I Tried the Viral “Almond Croissant Cookies” and They’ll Transport You Straight to Paris (I Can’t Stop Baking Them!)

I do love the challenge of making croissants at home, but it is certainly a challenge. Between keeping the dough and the butter cold and all of the rolling and folding, it’s a process — and a lengthy one, at that. So when I heard of this shortcut version of enjoying an almond croissant as a cookie on TikTok, I had to give it a try. Does it satisfy that craving for a croissant when you’re out for an afternoon cup of coffee? I needed to find out.

While there are a bunch of different recipes to make these cookies — a simple search of “almond croissant cookies” on TikTok will show you all the varieties — I decided to go with the most popular recipe/video when you search for this cookie recipe. This Almond Croissant Cookie recipe is from Ryan Nordheimer, a New York City baker and blogger, who uses the clever technique of filling each cookie with a sweet almond center. Here’s how to make it, and if the recipe lives up to all of the TikTok hype.

Get the recipe: Almond Croissant Cookies

Melt unsalted butter in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk in an egg. Then, using a spatula, mix almond flour, sugar, almond extract and rum. Refrigerate the filling while you make the cookie dough.

Melt unsalted butter in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in granulated sugar and powdered sugar until smooth. Add in egg, almond extract, baking soda, and kosher salt until incorporated. Sift in all-purpose flour, then mix the dough with a spatula until all of the flour is incorporated and there are no more dry spots. Pop the bowl in the fridge while the oven preheats and you prepare for baking.

Preheat the oven and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small mixing bowl add sliced almonds.

Once the oven is ready, remove the bowls from the fridge and start preparing the cookies. Scoop the cookie dough, then flatten with clean hands to make a pancake. Scoop a smaller spoonful of the almond filling and place in the center of the flattened cookie dough. Envelope the cookie dough until the filling is covered, then roll with your hands. Dip the cookie dough in the bowl of sliced almonds until the surface is covered, then place on a prepared baking sheet. Do not add more than six to eight cookies per baking sheet — you want them to have enough room. You’ll likely have to bake these in batches.

Bake the cookies for 14 to 16 minutes. Let them rest on the baking sheet for five minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Sprinkle the tops with powdered sugar, then enjoy!

I’m really, really not a big fan of almond-flavored desserts, but these cookies now have a special place in my heart. The almond flavoring isn’t overpowering, and paired with the rum and all of that butter, it’s a delicious treat. The filling also helps to make this cookie pillowy and chewy.

I also found these cookies really easy to put together. Filling the cookies may sound intimidating at first, but the recipe made this incredibly simple. The dough doesn’t stick to your hands, which makes it easy to flatten out and fill, yet sticky enough for those almond slices to stay on while baking.

Topped with powdered sugar, this dessert is the exact kind of thing I want with an afternoon cup of coffee or tea. A great alternative to an almond croissant indeed!

1. Swap the rum with vanilla extract. If you’re not a fan of that rum-almond flavor, you could skip out on using rum in this recipe and opt for a vanilla extract instead. Opt for a one-to-one swap, so use 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Other recipes online also say using a good vanilla paste gives this cookie an even richer taste, so if you have that on hand, that could also be an easy swap.
2. Add an icing drizzle instead. While having powdered sugar on top of these cookies is the closest representation of an almond croissant, not everyone is satisfied with a simple powdered sugar dusting. Instead, whisk together some powdered sugar with a few drops of milk to make an icing, and drizzle that on top instead.

Get the recipe: Almond Croissant Cookies