Turn everyday store-bought croissants into a café-worthy treat in under 45 minutes. Buttery and packed with homemade pistachio filling, they’re perfect for enjoying with your morning coffee.
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Real Pistachios = Real Flavor
Pistachios are a staple in Middle Eastern kitchens. My goal was to develop a recipe without the multi-day process of making croissant dough yet still achieve a true bakery-quality result.
I wanted a pistachio filling that was rich and flavorful without becoming overly sweet, gritty, or runny. I found that powdered sugar and egg yolk (instead of whole eggs) gave the best texture.
Ingredients
Pro Tip
Day-old croissants are best for being able to keep their shape as well as being able to soak in the simple syrup without becoming soggy, but fresh can be used as well.
Pistachio Croissants
Ingredients
Pistachio Filling
- 6 Store-bought croissants
- 1¾ cups shelled pistachios divided: 1½ cups (212 g) for grinding and ¼ cup (about 35 g) chopped for garnish
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened (226g)
- 1½ cups powdered sugar 180g
- ¼ cup all purpose flour 30g
- 4 large egg yolks about 72 g
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Vanilla Simple Syrup
- ½ cup granulated sugar 100g
- ½ cup water 120g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish: Powdered sugar, optional
Instructions
Make the simple syrup
- In a small saucepan add the sugar and water. Allow to come to a full rolling boil.
- The sugar should dissolve and become clear. Allow to cook no more than 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla extract and allow to cool.
Make the pistachio filling
- Using a food processor, pulse 1 ½ cups of pistachios until finely ground, about the texture of almond flour, approximately 30 seconds. Don’t over-process or the pistachios could release their oils and turn it into paste.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together the finely ground pistachio flour, softened butter, and powdered sugar. Using a gloved hand or wooden spoon mix the softened butter into the pistachios and sugar.
- Add in flour, vanilla extract and salt.
- Combine everything well first, and then add the egg yolks. The filling should be thick like paste, but also be able to spoon spread.
Assembling Croissants
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cut the croissants in half horizontally and lay on the prepared baking sheet.
- Gently brush each half of the croissant’s insides with the vanilla simple syrup. Do not over-saturate. Reserve remaining syrup for garnish.
- Spread the pistachio filling about ¼ inch thick over the bottom half of each croissant. For even distribution, divide the filling among all six croissants before adding any extra filling to a croissant.
- Place the croissant top over the pistachio filling.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pistachio filling is set and reaches 165°F in the center. Insert an instant read thermometer through the side of the croissant into the filling.
- If the croissants start to brown, loosely tent with foil while waiting for the filling to fully cook.
- Once done, take out of the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Brush the remaining simple syrup over the top of the croissant and carefully push the finely chopped pistachios over the top.
- Top with a sprinkle of powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- Keep in mind that croissant sizes can vary.
- If you add more than ¼ inch of the filing it may take longer to bake.
- The recipe can easily be halved to make 3 croissants or doubled to make 12.
- Pistachio croissants are best made and served the same day. However the filling can be made the day before and kept in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Save the egg whites, they can be put into a sealable container and kept in your refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- For best results, slightly day-old croissants are ideal because they can absorb the syrup without making it soggy.
- Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature so it incorporates smoothly into the pistachio filling.
- The finished croissants were very tender and flaky, definitely more of a knife and fork pastry.
Nutrition
How to Make Pistachio Croissants
1- Combine granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a full rolling boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat immediately and stir in vanilla extract. Set aside to cool.
2- Add shelled pistachios into a food processor. Pulse for about 30 seconds until finely ground into a flour like texture. Do not over process. In a medium bowl, mix together the ground pistachio flour, softened butter, and powdered sugar.
3- Add flour, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir until blended. Mix in the 4 large egg yolks last. Stir until a thick, spreadable paste forms.
4- Slice the croissants horizontally, lay top and bottom halves interior-side-up and lightly brush the inside surfaces with the vanilla simple syrup. Divide the pistachio filling evenly among the six bottoms. Place the top half of each croissant back over the filling.
5- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, the croissants are ready when the center filling reaches 165°F (75°C). Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes.
Brush the tops of the baked croissants with the remaining vanilla syrup. Sprinkle or gently press the ¼ cup reserved chopped pistachios onto the sticky tops. Finish with a light dusting of powdered sugar. Serve warm.
Troubleshooting
This usually happens if the pistachios were over-processed in the food processor and started turning into nut butter. To prevent this, pulse in short bursts and stop as soon as a coarse meal forms.
Make sure you use day-old or slightly stale croissants rather than fresh, soft ones. Also, use a pastry brush to lightly coat the pastry, never pour the syrup directly onto the croissant.
The pistachio filling can be prepared one day ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator. Before assembling the croissants, let the filling sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or until soft enough to spread.
While you can, real baked baker/grocery croissants provide the necessary flaky layers and sturdy structure that crescent rolls lack.
Recipe Variations
- Drizzle melted chocolate on top of the croissants.
- Add orange zest to the vanilla simple syrup.
- Add a small amount of almond extract to the filling for a stronger bakery style nut flavor.
- Skip the powdered sugar and finish with just vanilla syrup and chopped pistachios for a less sweet finish.
Storage Instructions
- Storage: Leftover pistachio croissants can be wrapped and stored in your refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Reheat: Reheat in a 300°F oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or until warmed and crisp.
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Della
This is very yummy! my husband lives pistachios.