Black and White Croissant Bread Pudding

From the kitchen of Carly

Stale croissants get a luxe second life here, soaked in an egg and cream custard, then studded with dark and white chocolate before baking into something between bread pudding and chocolate cake. Serve warm with crème fraîche.

Black and White Croissant Bread Pudding

Stale croissants and chocolate become something luxurious here, layered and custardy, nothing like the dense bread puddings you've had before. The trick is building chocolate throughout, dark and white together, so every bite lands differently. One-day-old croissants matter, they absorb the egg mixture without falling apart. This is brunch food that feels like dessert without apology.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 tbspunsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3 mediumeggs, plus 3 additional yolks
  • 1 cupheavy cream
  • 1 cupwhole milk
  • 1/2 cupplus 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • 2 tspvanilla extract
  • 5one-day-old croissants
  • 5 ozbittersweet chocolate chips
  • 5 ozwhite chocolate chips
  • 1 cupcrème fraîche or whipped cream

Instructions

  1. Set the oven to 375°F. Use your hands to smear the butter across the bottom of a 9x5x3-inch baking dish.

  2. Crack the whole eggs and yolks into a large bowl, pour in the cream and milk, then add the 1/2 cup brown sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and uniform.

  3. Tear the croissants into rough pieces directly into the bowl and fold everything together until the bread is thoroughly coated in the custard mixture.

  4. Spoon half the croissant mixture into the prepared dish, scatter the bittersweet and white chocolate chips across the top, then cover with the remaining croissant mixture. Finish with the rest of the chocolate chips and a sprinkle of the remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar.

  5. Sit the dish on a rimmed baking sheet and slide it into the oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top feels firm when you press it gently.

  6. Pull the pudding from the oven and serve each portion with a dollop of crème fraîche or whipped cream.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Use day-old croissants, not fresh. Fresh ones will shred into a soup; stale ones hold their shape and soak up the custard without collapsing.
  • Layer the chocolate strategically: middle and top. This way it melts into the bread, not just sitting on the surface where it crisps up unevenly.
  • Don't skip the extra yolks. Three whole eggs plus three yolks give you a custard that's rich and creamy, not custardy and watery.

Variations

  • All dark chocolate: omit the white chocolate chips and use 10 ounces of bittersweet (70%) instead, for a more serious, less sweet pudding.
  • Spirited version: replace 1/4 cup of the milk with rum or brandy for warmth and depth.
  • Salted caramel pudding: use all white chocolate, skip the brown sugar topping, and drizzle with warm salted caramel after baking.

Make ahead and storage

Eat it warm the day you make it for the best texture. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days, but the croissants soften further; reheat gently in a 300°F oven if you want to recover some structure.