Croissant Bread Pudding is a yummy combination of buttery croissants, fresh fruit and a delicious vanilla custard pudding. This is a great way to use up leftover croissants and it's very easy to make.
Ingredients to have on hand
- Croissants
- Half and half
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Fresh berries
Fast Prep Time
It takes fewer than 15 minutes to dice the croissants and pour the sweetened half and half mixture over the top. Whisk together the half and half, sugar, vanilla extract and eggs in a 4-cup glass measuring cup and you've just prepped a delicious, easy dessert recipe.
The dish will be full
It will seem like the dish is very full when you add the croissants and fruit, but that's OK. When you pour the liquid ingredients over the top, you'll cover all of the croissants with just enough of the sweetened half and half mixture. The rest of the liquid will settle to the bottom of the dish and create a delicate layer of custard. I like to use glass bakeware when I'm baking a dessert that I plan to serve from. Here's a dish that I recommend, but any 8" x 8" or 9" x 9" baking pan will work great!
In my experience with this recipe, it's best served within two days and definitely store any leftovers in the refrigerator. Remember, there's a custard-like layer along the bottom of the dish and those ingredients need to be refrigerated, even after baking.
Fruit is optional
While this recipe calls for 1 ½ cups of fresh berries, I've made this without adding fresh fruit and it was just as delicious. The unsweetened fresh berries give the croissant bread pudding a tart, fresh burst of bright flavor and I love that! But be assured, this is a dessert (or brunch) recipe that will be enjoyed by all regardless of the fruit factor.
Croissant Size and Leftovers
I've made this using standard-sized, large croissants and much smaller mini-croissants. Just plan to double the amount if you use the mini version. This recipe is also a wonderful way to use up leftover croissants. Most grocery stores sell large packages of croissants, but they do dry out quickly. If you have a few extras, this recipe is a great way to make sure no croissants from that big package ever go to waste.
Other Brunch Ideas
I call this an easy dessert recipe, and it is! But this is also a delicious and impressive brunch recipe. Here are a few other brunch options that I think you will love:
Other Dessert Ideas
I love to use fresh fruit in dessert recipes. Give these a try and let me know what you think, remember to rate the recipes you make here on the Crinkled Cookbook.
Megan Ellam says
So decadent and delicious! A perfect brunch dish. Thank you!
Marcellina says
A seriously addictive recipe! Just threw in some choc chips for good measure! YUM!!
Jeri says
This brought back memories of my childhood when my mom used to make bread pudding! I kind of forgot about it until I saw this recipe! It looks delicious, especially made with croissants! Yum!
Natalie says
Oh my gosh! I bet this tastes amazing! Buttery and delicious. What a great idea. I'm making this for breakfast tomorrow morning.
Stephanie Brush says
This is such a yummy dish. I prepared it for a brunch and everyone loved it.