Chocolate Croissant Bake

This chocolate croissant bake is a rich and decadent brunch casserole, with all the flaky, buttery goodness of a chocolate croissant, plus a sweet cream cheese custard that makes it irresistible!

This recipe is a part of a holiday recipe roundup collaboration hosted by me, Natasha of @asiliglamcooks. For this week we are focusing on casserole meals.

Hey there! I’m Chenée and I share baking recipes, easy meals, and tips at CheneeToday.com. And I’ve got a good one for you today — this dish is doing double duty as your new go-to for holiday brunch OR dessert!

This chocolate croissant bake is a rich and decadent brunch casserole, with all the flaky, buttery goodness of a chocolate croissant, plus a sweet cream cheese custard that makes it irresistible! It’s perfect for Christmas morning, a holiday get-together with friends, or an after-dinner indulgence. Your guests will love it!

You’ll only need a few ingredients for this chocolate croissant bake, including croissants from your local bakery or supermarket, dark chocolate chips, and softened cream cheese. Then we’ll assemble our bake similar to a bread pudding, with the croissants soaking up all that creamy custard and everything coming together in the oven for a delicious result!

If you love chocolate croissants, this breakfast bake has your name on it! And if you’re looking for more incredible holiday desserts and useful baking tips, check out all my recipes at CheneeToday.com. I’ll see you there!

Yield: 9

Chocolate Croissant Bake

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This chocolate croissant bake is a decadent breakfast or dessert casserole that everyone will love! It’s like a chocolate croissant from your favorite bakery, with a rich cream cheese custard that makes it irresistible!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 10-12 oz container of croissants (from bakery, either miniature or full size, stale)
• 12 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips (or semisweet
• Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9x9 baking dish.
2. Break stale croissants into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
3. In a bowl, use an electric mixer to beat softened cream cheese until smooth.
4. Add granulated sugar and cream until smooth. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to get all the cream cheese.
5. Mix in eggs, followed by vanilla extract, until well combined.
6. Beat in evaporated milk. Mixture should be thick but liquidy.
7. Add half of croissant pieces to the bottom of prepared pan. Top with half of chocolate chips.
8. Pour half of cream cheese mixture on top, being sure to saturate croissants evenly.
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 to add another layer of croissants, chocolate chips, and custard on top. Let sit for 20 minutes or overnight (see note).
10. Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until custard is set. Cover loosely with foil halfway during baking to prevent overbrowning.
11. Let cool slightly for 15 minutes, dust with powdered sugar, if you like, and serve warm.

Notes

Let croissants sit out to become stale, or heat them in a 300-degree oven for 10-15 minutes to dry them out.

You can prepare this dish the night before and bake it straight from the fridge! Just add an extra 5 minutes to the cook time.

Tune in tomorrow for our next submission in our casserole recipe roundup hosted by @asiliglamcooks and friends. 

P.S. Check out my last recipe here.