Croissant Bread Pudding (video)
This croissant bread pudding is a perfect breakfast treat. It’s warm, rich, and buttery with a soft-silky texture. You can easily adapt this recipe by adding in your favorite berries and nuts for extra flavor and texture. Oh, and a dusting of powdered sugar doesn’t hurt either! 
Why this recipe is so great:
I love starting my day with a hot breakfast. Especially now that the cooler weather is settling in. This is a great make-ahead recipe because you can prepare everything the night before, and just pop it in the oven while everyone is waking up. Then the whole family can sit down together to enjoy a nice nutritious morning meal, and start their day feeling warm and satisfied.
This recipe is also a great way to use leftover or stale croissants. I usually buy my croissants from Costco which has a great deal for a dozen and they are amazing fresh, but after a couple of days, they lose their appeal and no one in my family wants to eat them anymore. So a recipe like this gives them a refresh and saves them from going into the garbage.
Here are some reviews:
“This was incredible! I’ve never made bread pudding with croissants before, but I love croissants and I love bread pudding, so I thought I would give it a try. LOVED IT. The croissants gave the bread pudding a much lighter texture. The tartness from the raspberries was perfect as well. Definitely will be making again!” – Anna
“I made this recipe and it was wonderful. Being from the south, I added blackberries and pecans. My wife really liked the fact that the pudding is not overly sweet. I will definitely make it again.” – Gary 
How to make croissant bread pudding:
(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)
- Cut 5-6 croissants into 1″ cubes. Layer half into a greased baking dish. Add in some berries or even dried fruit if desired. Layer the rest of your cut-up croissants on top.
- Pour in your custard mixture. Gently press down to make sure all the croissant pieces get soaked into the liquid. I tilt my baking dish all around to make sure all the edge pieces get soaked too.
- Top with more add-ins if desired. Let stand for 15 minutes while your oven preheats or in the fridge overnight. Bake for 45 minutes or until the custard is set.
FAQ:
How to serve:
Serve warm with a dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of maple syrup. You can even serve this croissant bread pudding with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra special treat.
How to make in advance:
Fully assemble the bread pudding. Then cover and store in the fridge until ready to bake. When ready to bake: remove from fridge, uncover, preheat the oven to 350F, and bake as instructed.
How to store:
Let cool completely, tightly cover with saran wrap or aluminum foil, and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How to reheat:
To reheat a singer serving – Place a portion on a microwave-safe plate and heat for 30-45 seconds until warm.
To reheat the whole dish – Place the casserole dish in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until warm or loosely tent with aluminum foil and reheat in the oven at 350F for 10-15 minutes until warm. 
This croissant bread pudding is an indulgent treat, yet so simple to make. The texture is soft and custard-like. The taste is rich and buttery with notes of vanilla and a hint of almond extract. I do recommend adding in some of your favorite berries and nuts. The tartness of the berries pairs well with the richness of the croissants. The nuts add a nice crunch to contrast the softness of the pudding. Both additions add another layer of flavor and texture to an already tasty treat.
You might also like:
- Easy Bread Pudding – made with cinnamon raisin bread
- Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding – made with brioche bread
- Eggnog Bread Pudding – made with just 3 ingredients
Did you make this recipe? Please kindly leave a comment with your star rating below.
Croissant Bread Pudding
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8-10
Description
This croissant bread pudding is a perfect breakfast treat. It’s warm, rich and buttery with a soft-silky texture.
Ingredients
- 5–6 croissants, cut into 1″ cubes (enough to fill your 2.5 qt baking dish)
- 2 cups (500ml) milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Optional
- 1 cup berries (I used raspberries)
- 1/4 cup nuts (I used sliced almonds)
- powdered sugar to dusting
Instructions
- Layer half of the croissants into a 2.5 qt greased baking dish. Sprinkle in half of your fresh berries. Layer the rest of the croissants on top.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and salt. Pour the mixture over the croissants. To make sure all the pieces get moistened, tilt the baking dish all around, and gently press them into the liquid.
