Where to Find the Best Almond Croissant in Charlotte
featuring a pastry crawl of 9 bakeries (+ bonus map)
Many of you requested an almond croissant version of the butter croissant guide, so naturally, I had to oblige 😘 and in case you haven’t read the Charlotte (butter) Croissant Guide…I’ve linked it below 👇 (this post will follow a similar format)
but before we get into it…
Firstly, what is an almond croissant?
Here’s a great definition by Delish Discover, a recipe featuring all of the cornerstones by Baking A Moment, and my own unsolicited thoughts:
I’ve had many almond croissants in my lifetime (including the ones in this post!) and have noticed that this pastry has some of the largest variation from bakery to bakery. Almost everything about an almond croissant can vary—the bakery could use day-old croissants or choose to bake them fresh. The pastry could be soaked in simple syrup or be used as-is. They could be shaped like a regular croissant, a pain au chocolat, or even a Danish! (and probably anything in between…) They could be topped with sliced almonds, powdered sugar, any combination of the two, or just served plain jane. The only similarity you can really count on is its almond frangipane filling, but even then there can be such a wide variety of flavor and texture from croissant to croissant. That is why I’ll explain my ideal almond croissant in the next section, so you know my preferences. And then you can decide how you want to use this information :)
table of contents
**reminder that there’s a built-in table of contents on the left side of the post for easier mid-read navigation
ANALYSIS CRITERIA // factors that are considered in the rating process
THE METHODOLOGY // no true experiment is conducted without some constants; listing out our methods here so you know we gave everyone a fair chance
THE CONTESTANTS // the bread and butter of this post, where we list out each bakery included in the lineup and get reallll in the weeds!
CONCLUSION // final scoring table + superlatives for funsies
ANALYSIS CRITERIA 🥐
My disclaimer—I’m not a professional baker, just a fanatic fan & an enthusiastic eater! My reviews come from having the following almond croissant preference:
The Look: structure & aesthetic (I prefer my almond croissants to sport a regular croissant shape)
topped with a dollop of frangipane and a generous amount of toasted sliced almonds
dusted with a tasteful amount of powdered sugar (but not drowning in it)
have a poofy voluminous dome (as much as it can; it’ll naturally be stouter than a butter croissant if it’s twice-baked)
be golden and toasty
The Feel: when lightly squished under finger tips:
if it’s a freshly-baked croissant, it’ll lightly bounce back
if it’s a twice-baked croissant, it’ll have a hard shell with no give
The Scent: needs to have top notes of sweetness, heart notes of caramelized almond, and base notes of buttery bread goodness—I want my nose to be able to pick up some indication that there is sweet almond goodness inside that baked good!
The Bite:
the exterior:
if it’s a freshly-baked croissant, it’ll be lightly crisp to crackly-crunchy, like what you’d expect from a butter croissant!
if it’s a twice-baked croissant, it’ll be crackly-crunchy with a toothsome bite—not stale, but decidedly tougher compared to fresh croissants
the interior:
if it’s a freshly-baked croissant, it’ll be tender with distinct & separated honeycomb layers that yield an airier bite
if it’s a twice-baked croissant, it’ll have a denser crumb that yields a chewier bite
the frangipane’s texture is preferably between dry and runny, the perfect viscosity to ooze but not drip. Bonus points if there are bits of almond for texture and crunch! I’m not a huge fan of a dry frangipane that is too grainy, but a mild mealy texture is perfectly fine.
The Taste:
for the croissant: a good balance of richly buttery (but not greasy), subtly sweet, and tastefully toasty
for the frangipane: mildly sweet (“just sweet enough”) with the almond flavor shining through in a natural, nutty way (the more natural, the better). If almond extract is used, it needs to be seamlessly incorporated. When it is the only thing I taste, it feels too artificial.
THE METHODOLOGY
Here’s how I approached the mission…
All almond croissants were:
purchased within ~1-2 hours of the bakery’s opening // almond croissants have a larger window before their taste & texture deteriorate (compared with butter croissants), so they were the perfect candidate for a pastry crawl. I attempted to buy all 9 the same morning, but only acquired 8/9 because Wheatberry Bakeshop didn’t have theirs available that day 😕 fret not, it was acquired the next weekend!
enjoyed at their pastry case temperature // while I’m the type of person to always ask for my croissants to be warmed, toasting definitely can alter the original texture of a croissant. In efforts to create an even playing ground, all croissants were opted out of this
eaten within minutes of purchase // no oven-toasting-at-home was involved, no leftovers-the-next-day candidates were included
selection
For this edition, we’re focusing on brick-n-mortars located in Mecklenburg County that are unique to Charlotte/the greater Charlotte region. Their croissants must be baked in-house or by their company in a separate location (versus supplied by a separate wholesaler, a micro bakery, etc.).
