
Almond Croissant Rolls Recipe with Homemade Frangipane | Small Batch
Almond Croissant-Inspired Rolls with a sweet, creamy almond filling and a fluffy cinnamon roll dough. Made with my favorite frangipane filling, this small batch recipe uses pantry and fridge-friendly ingredients like almond flour, sugar, yeast, butter, eggs, and sliced almonds. Sweet, fluffy, and delicious, all in one easy-to-follow recipe.
Equipment
- 8×8-inch baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Medium microwave safe bowl
- large mixing bowl
- Electric hand mixer or Stand mixer
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons warmed 2% milk
- 1/4 cup super fine sugar (AKA Caster Sugar or Baker's Sugar)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoon bread flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup softened butter
- 1/4 cup warm heavy cream (to be added into the dough)
- 1 large room temperature egg
- 1/4 cup warm heavy cream (to be added on top of dough before baking)
Almond Frangipane filling:
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 teaspoon almond extract (or a little more than a 1/4 tsp.)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg (cold is ok)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 2 tablespoons softened cream cheese
- 1/4 cup softened butter
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds (or as desired)
Instructions
Dough:
- Bloom the yeast: Pour 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons warmed 2% milk, into a microwave-safe bowl and gently warm to just above room temperature, but be careful to not let it get too hot. Add 1/4 cup super fine sugar to the milk and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast to the milk mixture and set aside until it becomes thick and foamy, about 20 minutes. Once the yeast has bloomed add 1 room temperature egg and mix until combined.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk together 1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoon bread flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt until evenly distributed. Add 1/4 cup warmed heavy cream and 1/4 cup softened butter mixing until somewhat combined (about 30-60 seconds if using an electric mixer).
- Combine: Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until a dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. A stand mixer with a dough hook can be helpful here. If the dough feels grainy, continue kneading until it’s smooth and elastic.
- Rise: Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly greased bowl. Cover with a cloth and let it rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes.
Almond Frangipane:
- Cream Together: To a medium bowl add 1 1/2 cups almond flour, 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1/3 teaspoon almond extract (or a little more than a 1/4 tsp.) and 3/4 cup sugar. Mix with an electric mixer or whisk until creamy. Add 1 room temperature egg and mix again until well combined.
- Add flour: Once the mixture is creamy, add 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour and mix into our creamy almond frangipane until fully combined.
Fill & Assemble:
- Prep: Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Then grease with butter.
- Roll Out Dough: Once the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out into a rectangle about 1/4-inch thick using a lightly floured rolling pin.
- Add Filling: Add dollops of the frangipane filling across the rolled-out dough and gently spread it out in an even layer all over the dough.
- Cut & Roll: Cut the dough into four equal strips along the long side of the rectangle. A pizza cutter works great for this but you can also use a knife. Roll each strip into a spiral to form individual almond croissant rolls.
- Rest & Preheat: Carefully place the rolls in the prepared 8×8-inch baking pan, leaving a couple of inches between each roll. Let the rolls rest in the pan while you preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Bake and Frost:
- Bake: Just before baking, pour a 1/4 cup warm heavy cream over the almond croissant rolls, about 1 tablespoon each. Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. As oven temperatures can vary, it's a good idea to check on the rolls starting at around 25-minutes. The rolls will be ready when they look golden brown (see photos below).
- Cream Together: While the rolls are baking, make your frosting. To a medium mixing bowl add 2 tablespoons softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup softened butter, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Whisk together until smooth. You may also use an electric mixer to speed up the process. It's important for the cream cheese and butter to both be softened and at a similar temperature to combine smoothly.
- Add Sugar: Add 1/2 cup powdered sugarand mix until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Be careful to not overbeat the frosting as this can cause the frosting to start to become grainy.
- Frost and Serve: Once the almond croissant rolls are out of the oven allow them to cool slightly and then generously spread the frosting on top. Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Serve warm and enjoy the gooey, almond frangipane goodness!
Notes
These almond croissant rolls may be stored in an airtight container and in the fridge. They’re best served warm, so if you’re making them ahead of time chill them in the fridge without the frosting on top. This way you can warm up the rolls and then add the frosting right before serving.
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I’d love to hear if you make these rolls! Please leave a comment below and tag me on IG @dee_and_sweets.
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Enjoy!




















Can you sub bread flour for 1-1 GF all purpose flour?
Hi Erika. That’s a great question. Though I haven’t tested it, I’ve heard you can use Gluten-Free Bread Flour instead. 1-1 Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour may work, too. Both will likely need small modifications. Here is a guide that may help you through the process:
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/blog/2023/06/13/how-to-substitute-gluten-free-bread-flour-for-regular-flour
I’d love to hear how it turns out for you!
-Dee