Croissant Bread Pudding

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Looking for the perfect brunch dish that doubles for dessert? Decadent croissant bread pudding is a crowd-pleaser!

My birthday is right around Mother’s Day, which means I often get the two combined into one big day. My family always asks what I want to eat for the day, and this year I’m just pointing them to this post.

Croissants have long been one of my favorite things, and combining them with chocolate, berries, and a drizzle of creamy sauce means I absolutely cannot resist. Or share.

Well, maybe I’ll share.

You’re definitely going to love this recipe too. It’s a great way to use up the croissants you couldn’t resist at Costco.

Make it for your mom, or for yourself. It’s a win either way.

Ingredients for croissant bread pudding

Full list of ingredients including quantities is located in the recipe card.

You’ll need:

Croissants – You will need about 1 ½ pounds of croissants. They don’t need to be fresh; in fact, this recipe works better if they are a little stale. Grocery store croissants are perfectly suitable!

Milk – For the best creamy bread pudding, use whole milk.

Eggs – Standard large eggs.

Sugar – This recipe uses granulated sugar in the bread pudding custard and brown sugar for the sauce.

Heavy cream – Yes, we’re using heavy cream along with the milk! However, you can use more milk instead if you prefer.

Cinnamon – The ground cinnamon in this recipe adds just a touch of warming spice that cuts through the sweetness.

Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract, please! Vanilla paste is also a good option.

Chocolate chips – You can leave out the chocolate chips, but they make for a delicious addition in this bread pudding.

Butter – Use unsalted, for both the bread pudding and the sauce.

Flour – Just a little flour to thicken the sauce.

Berries – Use any combination of fresh berries for serving. Make sure to wash and pat them dry before using.

How to make this recipe

First, cut the croissants into cubes, about 1 inch in size. You can also just rip them into pieces if you like. Add all of the pieces to a very large mixing bowl.

Pour the milk over the croissants and stir well. Let this mixture sit for about 10 minutes to let the croissants soak up the milk.

While it is resting, lightly coat a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray or butter.

In another mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, cream, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Pour over the croissants and use a spatula or wooden spoon to fold everything together.

Pour the croissants and liquid into the prepared casserole dish, arranging the pieces as needed to fit evenly into the dish. Make sure to pour any extra liquid over the top.

Let rest for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F and make sure a rack is set into the middle.

With clean hands, gently press down on the croissants to compress slightly. Scatter on the chocolate chips, then the butter pieces.

Transfer to the oven and bake for 55-65 minutes. A knife inserted into the center should come out clean, aside from any gooey melted chocolate.

Let the bread pudding cool while you make the sauce.

Whisk together the milk, cream, sugar, butter, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a heavy saucepan until smooth. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally.

The mixture should be lightly bubbly but not boiling. Once it is simmering, keep whisking frequently until the sauce is visibly thickened.

This will take about 10 minutes; the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools, so don’t be tempted to keep cooking.

Remove sauce from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.

Serve the bread pudding topped with fresh berries and a drizzle of warm vanilla sauce.

Storage and reheating

Bread pudding stores and reheats well, so don’t worry if you don’t finish it all right away!

Let cool and cover tightly with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Reheat in individual portions in the microwave for 20-30 seconds, or until heated through.

You can also eat it cold right out of the fridge!

Leftover sauce should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. A lidded mason jar works well for this. Enjoy cold or spoon over the bread pudding before reheating.

Recipe suggestions

If you want extra chocolatey flavor, double the chocolate chips and mix half of them into the croissant cubes.

Any kind of chocolate chips will do! Milk chocolate chips are great paired with strawberries, while bittersweet chocolate is excellent with the vanilla sauce.

Swap the chocolate chips for chopped nuts, like toasted pecans, walnuts, or pistachios.

Instead of the vanilla sauce, serve with caramel sauce, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

For an autumnal twist, try my pumpkin bread pudding recipe!

Croissant Bread Pudding

Doubling for breakfast and dessert, this croissant bread pudding is always a crowd-pleaser.

Author : Megan Myers

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Servings 15

Calories 504 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the Croissant Bread Pudding:

• 1 1/2 pounds croissants, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 14 croissants)
• 4 cups whole milk
• 8 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• Mixed berries for serving

For the Vanilla Sauce:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

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Instructions

• Grease a 9×13-inch pan and set aside.
• If you haven't cut up the croissants, slice into 1-inch cubes. Combine the croissants and milk in a large bowl. Let the ingredients sit until most of the milk is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
• In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, cream, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt until evenly combined. Stir into the croissants.
• Pour the ingredients into the prepared pan and let stand on the counter for 20 minutes to give the mixture time to soak into the bread.
• While the mixture is resting, place an oven rack on the center shelf and preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Gently press down on the croissants with clean hands to compress the ingredients slightly. Top evenly with the chocolate chips and pieces of butter.
• Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
• While the croissant pudding is cooling, prepare the vanilla sauce: Whisk together the milk, cream, sugar, butter, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a heavy saucepan until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally. Once the sauce is simmering, whisk frequently until thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. (Note: the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools). Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Serve croissant pudding with vanilla sauce drizzled on top and top with berries.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 5 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 504 kcalCarbohydrates: 55 gProtein: 10 gFat: 27 gSaturated Fat: 16 gCholesterol: 172 mgSodium: 289 mgPotassium: 260 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 38 gIron: 1 mg

Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate based on online calculators. Any nutritional information found on Stetted should be used as a general guideline only.

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