Vegan Almond Croissant Bars
If you’re a fan of frangipane, this one’s for you! These almond croissant bars take the classic almond croissant filling and make it the star of the show. Thick, dense, and soft – these dessert bars are perfect for satisfying a sweet tooth.
Flavor Notes
butter | almond | custard
Pairing Suggestions
almond milk latte | slow mornings | cafe ambiance
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About these almond croissant bars
Frangipane lovers only – imagine the filling of an almond croissant, turned into a cookie bar. This recipe makes that classic almond croissant filling into a dessert of its own.
Creamy and soft – these bars may look like fancy blondies, but their texture is identical to almond frangipane. Think thick, dense, creamy and soft. These vegan frangipane bars are unique – truly unlike any dessert bar you’ve experienced before.
High protein – an entire can of beans snuck its way into this recipe, but my testers didn’t notice a thing! Soft cannellini beans add volume, protein, and a luscious creaminess to these vegan almond croissant bars.
Biotin – a relatively uncommon B vitamin when it comes to plant-based dietary sources! Biotin (vitamin B7) can be found in nuts, seeds, and some fruits and vegetables. Almonds and peanuts have particularly high levels of biotin per gram. Thanks to the almonds, just one of these almond croissant bars delivers 24% of your daily biotin needs (7 micrograms of 30).
Ingredients to make vegan almond croissant bars
Almond flour: to create a rich, dense base for these almond croissant bars. Look for blanched, finely ground almond flour (not almond meal). You can find it at Target, Trader Joes, and Whole Foods. Bob’s Red Mill is my personal favorite – pick up a bag on amazon with this link.
Almond butter: this ingredient functions as the butter replacement. It’s also a source of healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. Make your own or purchase premade (see expert tips below).
Applesauce: a high fiber egg replacer for the frangipane filling!
Cannellini beans: not only do these add a creamy, rich texture, they also bulk up the recipe with plenty of protein and fiber. You won’t taste them, promise.
Maple syrup: our sweetener of choice to keep the texture of the base layer of these bars super moist – without using any processed sugars.
Coconut sugar: finely ground coconut sugar replaces processed white sugar in the frangipane layer. Just a couple tablespoons go a long way!
Almond extract: the KEY ingredient in these almond croissant bars! DO NOT SKIP.
Salt: a touch of salt in the frangipane layer and the base layer keeps the flavors balanced. It also works to eliminate any lingering bitterness from the almonds.
Baking soda: reacts with the addition of heat to continue lifting the bars as they bake.
Baking powder: to kickstart the production of CO2 before the bars hit the oven.
Sliced almonds: these almond croissant bars are topped with a layer of sliced almonds – they’re here to add visual appeal and textural contrast.
Powdered sugar: to seal the deal, the bars are topped with a sprinkle of vegan powdered sugar. If you’re avoiding processed sugars, feel free to skip. This final touch really goes a long way – it’s giving french bakery, and sometimes that’s exactly what we need.
Steps to make vegan almond croissant bars
These bars have two distinct layers and are topped with a sprinkle of sliced almonds before baking.
Base layer
- The base layer starts with dry ingredients: you’ll combine the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and almond flour in a large bowl, then make a well in the center of the mixture.
- Make the almond butter if choosing the homemade option. Add about 2 ½ cups of almond flour to a high speed blender and blend on high to incorporate.
- Using a food processor or high speed blender, blend the almond butter together with the cannellini beans. Add these to the center of the well and stir with a spatula to roughly combine.
- Add the maple syrup and almond extract and stir more vigorously to fully incorporate.
Almond frangipane layer
To make the almond frangipane, combine the applesauce, finely ground coconut sugar, and almond butter in a medium bowl. Add the almond extract, stirring to incorporate, then add the almond flour.
Assemble & bake
- Line a square 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
- Add the base layer, using a spatula to even out the top. Add the frangipane on top in dollops, then spread with a spatula to even out. Sprinkle the sliced almonds overtop.
- Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes until the edges are golden. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 30 minutes before topping with powdered sugar.
