Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding (Print version)

Buttery croissants soaked in custard with rich chocolate, baked golden for a cozy brunch delight.

# What You'll Need:

→ Breads & Chocolates

01 - 6 large croissants (preferably day-old), 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

# Directions:

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 to allow croissants to soak up the custard.
05 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the custard is set and the top is golden brown.
06 - Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
07 - Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with fresh berries or whipped cream, if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It transforms humble day-old croissants into something that tastes like you spent all morning fussing, when really you spent twenty minutes prepping.
  • The chocolate melts into pockets throughout, so every bite feels like a small surprise rather than a predictable dessert.
  • It's the kind of dish that makes people think you're fancy without requiring you to actually be fancy about cooking.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting time after pouring the custard—I learned this the hard way when I got impatient and baked it immediately, resulting in a bottom layer of dry bread that never quite absorbed the liquid.
  • The pudding continues to set as it cools, so it won't look perfectly firm straight from the oven, and that's exactly right—overbaking it makes it rubbery and sad.
03 -
  • If you're worried about the center not cooking through, use an instant-read thermometer—it should hit about 160°F in the middle for a properly set custard.
  • Dust the powdered sugar right before serving, not earlier, because moisture in the air turns it from pretty white powder into sad sticky paste.
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