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Inspired by almond croissants, these easy no-fail almond croissant blondies combine rich, nutty frangipane and sweet, chewy bar cookies for a decadent dessert that has the texture of sugar cookies and the flavor of a classic French pastry.
What the heck is an almond croissant blondie?, you ask. Imagine the rich, buttery, nuttiness of almond croissants paired with the sweet flavor and chewy texture of blondies.
Almond croissant blondies is the brainchild of former Great British Bake Off contestant and Instagram user @crystellepereira, Crystelle shared her recipe on Instagram here. She caramelizes puff pastry and uses that as the base, which is pretty ingenious. Then she adds blondie batter, frangipane, and sliced almonds, and bakes it. It’s the sort of thing that sweet heavenly almond-scented dreams are made of.
But I wanted to make a version that’s even quicker and easier – no puff pastry caramelization required!
In this recipe, we spread frangipane on top of vanilla brown sugar blondie batter, top with a sprinkle of almonds, and pop it in the oven. I use my go-to easy blondie recipe and the quick blender frangipane recipe I’ve been making for years. These blondies couldn’t be easier!
A slightly crisp golden top adorned with crunchy sliced almonds replaces a croissant’s flaky layers. But don’t worry, we get all the buttery sweet vanilla almond notes! A light dusting of powdered sugar completes the vibe.
If you’re in the mood for a classic almond croissant, but don’t live near a fabulous French bakery and aren’t planning a trip to Paris anytime soon (and don’t want to take the time to bake croissants!), this dessert bar recipe is a good option for a quick fix. You can whip up almond croissant cookie bars in well under an hour from start-to-finish, including cleanup time!
What is Frangipane?
Frangipane is a sweet, aromatic almond paste that’s used in a variety of pastries and cakes. You’ve probably used frangipane if you’ve ever made British Bakewell Tarts and French Galette de Rois (also known as Kings’ Cake).
Using the traditional method, frangipane is made of two parts crème d’amande (almond cream) and one part crème pâtissière (pastry cream). Here we make a quick blender version using butter, sugar, almond flour, and egg. It has all the same flavor, but is a lot easier to make.
It turns out frangipane is absolutely delicious baked on top of blondies!
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Blender Frangipane Ingredients
- Unsalted butter – Soften or melt the butter so the frangipane blends well.
- Sugar – We use granulated white sugar as the sweetener here.
- Almond flour – Make sure to use almond flour (not almond meal) here.
- Salt – This enhances the nutty almond notes.
- Egg – Instead of making custard for the pastry cream, we just add an egg to this quick version of frangipane.
- Almond extract and vanilla extract – For intense vanilla almond flavor and aroma.
Blondies Ingredients
- Unsalted butter – For rich, decadent flavor and chewy texture.
- Sugar – We use a mix of granulated white sugar and brown sugar for the perfect sweetness level with notes of molasses and caramel.
- Light brown sugar – Adds flavor notes of caramel and molasses, and helps make these blondies super chewy.
- Egg – Egg is a binder in this recipe, and also helps create the perfect texture.
- Vanilla extract and almond extract – For intense nutty vanilla flavor.
- Flour – We use regular all-purpose flour as the base of these cookie bars.
- Salt – Creates a balanced flavor profile, and enhances the flavor of everything else.
Topping Ingredients
- Sliced almonds – Sliced almonds on top add more nutty flavor as well crunchy texture. And they help us simulate almond croissants!
- Powdered sugar – To make this feel like a fresh-from-the-bakery treat.
Pro Tip: Note that there is no leavening agent in this recipe; that’s not a mistake. For the perfect chewy blondie texture, leave the recipe as-is.
How to Make Almond Croissant Blondies
This simple yet elegant recipe makes a great lunchbox treat, after-school snack, mid-afternoon-pick-me-up, or dessert.
- For the frangipane, add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
- Heat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar in a large microwave-safe bowl in the microwave, or in a double boiler on the stovetop. Once the butter is melted, stir until the sugar is fully dissolved and mixture is thick like caramel (this takes about 2 minutes).
- Stir in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Then stir in the flour and salt, being careful not to over-mix.
- Spread the blondie batter evenly into the bottom of an 8 by 8-inch baking dish lined with parchment paper. Drizzle on the frangipane.
- Sprinkle on the sliced almonds.
- Bake until the outside is golden and the center is puffed, about 30 to 34 minutes in a preheated 350F oven. Be careful not to over-bake! Cool to room temperature, and then dust the top with powdered sugar, cut, and serve.
Storage
You can store these bar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Variations
- I know it’s built into the name, but you aren’t limited to almonds here! You can swap out the almonds for any type of nuts you like. I’ve had success with pecans, and I’m going to try hazelnuts next.
- To make almond frangipane blondies even more decadent, drizzle a little dark chocolate on top after cooling.
Pro Tips
- You can use either blanched or unblanched sliced almonds for this recipe. The only difference is that unblanched sliced almonds don’t have their skins removed.
- For more crunch on top, sprinkle on a little raw sugar before baking.
- The only way you can really mess up blondies is by over-cooking them, so be vigilant. These bar cookies are done baking when they’re light golden along the outside and slightly puffed on top. In my recipe testing, these blondies need to bake for exactly 32 minutes at 350F in an 8 by 8-inch metal pan lined with parchment paper, but I recommend starting to check them at the 30-minute mark. (Also, note that even though the top puffs during baking, it will deflate as it cools.)
- Along the lines of not over-baking blondies, make sure you don’t cut into them before they’re cool! This is because they’re way too gooey in the middle before they have the chance to cool and set. But don’t worry, they will set perfectly if properly baked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! One of the things people love most about blondies is their chewy texture. They’re a touch gooey in the middle when you first pull them out of the oven, but if they were baked properly, they will set perfectly as they cool. Their texture ends up being chewy, soft, and almost fudgy (or a bit gooey) in the center.
This recipe is the best of both worlds: chewy blondies and crispy croissants! It has the gooey texture we all love in the blondie layer underneath, but the top layer of frangipane and sliced almonds crisps up a touch when baked. It’s a lovely combination!
Nope! You can also use a food processor, a stand mixer, or a hand-held electric mixer.
No! This is not a recipe for croissants, and it’s not a recipe using croissants as an ingredient. The name comes from the fact that this cookie bar recipe is inspired by almond croissants.
More Cookie Bar Recipes to Try
- Aussie Crunch (aka Coconut Chocolate Slice)
- Pineapple Bars
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
- Funfetti Blondies
Let’s Connect
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media.
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Almond Croissant Blondies Recipe
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Equipment
- High speed blender or food processor
Ingredients
Frangipane:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 6 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Blondies:
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Topping:
- 6 tablespoons sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar for garnish
Instructions
For the Frangipane:
- Add all ingredients to a blender or food process, and process until smooth.
For the Blondies:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper so it hangs over all 4 sides.
- Heat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar in a large microwave-safe bowl in the microwave, or in a double boiler on the stovetop. Once the butter is melted, stir until the sugar is fully dissolved and mixture is thick like caramel (this takes about 2 minutes). Stir in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Then stir in the flour and salt, being careful not to over-mix.
- Spread the blondie batter evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Drizzle on the frangipane. Sprinkle on the sliced almonds.
- Bake until the outside is golden and the center is puffed, about 30 to 34 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake!
- Cool to room temperature, and then dust the top with powdered sugar, cut, and serve.
Notes
- Storage: You can store these bar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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