This Sweet Almond Pastry recipe is buttery, flaky, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious! Serve this braided almond pastry for breakfast or dessert – you can’t go wrong!
Table of Contents
My Favorite Sweet Breakfast Treat
With just a few simple ingredients, this bakery worthy Sweet Almond Pastry is perfectly crisp and flaky with a sweet almond filling. Serve it warm out of the oven dusted with powdered sugar and it’s guaranteed to disappear in seconds!
Many, many moons ago, when Jorge and I were kid-less, we used to sometimes wake up on a Saturday morning and drive to a farmer’s market in St. Pete. It was over an hour away, but they had the most amazing sweet almond filled crescents. I decided to try making my own almond pastries at home, and I have to say, they turned out scrumptious – maaaybe even better than the ones we used to buy at the market!
(Want more almond pastry magic? Try these Almond Stuffed Crescent Rolls – so pretty and so tasty!)
The Ingredients You’ll Need
These pastries look and taste elegant, but to make them, you don’t need anything fancy! It’s all basic grocery store stuff, which makes them easy to whip up anytime. Here’s the list:
- Egg: One large, whole egg for an egg wash.
- Water: Also for the egg wash.
- Almond Paste: For the sweet almond filling.
- Sugar: Regular granulated sugar is fine, or you could use raw sugar.
- Vanilla: Usea good-quality pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
- Puff Pastry: Pre-made puff pastry from the frozen foods section makes this recipe quick and easy.
- Almonds: Sliced almonds for scattering on top.
Is Almond Pastry Filling the Same as Almond Paste?
There are a few different almond products on the market, and it’s not always easy to know which one you’re dealing with! First, there’s almond filling. This is a jammy, soft, spreadable filling mixture that often comes in a can. Then there’s almond paste. It’s much firmer, and is made with roughly half ground almonds and half sugar. Finally, there’s marzipan, which is very similar to almond paste. Marzipan is a bit firmer and sweeter than almond paste, and is technically considered a candy. This recipe uses almond paste, which you can find in most grocery stores as well as online.
Can I Use Crescent Rolls Instead of Puff Pastry?
For some recipes, crescent rolls can be a good substitute for puff pastry. But for these almond pastries, I really recommend using puff pastry and not a substitute. Crescent roll dough will not bake up with the same light, buttery, flaky layers as real puff pastry.
Let’s Make Sweet Almond Pastry!
I promise you will love this easy recipe for my favorite almond filled pastry. Make this for brunch to impress all your friends…while it looks very involved, it only takes about 40 minutes start to finish!
- Get Ready to Bake. First, preheat the oven to 400°F. Get out a baking sheet, and line it with parchment or a silpat baking mat. Then make your egg wash by whisking the egg and water together in a bowl or measuring cup.
- Make the Filling. Next, use a food processor or stand mixer to combine the almond paste, sugar, and vanilla. These should be well-combined and smooth.
- Roll Out the Puff Pastry. Unfold the puff pastry, and lay it on the prepared baking sheet. Roll it gently with a rolling pin so that it’s a bit thinner and larger than it is right out of the box. Not much, just a little bit!
- Cut the Sides. Cut the long sides of the puff pastry at an angle, into one-inch-wide strips. You don’t want to cut all the way across; there should be an uncut area down the middle for spreading the filling.
- Add the Filling. Spread the almond paste filling down the center of the puff pastry.
- Fold the Strips Over the Filling. Fold the strips over the filling, alternating the sides. You should get a pretty “braided” effect from the strips overlapping.
- Add Egg Wash and Almonds. Brush the puff pastry with egg wash, and sprinkle the sliced almonds all over the top.
- Bake! Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, and then lower the heat to 375°F. Continue baking for another 17 – 20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.
- Cool and Serve. Cool your sweet almond pastry on the pan for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Tips for Success
As with any baking recipe, there are a few things you should know ahead of time before you make this. Here are my top tips for the best sweet almond pastry.
- Thaw the Puff Pastry: The best way to thaw puff pastry is in the fridge overnight, so definitely do that if possible. If not, set it out at room temperature, and use it as soon as it’s pliable enough to unfold without cracking. Puff pastry that’s still frozen will crack. Puff pastry that’s too warm will be soggy.
- Almond Paste: The almond paste is what gives this all its flavor – don’t skimp on it!
- Add Chocolate: Also, if you want to add chocolate, I like to spread some homemade nutella on top of the almond mixture before I braid the pastry. It is seriously divine.
Serving Suggestions
My favorite way to serve almond pastry is for brunch, with a few other brunch dishes to fill out the menu and add contrast. These easy brunch ideas would be perfect.
- Eggs: Who can resist a big platter of creamy scrambled eggs? No one in my house, that’s for sure. This tutorial will show you How to Make Scrambled Eggs 4 Different Ways.
- Fruit Salad: No brunch is complete without a pretty fruit salad! This old-fashioned Ambrosia Salad will hit all the right notes, no matter the occasion.
- Coffee: Looking for a special coffee drink? Look no more. Easy Dalgona Coffee is ultra-luxe, but incredibly simple to make
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating
You can store these pastries on the counter in a baggie for 2 days, or in the fridge for a bit longer. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months (make sure to thaw them out in the refrigerator before serving.)
If you would like to warm up the pastries for serving, pop them in the toaster oven or regular oven at 350°F for a few minutes, until heated through. Alternatively, microwave for just a few seconds at a time until they’re warmed up.
Sweet Almond Pastry
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 8 oz almond paste
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together egg and water. Set aside.
- In a food processor (or stand mixer) combine almond paste, sugar and vanilla extract. Until well combined.
- Unfold pastry sheet on prepared baking sheet. Gently roll it with a rolling pin to be a little thinner than it is out of the box – not much, just a little larger.
Follow video above for how to cut, fill and braid pastry. Here are some written directions to help guide you:
- Unfold 1 pastry sheet on prepared pan. Cut slits 1 inch apart from the 2 sides of the pastry rectangle within 1/2 inch of the where the center mixture will go. Arrange the almond paste mixture down the center of the pastry.
- Starting at one end, fold the pastry strips over the almond mixture on a diagonal, alternating sides. Brush the pastry lightly with the egg wash. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds.
- Bake for 10 minutes and then lower heat to 375°F and continue to bake for 17 to 20 minutes — until golden brown. Let cool on pan for 10 minutes, slice and serve.
Notes
- Thaw the Puff Pastry: The best way to thaw puff pastry is in the fridge overnight, so definitely do that if possible. If not, set it out at room temperature, and use it as soon as it’s pliable enough to unfold without cracking. Puff pastry that’s still frozen will crack. Puff pastry that’s too warm will be soggy.
- Almond Paste: The almond paste is what gives this all its flavor – don’t skimp on it!
- Add Chocolate: Also, if you want to add chocolate, I like to spread Nutella on top of the almond mixture before I braid the pastry. It is seriously divine.
Nutrition
Categories:
More Amazing Almond Recipes
- Almond Biscotti
- Almond Amaretto Cookies
- Almond Shortbread Tea Cookies
- White Texas Almond Sheet Cake
- Almond Meltaway Cookies
- Almond Amaretto Cheesecake
- Almond Joy Truffles
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