ingredients
The almond croissants selected all contain dairy, gluten, sugar, and eggs. Almond croissants that are vegan, dairy-free, or gluten-free will be saved for a different round of tastings 😇
THE CONTESTANTS
{ordered by year of establishment}
Amelie’s French Bakery & Cafe
Established: 2008
Price: $4.99
Taste Date: June 2025
honest review 👇
The Look: the level of brown on this was undeniably the darkest out of the bunch…it is twice-baked, after all! I was mildly impressed with the distinct lamination layers on the exterior and the still-visible honeycomb structure in the cross section. But, the frangipane on top makes up for 25% of the height of the pastry, which isn’t ideal. Additional notes on the garnish: I would’ve preferred more sliced almonds and for the entire croissant to be slightly less toasted. (rating: 5/10)
The Feel: the exterior had one of the hardest shells; I had to use some serious elbow grease to cut this one in half! While it’s also natural for a twice-baked croissant to have a harder shell, this one felt a little too rock-solid... (rating: 3.5/10)
The Scent: mainly notes of baked bread. No notes of almond or sweetness. (rating: 3/10)
The Bite: it’s initially extremely crunchy due to the rock-solid frangipane on top, but then it gives way into a soft texture from the frangipane filling and the interior’s still-present honeycomb structure. The texture of the interior was fine, but the exterior was just a little too crunchy/stale from the frangipane garnish for my liking. I would’ve preferred a softer frangipane on top and the “crunch” factor to come from the croissant’s lamination layers. (rating: 3.5/10)
The Taste: the frangipane had a drier, mealy texture and tasted faintly of almond but mostly vanilla. This was one of the sweeter frangipanes of the bunch. I enjoyed how the bread wasn’t stale nor overly moist, but slightly tough and also carried a hint of sweetness. If the frangipane was slightly more viscous with 2x more almond flavor, this would’ve been closer to perfect! (rating: 5/10)
OVERALL: With its hard shell and fairly dry frangipane, this almond croissant is great for eating on the go since it won’t make a big mess (aside from the powdered sugar). That said, even though Amelie’s twice-baked croissant is one of their most recommended items, I don’t think it’s the best item you can order there…there’s just too much variation in the quality for me to confidently say it’s worth your money (for example, the one pictured wasn’t the best version I’ve had at Amelie’s, and I’ve had a handful prior). On a positive note, their twice-baked almond croissant scored higher than their butter croissant ✨ (rating: 4/10)
Check out my full review on Amelie’s for what I’d recommend you get!
Sunflour Baking Company
Established: 2009
Price: $5.75
Taste Date: June 2025
honest review 👇
The Look: the “freshly-baked pain au chocolat body” shape is non-traditional and the croissant as a whole is on the stouter end. This almond croissant was garnished with sliced almonds and powdered sugar that promptly fell off in the bag (hence the lack of any garnish in the photos)…its cross section is not great, but not horrible—it’s on the bready end with uneven air pockets. It sports a decent golden-brown toast with semi-visible layers if you look at the ends. Still, it definitely isn’t the prettiest almond croissant that ever existed… (rating: 2/10)
The Feel: the body of the croissant is soft and easily impressionable while the ends (like most croissants) were hard. I would’ve preferred a crisper shell throughout, with prominent lamination flakes flying off when slightly pressed (like the ideal freshly-baked croissant). (rating: 3/10)
The Scent: just completely “toasty enriched bread.” The toasty factor was overwhelmingly strong and really all I could smell...the aroma lacked the delicate sweetness of almond frangipane. (rating: 1.5/10)
The Bite: very soft, as if there wasn’t a crust or crunch at all. Not preferable, since that made me feel like I was eating a filled bread roll instead. (rating: 2.5/10)
The Taste: the croissant had a strong oil/butter flavor that was bordering on greasy/rancid. The almond frangipane was a paste that had a mild almond extract-y flavor profile that wasn’t overwhelming. I would’ve preferred a neutral to sweet-buttery flavor from the croissant and a stronger almond presence and greater dimension in the frangipane. (rating: 1.5/10)
OVERALL: sadly, I think you could make better almond croissants at home… definitely overpriced for what’s being offered. (rating: 2.1/10)
I think where Sunflour Baking Company shines is in its cakes, cookies, and classic American desserts. Read my full review here!
