sticky almond croissaint pudding

After the amazing success of my treacle sponge, I was fully riding that wave. You know when a recipe just hits and suddenly your brain is like “right… what’s next?” That was me. Then I saw a comment on one of my Instagram videos that said the best desserts are the ones you eat with a spoon, and honestly… they didn’t lie.

So naturally I started thinking, what’s a fun mix-up I can create that still gives that soft, scoopable, comforting vibe? And then it clicked. My viral almond croissant cookie. One of my favourite flavour profiles ever. Nutty, buttery, rich, just the right level of indulgent. And just like that, this almond croissant pudding was born.

Now let me say this upfront before anyone comes for me, this does not actually contain almond croissants. I know, I know. But it gets its name from the flavour and structure. That iconic almond croissant filling, the frangipane, is the star here. Instead of being tucked inside pastry, it’s layered right into the centre of a soft almond cake, which makes it ridiculously moreish.

What you end up with is this soft, fluffy almond sponge, a thick, rich layer of frangipane running through the middle, and then the whole thing gets absolutely drenched in a warm almond custard. It is indulgent in the best way. Proper dessert energy. The kind of thing you serve up in big spoonfuls and go back for seconds without even thinking about it.

If you’ve made my treacle sponge pudding, you’ll already understand the assignment here. We’re leaning into that same cosy, nostalgic, oven-baked dessert moment, but switching the flavour profile from deep, caramel-like sweetness to something a bit lighter, nuttier, and slightly more bakery-inspired. It sits perfectly alongside it, like two sides of the same pudding coin.

There’s also a bit of quiet technique in this recipe that makes a big difference to how it turns out.

Firstly, because this is a pudding-style bake and we’re using golden syrup, you need to grease your dish really well. And I mean really well. Syrup has a habit of catching and sticking, and the last thing you want is to lose that beautiful base when turning it out or serving. But also, if it does stick a little, it’s genuinely not the end of the world. It will still taste incredible. We’re prioritising flavour over perfection here.

The second thing is the frangipane layer. I really recommend piping it into the centre of the cake rather than spooning it in. When you spoon it, it can drag through the batter underneath and shift everything around, which can lead to an uneven bake. Piping keeps it neat, gives you a clean layer, and makes the final texture so much better. It’s a small step, but it makes a big difference.

And then there’s the custard. Because of course there is. I don’t think I could ever give you a pudding recipe and not insist on serving it with custard. Here we’re keeping that almond theme going, adding just a touch of almond extract to tie everything together. It soaks into the cake slightly, pooling around it, turning every bite into something soft, creamy, and genuinely addictive.

What I love about this recipe is that it feels a bit fancy, like something you’d get in a bakery or a dessert spot, but it’s actually very straightforward to make. No complicated techniques, just layering flavours and letting the oven do the work.

And if you’re building out your dessert rotation, this fits right in with some of my other favourites. You’ve got the treacle sponge for that deep, syrupy comfort, my blueberry crumble muffins when you want something fruity with a bit of texture, and this for when you’re in the mood for something nutty, soft, and unapologetically indulgent.

This almond croissant pudding is one of those desserts that proves you don’t need loads of complicated elements to make something incredible. Just a strong flavour idea, a few well-tested components, and a willingness to absolutely drench it in custard.