Croissant Bread Pudding

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Croissant Bread Pudding is the perfect recipe for using your day-old croissants. They’re cubed, combined with a simple rich custard, and baked to perfection, then drizzled with a creamy vanilla sauce. This easy croissant bread pudding uses staple ingredients and makes a delicious breakfast or dessert.

Slice of croissant bread pudding on a white plate drizzled with a vanilla sauce.

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I love entertaining and serving brunch, but I also love repurposing leftovers. When I have too many croissants, this croissant bread pudding is the perfect fix. It’s a super simple recipe that combines my favorite buttery and flaky pastry with a creamy custard and a hint of citrus. As a busy mom, I love easy prep and serving a breakfast that even my picky eaters will enjoy!

Easy Croissant Bread Pudding Recipe

Let’s talk about bread pudding. Traditionally, it combines stale bread, cream, milk, and eggs for an incredibly easy dessert. It can be sweet or savory and vary in flavor. Bread pudding is wonderful for using leftover or sweet bread like brioche.

My favorite twist on a classic is this croissant bread pudding. Croissants are flaky, buttery, and DELICIOUS. Dry them out a bit in the oven and combine them with a simple, rich custard. I’ve added a warm, creamy vanilla sauce that comes together in just 5 minutes and you have yourself a delicious breakfast or dessert!

Ingredients You'll Need

Here are the details! You only need 9 simple pantry staples to make this easy bread pudding. The best part is that it’s a forgiving recipe, so if your measurements aren’t exact or you tweak it with the ingredients you have on hand, it will still turn out beautifully.

Ingredients fro croissant bread pudding in bowl set on a flat surface.

Croissants - Leftover croissants are perfect for this recipe. Grocery-store croissants work well. They don’t have to be traditional French bakery croissants. About 4 very large croissants equal 10 cups cubed.
Heavy cream & milk - The combination of cream and milk creates the perfect rich and creamy texture. If you prefer a lighter texture, you can replace the cream with milk (preferably whole milk).
Eggs - I always use large eggs for all of my recipes.
Vanilla - Adds a subtle background vanilla flavor. For the best flavor, splurge on a good-quality vanilla (Nielsen Massey vanilla is my go-to).
Sugar (light brown and granulated) - I like to use a combination of sugar because brown sugar adds a hint of molasses flavor (you can use light or dark brown sugar).
Salt - Enhances the flavors of the other ingredients while balancing the sweetness. I prefer using fine-grain sea salt (it dissolves evenly into your baked goods).
Orange zest - Adds a lovely citrus note to the filling. You can easily swap it with lemon zest if you prefer.

Vanilla Sauce

Butter - Adds richness to the sauce and creates a smooth and velvety texture. You can use salted or unsalted butter.
Light brown sugar - Adds a delicious caramel-like flavor.
Heavy cream - Produces the perfect creaminess and helps thicken the sauce. You can use milk, but it will affect the overall consistency.
Vanilla - The star flavor of the sauce. We’re using vanilla extract, but you can swap it for vanilla bean paste or the seeds of a vanilla bean.

Easy Swap: You can substitute cubed challah or brioche bread for the croissants. You do not need to dry out the bread and can omit the first step in the instructions.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Bake croissants. Arrange the cubed croissants on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 15-20 minutes until dried.

Mix the filling. Whisk the cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, sugars, salt, and orange in a large bowl.

Transfer croissants. Place the dried-out croissants into a 9x13-inch baking dish and top with the filling mixture.

Cubed croissants on a parchment paper lined sheet pan.

Custard filling for bread pudding mixed in a glass bowl.

Croissant bread pudding before being baked in a 9x13 white pan.

Refrigerate. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for 1 hour to allow the croissants to soak up the custard.

Bake. Transfer the baking pan to the oven and bake uncovered for 40-50 minutes.

Croissant bread pudding baked in a white casserole dish.

Make the vanilla sauce. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the sugar over medium heat. Add the cream and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the stovetop and whisk in the vanilla.

Don't Skip These Recipe Tips

With a few tips, you can make sure your croissant bread pudding comes out perfect every time:

Pre-bake the croissants. Don’t skip the step of drying out the croissants. Doing this will help them absorb the filling without becoming soggy.
Check for doneness. The bread pudding is ready when the top is browned and the center is slightly puffed up. You can gently press down on the top, and if any custard comes to the surface, bake for another 5 minutes and check again (it’s ready when the custard is set!).
Add the sauce just before serving. You’ll want to slice and pour the sauce over each serving to prevent it from becoming soggy.

Customize Your Croissant Bread Pudding

This bread pudding is delicious, and it also makes the perfect base for your favorite add-ins. Here are some ideas:

Add fresh berries. I love tossing fresh seasonal berries into the filling mixture, such as quartered strawberries or blueberries.
Crunchy texture. Sprinkle some sliced almonds and coarse sugar over the croissant pudding just before baking.
Cinnamon twist. Throw in some raisins and a dusting of cinnamon into the custard filling.

Individual Servings

This bread pudding with croissants is great for entertaining. For a fun and easy presentation, serve in individual containers!

Bake in ramekins. Divide the croissants between individual ramekins and pour enough filling into each container so the croissants are ¾ covered with the liquid. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Dress it up! You can omit the vanilla sauce and top the desserts with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for an extra decadent treat.

Overhead shot of a slice of croissant bread pudding on a white plate drizzled with a vanilla sauce.

Storage & Freezing Tips

Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Freezer: Wrap the croissant bread pudding (without the vanilla sauce) with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. To reheat, bake covered at 350°F/177°C for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.

Note: To reheat the vanilla sauce, place it in a small saucepan over medium heat until just heated. You can also microwave it for 1 minute.

Recipe FAQ

Can I use fresh croissants for this recipe?

Yes, you can! The croissants will dry out in the oven, so even if they are fresh, they can work in this recipe.

Can I use lighter milk than whole milk for all the liquid?

You can make this substitution. It will affect the creaminess and richness of the filling. If you make this swap, I would add an extra egg to ensure the custard filling is thick and creamy.

Can I prepare this the day before?

I would not recommend prepping this croissant bread pudding the night before. It will become too soggy if the croissants are submerged in the liquid for that long.

More Easy Breakfast Bakes

I hope you love this Croissant Bread Pudding as much as we do and that it becomes a family favorite! Please leave a comment below, I love reading your feedback! And if you’d like to make this recipe later, don’t forget to pin it on Pinterest! Happy Baking!