Renaissance Pâtisserie
Established: 2013
Price: $5.50
Taste Date: June 2025
honest review 👇
The Look: I love the garnishing on this one—there’s some frangipane, but not too much, with a healthy sprinkle of sliced almonds and powdered sugar to make it look very dolled up. The amount of browning is also tasteful! The only con was it was extremely flat, with almost no height, and no honeycomb structure at all on the inside. (rating: 5/10)
The Feel: interestingly, for a twice-baked croissant, this somehow had a hard shell yet was also extremely soft and lacking structure. The croissant began to split in half and fall apart towards the end of its journey, and I didn’t even think I was handling it rough. This isn’t an immense negative, but also not a positive for me either. (rating: 4/10)
The Scent: sweet with notes of vanilla on top of an underlying base scent of enriched baked bread. I was kind of missing the almond, but otherwise it had a satisfying scent. (rating: 7/10)
The Bite: the initial bite is hard but it immediately gives way into its soft and melty croissant interior and almond frangipane filling. It’s just missing crispy, crunchy bits of lamination layers flying off! (rating: 8/10)
The Taste: very vanilla-forward (probably indicative in the scent alone) and not too almond-y. It’s perfectly just sweet enough and I enjoyed the bread’s level of moistness. If they added more nutty almond-ness then it would’ve been perfect! (rating: 6.5/10)
OVERALL: this one is on the moister end of almond croissants; it’s perfect for enjoying on its own, but would also go well with coffee (but may not be as good for dipping in your hot beverage, since it’s not that dry). If you enjoy a milder-to-nonexistent almond flavor and something that is more “classic dessert sweet,” this is for you! (rating: 6.1/10)
They also have a really delicious food food menu for breakfast, brunch, and lunch that surpasses their viennoiserie selection (one of my favorite things to order are their French fries!). Read more here 👇
Villani’s Bakery
Established: 2015
Price: $5.25
Taste Date: June 2025
honest review 👇
The Look: this freshly-baked croissant has great height, great browning, and fairly visible lamination layers from the end. The garnish is humble—just a sprinkling of sliced almonds and nothing else. So far, no issues… until you get to the cross section, where the honeycomb is nonexistent (layers are fused together) and the almond frangipane isn’t evenly spread out but piped in rows (?? haven’t seen that one before…but perhaps it’s due to the pain au chocolat shape). (rating: 5/10)
The Feel: soft like a dinner roll; I would’ve expected a slightly harder shell with crispy layers since it was freshly-baked, so it being soft was disappointing! (rating: 1.5/10)
The Scent: top notes of enriched baked bread, base notes of toasty-ness. There was a lack of anything sweet/almond-y/etc. (rating: 4/10)
The Bite: like The Feel, the bite was soft like a dinner roll. I would’ve preferred a delicate crisp & crunch (rating: 1.5/10)
The Taste: the croissant was…slightly salty, as if someone had added one too many pinches of salt. I also wasn’t a fan of the almond frangipane (1) being piped and not evenly distributed, (2) having a chewy and gummy texture versus being viscous/mealy, and (3) having a faint almond flavor with a distinctive salty aftertaste. I love salt, but there was just one pinch too much in this pastry for me. (rating: 1/10)
OVERALL: if you enjoy volume and are just looking for a baked good, this is for you. Again, I’m fully aware this could be an off batch, but it made it to the pastry case… (rating: 2.6/10)
They specialize in custom cakes and Italian baked goods, so even if they’re croissant isn’t my highest rated, I’d recommend you try them still for their other desserts! Read more about Villani’s Bakery here 👇
Summit Coffee (Eastover)
Established: in 1998, first Charlotte location in 2020; the Eastover location transforms day-old butter croissants from the Davidson commercial kitchen into almond croissants
Price: $5.50
Taste Date: June 2025
honest review 👇
The Look: it has a light golden hue (I would’ve expected a darker golden brown since it is twice-baked) with the full gamut of garnishes: a nice helping of frangipane, a sprinkling of sliced almonds, and a dusting of powdered sugar. The cross section is also what you would expect from a twice-baked croissant—it has a denser, even crumb with a generous amount of frangipane. No doubt, this one is a looker! My only critique is it’s still a little flat and lacking height. (rating: 8.5/10)
The Feel: I was disappointed to find this was a very “wet” almond croissant—it was very soft, very moist, and it also easily split apart where the frangipane sat. I like a viscous filling and a croissant that isn’t stale, but this was a little overhydrated for my preference. (rating: 2/10)
The Scent: a balanced, albeit faint, almond-vanilla. (rating: 7/10)
The Bite: soft, but tough, as if the bread was stale (but it wasn’t). I definitely still prefer a harder, crunchy/crispy shell over this soft-tough texture. (rating: 3/10)
The Taste: the croissant was quite buttery, but a kind of buttery that felt more oily/not preferred rather than the rich-decadent-divine kind of buttery. The almond frangipane had a mealy texture, with a flavor that was more vanilla than almond. It reminded me of vanilla soft serve! That said, it was overall a not very sweet pastry (the croissant itself also wasn’t sweet), which is nice when you’re not wanting a sugar crash. (rating: 4/10)
OVERALL: the almond croissants here seem to vary day-to-day (I’ve had drier almond croissants here before), so I wouldn’t recommend you coming with a specific expectation in mind. But if you’re in the area and need a snack, by all means! (rating: 4.9/10)
I still recommend Summit Coffee for their space; they’re one of my favorite coffee shops for working and meeting up with people!
