Almond Bear Claws
Almond Bear Claws are made with fluffy dough, a delicious filling, crunchy almond topping, and a homemade cream drizzle. Serve these gluten-free pastries for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. They are also grain-free, low carb, and keto-friendly!
Is there anything better than walking into a bakery and smelling freshly made pastries and donuts? I think not! Bear claws are one of these special treats that make my heart skip a beat. Granted, I can’t go into a bakery and eat one every day, so I wanted to come up with my own lightened-up version.
At first glance, you may think these large beautiful pastries are difficult, but let me assure you they aren’t. As a matter of fact, you only need around 45 minutes from start to finish to make low carb keto almond bear claws. They are worth every single second you put into them! Most of the time is spent waiting for them to bake and smelling them as they cook. Just a warning…the aroma is heavenly!
What Is A Bear Claw?
A bear claw is a delicious pastry that originates in California. It’s known for being a flaky pastry filled with nuts or other fillings. A bear claw is a cross between a danish and a donut, so it’s typically eaten for breakfast or brunch.
Ingredients Needed
Even though the list of ingredients looks a bit long there are plenty of repeats. The recipe ingredients are all things you most likely have, and they are all easy to work with.
Dough:
- Mozzarella Cheese – Including mozzarella cheese in the dough gives it the best texture! The bear claws don’t taste like cheese either, so don’t worry.
- Cream Cheese – It’s best when you use cream cheese that has been softened. It’s going to blend with the other ingredients much easier.
- Flour – I like to use both almond and coconut flour for this gluten-free pastry.
- Sweetener – Adding my Joy Filled Eats Sweetener to this recipe gives it the right amount of sweetness. I do give substitution tips in the recipe card notes.
- Egg – The egg holds binds the rest of the ingredients together.
- Baking Powder – You need baking powder to allow the dough to rise. Without it, the almond bear claws will be flat.
Filling:
- Almonds – You might as well enjoy a serving of vitamin E, fiber, and phosphorus while eating your breakfast. Almonds are healthy and happen to taste great too.
- Butter – The key here is using softened butter. it will blend well with the almonds, so they stick together to create the perfect filling.
- Sweetener – Again, you’ll need a little bit of sweetener to give the filling some extra flavor.
Topping:
- Sliced Almonds – Not only will they look fabulous on top of the bear claws, but they will also add a fantastic crunch too.
- Egg White – Brush an egg wash on top gives the gluten free bear claws a nice shine and helps the almonds stick.
Drizzle:
- Powdered Sweetener – To get a great texture on the drizzle, use powdered sweetener instead of granulated. It makes a huge difference.
- Cream – It’s the perfect addition to the glaze and mixes with the sweetener very well.
How To Make Almond Bear Claws
With just 15 minutes of prep time, these bear claws come together beautifully.
Step One: Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Step Two: Microwave the mozzarella and cream cheese in a bowl for one minute. Then stir and microwave for an additional 30 seconds. The cheese should be melted, then heat for an additional 30 seconds until you end up with a smooth texture like a cheese sauce or fondue.
Expert Tip: You can also melt the cheese in a saucepan using low heat.
Step Three: Put the melted cheese in a food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Combine until the dough becomes uniform in color. Then take wet hands and divide them into six evenly sized pieces. Press them into 6 squares and place them on a lined baking sheet.
Step Four: Combine the filling ingredients in a food processor until the almonds are finely chopped.
Step Five: Fold over the top of each rectangle and cut slits 3/4 of the way through the dough. Carefully fan out the pieces.
Step Six: Brush the pastries with the egg wash and sprinkle with almonds.
Step Seven: Bake for 30-35 minutes. They are done when they are golden brown and cooked all the way through.
Step Eight: After the bear claws are done baking, prepare the glaze and drizzle it on top.
Can I Add Different Nuts?
Sure! If you want to exchange the almonds in the filling for walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, or pecans, you can. They all taste great and will give you a unique result.
I have only tested the dough with almond flour so I’m not sure a different nut flour would work in the pastry dough.
How Do You Store Almond Bear Claws?
While bear claws taste best when they are freshly made, you can save them for 2-3 days. Keep them in an airtight container. You can zap them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds if you want them warmed up.
If you are looking for more incredible breakfast or brunch recipes, be sure to try my Pecan Danish, Raspberry Cream Cheese Danish, or my Sweet Cinnamon Cranberry Danish recipes.
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Almond Bear Claws
Ingredients
Dough
- 8 oz mozzarella
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 2/3 cup almond flour
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 2 tbsp Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp baking powder
Almond Filling
- 3/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1.5 tbsp softened butter
- 3 tbsp Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
Topping
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 2 tbsp egg white or beaten egg
Drizzle
- 1/4 cup powdered sweetener
- 2 tbsp cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Put cheese in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave one minute. Stir. Microwave 30 seconds. Stir. At this point, all the cheese should be melted. Microwave 30 more seconds until uniform and gloppy (it should look like cheese fondue at this point).
- Alternatively, you can melt the cheese in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Add the melted cheese and the rest of the dough ingredients to a food processor. Mix using the dough blade until a uniform color. Once it is a uniform color wet your hands, divide the dough into 6 pieces, and press them out into 6 squares on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Put the ingredients for the filling in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Divide between the squares of dough. Fold over the top edge of each rectangle. Cut slits 3/4 of the way through the dough and gently fan out the pieces. Brush with the egg and sprinkle with the remaining sliced almonds. (Make sure to check out the example photos in the blog post!)
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
Is the mozzarella by weight?
Yes. 8 ounces of shredded cheese is 2 cups.
Why is it that I am afraid to try making fathead dough?! I see so many yummy recipes using it, but can’t find the courage to try to make it. Can you give me some encouragement?! Sometimes it is difficult to try new things.
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Haha. It is easy to make and really does work well. You won’t taste the cheese at all! I promise.
I made these today and they look exactly like your picture and taste delicious. It’s so nice to enjoy an off limits treat!! Thank you.
My husband and I love these! Unbelievably good!