Carrot cake almond croissants with a spiced carrot cake almond frangipane and a vanilla bean cream cheese whipped cream.
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carrot cake almond croissants
Hello hello! Today I’m here with carrot cake almond croissants aka the perfect spring twist on almond croissants. They’re made with your standard super delicious almond frangipane that you can find in regular almond croissants, buuut they’re spiced up with a bit of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and grated carrot, just like your typical delicious carrot cake is. They’re also topped off with a light and creamy vanilla bean cream cheese whipped cream to really amp up the carrot cake flavor.
So let’s get into it! ☺︎
why you’ll love these carrot cake croissants
- You don’t need to make your own croissants. Respect to everyone who has mastered the art of making croissants, and takes the time to make them – but these would not be easy if we were making our own croissants. Simply buy some pre-made croissants from the grocery store and you’re well on your way to making these!
- They have a very generous amount of filling. They’re jam-packed with perfectly spiced carrot cake almond frangipane.
expert baking tips
Weigh your ingredients:
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
A note on oven temperature:
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and might not always actually be at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
ingredients for carrot cake almond croissants:
- Store-bought croissants: no need to make your own (but massive props if you do!), just buy some big croissants from the bakery section at the grocery store. You could also buy the mini croissants to make 8 crookies.
carrot cake Frangipane:
- Unsalted butter: for texture and flavor. You can also use salted butter here, just be sure to omit the extra salt that gets added.
- Light brown sugar: for sweetening the frangipane, and for flavor. In a pinch you can use granulated sugar here, or you could use dark brown sugar for a deeper molasses flavor.
- Egg: helps to bind the frangipane mixture together.
- Vanilla extract: for flavor – extract or vanilla bean paste will work here. Maple extract would also be delish here!
- Carrot: you’ll need ~1 medium fresh carrot for grating here.
- Almond flour: the base of the frangipane.
- All-purpose flour: we’ll use all purpose flour to thicken up the frangipane so that it doesn’t spread too much while baking.
- Salt: balances and brings out the flavor and sweetness of the filling.
- Ground cinnamon, ginger & cloves: your classic carrot cake spices. In a pinch, you can substitute out the ginger and cloves for more cinnamon.
- Sliced almonds: for sprinkling on top of the croissants.
cream cheese whipped cream:
- Cream cheese: the base of the frosting.
- Granulated sugar: for a touch of sweetness.
- Vanilla bean paste: or vanilla extract, for flavor. I prefer vanilla bean paste because you get to see the little vanilla speckles in the frosting!
- Heavy whipping cream: makes the frosting light and airy.
how to make carrot cake almond croissants:
Here are the steps to follow to make these croissants. You can find the complete recipe at the end of this blog post.
- Make the carrot cake almond frangipane.
- Spread the frangipane over the croissants.
- Top with more frangipane and almonds, then bake.
- Make the cream cheese whipped cream, pipe it on to the croissants, then serve and enjoy!
carrot cake almond croissant recipe q&a
can I double this recipe?
Definitely – just please be sure to use grams for the best results. You could also use mini croissants to make 8 small ones instead of 4 large ones.
can I make these ahead of time?
You can make the frangipane the night before baking these off and keep it stored in the fridge until you’re ready to use it, just be sure to leave it out at room temperature for ~30 minutes before assembling the croissants so that you can pipe it / spread it easily.
How to store croissants
Store the unfrosted croissants in an airtight container at room temperature and keep the cream cheese whipped cream stored separately in an airtight container in the fridge. They will taste the best the day that they are baked, but will keep for a day or two.
tools and ingredients:
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
other recipes you might enjoy:
did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see and know your thoughts! please leave a comment and review below, and tag me on instagram @freshbeanbakery. #freshbeanbakery
Carrot Cake Almond Croissants
Ingredients
Carrot Cake Frangipane
- 50 g carrots finely shredded (½ c.)
- 56 g unsalted butter room temperature (¼ c.)
- 75 g granulated sugar (¼ c. + 2 tbsp.)
- 1 egg room temperature
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- 120 g almond flour (1 c.)
- 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- ¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. ground ginger
- ⅛ tsp. ground cloves
- 40 g sliced almonds (½ c.)
- 4 large croissants
Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
- 110 g cream cheese room temperature (½ c.)
- 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
- 120 g heavy whipping cream (4 oz.)
Instructions
Frangipane
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/ 190°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Wash, peel, and finely grate a carrot. Measure out 50g of grated carrot and set it aside.
- With a hand or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy, then beat in the egg, grated carrot, and almond extract until well combined.
- Add in the almond flour, all-purpose flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves and mix just until the last streak of flour disappears.
Assembly
- Slice open each croissant lengthwise, leaving it slightly attached at the end.
- Transfer the frangipane to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (for easy distribution, optional). Pipe a generous amount of frangipane into an even layer on to one side of each croissant. Be sure to reserve a small amount of frangipane for the top of each croissant.
- Fold the top half back on top of the croissants, then pipe a line of frangipane on top of each croissant. Use a knife to slightly spread out the frangipane on top.
- Press the sliced almonds onto the frangipane on top of each croissant.
- Bake the croissants for 10-15 minutes or until the frangipane starts to turn golden brown.
Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
- Once the croissants cool to room temperature, make the whipped cream. Add the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to beat the mixture on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, until no clumps remain.
- While beating, slowly stream in the heavy whipping cream. Continue to beat until soft peaks form.
- Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag and pipe the cream on to each croissant. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made.
