Sometimes, you need to bake something extraordinary for your gluten—and dairy-free loved ones or guests but don’t have enough time.
Guess what? Grab a box of Schär puff pastry dough and make a gluten free mini vegan almond croissant.
These heavenly bites are filled with rich almond cream and another layer of almond cream covered with almond slices. They’re perfect for brunches, dessert tables, or a cozy afternoon tea snack.
You can serve them on any occasion, and trust me; this bite-sized dessert will have you or your guests reaching for seconds or thirds—who’s counting?
What You’ll Need For Vegan Almond Croissant
First, let’s have a look at the croissants’ base: the dough. Schär’s frozen puff pastry dough is fine but not perfect (it cracks!), but it doesn’t matter since we’ll fill and cover it with almond cream and almond slices.
It’s vegan, gluten free, and easy to work with. No more hours spent making dough from scratch—all you have to do is thaw, roll, and bake!
Almond Cream or Frangipane?
The heart of any good almond croissant is the almond cream or frangipane. They might seem pretty similar at first glance—both have rich, nutty almond flavors, but frangipane has something added to them.
Almond cream is a smooth blend of dairy-free butter and sugar, vegan double cream (which replaces eggs), and finely ground almonds.
It’s often used as a filling in baked goods like croissants and Danish pastries, where its creamy texture stands out without competing with other flavors.
Frangipane, on the other hand, steps things up a notch. It includes all the components of almond cream plus the pastry cream. The added custard gives frangipane a softer texture once baked, making it the go-to choice for filling desserts like tarts and galettes.
Mix 20% of the vegan pastry cream with the almond cream if you use frangipane.
Substitution Table
| Original Ingredients | Substitute With |
|---|---|
| All Purpose GF flour | Rice Flour, fine |
| Surewhip Heavy Whipping Cream, DF/GF | Alpro whipping cream, DF/GF |
| Naturli Vegan Block | Violife Vegan Butter, Flora+ Vegan Butter |
Steps to Make Mini Vegan Almond Croissants
STEP 1 – Making the Almond Cream
- Cream the vegan butter and sugar using an electric mixer in a bowl.
- Add the heavy cream in two batches, making sure the cream is absorbed before adding the other half. Mix until the mixture is smooth.
- Incorporate the almond powder and gluten free flour at low speed or with a spatula until well combined.
STEP 2 – Assembling & Baking the Mini Vegan Almond
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Roll out the vegan puff pastry dough on a lightly floured surface or baking paper. Cut the dough roll into six long triangles—think mini croissant size.
- Roll up each triangle from the wide end to the tip to form the mini croissants. Place the mini croissants on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, then bake for 12-15 minutes until golden. Let them cool.
- Make the vanilla syrup by boiling the water, sugar, and vanilla powder or extract.
- Using a serrated knife, cut the croissants open lengthwise. Brush or dip them with lukewarm vanilla syrup, then let them drain for a few minutes on a rack.
- Transfer the almond cream into a piping bag. Fill the croissants with one tablespoon of almond cream in the middle.
- Pipe about a tablespoon of almond cream on top of the filled mini croissants, then press the piped almond cream onto the sliced almonds or almond flakes.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the almonds are golden and crispy.
Mini Gluten Free Vegan Almond Croissant
Ingredients
- 2 rolls Schar puff pastry (250 g per roll) gluten free and vegan
- 100 g almond flakes/slivers
- powdered sugar, as needed for dusting
Almond Cream
- 100 g dairy free butter softened
- 100 g sugar
- 3 g salt
- 100 g almonds flour
- 20 g gluten free flour
- 50 g dairy free double cream or heavy/whipping cream
- 10 g vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod optional
Vanilla Syrup
- 100 g water
- 50 g sugar
- 10 g vanilla extract
Instructions
- For almond croissant using ready-made gluten free croissants, check out the recipe for Gluten Free Almond Croissant With Berry Jam
Almond Cream
- First, cream the vegan butter, salt, and sugar in a bowl using an electric mixer.
- Next, add the double cream in two batches, ensuring that the cream is fully absorbed before adding the second half. Mix until the mixture is smooth.
- Finally, at a low speed or using a spatula, blend in the almond powder and gluten free flour until well combined.
Vanilla Syrup
- Boil the water with the sugar then add the vanilla. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, remove it from the heat and set it aside.
Assembling & Baking the Mini Vegan Almond Croissants
- Preheat the oven to 375°F 190°C.
- Roll out the vegan puff pastry dough on a lightly floured surface or baking paper. Cut the dough roll into six long triangles.
- Roll up each triangle from the wide end to the tip to form the mini croissants. Place the mini croissants on a baking tray lined with parchment paper then bake for 12-15 minutes until golden. Let them cool.
- Using a serrated knife cut the croissants open lengthwise. Brush or dip them with lukewarm vanilla syrup, then let them drain for a few minutes on a rack.
- Transfer the almond cream into a piping bag. Fill the croissants with one tablespoon of almond cream in the middle.
- Pipe about a tablespoon of almond cream on top of the filled mini croissants then press the piped almond cream onto the sliced almonds or almond flakes.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F 190°C for 12-15 minutes or until the almonds are golden and crispy. Let cool then sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
2 thoughts on “Mini Gluten Free Vegan Almond Croissant”
these croissants are vEeeery delicious! And these are even easier and faster to cook with this ready-made dough. I love all his pastry so very much!!!
Thanks, Oleh! 😎