Croissant French toast is an easy brunch dish that also looks impressive. Crispy, flaky croissants are soaked in a creamy vanilla custard. This version only needs 4 ingredients, with a secret ingredient used to make the custard. You can prepare it the night before and bake it the morning of your event.
This is my new favorite brunch dish to make. It looks impressive but it’s very easy to assemble. I like that I can prepare it ahead of time but you can also make it the same day you want to serve it. You can also swap out the fruits depending on what is in season. The top layer is crispy flaky croissants. The bottom layer is soft croissant layers soaked in a creamy vanilla custard.
Ingredients
- Croissants
- Vanilla Creamer
- Eggs
- Berries
Croissants: For this French toast you don’t want to use crispy, flaky croissants. You want to use cheaper, soft grocery store croissants that you normally would need to crisp up in the oven or a toaster. This is because the croissants are going to be baked in the oven for a long time. I made this recipe with mini croissants for the photos but you can use regular-sized croissants as well.
Vanilla creamer: Vanilla creamer is the secret to keeping this ingredient list so short. It replaces the sugar, milk, cream and vanilla flavor usually added to make the custard for the French toast. While most vanilla creamers should work, this works best with a coffee creamer that is made with real milk. There are several on the market right now that contain only a few ingredients and are just made with milk, sugar, cream and some natural flavoring.
Eggs: Eggs are used to help create the custard.
Berries: We chose to use fresh strawberries, raspberries and blackberries but you can use whatever is in season. You can also just stick to one fruit for less prep work.
How to Make Croissant French Toast Bake
Mix the eggs and creamer until no egg streaks remain. This can take a little while if you are mixing just by hand with a wire whisk. I prefer using an immersion blender which will break up your egg whites in seconds. You can also try using a handheld mixer.
- Cut half of your croissants into 1.5-inch pieces. Soak them in the egg mixture and then add them in a single layer to your baking pan.
- Scatter about half of the fruit over the croissants. I tried to place the fruit where the gaps were on the baking dish.
- For the remaining croissants, you can cut them in half or keep some of the whole (if using mini croissants). Add them on top. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the croissants on top. It’s okay if they don’t get fully soaked. The top layer is meant to be crispy and flaky.
- Then add the remaining fruit.
Wrap your baking pan with plastic wrap and place into the fridge for at least one hour to allow the bottom layer of croissants to absorb the custard. You can also leave this overnight in your fridge.
On the morning you plan on serving, remove the baking pan from your fridge and preheat your oven. Unwrap the plastic wrap from the baking pan and when your oven is ready, place the baking pan into the oven and bake for about one hour or until the custard is cooked through.
Croissant French Toast Texture
Unlike traditional French toast where all of the bread is soaked in custard, this Crossaint French Toast has two layers. The top layer will be crispy, flaky croissants. The bottom layer will taste more like traditional French toast, with the soft flaky layers of croissant mixed with a sweet vanilla custard.
More Brunch Recipes
4 Ingredient Croissant French Toast
Ingredients
- 6 large (318 g) eggs
- 2 cups (16 fl oz/473 ml) vanilla coffee creamer see note
- 8 large (or 18 mini) soft croissants a little over 1 lb, see note
- 2 cups (280 g) fresh berries
Instructions
- Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and coffee creamer until evenly combined and no egg streaks remain. You can do this with a hand whisk but it may take longer. You can also use an immersion blender or a hand mixer.
- Take half of your croissants and cut them into approximately 1.5 inch pieces. Add those croissants to the egg mixture and gently toss to coat.
- Transfer the coated croissants into the prepared baking dish. Scatter half of the berries on top.
- Cut the remaining croissants in half. If you are using mini croissants you can keep most of them whole and just cut a few in half so that they all fit.
- Add the remaining croissant over the top of the baking dish, spreading them out evenly. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the top of the croissants. Scatter the remaining berries on top.
- Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for at least 1 hour but preferably overnight until the croissants have absorbed most of the custard.
- On the morning you plan on serving, remove the baking pan from the fridge and remove the plastic wrap. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Bake for about 60 minutes or until the custard is fully cooked. Depending on your croissants, you may need to loosely cover the top of the baking pan with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking so that your croissants don't get too crispy and browned. It will depend on the croissants you use.
- Let cool slightly before serving. If desired, you can dust with powdered sugar and add some more fresh fruit on top before serving.
Notes
- Croissants: Make sure to use soft croissants, like the kind that is usually sold in grocery stores in prepackaged bags or boxes. You don't want to use super crispy, flaky croissants from the bakery because they will get burned during the long cooking time. If you use very pale croissants, you shouldn't need to cover the baking dish in foil for the last few minutes of baking.
- Creamer: This recipe works best with a vanilla creamer that is made with real milk and has minimal ingredients. You want one that has just milk, cream, sugar and some flavoring. There are several brands on the market that offer this. We used Coffee Mate Natural Bliss Vanilla.
- You can use whatever fruit is in season. We used strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
