These Almond Croissant Bars are layered with a shortbread cookie crust, vegan almond frangipane, a cookie crumble, and sliced almonds. It’s everything you love about almond croissants in a sweet, hand-held vegan cookie bar!
I have even more vegan cookie bars to choose from! Check out my Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, my Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars, and my Seven Layer Bars while you’re here.
If I could go to the bakery and treat myself to an almond croissant every day, I totally would! I love a flaky, almond- and powdered sugar-coated croissant stuffed with almond frangipane. It’s like heaven to me.
Luckily, my vegan Almond Croissant Bars have the same magic as the real thing. Just like my Vegan Almond Croissant Cookies, everything that makes an almond croissant so special—the frangipane filling, sliced almonds, and powdered sugar—is put into a hand-held dessert. Putting it all on top of a shortbread cookie crust just takes every bite over the top.
Why you’ll love almond croissant cookie bars
- Bakery-worthy cookie bars – Everything I love about an almond croissant goes into these easy dessert bars, from the almond frangipane to the sliced almond and powdered sugar topping.
- Soft and chewy – I’d compare these bars to a cross between almond croissants and my Vegan Blondies: they’re soft, chewy, and filled with decadent almond flavors.
- Easier than croissants – Yes, you can make vegan almond croissants from scratch (my Vegan Croissant recipe is a great place to start), but these cookie bars are sooo much easier and taste just as good. 🥐
How to make vegan almond croissant bars
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Make the cookie dough: Mix the vegan butter and sugar together in a large bowl until creamy and smooth. Next, mix in the vanilla and almond extracts. Finish by mixing in the flour, baking soda, and salt just until combined.
Make the vegan frangipane: Process the almond frangipane filling ingredients in a food processor until creamy, smooth, and no longer gritty.
To layer the bars:
- Press some cookie dough into the prepared baking pan.
- Spread the frangipane on top of the dough.
- Crumble the remaining dough over the frangipane.
- Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top of the cookie crumble, gently pressing them into the dough.
Bake the croissant bars until the edges are golden and the almonds turn a little darker.
Set the bars aside to cool completely in the pan. After, sprinkle powdered sugar over the top, then slice them into bars. Enjoy!
Cool completely before serving
Once you pull these bars out of the oven, just leave them on the counter until they’re totally cool (30 minutes minimum). This gives the frangipane time to set, which will prevent the bars from falling apart.
Frequently asked questions
Baking on a hot day or in a warm kitchen can make the frangipane loose and soft. Try refrigerating the frangipane for 20 minutes before spreading it over the cookie crust; this should help it firm up a bit.
I only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour, but you should be okay to replace it with a quality gluten-free flour blend instead (both in the cookie crust and frangipane). I like Better Batter, but have also had great results with King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour.
The great thing about these bars is that they can be assembled the night before baking and taste just as good the next day. Layer the cookie dough, frangipane, and crumbled cookie dough in the baking pan as normal, cover it, and refrigerate overnight. Take them out of the fridge a few minutes before baking so they can come down to room temperature first.
Pack the sliced bars into an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 4 days or freeze them for up to 2 months. Just thaw them at room temperature before serving.
Almond Croissant Bars
Ingredients
Cookie Crust
- 1 cup vegan butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Vegan Frangipane
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter softened
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
Topping
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9×9 inch metal baking pan with parchment paper.
- Make the cookie dough: Add the softened vegan butter and sugar to a large bowl. With a stand mixer (using the paddle attachment) or handheld mixer, mix until creamy and smooth. Now add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix until well combined. Add the flour, then sprinkle the baking soda and salt on top of the flour. Mix until just combined and set aside while you make the vegan frangipane.
- Make the frangipane: Add all almond filling ingredients to a food processor and process on high until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides as needed.
- Layer the bars: Press about two-thirds of the cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan. Spread the frangipane on top of the dough in the pan, into an even layer. Crumble the rest of the cookie dough all over the top of the frangipane. Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top of the crumble and press them down a little bit.
- Bake: Bake in the center rack of the oven for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are golden and the almonds on top turn a little darker.
- Cool and serve: Let the bars cool for at least 30 minutes, but better to let them cool completely if you can! Sprinkle with powdered sugar before slicing into bars. Enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten-free: Substitute a gluten-free flour, such as King Arthur’s Measure for Measure or Better Batter.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 or 5 days in a covered container. They can also be frozen.