- Top with the rest of your berries and sprinkle the nuts on top if using. Let stand for 15 minutes (or cover and place in fridge if making ahead) while your oven preheats to 350F.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. The center should be set and puffed up when done. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Notes
Leftovers can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To make ahead – Fully assemble the bread pudding. Then cover and store in the fridge until ready to bake. When ready to bake: remove from fridge, uncover, and bake as instructed.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 45 min
- Category: breakfast, snack
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: croissant bread pudding recipe, croissant bread and butter pudding, croissant pudding
36 Comments on “Croissant Bread Pudding (video)”
Use some eggnog with liquor from Costco and heavy cream during the holidays turned out excellent Thank you
★★★★★
You’re very welcome, Olga! Your spiked eggnog version sounds delicious:)
Iam going to make this bread pudding tomorrow. Looks delicious. Thanks for all your great easy recipes 😀
You’re very welcome, Sally:) Enjoy!
Do you dry crescent before using
No drying is necessary. Day-old or stale is preferred because it absorbs the custard better but I have made this recipe with fresh croissants and it’s still excellent.
Does the milk have to be whole milk? Could heavy cream be substituted for the milk?
If all you have is heavy cream, I would use 1 cup cream mixed with 1 cup water so it’s not too rich. I hope this helps and enjoy!
My husband and I have never liked bread pudding, but we had some stale croissants and I didn’t want to throw them away so I thought I’d give it one more try. I’m so glad I did! This turned out really delicious. My husband even said he was going to have more later. I added a bit of cinnamon to the custard and layered in Craisins and chopped pecans. I will definitely make this again.
Thank you for your lovely feedback, Suzanne! So glad you were able to use up your croissants and found something new you and your husband enjoy:)
Can I use frozen rhubarb? Should I defrost first and toss w sugar?
Yes and yes:) Enjoy and Happy New Year!
Love making this. We do it with peaches and add a little extra vanilla instead of the almond because of allergies but it’s always a hit!!
★★★★★
I’m so happy to hear and thank you for your kind words, Kaitlyn!
Love this recipe. I’ve made several batches now and they have all turned out amazing. I’ve used blueberries. They add a nice tartness to the sweet. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
You’re very welcome, Jennifer! Thank you for your kind words and Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Great recipe. Used blueberries and walnuts.
Thank you, Janis! Glad you liked it:)
can you put it in the fridge before baking
★★★★★
Yes, you can. You can even put it in the fridge overnight and bake it the next day if you wish. Enjoy!
Can you use frozen strawberries?
Yes, you can use frozen strawberries. It might turn the custard a bit pink but that’s ok, it will still taste great!
Fabulous! Thank you sooo much! We (my 2 and 3 year old sons and I) have made this several times, with slight variations…always delish and such fun to make w littles!👶👶🧘♀️❤️
★★★★★
You’re very welcome, Jenni! I’m so happy you and your little one enjoy it and thank you for your kind words!
I made this recipe and it was wonderful. Being from the south, I added blackberries and pecans. My wife really liked the fact that the pudding is not overly sweet. I will definitely make it again.
★★★★★
Thank you for your kind words, Gary! I’m so happy you and your wife enjoyed it:)
I made this with frozen blackberries and day-old croissants from my son’s work (which he regularly brings home). Topped with. a little whipped cream–loved the contrast of the crunchy top and custard interior. It was a very easy recipe. Thank you!
★★★★★
You’re very welcome and thank you for your kind words!
This was so simple and so incredibly delicious thank you!
★★★★★
You’re very welcome, Hena! So glad you liked it and thank you for your kind words:)
My family just loves this recipe!! I made it with fresh blackberries.
★★★★★
I’m so glad to hear! Thank you for your kind words, Jennifer!
Simple, Delicious, and Straight Forward Recipe. Super Delicious! Thank you.
I soaked my fresh Raspberries in Bacardi Rum Limon ahead, and using old mini Bear claws from Vins on bottom, and croissants from Costco on top. Also, replacing milk with heavy whipped cream to have thicker custard texture.
Once it was done, the bread pudding was almost gone in less than 30 minutes.
Perfect sweetness on recipe.
★★★★★
Thank you for your feedback, Monica! Love that you soaked the raspberries in rum – yum!
This was incredible! I’ve never made bread pudding with croissants before, but I love croissants and I love bread pudding, so I thought I would give it a try. LOVED IT. The croissants gave the bread pudding a much lighter texture. The tartness from the raspberries was perfect as well. Definitely will be making again!
★★★★★
Great to hear, Anna! Thank you for your lovely feedback and have a great day:)