Almond croissant meets cinnamon roll in this almond croissant roll recipe. Start with a soft and fluffy dough and roll it with sweet and nutty almond filling. Top rolls while they’re warm with vanilla icing and slivered almonds, and you have a gooey, delicious treat that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, and all of the midnight snacks in between.
Almond Croissant, meet Cinnamon Roll
Is anyone else noticing that almond croissants are having a moment right now? For years, almond croissants have been one of my favorite pastries. I think I order them more than I do regular croissants when I’m at the bakery. I love the frangipane-esque, nutty almond filling paired with the buttery, flaky croissant.
These almond croissant rolls start with a cinnamon roll dough, which is then filled with a sweet almond filling and topped with slivered almonds. They taste just like almond croissants in cinnamon roll form!
Why You’ll Love These Almond Croissant Rolls
- The rolls are sooo soft and fluffy. Scalding the milk before baking allows the yeast to work more effectively, giving you a great rise and extra fluffy roll.
- They have the same great flavor as almond croissants. The gooey almond filling is a perfect match for the sweet roll dough.
- Topped with sliced almonds for more nutty flavor and a bit of crunch.
- This recipe is a lot of fun to make (or at least I think so haha). If you’re looking for a delightful weekend morning activity then give this recipe a try!
Ingredients Needed
Sweet Roll Dough
- All-Purpose Flour: Measure flour with a food scale for the most accurate results. Try to stick with the amount of flour that the recipe calls for and only add a few teaspoons more if needed.
- Whole milk: whole milk will result in the richest, softest rolls.
- Granulated sugar: for sweetness and to activate the yeast
- Active dry yeast: the steps in this recipe are for using active dry yeast and not instant/rapid yeast.
- The recipe calls for 1 tbsp of yeast, which is more than one standard packet ( 2 ¼ tsp) of yeast. Measure yeast out from a jar, otherwise just use one packet.
- Unsalted butter: melted and cooled butter
- One large egg, at room temperature: soak the egg in a bowl of hot water for 5-10 minutes before baking.
- Sea salt: balances out and adds depth to the dough’s flavor
Almond Filling
- Unsalted butter: soften butter to room temperature
- Granulated sugar: for sweetness
- One egg, at room temperature: the egg helps bind the filling together
- Almond extract and vanilla extract: these extracts are essential and give the filling that iconic almond croissant flavor
- Fine almond flour: you can often find this among alternative flours at the grocery store, and it is also sold in a 3 lb bag at Costco.
What is Scalded Milk?
Scalded milk is one of the key ingredients in this recipe. Scalding is a technique that you find in a lot of older bread recipes, and you’ll find me using it in this old fashioned cinnamon rolls recipe. This process used to be as a common practice to kill off bacteria prior to the invention of pasteurization. While we don’t have to worry about this anymore, scalding milk still has a multitude of other benefits when it comes to baking.
Scalded milk is milk that has been heated to right before boiling (around 180 degrees F), and then cooled down. This process weakens the whey proteins, which inhibit yeast from doing its job. Deactivating the whey lets the yeast work better, which means faster proofing, larger volume, and a fluffier dough.
Tips for Success
Here are few tips and tricks to make the best almond croissant rolls:
Use a mixer to knead the dough
This dough will be quite sticky at first, and therefore really hard to work with if you’re trying to knead with your hands. You would have to add a lot of extra flour, which will impact the final texture of the rolls.
Only add more flour to the dough if needed
As mentioned, the sweet roll dough is super sticky when you first start kneading it. After 4-5 minutes, you’ll notice it become smoother and pull more cleanly from the sides of the bowl. This is a good sign that gluten is building up in the dough. If at this point, the dough is still super sticky you can add some more flour, one tsp at a time. The final dough should pull from the sides of the bowl but stick at the bottom. It will feel tacky.
Brush the tops of almond croissant rolls with egg wash
An optional step in this recipe is to brush the tops of the rolls with some egg wash before baking. Although this is optional, it really does help the rolls achieve a glossy, browned top similar to a croissant.
Cool milk down before baking
After scaling the milk, make sure that it cools down to at most 110°F (43°C) before adding the sugar and yeast. Yeast may start dying off once temperatures hit 120°F (49°C), and will fully die at 140°F (60°C). I like to use an instant read thermometer to be extra sure of the temperature. However, if you want to just test with a (clean) finger, the milk should feel just warm to the touch.
