Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding (Printable)

Buttery croissants and rich chocolate soaked in creamy custard for a cozy brunch.

# What You'll Need:

→ Breads & Chocolates

01 - 6 large croissants, day-old preferred, cut into 2-inch pieces
02 - 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate

→ Custard Mixture

03 - 2 cups whole milk
04 - 1 cup heavy cream
05 - 4 large eggs
06 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

→ Toppings

09 - Powdered sugar for dusting
10 - Fresh berries for serving
11 - Whipped cream for serving

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
02 - Arrange croissant pieces evenly in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle chocolate chips or chopped chocolate over and between the croissant pieces.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together milk, cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until well combined.
04 - Pour custard mixture evenly over croissants, pressing gently to ensure all pieces are moistened. Let stand for 10 minutes.
05 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until custard is set and top is golden brown.
06 - Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with fresh berries or whipped cream.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It transforms stale croissants into something more luxurious than the original, with less effort than you'd expect.
  • The chocolate melts into pockets throughout the custard, creating these little moments of richness that make you slow down and savor.
  • You can prep it the night before and bake it fresh in the morning, which is the kind of magic that makes hosting feel effortless.
02 -
  • The custard will look a bit underdone when it first comes out of the oven, but it continues to set as it cools—this is the difference between creamy and rubbery, so trust the process and don't overbake.
  • Stale croissants really do make all the difference; fresh ones will disintegrate no matter how careful you are, so plan ahead or use the oven trick to dry them out first.
03 -
  • If your custard looks watery after baking, you might have overbaked it or your oven runs hot—next time, check it at 35 minutes and remove it when it's just barely set, not firm.
  • Room temperature eggs whisk into the milk and cream without creating lumps, which is the difference between smooth custard and grainy texture that you'll regret.
Return