Croissant Breakfast Casserole

Croissant Breakfast Casserole is an easy, make-ahead recipe – perfect for any occasion!

This croissant breakfast casserole tastes like a cream cheese Danish in easy casserole form, which means it’s pretty much the best breakfast casserole ever! It’s made with buttery croissants enveloped in a sweet, lemon kissed cream cheese custard, laced with berries and drizzled with silky, lemon cream cheese glaze.  It’s an intoxicating combination you will have to taste to believe!  This croissant breakfast casserole is all prepped the night before so all you have to do is pop it in the oven in the morning then enjoy the chorus of “mm mms” from around the table. 

We love make ahead breakfast casseroles at our house just like this croissant breakfast casserole!  They’re perfect for stress-free mornings whether for birthdays, holidays or just a special Sunday breakfast with the fam.  Other overnight breakfast casserole favorites include sausage breakfast casserole, pecan praline French toast bake, dulce de leche French toast casserole, eggs Benedict casserole and crème brûlée French toast.

How to make breakfast casserole video

 

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BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

I am so excited to bring you this sweet breakfast casserole recipe just in time for Easter!  Because the holidays are a totally acceptable time to indulge in dessert for breakfast masquerading as a casserole.  This breakfast bake is also fabulous for brunch, lunch, dinner and again for dessert!

I always have so many recipes I want to share for the holidays and never enough time to cram them in, but this croissant breakfast casserole shot to the top of the list because it’s irresistibly delicious and I’m convinced it will become your most requested breakfast. Because really, what’s better than a sweet breakfast casserole studded with berries that tastes like a Danish?! 

I’ve seen croissant breakfast casseroles floating around Pinterest for some time, and although they look amazing, there are honestly some pretty big fails with soggy croissants and splitting custard – but not this recipe! I’ve troubleshooted the issues to bring you the best breakfast casserole:

• First, you have to toast the croissants, otherwise, you’ll end up with soggy, disintegrating breakfast casserole. 
• Second, you have to use half and half, not milk, otherwise the custard won’t be thick enough and you are destined for runny sogginess. 
• Third, you have to layer the croissants and the custard in batches otherwise the custard isn’t evenly distributed.
• Fourth, it’s best to let the croissant breakfast casserole sit overnight so it can drink up all the flavor!

Now, all you have to do is follow the easy recipe, let it sit overnight in the refrigerator and bake it the next morning for a relaxed, stress free and delicious breakfast!  With one bite, everyone in your household will be swooning over it!

INGREDIENTS FOR sweet breakfast CASSEROLE

The ingredients for this sweet breakfast casserole are easy to find at your grocery store.  You will need:

• Croissants:  Use large croissants from the bakery section of your grocery store, not the ones in the tube.  You’ll need about 10 packed cups, but there is some wiggle room.
• Berries:  Use your favs!  I prefer raspberries, blueberries and blackberries in this recipe but you can also add strawberries. 
• Eggs:  Use large eggs at room temperature.  This will help them mix more easily with the cream cheese.
• Half and half:  Pease use half and half and not milk otherwise your croissant breakfast casserole may be runny.  You may use half heavy cream and half milk to make your own half and half.
• Granulated sugar:  Sweetens the cream cheese and allows the lemon flavor to shine.
• Lemon juice and lemon zest:  Brightens the custard with a subtle fresh pop of citrus; please don’t skip or the custard tastes flat.  
• Vanilla extract:  Use quality extract for the best flavor. 

HOW TO MAKE THIS SWEET BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

• Toast croissants.  Add the cubed croissants in a single layer to a large baking sheet and bake until toasted, about 7-10 minutes.  

• Make cream cheese custard.  Beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs, half and half, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer until smooth.

• Assemble casserole.  Layer a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish with croissants, berries, half of the custard and then repeat.   

