Name: Almond Bear Claw Recipe
Prep time: 2 h 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/4 cup warm water; 1/4 cup sour cream; 1/4 cup sugar; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 egg; 1/4 cup butter, softened; 2-1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (280 g) all-purpose, unbleached flour; 2 teaspoons bread machine yeast; 1/4 cup sugar; 1 teaspoons cinnamon; 2 tablespoons softened butter; 2 teaspoons butter; 2 teaspoons cream cheese; 1 1/2 tablespoon coffee or milk; 1 cups powdered sugar; 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

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Preview: This almond bear claw recipe is a sweet yeast roll topped with icing and almonds. Mix with a bread machine or stand mixer.

The dough for these bread machine bear claws is richer than the average cinnamon roll. Sour cream is the secret ingredient.

They are fun to put together and a little something different to put on a brunch or breakfast table without being weird.

Bonus: It’s easy for kids to pick off the almonds if they don’t want them. Or you could leave them off if you prefer.

This recipe was designed to be mixed and kneaded in a bread machine. No worries if you don’t have one. See the recipe notes for how to use a stand mixer or make them by hand.

Recipe Inspiration

I adapted this Almond Bear Claw recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, Grant Corner Inn Breakfast and Brunch Cookbook by Louise Stewart. I have yet to find a bad recipe in this little book.

At one time, one of my goals in life was to try every one of Ms. Stewart’s yeast-bread recipes. Surely this would qualify me for a Nobel Peace Prize or something similarly lofty. In reality, it would probably land me a spot on The Biggest Loser.

Although they look complicated, these sweet bear claws aren’t hard at all. Like most of my bread recipes, I make it in a bread machine.

Ingredients and substitutions:

Flour:

Unbleached flour is best to make tender rolls. Bread flour and bleached all-purpose flour is a viable substitute.

You may need to slightly adjust the amount of flour. Check your dough about 10-15 minutes after you start the DOUGH cycle on the bread machine. Add more flour (or water) to correct the consistency of the dough.

Sour Cream:

Sour cream adds richness. Might as well go for it. Substitute full-fat unflavored Greek yogurt if you prefer.

Yeast:

The recipe is written to use instant or bread machine yeast.

If you want to substitute regular yeast for instant or bread-machine yeast, you must dissolve it first before adding to the dry ingredients. Stir it into about 1/4 cup of the lukewarm liquid called for in the recipe. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Add to other wet ingredients and then add dry ingredients. Proceed as directed to knead and shape the dough.

Almonds:

Use either blanched, slivered almonds or sliced almonds (the ones with the skin left on that you can barely see around the edge.)

A quick way to toast the almonds is to microwave them for a couple of minutes.

Can I make these pastries ahead of time?

Make the dough and form the rolls a day ahead of time. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight.

At least two hours before you want to eat them, take them out of the fridge. Cover with a tea towel. When rolls are warm and puffy, preheat the oven and bake.

How to roll out Almond Bear Claws:

bread dough in machine pan — Dump the dough out of the bread machine pan onto a floured surface.

shape dough into a cylinder — Shape dough into a long cylinder.

roll in to a long, skinny rectangle — Roll into the shape of a long and skinny rectangle approximately 6 x 24 inches.

brushing butter over the dough — Brush butter over the top from edge to edge.

sugar and cinnamon on dough — Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture over butter.

rolling up dough — Starting with the long side, roll tight and pinch to seal the seam.

making cuts into the rolls — Cut into 10 equally-sized pieces. Use scissors or a pizza cutter to make two slices into each roll to within a half-inch from the other side.

using a pizza cutter to make cuts — Using a pizza cutter to cut into the roll

raw Bear Claws on cookie sheet — Place formed Bear Claws onto a prepared baking sheet.

unfrosted baked Bear Claws on Cookie Sheet — Bake in a 375˚F oven for 15-20 minutes.

Frosted Bear Claws on a cooling rack — Remove rolls onto a cooling rack. After about 10 minutes, glaze the Bear Claw rolls. Sprinkle with toasted almonds immediately before the glaze has a chance to dry.

If you like to make sweet rolls, check out these recipes:

Cinnamon Rolls with the Tangzhong Technique

These cinnamon rolls are so soft, flaky, buttery, and ooey-gooey, they probably won't last more than one day. But if you have leftovers, you'll be surprised how yummy they are.

Twisted Cinnamon-Pecan Breakfast Yeast Bread

Twisted Cinnamon-Pecan Breakfast Yeast Bread is a yeast bread in the same family as cinnamon rolls--directions for mixing and kneading in a bread machine included.

Whole Wheat Apple Pie Yeast Bread

A sweet yeast bread to mix and knead in a bread machine, then baked in a conventional oven

Bread Machine Tips

Check out these posts full of tips and secrets for using your bread machine to make fabulous bread.

