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Frangipane makes a simple tart shell look like it came from a Parisian patisserie, and it takes about 10 minutes to mix. It is the filling for almond croissants, tarts, and many other traditional French pastries!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
This is a brief summary of the recipe. Jump to the recipe to get the full details.
Jump to RecipePrep Time
10 minutes
Total Time
10 minutes
Servings
6 people
Difficulty
Easy
Calories *
390 kcal per serving
Technique
Cream butter and sugar, emulsify eggs gradually, fold in almond flour and cornstarch, finish with rum
Flavor Profile
Rich, nutty, lightly boozy almond cream with buttery depth
* Based on nutrition panel
I made this for a pear tart and it baked up perfectly golden and custardy. The instructions to add the eggs slowly made all the difference, my frangipane has never been this smooth before. I will never make it any other way. I going to use it for an almond cherry tart next! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Marie
Why This Recipe Works
- Proper fat ratio keeps it light. Equal weights of butter, sugar, almond flour, and eggs produce a filling that is rich but not dense, baking up to a tender, almost custardy crumb rather than a heavy paste.
- Creaming builds structure. Beating the butter and sugar first incorporates air into the base, giving the frangipane lift so it puffs gently around fruit or pastry edges as it bakes.
- It bakes to order. Because frangipane keeps for up to 7 days in the refrigerator unbaked, you can prepare it well in advance and fill tarts or pastries on the day you need them, with no loss of quality.
Table of Contents
Frangipane is a classic French almond custard filling used in almond croissants, tarts, and other traditional pastries. When I first made it in culinary school, I was amazed at how such a beloved filling came together so simply.
I then made a tarte bourdaloue, an experience that brought back vivid memories of my time living in France and reassured me that I made the right call in pursuing pastry as a career. If you plan to use it in a tart, this pairs beautifully with Classic Puff Pastry as the base or Pâte Sablée, you can also use it to make this Fruit Tart Recipe!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Butter: Room temperature butter is the base of the creamed mixture, so it needs to be soft enough to beat with the sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Sugar: Standard granulated sugar works here, creaming into the butter to create the structure that gives frangipane its lift. Do not substitute powdered sugar, which would make the filling too soft.
- Almond flour: This is the ingredient that matters most, and I always use King Arthur’s almond flour. Almond meal produces a coarser, grainier result; blanched almond flour gives you the smooth, tender crumb that makes frangipane worth making. You can also make these almond flour chocolate chip cookies too!
- Eggs: Eggs bind the filling and, when added one at a time, help maintain the emulsion, keeping the batter smooth and uniform rather than splitting into a greasy mess. Use large eggs at room temperature for the cleanest incorporation.
- Cornstarch: A small amount of cornstarch stabilizes the filling as it bakes, helping it set to that just-firm, slightly custardy texture rather than baking through to something dense. It is a scratch bound custard just like this pastry cream recipe.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations on Frangipane
- Change or skip the rum. If you prefer to leave out the alcohol, substitute a small amount of almond extract or pure vanilla extract: almond extract keeps the flavor profile squarely in almond territory, while vanilla softens it toward a more neutral profile. You can also use bourbon, amaretto, or brandy as I do in my Kitchen Confidence Live Session 3!
- Hazelnuts! You can make a hazelnut version using my hazelnut cream recipe!
- Make with almond paste! Head right over to my almond cream with almond paste!
Professional Tips
- Do not rush the creaming step. The butter and sugar need to be pale and genuinely fluffy before you add any eggs. Undercreamed butter produces a dense, flat filling that does not puff the way it should around fruit or pastry edges.
- Add eggs slowly, beating well between additions. Dumping them in all at once is the fastest way to break the emulsion. You want each egg fully absorbed before the next goes in, which is something I cannot stress enough after watching this step get skipped in professional kitchens more times than I can count.
- Keep it refrigerated until you are ready to fill. Frangipane softens quickly at room temperature, and a warm filling can slide or spread unevenly in the shell before it has a chance to set. Filling your tart or pastry with cold frangipane gives you cleaner, more controlled placement every time.
How to Make Frangipane
Frangipane comes together quickly, but the order of additions matters more than most people expect.
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room-temperature butter and sugar together until the mixture is light in color and noticeably fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. The texture should shift from dense and grainy to pale and almost cloud-like, which is what you want to see before moving on. (photos 1 & 2)
Step 2: Add the eggs gradually. With the mixer running on medium-low, add the eggs in three or four separate additions, beating well after each one before adding the next. If the mixture looks curdled or broken between additions, that is completely normal. Keep adding and beating and it will come back together once the almond flour goes in. (photo 3)
Make sure to scrap down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Butter likes to hang out on the bottom of the bowl and not incorporate properly.
Step 3: Mix in the almond flour and cornstarch. Add the almond flour and cornstarch together and mix on medium until fully incorporated and smooth. The cornstarch is doing real work here: it tightens the structure of the frangipane as it bakes, giving you a set, sliceable filling rather than something that oozes.(photo 4 & 5)
Step 4: Add the rum. Pour in the rum and mix until just combined. The batter will be thick, creamy, and spreadable at this point.
Step 5: Use or store the frangipane. This recipe yields about 1 quart, which is the right amount for a 9-inch tart. Spread it directly into your prepared tart shell and bake according to your tart recipe’s instructions, or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 7 days. The frangipane will firm up in the refrigerator, which is completely normal. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before spreading if it feels stiff.
Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip
Frangipane must be baked to be safe to eat. It contains raw eggs and cannot be served unbaked. Use it immediately, or transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 7 days before using.
Recipe FAQs
Frangipane is the filling inside classic French tarts, croissants, and pastries like pithivier. It bakes into a tender, slightly puffed almond layer that works under fruit, inside laminated dough, or as a standalone tart filling. I use it in my [almond cherry tart]. You can use the fruit of your choosing.
