Croissant Bread Pudding: An Easy Recipe, from Frozen Croissants to a Set Custard

Croissant bread pudding is a baked dessert or breakfast dish made with torn, dried croissants soaked in a sweet egg custard of milk, cream, sugar and vanilla, then baked at 350°F until the center is set and the top turns golden and crisp. The buttery, layered crumb drinks the custard while the pieces on top go flaky in the oven. For a 9x13-inch dish, plan on 7 to 8 croissants, 6 eggs, 4 cups of milk and cream, and about 45 to 55 minutes of baking time.

Below: why this pastry works so well, how to prepare it whether it is fresh, stale or frozen, a full recipe, a chart of quantities by dish size, a chocolate version, the best bread for bread pudding compared, and the mistakes that make it soggy or dry.

Do croissants make good bread pudding?

Yes, and a very rich one. Bread pudding was born as a way to use up stale loaves, and a croissant is one of the best candidates, for three reasons a baker would give you:

• The butter is already inside. Croissant dough is laminated: thin sheets of dough and butter folded over and over. That fat melts into the custard as it bakes, so the result tastes rich without extra butter in the pan.
• The layers soak and stay light. The open, honeycomb crumb takes in liquid quickly. Underneath, it turns soft and almost silky; on top, the exposed edges crisp up.
• It holds together once dry. A dried croissant keeps its shape, where soft sandwich bread can collapse into paste.

Lamination is slow work. Fresh Baguette began as a small neighborhood bakery that Florent and Bertrand, who came from France, opened in Washington, D.C., as we tell in our story. Our butter croissant product page describes it this way: "Twelve thin layers of butter, three days of patience, and the unmistakable shatter of a true French morning."

The one thing to watch is moisture. A croissant is much lighter than a loaf, so fresh ones can go soggy in the custard. Drying them first fixes that.

Fresh, stale or frozen: how to get the croissants ready

Day-old leftovers are the classic choice, but you do not need to wait for them. What matters is that every piece feels dry and firm before it meets the egg mixture.

From the freezer

This is the easy route if you keep pastries frozen. Our Butter Croissants come in packs of 3 and bake straight from the freezer: preheat the oven to 425°F, unwrap them, set them on a baking sheet on the middle rack and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until warmed through and crisp. Let them cool for at least 5 minutes, then dry them as below. Baked the day before and left out uncovered overnight, they are even better here.

Fresh or a day old

Tear or cut them into chunks of about 1 to 1 1/2 inches. Tearing gives ragged edges, and those edges are what turn crunchy on top.

Dry them in a low oven

Spread the chunks in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake at 300°F for about 15 to 20 minutes, tossing once, until dry to the touch but barely colored. Let them cool. Stale ones need less time; check after 10 minutes.

Baker's tip: squeeze one. If it is still springy in the middle, give it a few more minutes. This dough browns quickly because of its sugar and fat, so stay close to the oven.

Butter Croissants, ready in your freezer

Packs of 3, each one of the 4 to 12 packs in your box. Bake from frozen at 425°F for 5 to 7 minutes, cool, tear and dry: your pudding starts here.

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Croissant bread pudding recipe

This is a general method for a classic vanilla version, with quantities in line with common home recipes. It fills a 9x13-inch baking dish and serves about 10 to 12. Prep time is about 15 minutes, plus 20 to 30 minutes of soaking and under an hour in the oven.

Ingredients

• 7 to 8 croissants (about 10 to 12 cups once torn), dried as above
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar (or half light brown sugar, for a caramel note)
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• Soft butter, for greasing
• Optional: 1/2 cup raisins, fresh berries or chopped dark chocolate

Instructions

1. Fill the pan. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread the dried chunks in it, scattering any raisins or berries between them so they do not burn.
2. Whisk the custard. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until no streaks remain, then whisk in the milk, cream, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt.
3. Pour and press. Pour it evenly over the pastry. Press down gently with a spatula so everything is about three quarters submerged; a few tips should stay above the surface to crisp up.
4. Let it soak. Leave it 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature, pressing once or twice, while the oven heats to 350°F. You can also cover it and chill it for up to an hour.
5. Bake. Bake on the middle rack for 45 to 55 minutes. If the surface darkens before the center sets, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the dish.
6. Check the center. It is done when it has puffed slightly, the top is golden, and a knife pushed into the middle comes out without liquid. For food safety, check the center with an instant-read thermometer: FoodSafety.gov lists a safe minimum of 160°F for egg dishes and 165°F for casseroles, so aim for 165°F.
7. Rest. Let it stand 15 minutes. It settles as it cools and slices more cleanly.

Serve it warm with whipped cream, a drizzle of maple syrup, or a quick vanilla sauce: simmer 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup heavy cream for about 5 minutes, stirring, then add a teaspoon of vanilla off the heat. Spoon the sauce over each serving rather than the whole pan, so leftovers stay crisp. Want a savory dish instead? Make a make-ahead croissant breakfast casserole.

How many croissants and how much custard for your dish?

