What can\u2019t\u00a0<\/em>frangipane<\/a> do? This spreadable gold \u2014 made by simply stirring together softened butter, egg, almond flour<\/a>, all-purpose flour, sugar, and almond extract<\/a> \u2014 adds a nutty, aromatic layer of sweetness to everything it touches. Frangipane is what makes an almond croissant an almond croissant, but you can also swirl it into these easy raspberry jam bars<\/a> or slather it on a piece of brioche and top it with berries for this elegant version of bostock<\/a>. But while almond is the most classic version of frangipane, it\u2019s hardly the only one; lots of spectacular variations exist.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n Photography by Patrick Marinello; food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova<\/p>\n<\/div> You can swap out the almond flour for a different type of nut (which can be easily pulsed in a food processor to make meal) \u2014\u202f<\/span>think hazelnuts<\/a>, walnuts<\/a>, pistachios<\/a> \u2014 and omit the almond extract. Vanilla<\/a> extract can be used in place of almond; rose water<\/a> is especially fitting with pistachio. At New York\u2019s Librae Bakery, this particular combination is one of their most popular croissant offerings<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Cookbook author Nicola Lamb<\/a> is a fan of using toasted hazelnuts, but she also boosts her frangipane with other creative flavors spins, like adding brown butter in place of softened butter or a dollop of miso and chopped white chocolate<\/a> for a salty-sweet umami hit. \u00a0<\/p>\n Similarly, you can swap out nuts for sesame seeds for a more unexpected, savory twist. Black sesame seeds offer a striking visual, as seen in Rachel Lo of @rachel_loaf\u2019s recipe where she pairs black sesame frangipane with juicy loquats in a tart that she refers to as a \u201cgrown up version of a dirt cup,\u201d<\/a> or Paige Nickless of @fremecraiche\u2019s version with passionfruit coconut curd swaddled in puff pastry<\/a>.\u00a0You can even use wheat bran in what celebrated Maine bakery Night Moves charmingly calls “brangipane<\/a>“.\u00a0<\/p>\n And some bakers are ditching the nuts entirely and pushing the boundaries of what frangipane can be. In Hailee Catalano’s latest cookbook By Heart,<\/em> her Blueberry Pretzel Galette with Cream Cheese Whip<\/a> is made with \u201cpretzel-pane,\u201d which uses crushed-up pretzels to mimic the texture of almond flour. Spread across the bottom of the galette crust, this clever riff on frangipane imparts a sweet-salty bite that\u2019s a nostalgic ode to Midwestern strawberry pretzel salad.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n Photography by Rick Holbrook; food styling by Kaitlin Wayne<\/p>\n<\/div> You can also give your frangipane a fruity twist, as seen in our Frangipane and Fruit-Filled Wool Rolls<\/a>, by mixing in orange zest, orange blossom water<\/a>, cardamom<\/a>, and orange jammy bits<\/a>. Or, add a few spoonfuls of raspberry preserves, raspberry jammy bits<\/a>, and orange zest.\u00a0<\/p>\n Taking inspiration from these pandan-almond croissants<\/a> from San Francisco bakery Hanabi, I recently riffed on our basic frangipane recipe<\/a> and simply swapped out the almond extract for pandan<\/a> extract to impart a grassy tropical flavor and brilliant green hue. I left the lamination work to the pros and picked up half a dozen croissants from my local bakery, cut them in half, slathered them with pandan frangipane, and baked them. While I\u2019ve never tried Hanabi\u2019s version, my homespun version was even better than I imagined, and proved that frangipane can really be whatever you want it to be. So go nuts! (Or not\u2026)\u00a0<\/p>\n Cover photo (<\/em>Raspberry Frangipane Bars<\/em><\/a>) by Patrick Marinello; food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Raspberry](\"https:\/\/www.kingarthurbaking.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/scaled_small\/public\/2025-05\/Raspberry-Frangipane-Bars_Summer_BOTW_2025_Lifestyle_ALT_H_618.jpg?itok=B6RiqDcF\")
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