These delicious keto croissants are made with fathead dough and stuffed with sugar-free almond paste. A wonderful low carb pastry with your morning coffee.
So the other day I posted an updated keto marzipan recipe and mentioned offhand that I had made some delicious almond croissants with it. I had so many requests for the that recipe, I decided I had to get my act together and get it up for you.
So here it is, friends! A delicious keto pastry that goes delightfully with your morning coffee, or your afternoon tea. They were even a hit with my middle child, to my great surprise.
This is a fathead dough pastry based on my Chewy Keto Bagels recipe. I find that dough infinitely useful for treats like this. It’s delicious and it holds its shape better than the typical fathead dough.
It made delightful little keto croissants, I can assure you!
Keto Almond Croissants Inspiration
I have always had a thing for almond filled croissants. I used to get them on occasion from Au Bon Pain, back when I lived in Boston. There was one right near the university where I worked, and I’d hop off the commuter rail, grab a coffee and a croissant, and head to my office.
That tender flaky crust filled with sweet almond paste and topped with sliced almonds and powdered sugar was a special treat. And one that came with a hefty carb punch, to be sure.
Ever since I discovered fathead dough, and all the fun variations of it, I’ve wanted to make some sort of keto croissant recipe. Creating sugar-free almond paste was just the push I needed.
Aren’t croissants hard to make?
Let me be upfront and tell you that these are not the flaky layered croissants you may have had in the past. That’s pretty much impossible without using wheat flour.
So these are much more like keto crescent rolls, rather than true croissants. And a whole sight easier too. Real croissants are an exercise in patience, folding the dough repeatedly and working in the butter.
Not the kind of thing most of us have time for, these days! But trust me, these keto almond croissants provide the flavor you’ve been craving.
How to make Fathead Keto Croissants
This easy keto pastry is perfect for a low carb brunch or snack. Here are my best tips for getting it right:
- Make your keto almond paste ahead of time – it’s super easy to do. You will only need about ⅓ of it for these keto croissants, but you can freeze the rest for another use.
- I recommend using my coconut flour fathead dough. As I mentioned above, it holds its shape better during baking, so it doesn’t spread and flatten as much.
- I found that the best way to get even triangles for croissants was to roll the dough into a 12 inch circle. From there it’s easy to cut into 8 even wedges.
- Roll the almond paste into thin logs and place them at the base of each triangle, then roll the dough tightly around log. You really want to pinch the end to seal it, so that it doesn’t unroll during baking.
- Have the oven heat higher than normal (400F) and turn it down immediately after placing the croissants in the oven. This initial blast of heat helps them rise a little more and brown really nicely.
- Let them cool properly before digging in, as they could burn your mouth.
- These keto croissants will keep for up to a week in the fridge and can be rewarmed in the microwave or toaster oven.
More delicious keto fathead recipes
- Keto Cheese Crackers
- Keto Cinnamon Twists
- The Best Keto Pizza Crust
- Keto Pull Apart Bread
- Keto Fathead Pizza Pockets
- Keto Air Fryer Pretzel Bites
Keto Croissants with Almond Paste
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 2 tablespoon powdered Swerve Sweetener (plus more for dusting the croissants)
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 6 ounces mozzarella
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ recipe keto almond paste
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 tbsp sliced almonds broken up a bit with your fingers
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and line a large baking sheet with a silicone liner. Set an oven baking rack to the 2nd highest position.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sweetener, baking powder, and xanthan gum. Set aside.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the cheese on high in 30 second increments until well melted and almost liquid. Stir in the flour mixture and the egg and knead in the bowl using a rubber spatula.
- Turn out onto the prepared baking sheet and continue to knead together until cohesive. If the dough is sticky, work in another tablespoon or two of coconut flour.
- Cover with a large piece of parchment paper or waxed paper and roll the dough into a 12 inch circle. Use a pizza wheel or large sharp knife to cut into 8 even wedges.
- Break off about 1 ½ tablespoons of the almond paste and roll into a thin log about 3 inches long. Place a the wide end of one wedge and roll the dough up tightly around the almond paste. Pinch the seam to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Place the croissants around the baking sheet and curve the ends to form a crescent shape. Brush with melted butter and press the sliced almonds firmly into the top. Place in the oven on the specified rack and immediately turn the oven down to 350F.
- Bake 18 minutes to 25, until puffed and golden brown. Remove and let cool, then dust with powdered sweetener.
Shelby says
Do you have any suggestions on how to make this into a savory dough for homemade pizza rolls or “pigs in a blanket” with sausage smokies?
Carolyn says
https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/keto-pretzel-bites/
Michelle Martinov says
Ok – first your almond paste recipe was friggin awesome! Only substitute I used was NOW brand monk fruit amaretto in place of the lemons extract and I used like 2 squirts. When I tasted it, it literally brought back memories of me having this as a child just not a keto version.
Then there was the first time I’d ever made fathead dough and that didn’t go well. It wouldn’t knead into much of a dough and rolling it out? Yeah I basically used and baked it to see what would happen. I’ll have to try and figure out why it didn’t work.
Denise Moye says
This is the second batch of keto croissants I made, the first batch being a slightly different recipe and they went completely flat. I put these in the fridge for 5 mins or so beforehand hoping they’d retain their shape, which they did (not sure if that was the refrigeration or the change in recipe?). My question is, the pastry is a little firm, is this because I put them in the fridge prior to baking and would you recommend this to avoid them going completely flat? I know they’re not going to be the exact texture of normal croissants and I was careful not to over handle the dough.
Carolyn says
If they are going flat… you need more flour. I don’t recommend refrigerating them prior to baking.
Denise Moye says
Why would you not recommend refrigerating them prior to baking? What effect might that have?
Carolyn says
Fathead dough become too firm in the fridge.
Ellie says
made these with Lily’s semisweet chocolate chips instead of the almond paste. They are delicious and taste so much like a traditional chocolate croissant, it is amazing! Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
Denise says
love this!!
Marie says
I was skeptical at first, but had to try the recipe!
Of course it doesn’t taste like ‘real full carbs almond croissants’, but it is close enough to the real thing to satisfy me! I eat them cold, and my husband likes to reheat them in the microwave.
I will bake some for a family brunch in a few days!
Carolyn says
Glad it satisfies!
Tam says
I love the low carb recipe but I can’t have dairy. I’m not sure of the purpose of the mozarella here… any thoughts as to how to make this dairy free?
Carolyn says
No, sorry. The purpose of the mozzarella is to create a stretchy, flexible dough. It’s basically my version of fathead dough which doesn’t work without cheese.
Tam says
Thanks for the reply.
I might just try it with a vegan moz.
Fingers crossed
Carolyn says
Let me know how it goes!
Liz says
How do you think these croissants would do we a cream cheese and chicken mixture? If you’ve ever heard of chicken pillows, I’m craving them but trying to think how to turn them keto?
Carolyn says
Sounds delicious! I say go for it!
Amanda says
Can these be frozen? After cooking or before?
Carolyn says
I’ve never tried so I think you will need to experiment.
Crystal says
These keto croissants were incredible. Would definitely recommend! I think I will try them in a savory version too but the sweet version is heavenly.