Most recipes count croissants, but sizes vary a lot from one bakery to the next. So use the chart as a starting point and trust the rule behind it: the pastry should fill the pan and sit about three quarters deep in liquid. A useful ratio is 1 large egg for every 2/3 cup of milk and cream.

These volumes are estimates for planning, not a measurement of every pastry. If you come up a little short, add one more croissant or a few more loaf cubes. For a lighter result, use all milk instead of half cream and add one more egg so the custard still sets. For individual servings, the same idea becomes croissant French toast in a skillet.

Butter croissants or a croissant loaf?

Both are the same laminated dough, and both work. They just give a different texture.

• Whole croissants, torn by hand, give the rustic style: uneven chunks, flaky peaks on top, soft custardy pockets underneath. It is the one you scoop with a big spoon.
• A croissant loaf, cut into cubes, gives a neater pan that slices into squares. Our Butter Croissant Loaf is croissant dough baked as a loaf and wide sliced. Take the slices straight from the freezer, cut them into 1-inch cubes and dry them at 300°F as above; watch closely, because the product page warns that the delicate crumb can brown quickly.
• Half and half is a good compromise: loaf cubes at the bottom for structure, torn croissants on top for crunch.

The same loaf also works for croissant French toast, a different dish we cover separately.

Chocolate croissant bread pudding

Made with pain au chocolat, this becomes a chocolate dessert without any melted chocolate in the custard. Each of our Chocolate Croissants carries two solid batons of dark chocolate folded into the layers, and they bake like the plain ones: 425°F, 5 to 7 minutes from frozen, then at least 5 minutes of rest.

• Mix them. Use about half chocolate and half plain. All chocolate is very rich; the mix gives a ribbon of cocoa in most bites.
• Cut through the batons. Tear each one so the chocolate spreads across the pan instead of sitting in a few big pockets.
• Lower the sugar. The chocolate is already sweet: cut the sugar by about a quarter.
• Add a pinch more salt, or a teaspoon of instant espresso in the custard, to bring out the cocoa.

Chocolate Croissants for a chocolate pudding

Two batons of dark chocolate in every croissant. Packs of 3, added to your box like any other pack, baked from frozen at 425°F in 5 to 7 minutes.

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What is the best bread for bread pudding?

The best bread for bread pudding is a rich, sturdy loaf that has been left to dry: croissants, brioche and challah give the most tender, custardy result, while French bread and sourdough give a firmer, chewier one. Here is how the usual choices compare. We bake some of these and not others, and we say so.

For a sweet version, our honest pick is the croissant, whole or as a loaf. With none on hand, brioche or challah are the closest cousins. For other breads from the freezer, see our guide to thawing frozen bread.

Common mistakes when making bread pudding

• Using pastry that is too fresh. It collapses in the liquid. Dry it first.
• Too much custard. If the chunks float, the bottom turns wet. Keep a few tips above the surface.
• Skipping the soak. Baked right away, the center stays dry while the liquid pools below. Give it 20 to 30 minutes.
• Pulling it too early. A jiggly center means raw custard. Wait for a clean knife and 165°F on the thermometer.
• Too long, or too hot. Overcooked custard turns grainy and weeps. Keep the oven at 350°F and use foil if the top darkens.
• Raisins on top. Dried fruit left on the surface burns. Tuck it in between.

Shop the bakery

Butter Croissant LoafCroissant dough baked as a loaf and wide sliced. Cube it for a neat, sliceable pudding.See the loaf →All our frozen croissantsButter, chocolate, almond and more, in your box.Shop croissants →

Questions about croissant bread pudding

How long does it take to bake, and at what temperature?

At 350°F, a 9x13-inch dish takes about 45 to 55 minutes, an 8x8 or 9x9 about 35 to 45 minutes, and individual ramekins about 25 to 35 minutes. It is ready when the top is golden and the center no longer shows liquid.

Can I make croissant bread pudding overnight?

You can, with well-dried pastry: assemble it, cover it and refrigerate it overnight, then bake it the next morning, adding 5 to 10 minutes because it goes in cold. It will be softer and more custardy than one soaked for 30 minutes. If you like crisp edges, dry and tear the croissants the night before and pour the custard in the morning.

Is there an easy way to make croissant bread and butter pudding?

Yes. Bread and butter pudding is the British-style version: split the croissants in half, spread them with butter and jam, layer them in the dish and pour the custard over. A spoonful of our wild blackberry jam between the layers works well, and you need less butter than with ordinary bread.

How do I store and reheat leftovers?

Cover the dish and keep it in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, the FoodSafety.gov guideline for baked casseroles with eggs. Reheat slices covered with foil in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or in the microwave at half power, until they reach 165°F, the FoodSafety.gov temperature for reheating leftovers. Keep any sauce separate until serving.

Can you freeze it?

Yes, once fully cooled and without sauce. Wrap it well and freeze it for 2 to 3 months, the FoodSafety.gov guideline for baked casseroles with eggs, then thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it covered at 350°F. To bake one on short notice, it is often simpler to keep the croissants themselves frozen: ours keep up to 6 months in their sealed packaging. See how it works, or browse all our frozen croissants.