled
I used a 2 TBS scoop to divide the dough into the 12 portions.
This recipe is absolutely a keeper. Thank you!
That’s so nice to hear! I am so happy you can bake for your husband using my recipes. Thanks for being here with me.
Is it possible to replace maple syrup with date paste? If so, in what proportion?
Thanks!
It could work, but I didn’t try yet so I can’t recommend on quantities. Date paste won’t bind as well as maple syrup, the texture of the cookies will be very different too.
Sounds good
Hi Carine, love these cookies I’ve made them a few times now, my question is could I add almond paste to the batter?
Thank you! I am pretty sure it will taste amazing, I would probably flatten the dough, add a ball of almond paste and encase in the dough before rolling into a crescent shape. I will add a lovely chewy almond paste filling in the center!
that sounds AMAZING ,thanks Donna and Carine
My pleasure, let me know if you try them.
hi can i use regular butter instead of plant based
Sure!