Chocolate croissant bread pudding is simple to make using store-bought croissants and chopped chocolate. With a drizzle of orange creme anglaise (made by melting ice cream!) it is impressive and foolproof.
I have loads of breakfast and brunch recipes, but for one of my most important recipe critics (my mom!), this one may go down in history as MY BEST RECIPE EVER!
She could not stop talking about how delicious it was and even said it was "the best day of her life" on testing day!
I don't know about you, but when a recipe elicits that much joy I have to believe it's amazing.
When I created this recipe I took a page from the success record of my other bread puddings and bakes like savory bacon bread pudding, and a French toast bake with raspberries. Both are big hits.
If you're planning a brunch menu I'd even add these quick cinnamon rolls and classic maple sticky buns. All sweet nibbles a crowd loves.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
There are so many good reasons to love this recipe, and one is that it's a breakfast casserole inspired by a favorite French pastry: the chocolate croissant. Here are a few more great things about it.
- The combination of flaky croissants and luscious chocolate is indulgent and comforting.
- The addition of orange creme anglaise (or orange vanilla cream sauce) offers a refreshing contrast to the rich buttery croissants and chocolate.
- Chocolate and orange are a classic flavor combination and work well in this sweet bread pudding.
- The recipe is easy to make and uses simple ingredients that are found everywhere.
- The bread pudding is great as a make-ahead breakfast that you assemble the night before and bake the next morning.
Ingredients for Croissant Bread Pudding
The ingredients for croissant bread pudding are often right in your pantry and fridge, easy to find at most grocery stores, and complement each other for a truly delicious breakfast casserole or dessert.
For The Bread Pudding:
- Butter: Use to grease the baking dish to prevent sticking, and drizzle on the croissants to add richness to the pudding.
- Semi-sweet Chocolate: Adds the deep chocolate flavor and is the same chocolate in French chocolate croissants. Use a good-quality chocolate bar for best results. You can also use chocolate chips.
- Croissants: The bread base of the pudding. These are great from a big box store like Costco or Sam's Club.
- Eggs and Egg Yolks: I always use large eggs for consistency. These act as binders and thickeners for the custard mixture.
- Milk: Adds moisture and bulk to the custard and pudding.
- Heavy Cream: Add a bit of milky richness to the custard and helps the pudding stay silky and smooth.
- Sugar: Use regular granulated sugar to sweeten the custard, but also create a crunchy top to the bread pudding.
- Cinnamon: Just a little adds a nice warmth and sweetness to the custard without being overpowering.
- Vanilla Extract: Always a nice addition to a cream sauce or custard. You can use vanilla bean paste instead if you'd like.
For the Orange Creme Anglaise:
- Vanilla Ice Cream: The base of the cheat's creme anglaise! Melted down this turns into the most amazing cream sauce.
- Orange Zest: Adds a bright citrus flavor to the vanilla cream sauce and compliments the semi-sweet chocolate.
How To Make Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding
In a few simple steps you will have a rich bread pudding perfect for breakfast or dessert.
Bread Pudding Instructions:
- Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with some of the melted butter.
- Chop chocolate if using bars.
- Tear croissants into pieces.
- Toss croissant pieces with remaining melted butter and transfer half to the baking dish.
- Sprinkle with half the chocolate.
- Top with remaining croissant pieces and remaining chocolate.
- In the same mixing bowl, with an electric hand mixer, or whisk, beat together sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, eggs and egg yolks.
- Add the milk and heavy cream and beat until fully combined.
- Pour the egg mixture over the croissants. Press down to help the croissants soak in the liquid.
- Let sit at room temperature for 20 to 25 minutes while the oven heats. Heat oven to 350ºF.
- Sprinkle extra sugar over the croissants then cover the baking dish with foil.
- Bake bread pudding covered for 1 hour. Gently uncover and bake until top is deep golden brown and custard is set but still soft, another 12 to 13 minutes.
- Allow to cool to warm. While it cools make the crème anglaise.
Vanilla Sauce For Bread Pudding Instructions:
- Over low heat in a saucepan, add ice cream and orange zest and combine.
- Melt ice cream with orange zest. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving carafe.
- Serve bread pudding drizzled with orange crème anglaise. Leftover bread pudding can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Gently reheat in the microwave to serve.
Pro Tips For Recipe Success
- Use quality chocolate: Chocolate chips just won't cut it in this bread pudding. Use a good quality bar of chocolate like Lindt, Ghirardelli, or even Trader Joes.
