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Almond Puff Pastry is a buttery, flaky delight filled with a rich almond center and topped with golden sliced almonds. It’s simple yet elegant—perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a cozy afternoon treat with coffee or tea.
Why You’ll LOVE These Puff Pastries
- Easy & Elegant! They’re easy to make and nobody would guess that they’re super easy to put together. They look like they came from a bakery!
- Great for Any Time of Day! These are the perfect breakfast or brunch pastry, an afternoon treat with a cup of tea, or even dessert (with a dollop of whipped topping or scoop of ice cream)!
- Can Make Ahead of Time! Prep the pastries and pop them into the oven when you want fresh-baked pastries quickly!
Ingredients Needed
- Puff Pastry – I use the box of Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets (so easy and SO good!)
- Butter – I recommend using salted butter for this recipe; it’s a great way to balance the sweet filling.
- Granulated Sugar
- Almond Flour – Almond flour is a fine powder of skinless blanched almonds. I don’t recommend using ground almonds or almond meal as it’s typically much too coarse.
- Egg – You’ll use the yolk in the filling and the egg white in the egg wash.
- Almond Extract – Gives this recipe an extra little boost of flavor!
- Sliced Almonds – You can also use slivered almonds if you prefer.
- Powdered Sugar
How to Make Almond Puff Pastry
First, get the puff pastry out of the freezer to give it a few minutes to thaw.
Make a simple frangipane filling.
The filling is a combination of softened butter, sugar, almond flour, almond extract and an egg yolk. I recommend using a piping bag or resealable baggie as it makes the assembly super easy!
Prepare the Puff Pastry
The puff pastry should be softened a bit (though still frozen in places). Cut the puff pastry sheet into 9 even squares.
Transfer the squares to a lined pan and use as sharp knife to score a smaller square in the pastry. This helps the border rise really nicely and create a nice center for the filling.
Time to Assemble & Bake!
Cut a tip off the corner of the baggie and squeeze the filling onto the center square. It’ll be a fairly thick mound of filling.
Brush some egg wash around the edge of the puff pastry. This will give it a beautiful golden brown color and a little shine. Sprinkle the almonds on top.
Bake the pastry until it’s a nice golden color and the edges are puffed up and flaky. Let cool for a few minutes then sprinkle with powdered sugar.
How to Freeze Almond Puff Pastry (Baked or Unbaked)
- To freeze unbaked pastries, assemble them, place on a baking sheet, and freeze until solid. Transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Bake in a preheated oven straight from frozen. Note that it may take a few extra minutes in the oven due to starting in the frozen state.
- To freeze baked pastries, let them cool completely, then freeze in a single layer. Reheat in a 300°F oven for 5-10 minutes or until warm.
Make a Braid Instead of Individual Pastries
If you prefer to make a braid, go for it! My Raspberry Danish uses that method, so simply follow those instructions and use the almond filling in place of the cream cheese/raspberry fillings. Brush the top of the braid with egg wash then top with the almonds. Please note that this method does take longer to bake through….but it’s just as delicious!!
Frangipane vs Marzipan vs Almond Paste
The recipe for this filling is essentially frangipane (sounds fancy, but it’s extremely easy!). Sometimes it’s confused with marzipan and almond paste, so I thought it would be helpful to include the differences.
- Frangipane: Creamy and smooth filling that’s light and fluffy after baking; sweet and rich.
- Marzipan: Very sweet and nutty; pliable like fondant making it great for decor.
- Almond Paste: Uses ground almonds; course but spreadable and not as sweet.
Other Recipes with Puff Pastry
Almond Puff Pastry
Equipment
- 1 Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 egg white
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove the sheet of puff pastry from the freezer; let it thaw just a bit on the counter while you mix up the almond filling.1 sheet puff pastry
- In a mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, sugar, almond flour, egg yolk, and almond extract.1/4 cup butter, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/2 cup almond flour, 1 egg yolk, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- Spoon the mixture into a resealable baggie and seal the baggie; set aside.
- Place the puff pastry on a clean surface and open to a square.
- Cut the square into 9 even squares and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.
- Using a small sharp knife, score (make a shallow cut) a square into each of the puff pastry squares about 1 centimeter smaller than the outer edges of the square (see photos above) to create a border.
- Cut one corner off the baggie of filling and squeeze the filling into the inner squares of the puff pastry.
- Whisk together the egg white and water; brush onto the outside borders of the puff pastry.1 egg white, 1 teaspoon water
- Sprinkle the pastries with sliced almonds.1/4 cup sliced almonds
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.
- Dust with powdered sugar.powdered sugar
- Serve warm or at room temperature .
Notes
- If unbaked, assemble the pastries and freeze on a baking sheet. Once solid, transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag.
- If baked, let them cool completely, then freeze in a single layer.
Can regular flour be used instead of almond flour?
Hi Tammy – no, I don’t recommend using regular flour. ~Kelsey
These are beyond delicious!!