Chocolate Croissant Breakfast Bake (Printable)
Buttery croissant pieces soaked in vanilla custard with semi-sweet chocolate, baked until golden and served warm.
# What You'll Need:
→ Breads & Pastry
01 - 4 large all-butter croissants, slightly stale, cut into large pieces
→ Chocolate
02 - 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped or chocolate chips
→ Dairy & Eggs
03 - 1 1/4 cups whole milk
04 - 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
05 - 3 large eggs
06 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
→ Sweeteners & Flavors
07 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
08 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
09 - Pinch of salt
→ Toppings
10 - 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
02 - Arrange the croissant pieces evenly in the prepared dish. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate throughout, tucking some between layers to create rich chocolate pockets.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, melted butter, and salt until smooth and well combined.
04 - Slowly pour the custard mixture evenly over the croissants and chocolate. Gently press down with a spatula to ensure all croissant pieces absorb the liquid.
05 - Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, allowing the croissants to fully soak up the custard.
06 - Bake in the center of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown and the custard is set. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean.
07 - Cool for 5 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. Serve warm.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- This dish transforms day old croissants into something so luxurious that guests will assume you spent hours preparing it.
- The custard soaked layers with pockets of melted chocolate create a texture that falls somewhere between bread pudding and a warm chocolate croissant.
02 -
- Skipping the resting time means the croissants will not absorb enough custard and the texture will be uneven rather than creamy throughout.
- Checking the center with a knife is the most reliable way to tell when the bake is done because the edges set faster and can fool you into thinking it is ready too soon.
03 -
- Use day old croissants from a bakery rather than fresh ones from the supermarket because the higher butter content creates better texture and flavor after baking.
- Press the croissant pieces down firmly into the custard before resting so there are no dry spots hiding beneath the surface.