- The bread doesn't need to be stale or old for this recipe! The croissants can be used fresh, OR a few days after they are purchased. Their rich texture makes them great for this bread pudding either way.
- The soaking time can vary for this recipe. The custardy combo can sit for a minimum of 20 minutes, or overnight and still be delicious.
- You can make vanilla creme anglaise instead of orange. I don't recommend it because the orange is so good! But if you'd rather have a vanilla cream, simply leave out the orange zest.
- Ideally have an oven thermometer in your oven for at least 30 minutes before baking so you can ensure your oven is at the correct temperature. Ovens can be 25ºF or up to 50ºF off sometimes!
- Don't worry about leftovers! This bread pudding is great the next day, either covered and reheated slightly in the oven, or portioned and heated in the microwave for a few seconds.
Storage And Make Ahead Instructions
Store leftover bread pudding, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can make the chocolate bread pudding ahead! Assemble it the night before you plan to serve it, but don't bake it.
After adding the custard, don't sprinkle it with sugar, then cover the dish and keep it in the refrigerator until the next morning.
Pull it out of the fridge while the oven heats. Uncover it, sprinkle with the sugar, recover it and then bake, adding 10 to 15 minutes to the baking time since it is cold.
FAQs And Answers
Yes. Please choose storebought croissants for this bread pudding instead of making homemade. Storebought croissants are just a bit more sturdy than a fresh, delicate, homemade version.
Use plain croissants and add your own chocolate. The recipe is a replication of the flavor of chocolate croissants, but there's no need to use them here.
Semi-sweet chocolate will give you the most classic flavor and resemble the flavor of a chocolate croissant. You can also choose to use bittersweet chocolate if you like it. Milk chocolate will be very sweet in this combination.
If you want you can use half semi-sweet and half milk chocolate. And, feel free to swap chopped chocolate for chocolate chips if you like.
I haven't tested this with non-dairy alternatives and I don't recommend using them. They don't cook into a custard the same way dairy milk and cream does.
Yes. Please read the article above to see my suggestions for preparing the bread pudding ahead of time.
They can soak for 25 minutes or up to overnight (6 to 8 hours).
What To Serve With Croissant Bread Pudding
Serve this for brunch with fresh fruit and sausage or bacon. For a dessert it stands on it's own. Here are a few other recipes to share with the bread pudding.
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More Easy Breakfast Recipes
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 8 tablespoons butter (melted)
- 8 large croissants
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks*
- 1 cup granulated sugar (plus more for top)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1½ cups milk
- 1½ cups heavy cream
Orange Creme Anglaise
- 3 cups vanilla ice cream
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
Instructions
For The Bread Pudding
- Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with some of the melted butter and set it aside.
- Tear or cut croissants into 2-inch pieces. In a large bowl toss croissant pieces with remaining melted butter and transfer half to the baking dish. Sprinkle with half the chocolate, top with remaining croissant pieces and remaining chocolate.
- In the same mixing bowl, with an electric hand mixer, or whisk, beat together sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, eggs and egg yolks.
- Add the milk and heavy cream and beat until fully combined.
- Pour the egg mixture over the croissants. Press down to help the croissants soak in the liquid.
- Let sit at room temperature for 20 to 25 minutes while the oven heats. Heat oven to 350ºF.
- Sprinkle extra sugar over the croissants then cover the baking dish with foil. Bake bread pudding covered for 1 hour. Gently uncover and bake until top is deep golden brown and custard is set but still soft, another 12 to 13 minutes.
- Allow to cool to warm. While it cools make the crème anglaise.
For The Orange Creme Anglaise
- Over low heat in a saucepan, melt ice cream with orange zest. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving carafe.
- Serve bread pudding drizzled with orange crème anglaise. Leftover bread pudding can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Gently reheat in the microwave to serve.
- *You can use half semi-sweet and half milk chocolate if you prefer. Feel free to swap chopped chocolate for chocolate chips if you like.
Nutrition
Breakfast & Brunch Recipes
Tara Teaspoon
I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!
Mary says
Well, Tara developed this recipe while visiting us. It was fun to watch the recipe come together and tasting each iteration. When I tasted the final product, I thought I had died and gone to heaven! It is now my all-time favorite Tara Teaspoon recipe! Try it and you will agree with the first bite! You are welcome!
Mary says
Well, Tara developed this recipe while visiting us. It was fun to watch the recipe come together and tasting each iteration. When I tasted the final product, I thought I had died and gone to heaven! It is now my all-time favorite Tara Teaspoon recipe! Try it and you will agree as you take the first bite! You are welcome!