Yes. This recipe can be made up to 7 days in advance and kept refrigerated in an airtight container. When you are ready to use it, let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes so it is spreadable again.
No. Frangipane contains raw eggs and must be baked before eating. It is not safe to consume unbaked, regardless of how finished it looks after mixing.
The filling will puff slightly, turn golden on top, and feel set when you press the center lightly. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with just a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, frangipane keeps for up to 7 days. It does not freeze well once made, as the emulsion can break when thawed and the texture becomes grainy after baking.
If you tried this recipe and loved it please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you; your comments make my day!
Frangipane
Ingredients
- 9 tablespoons butter — room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 1/2 large eggs
- 4 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon rum — optional
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs slowly in several additions, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated before adding more.
- Add the almond flour and cornstarch and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Add the rum, if using, and mix until just combined.
- Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. Frangipane must be baked before eating.
Video
Notes
Doneness Cue: The filling will puff slightly, turn golden on top, and feel set when the center is pressed lightly. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with just a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Frangipane does not freeze well once made, as the emulsion can break when thawed and the texture becomes grainy after baking.
Make Ahead: This recipe can be made up to 7 days in advance and kept refrigerated. Let it sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before using so it is spreadable.
Nutrition
Before You Go
If you find yourself making this almond cream on repeat, spooning it into tarts, folding it into pastries, and sneaking it between cake layers, I completely understand. Browse more ideas in Dessert Recipes or these Custard Recipes.
I made this for a pear tart and it baked up perfectly golden and custardy. The instructions to add the eggs slowly made all the difference, my frangipane has never been this smooth before. I will never make it any other way. I going to use it for an almond cherry tart next!
This makes me so happy, a pear tart is such a beautiful use for frangipane! And an almond cherry tart next is a wonderful plan — there is actually a full cherry almond tart recipe on the site waiting for you! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out! ~CLF team
Hi, how would I implement this in to a vanilla cake?
Hi Stephanie! You can use frangipane as a filling or swirl in a vanilla cake. Just remember: the only real thing that you need to know about almond cream is that you have to bake it. So you’ll want to either: swirl it into the cake batter in the pan before baking (keeping it to about ¼ inch thick in any area to ensure it bakes through), or bake it as a separate thin layer and then stack it between cake layers as a filling. (I talk about baking it on its own in another comment).
Don’t overdo it or the structure of the cake might get too soft! Happy baking!
I appreciate this recipe as I am not an intuitive baker but can easily follow well written recipes with success! For those without an excess of pastry cream experience, could you tell us what baking this cream in a water bath looks like for those of us neophytes? 😉. I am wanting to add this to plain day old croissants for a transformation into a gorgeous almond croissant.
Hi Carrie! When baking almond cream in a water bath, the goal is to gently cook the filling to ensure it stays smooth and creamy without browning too quickly.
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Place the almond cream (or frangipane) in a small, oven-safe dish or ramekin, or use your day-old croissants as the base.
3. Set this dish inside a larger roasting pan and fill the outer pan with hot water, about halfway up the sides of the dish with almond cream.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the almond cream is firm to the touch but still slightly jiggly in the center (just like a custard would bake).
A good example of a custard baked in a water bath is my recent Crème Caramel post! Can’t wait to hear how they turn out, I love almond croissants!
This sounds heavenly, and I’d love to make it for Christmas. BUT…right now fresh cherries are not in season.
Do you think that dried Montmorency cherries would work out? Or canned Montmorency cherries, very well drained, would be OK? Thanks!
Hi Andrea! I’m guessing you’re talking about my cherry cookies, which would be a knockout win at Christmas! Yes, you can use Montmorency! Happy baking!
Hi
I hope you can help.
I’m looking for a almond cream recipe to use inside large New York cookies. I was hoping to freeze the almond cream into balls,then place inside the cookies which take only take 14/15 mins to bake. Would this be enough time to bake the almond cream?
Hi May. That is a GREAT idea! That will absolutely work with this recipe. My suggestions are the following: pipe the almond cream (frangipane) into disks and freeze them that way. They will not spread the way cookies do. This will help keep the shape of your cookie and also help the frangipane bake faster. To allow the cream to bake in that allotted time, make sure it isn’t thicker than 1/4 inch. Don’t forget that stuffed cookies take longer to bake than the same sized dough unstuffed. Allow them to cool completely or the almond cream will appear underbaked even when it isn’t. Happy baking! I’m off to try your idea! 😉 ~Lindsey
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Hi, Can it be baked only on a tray lined with baking paper as it is done with meringue to obtain a plate or should it be baked with puff pastry? And for how long should it be baked and at what temperature?
Hi Chiara! You absolutely may bake it without any pastry. May I ask what your end goal is with doing that? Are you going to fold in into something or use it as a filling? I would bake it at 350 degrees F. This will create browned sides and bottoms. If your goal is to use it as a soft filling, then I would bake it in a water bath. Happy baking! Lindsey
I made almond paste with almond cream but which pastry do you bake into. Do you top danish with it? Do you roll a long rectangle dough and put it inside?
Hi Donna! Just to be sure, do you mean you made almond cream with almond paste? I love it! Might I suggest you start with this delicious Cherry Almond Tart to get a feel for it? Happy baking!
Outstanding Almond Cream recipe. So much better than using almond paste. I was thinking of using puff pastry sheet to create an almond cream danish. Quick question: will it work to put together the danish today, then cover it & put in fridge to bake in the morning or should I just do it up today & enjoy it tomorrow?
Hi Steve! Thank you! You can absolutely make it ahead of time, keep it in the fridge (or freezer) and then bake when you want it fresh.