breads

Serve this versatile Croissant Bread Pudding with Chocolate Sauce for breakfast, brunch, or dessert! It’s everything you love about croissants and chocolate, in one decadent dish.

This Croissant Bread Pudding has recently become a favorite of mine, and a dish you can invite to any meal. Overnight guests? Prep it the night before, and bake it in the morning for a welcoming breakfast or brunch. Or, serve it after dinner with plenty of chocolate sauce for dessert. It’s the ultimate low-lift comfort food. And it’s even better sprinkled with a bite of fresh chopped strawberries.

Purchase some mini croissants.
Begin with mini croissants, also called ‘cocktail’ croissants, found in the deli section at your local grocery store. Large croissants will work too, if that’s what you have on hand (this recipe is a good way to salvage stale croissants). However, the minis arrange neatly in an even layer, in a 13×9 dish. You could leave them whole, but I like cutting them into thirds. This helps the custard to flow around each piece of bread and thoroughly soaks them with the creamy mixture.

Break out the hand mixer.
Eggs, butter, sugar, and heavy cream are the base for the rich custard. Combine them with a hand mixer in a big bowl. Then, pour it over the arranged croissants. Some buttery bits will float on top, and that’s perfectly fine. As the bread pudding bakes, the butter melts and bastes all those croissants.

Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes. Then, remove the pan from the oven and let cool slightly. You could stop right here, and enjoy this warm on its own, or with a drizzle of maple syrup. But if you’re looking for something extra-special, then try my easy chocolate sauce recipe. It’s almost too easy!

Make the chocolate sauce.
Combine 6 oz. (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips and 3/4 cup evaporated milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Then, heat the mixture in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, until it bubbles. Next, allow the mixture stand for a couple of minutes then whisk the two ingredients together.

After the mixture is whisked smooth, add 2 tablespoons salted butter. Whisk again until smooth. And that’s it! Pour the sauce into a small pitcher and serve on the side, or go ahead and drizzle a little over the bread pudding if the spirit moves you.
I should note that this sauce is not thick. It’s more the consistency of maple syrup, and it soaks into the bread pudding much like hot maple syrup would.

I couldn’t resist adding some chopped strawberries on top. Again, this is optional. But you can’t go wrong with strawberries and chocolate!

Additionally, and for the sake of exploring every option, we lightly sprinkled on some powdered sugar. It doesn’t make much difference in flavor, but it sure does look pretty. With Mother’s Day in just a couple of weeks, I can’t help but think it would be the perfect easy brunch dish to add to your menu.
Related recipe: Smoked Mozzarella Bread Pudding

Croissant Bread Pudding with Chocolate Sauce

Heather Baird

Flaky croissants and rich chocolate syrup combine in this decadent bread pudding recipe. It’s appropriate for breakfast, brunch, or an after dinner dessert. You’ll need 16 oz. (1 lb.) prepared croissants from your favorite bakery or grocery store deli. I prefer the mini ‘cocktail’ croissants for this recipe, but large croissants can also be used. Just chop each large croissant into 6 pieces before adding them to the dish.The chocolate sauce can be made in the microwave or on the stove top. It’s not a thick sauce, so it soaks into the bread pudding much like hot maple syrup would.

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Prep Time 10 minsCook Time 45 minsTotal Time 55 mins

Course Bread, Breakfast, BrunchCuisine American

Servings 8

Equipment13×9 inch baking dishHand mixer
Ingredients  Croissant bread pudding16 oz. mini croissants1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature1 cup sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extract5 large eggs at room temperature2 cups whole milk at room temperature1/2 cup heavy cream at room temperatureQuick chocolate sauce and toppings1 cup semisweet chocolate chips3/4 cup evaporated milk2 tablespoons unsalted butter1 cup chopped strawberries optional
Instructions Croissant bread puddingPreheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 13×9 inch baking dish.Cut the croissants into thirds using a serrated knife. Arrange the croissants in the bottom of the pan in an even layer (this doesn’t have to be perfect).In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla extract and mix again. Add eggs and beat until incorporated. Pour in the milk and heavy cream. Beat until combined.Pour the mixture over the croissants; press them down into the custard mixture to ensure every piece is covered and soaked with the custard. Allow the mixture to stand for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.Cover the pan with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover the dish and then bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until well puffed with a set center. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.Quick chocolate sauceCombine the chips and evaporated milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the mixture at 100% power in 1 minute intervals until the mixture bubbles (about 2 minutes, more or less, depending on the wattage of your microwave). Let stand 1 minute; whisk well until combined. Stir in the butter and whisk until melted and incorporated.Serve chocolate sauce in a small pitcher or gravy boat alongside the bread pudding. Or, drizzle chocolate sauce over bread pudding and top with chopped berries. Serve warm.
NotesThe chocolate sauce can be made on the stove top. Combine the chips and milk in a saucepan and bring to a bubble. Whisk together until smooth then finish by stirring in the butter. Sometimes evaporated milk is confused for sweetened condensed milk.
Be sure to get the right canned milk! Evaporated milk is not sweet and has a thin, pourable consistency like whole milk.

Keyword bread pudding, breakfast bake, breakfast casserole, chopped strawberries, croissant bread pudding, croissant casserole, croissants, custard, orange chocolate sauce

This recipe was adapted from Michael Chiarello’s Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding.

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