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If you love sweet breakfasts, you’re in for a treat. This croissant breakfast casserole features tender croissant pieces and fresh berries all coated in a cream cheese custard. As if that’s not good enough, everything is topped off with a homemade lemon glaze that’s absolutely heavenly. It’s love at first bite!
Add a little sweetness to your day with a few of these other great breakfast recipes! Cinnamon apple French toast casserole, German oven pancakes, or these perfect crepes!
Sweet Croissant Breakfast Casserole
If you’re a fan of sweet, ooey-gooey dishes like bread pudding, then you’re going to LOVE this croissant breakfast casserole. It’s like the perfect mix of custard and bread pudding and is absolutely irresistible with all of the fresh berries thrown in. After it bakes it has the softest, most dreamy texture that you won’t be able to get enough of.
And let’s not forget about that lemon glaze on top! It adds the perfect zesty touch and complements the sweetness of the fruit beautifully. This croissant breakfast casserole is so good, if you make it for breakfast or brunch it’s sure to fly off the table. (And everyone will be wondering why they haven’t made something like this before.)
Ingredients You’ll Need
This croissant breakfast casserole is a mix of all these wonderful things. It’s like a morning hug on your plate, full of super comforting flavors! Check out the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Day-Old Croissants: These soak up all the deliciousness, giving each bite the perfect, soft bready texture.
- Mixed Berries: Sweet, juicy berries that add a pop of color. I went for blueberries and raspberries.
- Cream Cheese: Super creamy and comforting. It covers the croissant cubes, adding a touch of indulgence to each bite.
- Granulated Sugar: The sweet touch that makes everything better.
- Large Eggs: Hold everything together, and make sure each piece of croissant becomes nice and tender.
- Half and Half: Creaminess in a liquid form. It gives the croissant breakfast casserole a velvety feel and also adds richness.
- Vanilla Extract: A tiny drop that adds cozy flavor to every bite. You can also use almond extract if you prefer.
- Lemon Zest: For a little bit of zing!
Lemon Glaze
- Salted Butter: Soft and creamy butter that adds a smooth richness to the glaze, making it taste so delicious.
- Powdered Sugar: Super fine sugar that disappears into the glaze, adding sweetness and also giving it a smooth texture.
- Half and Half: Makes the glaze nice and creamy.
- Lemon Juice: To add a pop of bright citrus flavor! I recommend using fresh lemon juice if possible.
- Lemon Zest: Grated to give the glaze a little more zesty goodness.
- Powdered Sugar (For Dusting): A sprinkle of powdered sugar on top not only makes the croissant breakfast casserole look good, but taste good too!
How to Make Croissant Breakfast Casserole
Croissant breakfast casserole is super easy to make and only takes 15 minutes of prep! Then it’s off to the oven, where it cooks for about an hour. I know the hardest part is waiting, but trust me, it’s so worth it!
- Prepare Pan, Start on Croissant Mixture: Spray a 9-inch oval baking dish or a 9×9 baking dish with pan spray. Place the croissants and berries in a large mixing bowl.
- Beat Cream Cheese: In a separate large bowl, add the cream cheese and sugar. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat it until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated.
- Mix in Half and Half: Slowly add the half and half while mixing. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to ensure the mixture is smooth.
- Add Flavorings: Mix in the vanilla and lemon zest. Pour the custard mixture over the croissants and cover. If possible refrigerate overnight, or at least 6 hours to allow the croissants to absorb as much of the custard as possible.
- Preheat Oven: In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the dish from the fridge and let it come to room temperature while the oven heats.
- Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes before removing the foil and baking for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the custard is fully set. A knife will come out clean from the custard.
- Cool: Let the casserole cool for 15 minutes before serving.
- Top With Glaze: While it’s cooling, make the glaze by beating the butter, powdered sugar, half and half, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the casserole just before serving and dust with powdered sugar.
Tips and Tricks
From choosing the right croissants to adjusting the glaze, and even making the most of frozen berries, these easy steps will help you create a morning masterpiece that everyone will love.
- Use Day-Old Croissants: For best results, use croissants that are 1-2 days old. Fresh croissants won’t absorb as much as ones that are stale.
- To Make Fresh Croissants Work: If you do have fresh croissants or you want to crisp up day-old croissants even more, cut them into cubes and place them on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes, watching them closely so they don’t burn. Allow the croissant pieces to cool completely before using in the recipe.
- Adjust the Glaze: The glaze makes a generous amount. If you would like to half it or omit it altogether, go right ahead. I love a lot of glaze, so I use some of it on the whole casserole and add a little more after I serve myself.
- Use Frozen Berries: Fresh berries are best in this recipe, but you may substitute frozen if you would like. Mix them into the croissant mixture while frozen and they will thaw as the casserole soaks overnight. I used raspberries and blueberries, but any mixture of berries would be delicious!
Leftovers Callout Title
this is best eaten while it’s still warm, but leftovers can be kept for up to 2 days in the fridge and reheated in individual portions. It’s a great prep-ahead-of-time recipe because it needs at least 6 hours to soak, so prepping it the night before makes for an easy breakfast in the morning.
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Spray a 9-inch oval baking dish or a 9×9 baking dish with pan spray. Place the croissants and berries in a large mixing bowl.
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In a separate large bowl, add the cream cheese and sugar. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat it until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
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Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated.
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Slowly add the half and half while mixing. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to ensure the mixture is smooth.
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Mix in the vanilla and lemon zest. Pour the custard mixture over the croissants and cover. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 6 hours to allow the croissants to absorb as much of the custard as possible.
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In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the dish from the fridge and let it come to room temperature while the oven heats.
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Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes before removing the foil and baking for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the custard is fully set. A knife will come out clean from the custard.
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Let the casserole cool for 15 minutes before serving.
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While it’s cooling, make the glaze by beating the butter, powdered sugar, half and half, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the casserole just before serving and dust with powdered sugar.
Serves: 8
Serving1gCalories595kcal (30%)Carbohydrates67g (22%)Protein10g (20%)Fat33g (51%)Saturated Fat19g (95%)Polyunsaturated Fat2gMonounsaturated Fat9gTrans Fat0.2gCholesterol173mg (58%)Sodium368mg (15%)Potassium209mg (6%)Fiber2g (8%)Sugar49g (54%)Vitamin A1214IU (24%)Vitamin C3mg (4%)Calcium115mg (12%)Iron1mg (6%)
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.