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Chocolate Croissant Breakfast Bake

Chocolate croissant breakfast bake with torn croissants soaked in a rich custard and baked until golden and set with gooey chocolate pockets. Make-ahead friendly: it rests briefly to absorb, then bakes at 350°F for 35–40 minutes.
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 40 minutes
rest 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: French
Calories: 410
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

croissants
  • 6 day-old croissants, torn into large pieces Day-old works best so the croissant absorbs custard without turning mushy.
eggs
  • 4 large eggs
milk and cream
  • 1.5 cup whole milk
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
sweetener and flavor
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
chocolate
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
topping
  • 1 powdered sugar, for dusting

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and soak
  1. Arrange torn croissant pieces in a greased baking dish, spreading them evenly so they soak uniformly.
  2. Whisk eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth and fully combined.
  3. Pour the custard evenly over the croissant pieces, pressing down gently to help them absorb.
  4. Scatter semisweet chocolate chunks throughout, tucking some between pieces so you get melted pockets in every slice.
  5. Let the bake sit for 20 minutes to absorb the custard.
Bake and finish
  1. Bake at 350°F for 35–40 minutes, until the top is golden and the center is set.
  2. Dust with powdered sugar before serving warm.

Notes

Pro tip: use slightly stale croissants so they soak up the custard without turning mushy. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in the oven or toaster oven until warmed through. Freezing isn’t recommended because the custard texture softens after thawing. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream for a less rich custard while keeping the soak-and-bake method the same.