Almond Bear Claws

These magnificent bakery favorites are easy to make in your own kitchen. See more

READY IN ABOUT 2½ hrs

Almond Bear Claws

Read Reviews (19)

"These flaky Danish pastries are a time-consuming project, but they're a perfect way to show people how much you love them! I like serving them at special brunches. The puff pastry dough and almond filling can be made ahead of time, and the pastries can be frozen before baking." — FrancesC

Directions

In a large bowl, beat almond paste with an electric mixer to break it apart. Add the almonds, sugar, and salt; continue to mix until the almond paste is no longer lumpy. Stir in the butter, egg whites, almond extract and amaretto liqueur on high speed until its as fluffy as you can get it. Set aside.
Using half of the dough at a time, roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle that is about 8 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick. Trim the edges of the dough. Cut the dough in half lengthwise to make two 4 inch wide strips.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Fill a pastry bag halfway with the almond filling and pipe a stripe of filling down the center of each strip. Whisk together the egg and water. Brush onto one edge of each strip. Fold each strip over the filling and press gently to seal it. Brush each piece with egg wash and sprinkle sliced almonds over the top. Cut into 3 to 4 inch pieces, then cut 1/2 inch slits into the sealed edge to make the ''claws''. Place the bear claws at least two inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate and repeat with the second half of the dough.
Bake in the preheated oven until almonds are toasted and pastry is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool and dust with confectioners' sugar right before serving.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 2 hrs
COOK 25 mins
READY IN 2 hrs 25 mins

Footnotes

The recipe for the puff pastry by FrancesC can be found by clicking here.
For more fun with breakfast pastries, read our article about Breakfast Pastries!
This recipe makes enough filling for about six dozen bear claws. You can cut the recipe down, but I like to make a big batch because 1) it keeps indefinitely in the freezer 2) it's harder to make in small quantities (it's more difficult to grind almonds in a food processor in small amounts), and 3) the filling is delicious in coffee cakes and other baked goods.

Reviews More Reviews

Feb 26, 2009

Loved this recipe. I used frozen puff pastry(where you find the frozen pie pastry) It comes in sheets already rolled out, which makes it fast and easy. After baking, I brushed a glaze made with icing sugar/milk and almond flavoring right over the sliced almonds. It was just what they needed for sweetness. My coworkers were calling me at home for the recipe weeks after! An impressive EASY treat. 5+++ stars.

—ERIN

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Jul 21, 2008

Pretty good... I would recommend NOT putting sliced almonds on top because they burn in the oven. A sugary glaze would be a million times better. Really good with coffee. They don't keep really well though. Next time I'd half the recipe.

—SunnyDays

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22 Ratings

Feb 16, 2010

I definitely recommend making your own puff pastry for this one. I used a recipe I found on Google called "Quick Puff Pastry." After I ran out of my homemade dough, I used up some store bought pastry I had in the freezer and those claws didn't come out nearly as beautiful or delicious. The other thing I would change next time is adding more egg and sugar to the filling. I found it too think and not quite sweet enough. But still, OH SO GOOD!

—SoozMS

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Jun 01, 2009

My rating is mostly for the filling of these almond wonders! I love how the almond flavor is intensified with the Amaretto and almond flavoring. I used my mouli to grind the almonds--the fine grate for half and the medium grate for the rest. It turned out perfect. I made these as directed, and I would agree that the almonds on top burned. I may next time just skip the egg wash on the top and go with a very light powdered sugar/water drizzle. These are time intensive, but what a feeling of satisfaction at the spectacular end product!

—Marianne

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Feb 08, 2008

Very time consumning but the end result is wonderful once u have time on your hands try it.

—sunflowerBirmingham

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Jun 01, 2010

these were great! i made them preety small so i got about 32 bear claws. thanks for the recipe, it wasreally easy to follow

—California Teen

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Mar 09, 2010

The filling was superb. That is all I needed to use in another recipe.

—CPA

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Aug 31, 2011

These were delicious! I made the blitz puff pastry and it got 10 bear claws (I may have rolled the dough too thick). The filling makes enough to fill at least another batch of puff pastry. I made it a few days in advance and kept it in the refrigerator, but it lost its flavor. Next time I will make the filling right before baking the pastries. It was also very pasty, so I will leave out one egg white next time I make the filling. The bear claws definitely need the egg wash to come out shiny. I put sliced almonds on top before baking, and only one really browned.

—The Purple Baker

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Nutrition

Calories
419 kcal
21%

Carbohydrates
36.3 g
12%

Cholesterol
11 mg
4%

Fat
26.4 g
41%

Fiber
1.1 g
4%

Protein
10.3 g
21%

Sodium
173 mg
7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Almond Bear Claws

Serving Size: 1/24 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 24
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 419
Calories from Fat: 238

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 26.4g 41 %
** Saturated Fat 6.5g 32 %
Cholesterol 11mg 4 %
Sodium 173mg 7 %
** Potassium 238mg 7 %
Total Carbohydrates 36.3g 12 %
** Dietary Fiber 1.1g 4 %
Protein 10.3g 21 %
** Sugars 5.7g
** Vitamin A < 1 %
** Vitamin C < 1 %
** Calcium 9 %
** Iron 26 %
** Thiamin 23 %
** Niacin 44 %
** Vitamin B6 2 %
** Magnesium 19 %
** Folate 31 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.