Breakfast Croissant Casserole

Croissant Breakfast Casserole is a special occasion breakfast that feels like a true indulgence, thanks to a lightly sweetened custard with vanilla and orange zest, and ALL THE BERRIES we could possibly pack into it.

Spoil A Mom (Or Yourself) With This Sweet Breakfast Casserole

All the jokes and memes are true. The biggest expense of becoming a parent isn’t the diapers, formula or college fund; it’s the berries.

We easily buy $20+ of berries each week, and our daughter eats every. single. one. Rarely do we eat any because we save them all for her.

If this is your parenting experience too, this Croissant Breakfast Casserole is made for YOU to indulge in. Sure, the kids can have a serving, too, but it’s really meant for you. It’s YOUR turn to eat all the berries, and this dish is absolutely loaded with them.

This casserole is the perfect combination of buttery toasted croissants, a lightly sweetened custard flavored with vanilla and orange zest, and as many berries as we could pack in.

It’s perfect for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day (dads should get to eat berries, too!), Easter, or a bridal or baby shower brunch.

Croissant Casserole Ingredients

A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.

• croissants – you’ll need 6 large croissants to form the buttery base of the casserole that absorbs the custard. These do NOT need to be stale or old croissants, we’ll be toasting them. They also don’t need to be the absolute highest quality croissants on earth; just get fresh croissants from the bakery section of the grocery store.
• all the berries – you’ll need 3 cups total. We use a combination of whole blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, plus sliced strawberries.
• eggs – these create the rich custard that brings the whole thing together. Other croissant casserole recipes call for cream cheese in the custard mixture, but we tested it this way and didn’t like it as well. It felt TOO creamy, and it muted the great flavor of the berries. A basic egg + dairy custard is our preference here!
• milk – adds moisture to the custard, and thins the glaze as well.
• heavy cream – makes the custard super rich and velvety.
• granulated sugar – what makes this breakfast casserole sweet and balances the tartness of the berries.
• powdered sugar – for making the glaze, and dusting on top of the casserole, if you want.
• vanilla extract – adds warmth and depth of flavor to both the casserole and the glaze. A tablespoon in the custard seems aggressive, but is the right amount.
• orange zest – something special about this recipe compared to others. It adds a bright, citrusy note that we think really enhances the flavor of the berries.
• salt – to balance sweetness and round out the flavor.
• butter – just for greasing the baking dish. You can use baking spray if you want.

How to Make Breakfast Casserole With Croissants

1. TOAST CROISSANTS. Place the croissant pieces on a baking pan and bake them until they are golden brown.

2. MAKE CUSTARD. Whip the eggs in a stand mixer until light and fluffy, then beat in the milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, orange zest and salt.

3. ASSEMBLE AND CHILL. Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and place the toasted croissants in it. Spread the berries over the croissants, then pour the custard over everything. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

4. BAKE. Let the casserole stand at room temperature 45 minutes, then bake until a knife inserted in the center of the casserole comes out clean.

5. MAKE GLAZE. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla.

6. FINISH AND SERVE. Remove the casserole from the oven and drizzle with glaze. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if you want, and serve warm.

What To Serve With Breakfast Casserole (Sweet)

Make this sweet breakfast casserole part of a larger brunch menu by adding some of the ideas below:

• Breakfast Meat: Choose between Bacon In Oven, Turkey Bacon In Oven or Sausage In Oven.
• Eggs: How about Breakfast Muffins, Vegetarian Quiche or our Ham And Cheese Quiche Recipe?
• Savory Casserole: We see absolutely nothing wrong with serving this sweet breakfast croissant casserole alongside a savory casserole, like our Sausage Egg Brunch Casserole or Cornbread Breakfast Casserole.
• Smoked Salmon Platter: Adds such an elegant touch to any fancy brunch spread.
• Mimosas: You can never go wrong with this classic Orange Juice and Champagne drink (with just a touch of Grand Marnier).
• Bloody Marys: With our favorite Bloody Mary Skewers for a special garnish.

Sweet Breakfast Casserole Storage

If you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and place them in the fridge uncovered for a few hours until they are fully chilled, then cover them with the lid and keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Leftovers are good warmed in the microwave.