Check if dough is proofed properly
How long it takes dough to proof depends on a variety of factors, including the temperature, how much yeast you are using, and the humidity. On average, one hour is a good amount of time for the first proof, but you can also check in before/after that. For example, on a hot summer day I find that I may only need 50 minutes. Take a look at your dough a check if it looks doubled in size. Then, poke the top with your finger. If the dough bounces back quickly, then it is not ready. Properly proofed dough will bounce back slowly.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover rolls in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. They will last up to a week in the fridge though, just make sure to heat them in the microwave before eating.
You can also freeze uncooked, cut rolls. Chill individual rolls on a cookie sheet in the freezer until they are solid, and then store them in a Ziploc bag. Then, you bake then directly from frozen, but will need to add a few minutes to the baking time because of this.
Pin & Save for Later
If you’re interested in making these almond croissant rolls, just browsing around, or not ready to bake yet, no problem! Simply hover over or tap (on mobile) any image in this post (pick your favorite or save the recipe card below), and use the pin icon in the corner to save for later.
Happy baking and hope you LOVE your gooey, fluffy rolls!
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Almond Croissant Rolls
Almond Croissants meet Cinnamon Rolls in these ultra fluffy, gooey, and nutty sweet rolls. Soft dough rolled with almond croissant filling, topped with vanilla icing and sliced almonds.
Ingredients
Sweet Roll Dough
- 1 cup whole milk, scalded and cooled (see notes)
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ⅓ cup (67g) + 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 3½ cups (420g) all purpose flour
- ½ tsp sea salt
Almond Croissant Filling
- 6 tbsp (85g) softened butter
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 cup almond flour
Vanilla Icing
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp milk
- splash of vanilla extract
- 1 large egg - for egg wash (optional)
- ¼ cup sliced almonds, for garnish
Instructions
- Scald and cool the milk. Add milk to a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat while stirring until the edges are simmering, but the milk is not boiling. It should reach around 180°F. Transfer the milk into the bowl of a mixer (make sure it is a heatproof bowl) to let it cool down to 110°F or just warm to the touch.
- Activate the yeast. Whisk 1 tbsp of sugar into the milk. Then, sprinkle yeast on top of the cooled milk and stir it in. Let rest for 5-10 minutes, or until the yeast is super foamy. If this doesn't happen, then start over.
- Make the dough. Whisk the egg, butter, salt and remaining ⅓ cup of sugar into the milk. Fold in half of the flour. Then, while running the mixer with the hook attachment on low speed, add the remaining flour and knead for 6-8 minutes, until the dough is smooth. The dough will be very sticky at first, but become more manageable as the gluten builds up. If the dough seems too moist after 5 minutes of kneading, you can add in more 1 tsp at a time. The end dough will pull from the sides of the bowl but stick at the bottom. It'll be tacky but not completely unmanageable.
- First rise. Cover and let the dough rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Make the filling. While the dough is rising, make the filling. Beat butter, salt, and sugar together in the bowl of a mixer with the paddle attachment until fluffy (~2 minutes). Then, beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond extracts until smooth. Add the almond flour and fold until combined. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Fill and shape the rolls. Once the dough is doubled in size, use your fists to punch it down and transfer it to a well-floured surface. Roll the dough into a 12x16 inch rectangle -- it doesn't have to be perfect. Spread the filling into an even layer on top of the dough. Tightly roll the dough up, jelly roll style, starting with the longer end, pinching to seal it off the log at the end. Use a knife or floss to cut the log into 12 even-sized rolls. Place the rolls into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish (or pan of your choice).
- Second rise and bake. Cover and let the rolls rise again for 30-40 minutes, or until they are visibly puffed up. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the last egg and brush it over the tops of the rolls. You will not use the entire egg. This is optional, but creates lovely golden brown tops. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until golden.
- Icing. Whisk the melted butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together in a bowl to make the icing. Start with adding 1 tbsp of milk and add a bit more if needed to achieve your preferred consistency. Spread the icing on top of warm almond croissant rolls and sprinkle some sliced almonds on top. These are best enjoyed fresh while they're still warm!
Notes
Scalded Milk: Follow the instructions in the recipe to scald milk. Scalding milk allows yeast to work better, which means faster proofing, larger volume, and a fluffier dough. It's a great technique that I highly recommend. If you would prefer to save some time and skip this step, then just use milk that has been warmed to around 110°F.
Almond Flour: Costco is a great place to find almond flour for cheap! You can also often find it in with alternative flours/gluten-free baking sections and at Whole Foods.
How to Check if Dough is Proofed: How long it will take dough to proof depends on so many factors such as how warm your space is. Some days my dough is ready in just 45 minutes, while other days it takes more than one hour. You can check in on your dough by gently pressing a finger into the top. If the dough springs back quickly, it is not ready. If it springs back slowly, then it is properly proofed.
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