Financier (French Recipe)
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This is my easy almond financier recipe, a classic French pastry and the perfect way to use up leftover egg whites! These little tea cakes are moist and tender in the center, crisp around the edges, and delicately flavored with nutty brown butter. They’re simple to make and perfect for an afternoon treat.
Table of contents
Ingredients That Makes Financiers So Irresistible
You only need a few simple ingredients. Here’s what I use for my financiers recipe:
- Butter: Brown it for that rich, nutty flavor (see how below).
- Almond flour: The base of a financier, it creates a melt-in-your-mouth texture. (You can find this in most U.S. grocery stores in the baking aisle or health food section.)
- Powdered sugar: Better than granulated sugar for a smooth, even batter.
- All-purpose flour: I use classic wheat flour, but you can opt for a gluten-free version.
- Egg whites: Not whipped, just gently mixed with a fork.
- Vanilla extract or almond extract: Choose whichever you prefer for flavor. I prefer almond extract!
- Sliced almonds (optional): For a little crunch and a pretty finish.
Recipe Card
Financiers (Buttery French Almond Tea Cakes)
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Equipment
- 1 financier pan or mini-muffins pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup of unsalted butter 100 g
- ¾ cup of powdered sugar 100 g
- ¾ cup of almond flour or ground almonds 75 g
- ⅓ cup of all-purpose flour 40 g
- 1 pinch of salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 egg whites
- A few slivered almonds optional
Instructions
Prepare the browned butter
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns amber and smells nutty. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly.
Mix the dry ingredients
- Sift together the powdered sugar, ground almonds, and flour. Stir in a pinch of salt.
- Loosen the egg whites with a fork, then fold them into the dry ingredients along with the vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
Stir in the butter
- Gently stir in the lukewarm browned butter.
- Transfer the batter to a piping bag (if using) and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Bake the financiers
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Fill small rectangular molds about ¾ full, sprinkle with sliced almonds, and bake for 15-18 minutes.
- Let cool for a few minutes, then remove from the molds and cool completely on a wire rack.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Why Brown Butter Is the Secret Ingredient
For me, it all comes down to the brown butter. This step is really what gives financiers their uniquely deep, rich flavor, far more intense than in other tea cakes like madeleines. Here’s a quick reminder on how to make brown butter:
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a skillet or saucepan until it turns golden, gives off a nutty aroma, and small brown specks begin to form at the bottom.
- Be careful! As soon as you see small brown bits forming at the bottom of the pan, take it off the heat, they can darken quickly and give the butter a slightly bitter taste.
- Let it cool slightly before adding it to the batter.
Pro tip: Don’t wash your pan right away, use the leftover brown butter at the bottom to grease your molds with a pastry brush. It adds even more flavor and helps prevent the financiers from sticking (even if you’re using silicone molds).
5 Tips for Extra-Moist Financiers
Even though financier recipes are pretty simple, a few small techniques can make a big difference. Here are the 5 tips I find most important for getting them just right:
- Don’t whip the egg whites: Just loosen them with a fork. You want the texture to stay dense and moist.
- Sift the dry ingredients: A smooth batter means a smoother texture.
- Chill the batter; Resting the dough helps the flavors develop.
- Use the right molds: Traditional financier molds are small, rectangular, and shallow, about 3 × 1 inches (7.5 × 2.5 cm). I find silicone molds much easier to unmold, but a well-buttered metal mold works just as well, especially if you grease it with a bit of leftover browned butter. If you don’t have specific financier molds, you can also use muffin tins or mini loaf pans.
- Watch the bake time – The edges should be just golden, and the center should stay pale. That way, they stay soft after cooling.
Easy Ways to Customize Your Financiers
Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe, it’s fun to mix it up. Some of my favorite twists:
- Hazelnut: Replace almond powder with hazelnut powder.
- With fruit: Add a few raspberries or halved strawberries to each mold before baking.
- Citrus zest: A little grated lemon or orange adds a delicious freshness.
And if you love almond-based desserts as much as I do, try my Amandier, a French Almond Cake, incredibly moist and made entirely with almond flour. Or my Almond Croissants, made from day-old croissants filled with homemade almond cream.
More Classic French Pastries
- Lemon Loaf Cake
- Traditional Parisian Flan
- French Apple Tart
- Marble Cake
- Chouquettes (French Sugar Puffs)
- Cherry-Clafoutis
Frequently Asked Questions
Replace wheat flour with rice flour or a gluten-free pastry mix.
Leave to cool, then store in an airtight tin at room temperature.
To develop flavors and obtain a texture that’s melt-in-the-mouth on the inside and crispy on the outside.
Financier is a denser, buttery cake without yeast. It contains only egg whites. The madeleine, on the other hand, is more airy and lemony: it is prepared with whole eggs and a little baking powder to help it swell.
The recipe was very easy to follow, quick to make and the result-delicious! The brown butter makes such a difference! Next time I’ll double the recipe😉
Thank you so much, Yael!
Lovely! I added some almond extract and orange zest to amp it up a bit. I’ll be making these for NYE!
Thank you, Michelle! They will be perfect for NYE 🤗
Can I refrigerate the batter overnight instead of the stated 30mins?
Yes, you can!
I love it!!
Thank you!
Is the difference between this Financier and a Madeleine the ground almonds? Could a Madeleine mold be used for the Financier?
Yes, one of the main differences is the ground almonds — financiers are traditionally made with ground almonds (or almond flour), which gives them a moist, nutty texture, while madeleines usually don’t contain almonds and have a lighter, more cake-like crumb. As for the mold, absolutely: you can bake financiers in a madeleine mold! They’ll just have a different shape, but the taste will be delicious.