• Refrigerate overnight.  Cover the sweet breakfast casserole tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight so the croissants can drink up the custard.
• Bake. The next relaxed, stress free morning, bake for 45 minutes or until the custard is set.  
• Lemon drizzle.  While the casserole is baking, make the Lemon Glaze by beating cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extracting in a mixing bowl.  Drizzle it all over the croissant breakfast casserole and dig in while it’s warm!

COOKING TIPS FOR THIS BREAKFAST Casserole

• Prepare your baking dish:  Don’t forget to lightly grease your 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray otherwise your croissant breakfast casserole will stick!
• Use quality croissants:  This isn’t the time for pop and bake croissants.  You want medium to large croissants from the bakery section of the grocery store because they have more fabulous flaky layers for the custard to hide in.
• Toast croissants:  Toasting the croissants gives them structure so they have the capacity to soak up the custard without becoming soggy – don’t skip this step!
• Don’t burn croissants:  There are severable variables when toasting the croissants such as the freshness of the croissants, so keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!
• Cool the croissants:  Give the croissants some time to cool before drenching in the custard so they can firm up a bit – otherwise this defeats the purpose of toasting them!  
• Use room temperature ingredients: You’ll want to use room temperature cream cheese, eggs and half and half, otherwise the cream cheese will seize and not mix well. If you do end up with some white flecks of cream cheese, it’s okay, it will melt when the breakfast casserole bakes.
• Use soft cream cheese:  To that end, make sure you cream cheese is very soft. This is one time it’s okay to gently microwave your cream cheese, just make sure not to scorch it! 
• Use fresh or frozen berries:  Fresh is best but frozen mixed berries will also work -no need to thaw first.
• Submerge the croissants in the custard.  After you’ve added the last of the custard to the casserole but before you top with the remaining berries, press the croissants down gently with your hands so that most of the croissants are submerged in the custard.  The very tops will likely be sticking up which is okay.
• Add powdered sugar to taste:  The powdered sugar dusting is honestly more for aesthetic reasons.  I recommend serving the sweet breakfast casserole without the powdered sugar and then letting individuals decide if they would like their serving sweeter.

WHAT WENT WRONG IF MY sweet breakfast CASSEROLE IS SOGGY?

You should expect your breakfast croissant casserole to be soft, but not mushy. If it’s soggy, there could be a few culprits:

• Problem:  You did not use enough croissants.
• Answer:  You need 10 packed cups of croissants for the proper bread to custard ratio.

• Problem:  The croissants were too soft to absorb the egg custard
• Answer:  Make sure the croissants are STALE like croutons by toasting the cubes in the oven and then waiting for them to cool and firm up.
• Problem: The custard was runny.
  Answer:  Don’t use milk; only half and half.  Before you pop the sweet breakfast casserole in the oven, inspect to see if most of the custard is absorbed, if not, pour off all but about half a cup or so.

• Problem:  The casserole sat too long.
• Answer:  Don’t prep the breakfast bake too far in advance. Prep the casserole in the evening and bake it the next morning. 

VARIATIONS OF THIS overnight breakfast casserole

• Other breads:  This breakfast bake will also work with French bread to create a French toast casserole.  Purchase the French bread, cut it into cubes and let it dry out for a couple days on the counter or toast the cubes like you do the croissants until crispy like croutons.
• Other flavors:  This recipe is bright and lemony for spring, but are welcome to mix up the flavor profile. You can omit the lemon and go more maple/cinnamon by swapping half of the sugar in the custard and in the glaze with pure maple syrup and adding additional cinnamon.  Alternatively, you can omit the lemon in the glaze and go for straight vanilla. You can also swap the lemon for orange juice and orange extract and add a splash of almond extract.
• Omit the glaze:  The lemon glaze is fabulous and a recipe highlight in my opinion, but you can omit it and sprinkle the casserole with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup instead.
• Add a streusel:  I love adding streusels to my overnight breakfast casseroles for a contrasting crunch.  If you want to add a streusel, follow the instructions for this recipe.

HOW DO I MAKE GLUTEN-FREE sweet breakfast CASSEROLE?

