Pistachio Filled Croissants

5 from 1 vote

Pistachio Filled Croissants are almond croissants' sophisticated cousin. Day old croissants get new life when filled with a simple pistachio cream. They taste like croissants and baklava had one crazy night together and I'm here for it!

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: French

Servings: croissants

Calories: 415kcal

Author: Cynthia Christensen

Equipment

Ingredients

Pistachio syrup

½ cup water
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup roasted pistachios chopped

Pistachio cream filling

1 ¼ cup roasted pistachios
8 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt use ⅛ teaspoon if pistachios are salted
3 large eggs room temperature reserve 1 for the egg wash
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour (optional; see note below)
½ cup roasted pistachios chopped (for the tops)
Powdered sugar for dusting on finished croissants

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make pistachio syrup

Chop ½ cup of roasted pistachios and place in a small saucepan with ½ cup of granulated sugar and ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil and turn down to medium-low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely before straining and storing in a lidded jar.

Make pistachio filling

Add pistachios to a food processor and blend until they resembles coarse sand. Do not over-blend or it will start to turn into pistachio butter.
Using a hand mixer, or by hand, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add in egg and ground pistachios and mix until light and fluffy.

Assemble pistachio filled croissants

Slice croissants in half horizontally and brush both cut sides with pistachio syrup.
Spread cut side of bottom pieces with about 2 tbs of the pistachio cream.
Replace the top half of the croissant and spread a line of another 1-2 tablespoons of cream on top.
Press croissant, top down, in the plate of chopped pistachios, adhering nuts to the cream.
Place finished croissants on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 20 to 25 minutes, or until croissants are golden brown and pistachios are toasted.
Allow to cool for about 15 minutes and then sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Video

Notes

Optional thickener: Because pistachios have such a high fat content, pistachio cream doesn't bake up as dry and fluffy as an almond cream. It has more of the texture of a baklava filling, which I find delicious and cravable. If you want yours to be a thicker texture you can add 4 tablespoons of flour to your pistachio cream and gently fold in.

Pistachio syrup can be made up to a month ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It’s delicious in coffee or as a soak for cakes.

Pistachio cream will keep up to a week in an airtight container in your fridge. Allow it to come to room temperature before trying to spread it on your croissants.

To make spreading the filling easier, transfer it to a piping bag, or zip top bag, snip a corner, and squeeze onto your croissants, then spread with a knife or offset spatula.

Storage: These almond croissants are best eaten on the day they are made, but they can be stored in an airtight container or plastic bag for a day or two.

Reheating: Heat leftover croissants on a sheet pan in a 350°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes.

Freezing: Leftovers can be individually wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to two months. To reheat, thaw frozen croissants overnight in the refrigerator, or for about an hour on the counter. Reheat on a sheet pan in a 350°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes.

Nutrition