Croissant French Toast Bake
This Croissant French Toast Bake recipe is simple to follow and only requires a few ingredients to make a decadent breakfast. Day-old croissants are the perfect vessel for soaking up delicious french toast flavor that’s perfect for any morning or Sunday brunch!
If you’re looking for a deliciously sweet breakfast that’s easy to make, you’ll want to have this recipe on hand. Normally, french toast is made with slices of bread that are flavored with cinnamon and vanilla, dipped in a mixture of eggs and milk, and then fried in butter making a deliciously sweet and warming breakfast.
For this recipe, we use day-old croissants instead of bread. Croissants are a type of french pastry that are buttery, rich, and flakey. They are made using layers of dough that are compressed with butter between each layer.
Croissants make a great option for this dish because they are already buttery and fluffy, and when soaked in the french toast mixture they become even more flavorful.
Serve this croissant french toast bake for breakfast alongside a dollop of whipped cream, fresh berries, and a drizzle of warm maple syrup!
How To Make A Croissant French Toast Bake
- Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F, and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cut the croissants: Using a sharp serrated knife, cut each croissant in half horizontally and set them aside for later.
- Combine the custard: To a large bowl, add the eggs, condensed milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Use a whisk to combine all of the ingredients together.
- Soak the croissants: Add the croissant halves to the wet mixture, and let them soak for 10-15 minutes to absorb all of the liquid.
- Assemble and bake: Add the soaked croissants into the prepared baking dish, cover with aluminum foil then add to the oven to bake for 30 minutes. Remove and take off the foil. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
- Garnish and serve: Once slightly cooled, dust with powdered sugar and drizzle with maple syrup. Serve warm and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- If you have fresh croissants, you can toast them in the oven to slightly dry them out to make this recipe. You can also use croissants that are still a little bit soft, but they won’t absorb the liquid as much and may not be as flavorful.
- Make sure you cut your croissants in half before adding them to the mixture so they all fit into one pan and cook evenly.
- You can prepare this dish a day prior, cover it with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate it. Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator the next day and allow it to come to room temperature before baking.
- Make sure the croissants stay in the wet mixture long enough to fully soak up the liquid for best results.
- Use a serrated knife to cut your croissants in half, this will make it easier to slice through them without squishing them down too much.
Variations
- Instead of vanilla extract, try using another extract like almond, coconut, maple, or rum for a different flavor profile.
- On top of powdered sugar, try garnishing with fresh berries, fruit compote, whipped cream, or caramel sauce.
- You can use other bread to make this recipe including Challah or brioche.
- If you’re feeling really decadent, add a layer of chocolate chips on top.
Our croissant french toast bake is best made with croissants. However, you can use other bread like challah or brioche if that’s all you have on hand.
This croissant french toast bake can be made the night before. Just cover it with foil or plastic wrap and then put it in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature about 30 minutes before baking.
If you don’t have condensed milk, you can substitute it with heavy cream and additional sugar.
Storing and Freezing
Storing: This croissant french toast bake will stay fresh in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Make sure that it is cooked and has cooled completely before placing in the refrigerator.
Freezing: To freeze, add cooled leftovers to a freezer-safe bag and remove as much air as possible. Freeze for 2-3 months. Let it thaw overnight before reheating and serving.
Ingredients
- 6 large croissants, day-old
- 5 large eggs
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- pure maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Slice the croissants in half horizontally, and set aside.6 large croissants
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, condensed milk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg until well combined. Place the croissant halves into the bowl until submerged in the mixture and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes to soak up the liquid.5 large eggs14 ounces sweetened condensed milk1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract½ teaspoon ground cinnamon⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Arrange the soaked croissants into the prepared baking dish, and cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil, and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the top of the croissants are a golden brown. Remove from the oven, and allow it to slightly cool.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with warm maple syrup. See post for storage options.3 tablespoons powdered sugar
It is ok if the croissants are still soft underneath?
Good morning Annie, sorry for the delayed response. As long as the croissants aren’t still raw, they should be okay. They croissants will be soft, but they look gooey and stretchy, then they might not be done. If the dough hasn’t fully cooked, then it back into the oven to bake until the dough hasn’t finished cooking. Thank you for asking and have a wonderful day. 🙂
Can you leave overnight then bake next day?
Hi Paula!
Yes, you absolutely can! We give instructions on how to do it in the post. 🙂
How old should the croissants be?
Thank you
Patti
The croissants should be at least a day old or more. Have a great day! 🙂