Copain Bakery & Provisions
Established: 2020
Price: $5.75
Taste Date: June 2025
honest review 👇
The Look: whoa, isn’t she gorgeous?! This twice-baked almond croissant is toasty golden brown, still sporting its lamination stripes, layers, and height from its butter croissant days, and has a dense crumb and generously filled almond frangipane cross section. It’s also beautifully garnished with sliced almonds and a dusting of powdered sugar (it may be missing frangipane, but I’m not even mad about it). (rating: 9.5/10)
The Feel: the exterior is a hard shell with no give, exactly what you’d expect a twice-baked croissant to feel. (rating: 10/10)
The Scent: top notes of faint almond, base notes of sweet enriched bread. (rating: 10/10)
The Bite: one bite and you’re met with crackly layers that fall off everywhere and make a big ol’ mess—which at this point, you know is #croissantgoals!! The interior was soft and not stale, with a frangipane that was mealy in texture. (rating: 10/10)
The Taste: the croissant was mild with not a lot of strong flavor, the main star was the almond frangipane, which took center stage with its almond-extract-forward flavor profile. While the almond extract was a smidge too strong for my liking, this was an overall tastefully sweetened pastry. (rating: 8.5/10)
OVERALL: Copain delivers yet another croissant that you really can’t complain much about. They are proving again and again that they have a reliably consistent production quality and a reliably stocked pastry case. So, while they’re not a mom & pop shop, I do recommend them as a place you can count on to deliver a bomb almond croissant whenever you’re in the mood! (rating: 9.6/10)
There’s so much more to love about Copain Bakery—here’s the full review!
Chez Marie Pâtisserie
Established: 2022
Price: $6.00
Taste Date: June 2025
honest review 👇
The Look: while she’s pretty to look at with her very intentional garnishing (the piping of frangipane and sliced almonds down the middle and lightly dusted powdered sugar is very distinctive and elegant), I wished there was more height to the croissant and more almond frangipane filling (the amount resembled something closer to a schmear). I could’ve also used a little more toasty golden brown, too! (rating: 7/10)
The Feel: it had a decently hard shell with little give (rating: 7/10)
The Scent: mostly just enriched bread, no almond/vanilla/etc. notes (rating: 5.5/10)
The Bite: was soft and not crackly…which wasn’t expected since the exterior was decently hard. Wishing it had a more crunchy crisp bite with layers falling off! (rating: 4.5/10)
The Taste: because there wasn’t a lot of almond frangipane, I could only pick out a sweet vanilla flavor that was reminiscent of buttercream. There wasn’t any almond flavor that I could taste, and it was disappointing that the sliced almonds on the top weren’t pulling any weight either (there just was an overall lack of toasty-ness). (rating: 3.5/10)
OVERALL: a croissant that looks pretty but doesn’t cut it for me texturally or flavor wise. This is perfect if you’re prioritizing look over texture & flavor, or don’t mind having less filling! (rating: 5.5/10)
I still prefer Chez Marie for their entremets and tartelettes—the elegance of those patisserie items can’t be beat. My full review is linked below 👇
Vicente Bakery & Bistro
Established: 2023
Price: $6.55
Taste Date: June 2025
honest review 👇
The Look: this is my first time having an almond croissant in…freshly-baked Danish form! I still prefer my almond croissants in a regular croissant shape for a more even ratio of croissant-to-frangipane, but even then, it’s hard to deny that this Danish is beautiful with its deep golden brown, toasty sliced almonds, and light dusting of powdered sugar. I love being able to see the ripples of lamination layers on the edges too. (rating: 8/10)
The Feel: the exterior is a mix of hard and soft textures, depending on which part of the Danish you’re talking about; all expected, natural characteristics of a Danish! (rating: 10/10)
The Scent: top notes of sweet vanilla that almost borders caramel; base notes of baked pastry. My nose couldn’t pick out any almond. (rating: 7/10)
The Bite: the exterior rim was super crunchy, and once you work your way through the edges, you’re met with soft frangipane and tough bottom crust. Again, these are expected characteristics of a Danish. (rating: 10/10)
The Taste: there was a subtle presence of almond extract, and the flavor profile as a whole was mildly sweet. Decently enjoyable, but I found myself wanting a little more almond! (rating: 8/10)
OVERALL: This lost a few points for me because it’s not the classic croissant crescent shape and the almond presence was a little faint, but if you’re not married to the croissant shape and don’t mind a subtler almond flavor, this could be a decent almond croissant option for you! Vicente always nails it on their look and texture. (rating: 8.6/10)
Full review on Vicente Bakery & Bistro below 👇 go for the almond croissant, but leave with their entire selection of specialty croissants!