Expert Tips
Almond Butter
To maintain the light yellow hue reminiscent of almond frangipane, I recommend you make your own almond butter from the blanched almond flour! No extra ingredients required, so long as you have enough almond flour. Store-bought almond butters typically roast the almonds skin-on, which means your frangipane bars will turn out dark brown. If color isn’t a deal-breaker for you, feel free to use your favorite store-bought almond butter. Trader Joe’s creamy almond butter is my go-to!
Finely ground coconut sugar
Most coconut sugar comes in large, gritty granules that won’t dissolve easily in your frangipane. To get that silky-smooth finish and avoid a grainy texture, pulse your coconut sugar in a high-speed blender or spice grinder until powdery. This also helps it blend seamlessly into the frangipane, mimicking the smoothness of traditional powdered sugar but with a richer, caramel-like flavor.
Sliced almonds on top
For an extra toasty, bakery-style finish, gently press the sliced almonds into the top of the frangipane layer before baking. If they start to brown too much during baking, tent the bars with foil for the last 5–10 minutes.
Powdered Sugar Finish
Dusting the bars with powdered sugar just before serving adds a beautiful “French patisserie” vibe. Use a small mesh sieve for a delicate, even layer. If you’re avoiding refined sugar, try a DIY version made by blitzing coconut sugar or maple sugar with a bit of cornstarch.
Serving Suggestion
These bars are best enjoyed slightly warm or at room temp. For ultimate indulgence, try heating one in the toaster oven for a minute, then pairing with a warm almond milk latte or a dollop of coconut yogurt.
FAQs
Recipe Card
Vegan Almond Croissant Bars
Equipment
- 8×8 square baking dish
- Parchment paper
- Food processor or high speed blender
Ingredients
Base layer
- 1 cup almond flour, blanched
- ½ cup almond butter *see notes
- 1 can cannellini beans, no salt added reserve liquids
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 1 ½ tsp almond extract
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
Frangipane Layer
- ½ cup almond flour blanched
- ½ cup almond butter *
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 ½ tsp almond extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
- ¼ cup liquid from canned cannellini beans
Topping
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
Instructions
Base Layer
- ALMOND BUTTER: if making almond butter from scratch (to get that classic golden hue), start by adding 2 ½ to 3 cups of blanched almond flour to a blender. Process on high until it turns into a smooth butter. This may take upwards of 5-8 minutes. Be patient, and pause the blender to scrape down the sides as needed. You need 1 cup of almond butter for this recipe, divided into two half cup portions (½ cup for base and ½ cup for frangipane).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder.
- Add the drained cannellini beans and ½ cup almond butter to a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Add the almond extract and vanilla extract to the wet mixture and pulse a few times to incorporate.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients. Add the maple syrup and wet mixture to the well and fold everything together to fully incorporate.
- Pour the base layer in a parchment paper lined 8×8 baking dish.
Frangipane Layer
- In a medium bowl, add the applesauce, almond extract, and coconut sugar. Whisk to incorporate.
- Add ½ cup of almond butter and whisk vigorously.
- Whisk in ¼ cup reserved water from the can of cannellini beans.
- Fold in the almond flour and salt.
Assemble and Bake
- Drop the frangipane in large dollops overtop the base layer. Spread with a spatula to create an even layer.
- Top with a layer of sliced almonds.
- Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, then increase the heat to 375 and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Dust the tops of the bars with powdered sugar.
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Recommended Products
Caraway Baking Pan
Caraway is a brand that I trust to produce high-quality, non-toxic bakeware.
Sugar Duster
This sugar dusting tool is super fun to use, and it doubles as a flour sifter – we love a multi-purpose product!
Almond Flour
Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flour alternatives (like almond flour) are super consistent and high-quality.
Did you try this recipe? Leave a rating and review – we’d love to hear how you liked it!
Macronutrients
15 g
8 g
231
3 g
19 g
Minerals
*daily values based on the values used on nutrition facts labels as set by FDA (source). These levels are intended to cover the needs of most healthy adults.
