Name: Croissant Bread Pudding
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 8 cups croissants ({cubed or torn}{~4 large croissants}); 2 1/4 cup whole milk; 3 tbsp butter ({plus more for pan}); 1/3 cup brown sugar; 2 tsp cinnamon; 4 eggs ({room temperature}); 1 tsp vanilla

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Bread pudding is good, but Croissant Bread Pudding is even better! Flaky, buttery croissants add another dimension of flavor and texture to this classic dessert (or fancy pants breakfast).

a white casserole dish with croissant bread pudding topped with powdered sugar and raspberries.

If you’re asking yourself, “what can be made from stale croissants”, the answer is this croissant bread pudding!

The crispy exterior and buttery layers of croissants are a perfect foil to the dense, custardy texture of bread pudding. It makes an old-fashioned dessert (or breakfast!) feel like something new.

Looking for another bread pudding option? Try our amazing Eggnog Bread Pudding!

Ingredients

This recipe has:

Croissants – stale is best.
Whole milk – Whole milk gives you a rich custard, but not quite as rich as heavy cream.
Butter – salted or unsalted. Chef’s choice.
Brown sugar – Light brown has a milder flavor, while dark brown sugar has notes of molasses.
Ground cinnamon
Eggs – Let these come to room temperature.
Vanilla

Step By Step Instructions

*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.

Start by tearing or cutting the croissants into 1-inch cubes. If you have time, set the croissant pieces on a baking sheet overnight and leave them out uncovered overnight.

Otherwise, bake them at 300˚F for 20 minutes, rotating the tray position in the oven at 10 minutes.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the milk, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon over medium-low heat. Cook until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Let the mixture cool before moving onto the next step of the recipe.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the room-temperature eggs with the vanilla, and then whisk in the cooled milk mixture.

two photos showing the process of making a breakfast casserole.

Butter a deep 8×8 baking dish or a deep 9×9 pie pan and add the croissant pieces. Sustainability tip: use the butter wrapper to butter the pan.

Slowly pour the egg mixture over the croissant pieces, gently pressing the cubes into the liquid with a fork to submerge them.

torn croissants in a white dish with a fork.

Cover the baking dish with foil and refrigerate overnight or for at least 1 hour.

Bake covered at 350˚F for 15 minutes on the middle rack. Remove the foil and bake for another 25-35 minutes, or until the top of the croissant bread pudding is lightly browned and the liquid has been absorbed.

Cool slightly and serve with homemade powdered sugar or maple syrup and fresh fruit.

RECIPE VARIATIONS & OPTIONAL ADDINS

As with traditional bread pudding recipes, you can add mix-ins like raisins, mini chocolate chips (semi-sweet or white), and dried cranberries.
Instead of cinnamon, try cardamom for something different, or use pumpkin pie spice for cozy flavor.
Sprinkle some fresh or frozen berries in amongst the croissants before adding the egg/milk mixture.
Stir in a bit of orange zest into the egg/milk mixture.
Add toasted pecans for some crunch. These Stovetop Candied Pecans also make an excellent garnish for croissant bread pudding.

HOW TO STORE AND REHEAT

Storing Leftovers: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheating Leftovers: To reheat, place individual portions in the microwave for 30-45 seconds or in the oven at 350˚F for about 10 minutes until heated through. It is also delicious cold or at room temperature.

Freezing Leftovers: To freeze croissant bread pudding, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and then foil or store individual portions wrapped in plastic, then placed in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as directed above.

If you know you are making this to freeze, try baking the bread pudding directly in 1-cup or 2-cup Souper Cubes. Once cooled, freeze in the cubes and then transfer frozen cubes to freezer storage bags.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS RECIPE

Serve croissant bread pudding with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream for an even more decadent dessert. Bread pudding is also delicious with creme anglaise; it can be a lot to make it from scratch, but if you melt vanilla ice cream and then spoon it over the top, it’s basically the same thing!

For breakfast, serve croissant bread pudding with fresh fruit, powdered sugar, and maple syrup on top. Sugared Strawberries, Peach Compote, or Blackberry Syrup are also delicious.

To round it out as a breakfast option, serve it alongside some bacon cooked in the oven.

PRO TIPS/RECIPE NOTES

Make sure the croissants are stale or toast them in the oven first. This will ensure that they absorb the liquid without getting too mushy.
If you are pressed for time, heat only 1 cup of milk with the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Once butter and brown sugar have dissolved, stir in the additional 1 1/4 cup of cold milk.
Allow the bread pudding to sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight before baking. This allows the bread to fully soak up the custard mixture and results in a better texture.
Cover the croissant bread pudding tightly with foil while baking to prevent it from getting too dry on top.
If your pantry is empty, did you know you can make your own brown sugar?

More Indulgent Breakfast recipes

a hand pouring maple syrup over a plate of croissant casserole.

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