If you enjoyed this recipe, it would help others and me if you gave it a five-star rating inside the recipe card below. 🤩 No comment required. Thank you.

Hope to see you again soon!
Paula

p.s. Questions or suggestions? Please email me: Paula at saladinajar.com.

Yield: 10 rolls

Almond Bear Claw Recipe

Mix up these rich sweet rolls in your bread machine. They are really just fancy looking cinnamon rolls with icing and almonds on top. Crazy easy.

Prep Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 3 hours

Ingredients

Dough

1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, softened
2-1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (280 g) all-purpose, unbleached flour
2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Filling

1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons softened butter

Frosting:

2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons cream cheese
1 1/2 tablespoon coffee or milk
1 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

Instructions

TO MAKE DOUGH IN A BREAD MACHINE

Add dough ingredients to a bread-machine pan in the order listed. Set on the DOUGH cycle. When finished, remove dough from the bread-machine pan. Proceed to Roll-out instructions below.

HOW TO ROLL-OUT DOUGH:

On a lightly-floured board. roll dough into a 6 x 24-inch rectangle.
Spread the softened butter on the rectangle. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the buttered area.
Begin rolling from the long side and roll up as tightly as possible. Flatten log slightly with palms, and slice the log into 10 pieces.
Using kitchen shears or pizza cutter, make 2 cuts into each slice, cutting to within 1/2 inch of the other side.
Twist each slice slightly to make it lay somewhat flatter. Place onto a greased baking sheet or one covered with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
Cover and let rise until almost doubled. (45 minutes-1 hour)
Bake rolls at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

FROSTING:

Soften or allow butter and cream cheese to come to room temperature. Combine butter, cream cheese, and coffee or milk together and beat until perfectly smooth.
Use a spoon to drizzle frosting over the rolls. Or pour frosting into a small plastic zippered bag. Cut off a small corner of the bag and use the closed bag to drizzle frosting back and forth over rolls.
Sprinkle toasted almonds over frosted rolls immediately before frosting dries.
Or pick up the frosted roll and turn upside down, pressing icing into a plate of almonds. This ensures the almonds will stick to the icing.

Notes

Directions for making bread with a stand mixer:

To make this recipe in a heavy-duty stand mixer, add ingredients to the bowl in the same order. Turn on low to mix until all ingredients are moistened. Using a dough hook, turn speed to 2 or 3 and continue kneading until dough becomes smooth and elastic--about 5-10 minutes. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place. Deflate dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.

Please note: If you substitute regular yeast for instant or bread-machine yeast, you must dissolve it first before adding to the dry ingredients. Stir it into about 1/4 cup of the lukewarm liquid called for in the recipe. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Add to other wet ingredients and then add dry ingredients. Proceed as directed to knead and shape the dough.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 582Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 157mgCarbohydrates: 108gFiber: 4gSugar: 17gProtein: 14g

Sarah

Thursday 3rd of January 2013

Can you suggest a good bread maker? I really want one, but my last one died after less than a year of light use, and I can normally fix broken appliances, my kitchen is filled with great vintage stuff that just needed a little love. But not that thing, it was ridiculous! Any ideas on a stronger model?

Paula

Saturday 5th of January 2013

Hi Sarah, I cannot remember if I ever answered your question. Please forgive. I have thought about it though. I love my Zojirushi, but of course, it is one of the most expensive. I like the way it has two blades and kneads the dough extremely well. That is, efficiently, without leaving flour in the corners. I'm sure there are many others that would be suitable. I would check places like Ebay and Craig's List for like-new or never-used machines. So many people buy them and don't like them because of the way they BAKE bread--something I never do. Have you seen this post?

Laurie

Friday 28th of September 2012

The recipe only mentions 2 Tbls sugar. but in the directions it states that after the yeast , water and 2 Tbls sugar to add the rest of the sugar? how much more? Thanks Laurie

Laurie, I am completely embarrassed to find I left out such an important ingredient. Add 1/2 cup more sugar. I revised the post to show this correction. I am so sorry. Thank-you from the bottom of my heart for writing.

Lisa

Friday 6th of July 2012

I can see why these are so deadly!!!! The frosting made with the coffee was incredible, and I don't even Like coffee!!! Add that to cinnamon rolls and lets just say we are DONE!!! I used maple sugar instead of white and added a sprinkle of nutmeg. Haven't eaten one yet, seriously afraid to start! Thank for the recipe!!!!

Wednesday 11th of July 2012

Hi Lisa, Guess they are all gone by now but hope you liked the almond fans. They are one of my favorites. I can imagine the maple sugar was wonderful.

Zahra

Friday 11th of June 2010

These look delicious! I'm going to give it a try today :)

My mom and her dieting arent going to thank you for this though ;)

Tonya

Tuesday 1st of June 2010

These look amazing, I've got the dough in the breadmaker now! One question, about how much confectioner's sugar did you add to the icing? Thanks!