Wheatberry Bakeshop
Established: 2025
Price: $8.50
Taste Date: June 2025
honest review 👇
The Look: this twice-baked croissant has distinct lamination layers, a beautiful golden-brown toast, a cross sectional crumb that has preserved its honeycomb (from its previous life as a butter croissant), and a great ratio of frangipane-to-croissant. The garnish is also iconic to an almond croissant—a smattering of toasted, sliced almonds, a generous dusting of powdered sugar, and just enough frangipane to hold it all together. The only thing keeping it shy of perfect is its slightly stouter/flattened height. (rating: 9/10)
The Feel: a hard, sturdy shell that preserves its shape, standard of twice-baked croissants (rating: 10/10)
The Scent: perhaps the most nuanced from the bunch—there’s top notes of baked bread, heart notes of a slightly sweet aroma, and lingering scents of a subtle vanilla-almond (rating: 10/10)
The Bite: surprisingly tender and crisp, there are still a lot of flakes that fall off when you bite this! It’s as if it hadn’t lost its Amazingly Laminated status from its freshly-baked glory days. The interior is also perfectly moist and soft (without being “wet”), exactly how I like an almond croissant. (rating: 10/10)
The Taste: the frangipane is moist and mealy with a vanilla-almond flavor that leaves a more almond-y aftertaste on your tongue. The almond is well-balanced and incorporated, and it doesn’t taste like straight almond extract (love to see it!). Overall, it’s perfectly just sweet enough, and I love when I get a bite that includes the toasted sliced almonds from the top. (rating: 10/10)
OVERALL: stunning all around, this almond croissant from Wheatberry Bakeshop is the closest thing to perfect in Charlotte: (1) it’s not too almond-y to turn off those who dislike the flavor, but also just-almond-enough to not be a vanilla croissant, (2) it has a great garnish that is flavorful and texturally satisfying, and (3) its generous size leaves you satiated. (rating: 9.8/10)
& in case you want more detail on Wheatberry Bakeshop…full review below! 😘
CONCLUSION
👏👏Applause for making it through all of the details! As your reward…here is the final scoring table~
BEST ALMOND CROISSANTS TO TRY SUPERLATIVES
My recommendations if you’re looking for the…
Best Bang-For-Your-Buck: Copain Bakery & Provisions
👉 scoring an almost perfect score of 9.6/10 with an unbeatable price of $5.75
Best with Morning Coffee: Renaissance Pâtisserie
👉 one of the sweeter almond croissants, making it the perfect match with a coffee! You’ll look so trendy rolling into the office with this in hand.
Best with Afternoon Tea: Chez Marie Pâtisserie
👉 the schmear of almond frangipane in this dainty thing will compliment tea nicely, adding mild flavor while not overwhelming the beverage
Best Crunch Factor: Amelie’s French Bakery & Cafe
👉 their generous topping of frangipane combined with a penchant for baking till very toasty yields the hardest shell out of the bunch (one could argue too hard)
Best Non-Traditional Almond Croissant: Vicente Bakery & Bistro
👉 have you ever seen an almond croissant moonlighting as a Danish, and looking pretty suave when doing so?
Almond Croissant’s Next Top Model: Copain Bakery & Provisions
👉 objectively beautiful; I could see their almond croissant strutting down a runway, easy
My Favorite: Wheatberry Bakeshop
👉 hands down the best almond frangipane in texture & flavor, plus everything else I mention above (though, highest price)
What should the next comparison/food crawl feature? Any bakery we should include in the next guide? Please leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you!
Loving the honesty as always!!