As the saying goes, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That doesn’t mean it can’t also be fun! If you’re searching for an easy-to-make and doubly delicious breakfast recipe, this croissant French toast bake checks all of the boxes.
This recipe makes great use of stale or leftover croissants, bringing new life to them with a simple mixture of eggs, half-and-half and flavorings to create a custard base. All you have to do is whisk, dunk, arrange and bake. Breakfast will be ready and on the table in no time, whether you’re prepping for a large group, a holiday or simply a beautiful weekday morning.
Ingredients for Croissant French Toast Bake
- Croissants: Instead of using bread like in a traditional French toast, this recipe makes great use of croissants for a unique treat. You can choose any type of croissant: homemade croissants, store-bought croissants or even refrigerated or frozen options that need to be prebaked.
- Eggs: Eggs provide moisture for soaking the croissants and help to create a delicious baked texture for the croissant casserole.
- Half-and-half: While eggs are the main base for the liquid mixture, adding half-and-half creates a creamy custard-like sauce. If you don’t have half-and-half, you could use cream as well.
- Cinnamon: One teaspoon cinnamon goes a long way in adding flavor for this French toast bake. If you love a stronger cinnamon flavor in regular French toast, feel free to increase this amount as desired.
- Orange zest: Orange zest helps to create a complex flavor in the custard mixture for this recipe. You can choose to omit it if necessary!
- Maple syrup: Maple syrup adds just a touch of sweetness to the custard mixture. You’ll only need 2 tablespoons for the custard, but additional maple syrup also makes for a great topping for this French toast bake once it’s served.
Directions
Step 1: Prep the croissants
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 13×9-inch baking dish with cooking spray, and set it aside. Split all the croissants in half horizontally.
Step 2: Mix the eggs and other ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half cream, vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest and maple syrup.
Step 3: Dip the croissants
Dunk each croissant half in the liquid, submerging until completely soaked. Repeat with all of the croissants, arranging them in the baking dish, overlapping slightly if necessary.
Step 4: Bake until set
Bake the croissants for 25 to 30 minutes, until the custard mixture is set.
Croissant French Toast Bake Variations
- Make a souffle: While we love to bake this sweet breakfast casserole in a 13×9-inch baking dish, you can choose a different size and type of dish. To create a croissant bake with a fluffy souffle texture, layer the croissants in a 9-inch deep dish pie plate.
- Add berries: You can serve our croissant French toast bake with fresh berries on top, or you can bake the berries straight into the mixture. Consider adding fresh raspberries, blueberries or sliced strawberries before baking.
- Lemon zest: No oranges on hand? No problem! Use fresh lemon zest as an alternative. This will add a light, vibrant touch of flavor to the custard mixture. Just make sure you know how to zest a lemon!
How to Store Croissant French Toast Bake
Since this croissant French toast bake is made with an egg-based custard, any leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator. Cover the baking dish or transfer leftovers to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to three days.
Can you freeze croissant French toast bake?
Yes, you can certainly freeze croissant French toast bake. Store any leftovers in an airtight freezer bag or container, or wrap them in a layer of storage wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to two months.
Croissant French Toast Bake Tips
Do you need to use stale croissants for sweet breakfast casserole?
You can choose to use any type of croissants for this recipe, whether they’re freshly baked or stale. Stale croissants are a great option if you have them on hand already and need a creative way to use them up. They soak up the custard mixture a bit better, but it’s not necessary to use stale croissants if you don’t have any on hand.
Should you soak the croissant French toast overnight before baking?
It’s not necessary to let the croissants soak overnight for this recipe. You can prep this right before baking and serving it. However, if you want to prepare it a day ahead and leave it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake the sweet breakfast casserole, that’s a great make-ahead option.
How do you serve croissant French toast bake?
Just like regular French toast, the options for serving this croissant French toast bake are endless. Consider dusting the top with confectioners’ sugar, adding dollops of homemade whipped cream, or drizzling with plenty of maple syrup or a chocolate or fruit sauce. This French toast bake also pairs well with bacon, sausages and scrambled eggs.
