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Easy Pumpkin Spice Almond Croissant Recipe

These easy pumpkin spice almond croissants are a festive fall take on an old classic! They are so simple and incredibly delicious, they are a trip to an autumnal Paris, in a pastry and the PERFECT treat for a weekend morning, or really any morning. A flaky croissant, filled with a sweet pumpkin spiced, almond and vanilla paste, crisp on the outside and soft in the middle and topped with more almonds and a final flourishing of icing sugar!

What is an almond croissant made of?

Almond croissants are made with day-old (or older) stale croissants and filled with a paste that is primarily made with ground almonds, butter, sugar, eggs, flour and some vanilla and almond extract. The croissants are also coated in simple syrup before they are baked and voila, almond croissants!

Ingredient Notes

The ingredients that go into this easy pumpkin spice almond croissant recipe

Croissants – of course! We need croissants to make pumpkin spice almond croissants and in this case the more stale the better

Butter – adds so much moisture, fat and flavour

Sugar – provides sweetness and makes the croissants softer

Pumpkin Puree – binds the croissant filling together, adds so much pumpkin flavour and that fabulous orange colour 

Ground Almonds / Almonds Meal – provides so much texture and nutty almond flavour

Flour – adds more density and body to the filling

Vanilla Paste or Extract – adds so much flavour, depth and that classic vanilla smell

Pumpkin Spice – of course! For that classic pumpkin spice flavour and it makes your whole house smell like fall

Almond Paste or Extract – is key to get that classic bakery style almond croissant flavour and works so well with the pumpkin spice flavour

Salt – balances everything out and enhances all of the flavours

Slivered / Flaked Almonds – goes crisp in the oven, adds so much flavour and makes the croissants so pretty!

Water – to make the simple syrup

Icing Sugar – to make the croissants beautiful and add a little more sweetness

Baking with pumpkin puree:

Pumpkin puree can have a lot of added water which can be fine for cakes or breads, but isn’t ideal for baked goods like cookies, brownies, or pastries. The added water can make the bake take longer to cook and make everything a little more cakey and fluffy. 

Here is how you combat that:

1. Blot the pumpkin puree – Place a couple of kitchen towels (paper towels) into a bowl, then add in your pumpkin puree, fold the sides of the towels over top and press gently. The towels will soak up the excess water.
2. Drain the pumpkin puree – Using a muslin cloth or a couple of paper towels, (the paper towels will break very easily, but they are still effective) place the pumpkin puree inside and wring out the excess water. Wringing out your pumpkin will help to preserve the texture of the baked good and keep it from getting too cakey!

Keep in mind that the pumpkin doesn’t need to be bone dry, just the extra water needs to be removed.

How to make Pumpkin Spice Almond Croissants – step by step

1. Make the syrup by boiling together the sugar and water in a saucepan until, all the sugar completely dissolves, then take off the heat and add in vanilla extract and almond paste (extract) 
2. Whisk together the soften butter and sugar till light and fluffy
3. Use some paper towels or a muslin cloth to drain some of the liquid from the pumpkin puree, before adding it into the filling and giving it a good mix. Making sure there are no lumps
4. Add in the pumpkin spice, vanilla, almond paste or extract, ground almonds, salt and flour and mix to fully combine
5. Slice open the croissants and place onto a lined baking tray, cut sides up
6. Brush the cut sides of the croissants generously with the syrup
7. Pipe or spread the pumpkin spice almond filling into the croissants and place on the croissant tops
8. Coat the top of the croissants with the almond syrup using a pastry brush
9. Pipe on some more filling and press on lots of flaked almonds
10. Place in a preheated oven at (180°C / 355°F / gas mark 4) and bake for 12 – 15 minutes until the croissants are golden brown
11. Once baked, sift on some icing sugar and enjoy!

How do you reheat pumpkin spice almond croissants:

I honestly love day old pumpkin spice almond croissants at room temp but, if you want to reheat them here’s how: Place the croissants onto a lined baking tray and place into a preheated oven at (180°C / 360°F / gas mark 4) for about 5 minutes (around 10 mins if they are frozen), making sure to keep a close eye on them as they can very easily burn. Another method would be to use a microwave they won’t be as crisp but they will be warm

NOTE: If you plan to reheat or freeze your croissants don’t top with icing sugar when they first bake, you can add some once they have reheated.

How should you store the pumpkin spice almond croissants? 

These easy pumpkin spice almond croissants are best hot out of the oven, and they stay fresh, buttery, and flaky for up to 3 days, if stored in an airtight container or plastic bag. Or a week if stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

How long do pumpkin spice almond croissants last?

Around 3 days at room temp in an airtight container or plastic bag, a week in the fridge, also in an airtight container or plastic bag and around 3 months in the freezer, in a freezer safe container or plastic bag, if frozen correctly.

Can you freeze these pumpkin spice almond croissants?

Yes! You can freeze them and pop them into the oven for fresh pumpkin spice almond croissants anytime of the year. To freeze, make sure to let the croissants get to room temperature and don’t add any icing sugar on top. Then, simply place them into a freezer safe container or plastic bag and they should last around 3 months.

Can you make pumpkin spice almond croissants without stale croissants?

Yes! Simply slice open the croissants and let them sit out to dry, cut sides up, for 15 minutes and then make the rest of the recipe as instructed. (You can leave them out to dry while you make the syrup and the filling!)

Tips and Tricks – Easy Pumpkin Spice Almond Croissant Recipe

• MAKE SURE – you are using pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling
• Drain, blot or wring out – the pumpkin puree to remove the extra water, this will ensure that the croissants aren’t soggy!
• Use parchment paper –  to line the trays, this will make cleanup easier and ensure that croissants won’t stick
• Store the pumpkin spice almond croissants – in a airtight container or plastic bag and store at room temperature, they should last for about 3 days
• If you don’t have stale croissants – simply slice them open and place them cut side up to dry out for 15 minutes
• If you don’t like that strong almond flavour – simply add less almond extract / paste, or you could even leave it out!
• To fill the croissants – use a piping bag, a food bag, or simply the back of a spoon the spread out the mixture

The recipe video is on my Tik Tok and IG  – please tag me @aceofspoons_ if you make this recipe