You will probably have trouble locating gluten free croissants so the next best bet is to use your favorite thick gluten-free bread. Make sure to toast the bread like you do the croissants so they resemble croutons.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH this Breakfast BAKE

This breakfast bake has the fruit and sweet breakfast portion covered, and I’m honestly good with that, but if you are looking to flush out the meal, here are some savory options:

• Protein: bacon, breakfast sausage, ham (leftover Easter ham is perfect!), etc.
• Eggs: scrambled, fried, over-easy, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, poached, deviled, or as eggs benedict, an omelette or baked egg muffins.
• Skillets:  bacon and egg hash, corned beef hash, frittata, chilaquiles, etc.
• Bakes:  quiche, sausage breakfast casserole, eggs benedict casserole, ham and cheese breakfast enchiladas

MAKING BREAKFAST CASSEROLE AHEAD OF TIME

I usually dedicate an entire section on how to prep a recipe ahead of time, but the beauty of this overnight breakfast casserole is it meant to be prepped almost 100% ahead of time!   Besides the casserole itself, the only item left to make is the lemon glaze. This can also be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. 

The glaze will thicken upon refrigeration so you will need to let it come to room temperature before serving and may even need to whisk in a couple tablespoon of half and half to thin it again.  Taste the glaze before serving, as the lemon will mellow upon refrigeration, then adjust if needed.    

CAN YOU MAKE breakfast CASSEROLE WITHOUT SITTING OVERNIGHT?

There is a reason this is an overnight breakfast casserole – it gives the custard time to permeate and really soak into the croissant crevices.  This results in sublime flavor and texture through and through.  So, for best results, plan on OVERNIGHT breakfast casserole preparation. You can still make this recipe without letting it rest overnight, but adjust your expectations as the casserole won’t be as fluffy and may be runnier as the custard won’t have as much time to soak in.

To make and bake this breakfast casserole immediately, skip toasting the croissants and instead let the casserole sit on the counter for 30-60 minutes so the croissants can soak up the liquid then bake per recipe instructions.  

HOW LONG IS ThiS Breakfast BAKE GOOD FOR?

This breakfast bake should be tightly covered or stored in an aright container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. 

HOW TO REHEAT breakfast CASSEROLE

You can reheat leftover sweet breakfast casserole two ways:

• Microwave:  The microwave is good for instant pleasure and individual pieces but you will lose some of the structural integrity of the breakfast bake.  To microwave, add individual slices to a microwave safe plate and microwave for one minute.  Continue to microwave at 30 second intervals if needed to heat through.
• Oven.  Reheating leftover breakfast croissant casserole in the oven will yield the best results.  Cover casserole with foil and bake at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes or until warmed through.

HOW TO FREEZE sweet breakfast CASSEROLE

You can freeze the breakfast croissant casserole before or after baking, but for best results, freeze before baking.

TO FREEZE BEFORE BAKING:

• Completely assemble your breakfast bake in a freezer safe 9×13 dish but don’t bake. 
• Tightly wrap casserole in plastic wrap a couple times followed by foil.
• Freeze for up to 2 months.
• When ready to cook, thaw casserole in the refrigerator overnight.
• Bake the next morning per recipe instructions, being prepared to add an additional 5-10 minutes.

TO FREEZE AFTER BAKING:

• Allow casserole to cool completely.
• Tightly wrap casserole in plastic wrap a couple times followed by foil.
• Freeze for up to 2 months
• When ready to cook, thaw casserole in the refrigerator overnight.
• Reheat in the oven at 325 degrees F for 20 minutes or until warmed through.

LOOKING FOR MORE BREAKFAST RECIPES?

• Blueberry Muffin Cake
• Peaches and Cream French Toast Muffins
• Banana Cream Cheese Stuffed Coffee Cake
• Creme Brûlée French Toast
• Pecan Praline French Toast
• Cream Cheese Stuffed Strawberry Coffee Cake
• Maple Bacon Monkey Bread