My Frangipane Recipe is easy to make and can be used in so many different ways! Perfect as a pie or tart filling, or even in pastries, it adds a creamy and nutty flavor to whatever you pair it with.
If you’ve never made frangipane before, you’ll soon learn just how simple it is. With just a handful of ingredients, you’ll be able to make a decadent and flavorful dessert filling that is sure to impress. It’s amazing as a filling for my almond croissants and my almond plum tartlets. You can add it on top of bread slices to make bostock too.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Use it in a variety of baking projects – almond frangipane is most often used in delicate French and Italian-inspired desserts. There are so many different options — it pairs very well with fresh fruit!
- Simple and straightforward – while this may sound (and taste) fancy, it’s actually very easy to make. Even beginners will be able to easily master this recipe for frangipane.
- Great flavor – creamy, rich, and nutty, the combination of almond with a hint of sweetness is undeniably delicious.
Tools you’ll need
You’ll need the following tools to make my recipe for frangipane:
- A food processor to combine the ingredients with ease. Refer to my tips below for other equipment options!
- A whisk to combine the dry ingredients and to beat the eggs.
Ingredients and substitutions
As always, you’ll find the complete list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the end of this post. Below are some notes and substitution tips:
- Unsalted butter – Adds a richness to the frangipane. Remember to bring your butter to room temperature — it will be easier to cream smoothly with the sugar. You can opt to use salted butter if that’s what you have on hand, just make sure to omit the salt called for separately.
- Granulated sugar – the main purpose is to sweeten. Avoid brown sugar as it would add molasses and overwhelm the natural almond flavor.
- Almond meal or almond flour – The base of this recipe for frangipane. It provides the signature nutty texture and taste. As a note, almond meal and almond flour are not the same. Almond meal is made from whole almonds, including the skin. Almond flour is made from blanched almonds with the skin removed, so it tends to be finer. While different, they can both be used in this recipe interchangeably.
- All-purpose flour – A small amount of flour is added to give the frangipane some structure.
- Eggs – Adds moisture and richness, and helps bind everything together. Eggs also help the frangipane set when baked in pastries.
- Almond extract – To intensify the almond flavor even more. If you prefer a less intense almond flavor, use equal parts almond and good vanilla extract.
- Salt – just a small amount balances out the flavor, I use kosher salt. If you use salted butter, you can skip the salt called for separately. If you use finer salt, like table salt, reduce the amount by half to two thirds.
How to make almond frangipane
The following instructions, step-by-step photos, and tips are here to help you visualize how to make the recipe. You can always skip straight to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
CREAM THE BUTTER
Place the room temperature butter and sugar into a food processor and process until combined. It should be light and fluffy, and pale yellow in color.
COMBINE DRY INGREDIENTS
In a separate bowl, whisk the almond meal, all-purpose flour, and salt together. Add the mixture to the food processor and process again until combined.
Note: If you start with very soft butter, especially in the summer, your mixture may not form crumbs like the photo. You may have a smoother mixture.
BEAT IN THE EGGS
In another separate bowl, gently beat the eggs and almond extract. Add that to the food processor and process for a third time. At this point, your frangipane should be creamy.
Note: If you started with very soft/almost melted butter, your final frangipane will be more runny and not as thick as pictured.
CHILL
Transfer your frangipane to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before using. This will allow the mixture to hydrate properly and thicken up to an easier to pipe mixture, especially if it’s a bit runny from super soft butter.
More baker’s tips
- Equipment options – I usually make this frangipane recipe with a food processor because I make it often for pie/tart filling, so it’s quick to make the pie dough with the food processor then make the frangipane. The food processor is especially useful if you plan to grind whole almonds to make almond meal from scratch. However, you could easily use a stand mixer, electric hand mixer, or simply make it by hand.
- Utilize pulse mode – If you do use a food processor, alternate between short pulses and continuous mode. Pulsing can help mix up the mixture better, and create a finer texture without releasing too much oil from the almonds, which can make your almond frangipane greasy.
- Fun variations – I’ve also experimented with non-traditional frangipane using pistachios and coconut. Both were delicious and just as easy to make. In fact, you can substitute the almond in this frangipane recipe with just about any nut.
Storage
Store almond frangipane in an airtight container to keep it from drying out. It will keep for up to 7 days in the fridge. I recommend letting it come to room temperature before using to make it easier to spread.
You can also make this frangipane recipe ahead of time and freeze for up to 2 months. Remember to let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temp on the counter.
FAQS
Frangipane is a sweet creamy filling typically made with butter, sugar, egg, and almond. It’s typically used as a delicious filling in a variety of pies and tarts, most commonly in French and Italian cuisine.
Frangipane is enriched with butter and whole eggs, whereas almond paste is made with only egg whites and no butter at all. As a note, you can make this frangipane recipe from almond paste by adding butter and egg yolk or a whole egg.
Traditional frangipane is made with almonds. But as I mentioned above, you can make it with almost any type of nut. I’ve already tried this frangipane recipe with pistachio and coconut, and have considered using hazelnuts, walnuts, or pecans next.
Frangipane will puff up when baked due to the air beaten into the butter during creaming, but will have a bit of shrinkage when cooled, this is normal. Because frangipane contains just a small amount of flour, it won’t have a strong gluten network like a cake would, which means the air doesn’t get trapped inside its crumb structure, and hence it will sink a bit.
More almond recipes
- Almond Scones
- Pear Almond Cake
- Almond Shortbread Cookies
- Peach Cobbler with Almond Streusel
- Almond Flour Pancakes
Hungry for more?
Almond Frangipane Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 oz unsalted butter, room temperature, 113 g
- ½ cup granulated sugar, 99 g
- 1 cup almond meal, packed, 120 g
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 33 g
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Add softened butter and sugar to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and blend until combined and fluffy.
- Whisk together almond meal, flour, and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the butter mixture and blend together until crumbs form.
- Lightly beat together the eggs and almond extract in another bowl and add to the food processor. Blend until creamy.
- Transfer the frangipane to a bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour before using.
Notes
- You can use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment instead of a food processor. An electric hand mixer will also work.
- If your butter is really soft to the point of almost melted, your frangipane will turn out runnier. This is okay, it will thicken up in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!This post may contain affiliate links. For more details on how we utilize affiliates, ads, and sponsored content, see our full disclosure policy. Thank you for your continued support, which enables us to keep bringing you delicious recipes, at no extra cost to you.
