This Raspberry Croissant Bread Pudding is unlike any bread pudding you’ve had before! A crispy, flaky, buttery croissant bread pudding, with fruity swirls of raspberry jam, this is an unforgettable breakfast, brunch, dessert treat!
Turn your day-old French croissants or chocolate croissants into deliciously flaky, crispy, buttery bread pudding!
Recently, I shared my ultimate guide to make croissants and pain au chocolat at home. I shared all the tips and tricks I learned in the process of making perfect, classic and chocolate croissants, and laid out step by step instructions as well.
I went through MANY batches in the making of that post. Croissants that were otherwise perfectly delicious, but just didn’t make the cut for what I wanted. But that’s OK, because those croissants had an even higher calling. They were turned into this simple, but glorious raspberry croissant bread pudding!
Bread pudding
Making bread pudding with leftover bread is a great way to use up stale bread, and it’s always a crowd-pleaser! And there’s never a set recipe with bread pudding, and it’s a pretty forgiving dish too.
A bread pudding is a baked “casserole”, where pieces of bread (preferably stale), are soaked in a slightly sweetened milk and egg mixture, and then baked until the egg milk custard sets. The bread pieces that are soaked in the custard layer are rich and creamy, while the bread pieces on the surface develop a beautiful, crispy texture.
You could add butter to make a bread and butter pudding if you prefer (like this hot cross bun bread and butter pudding), or use an egg-heavy custard with French toast (or brioche French toast) to make a French toast casserole. These definitions are inexact however, and these terms are often used interchangeably.
And although bread pudding is technically a sweet dish like this chocolate raspberry bread pudding, it can also be a savory dish.
Using an enriched bread like challah or brioche or chocolate babka makes for a richer flavor, while using a flaky and rich bread like croissants can add a pastry-like flakiness and texture, in addition to the richness.
For this bread pudding recipe I’m using 6 – 7 medium-sized croissants. That’s actually 1 batch of croissants from this French croissants recipe or this chocolate croissants recipe, so this is perfect to use up a messed up batch.
This recipe is quite forgiving and versatile, so don’t be afraid to adapt and be creative!
Making raspberry croissant bread pudding
Making any type of bread pudding is easy. For this raspberry croissant bread pudding however,
- Cut up the croissants into cubes (about 1 – 2 inch cubes).
- Make the uncooked custard base. In a bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest.
- Add the cut up croissants into the custard base. Toss the bread pieces in the milk egg mixture.
- Butter a baking dish.
- Add half of the soaked croissant mixture to the bottom of the pan. This should completely cover the bottom of the dish.
- Spread about 3/4 th of the jam on top of that.
- Top it with the rest of the soaked croissants. Dollop the remaining raspberry jam over the croissants, followed by a sprinkling of raw brown sugar (which will add a nice crunch, once baked).
- Preheat oven to 350 F / 180 C. Cover the baking pan with foil, and bake in the preheated oven. Halfway through baking, remove the foil and let the bread pudding caramelize on top.
- Let it cool slightly, so that the custard has time to settle. Serve warm or at room temperature.
You can serve it as is, or with different toppings.
How to modify the bread pudding to your liking
Croissants
I do prefer croissants because they produce a really irresistible texture, but you can obviously make bread pudding with brioche, challah, or any other bread you have at home too.
Raspberry jam
You can use any kind of jam you like. Raspberry jam, strawberry jam or plum jam, or grape jelly are some of my favorites, but you can use your favorite jam instead.
You can also add some chopped chocolate or nutella along with the jam to make a chocolate raspberry croissant bread pudding. Don’t forget to add the chocolate on top of the pudding as well.
Custard base
This is simply a mixture of milk + eggs + sugar + vanilla. I like to add the zest of lemons to the custard, because it helps brighten up the flavor and also adds a zingy freshness. The lemon flavor isn’t prominent though, just a subtle whisper of a flavor.
For a dairy free version of bread pudding, you can substitute the milk with plant-based milks (and swap croissants to a dairy free alternative).
Add about 1 – 2 tbsp of cocoa powder for a chocolate custard version to make chocolate raspberry croissant bread pudding (or double chocolate raspberry croissant bread pudding).
Swapping the white sugar for brown sugar can add a butterscotch flavor to the bread pudding, for a butterscotch raspberry croissant bread pudding.
Fresh fruits
I used fresh raspberries here, just to add a pop of freshness and fruitiness to the finished bread pudding. But you can use different fruits or anything you like to top the bread pudding.
Toppings
Bread pudding requires no toppings other than a dusting of icing sugar. HOWEVER, if you’d really like to, you can serve it with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream (or even chocolate ice cream), or custard sauce (vanilla crème anglaise) like I have here.
Or if you fancy something sweeter, you can top it with a classic maple syrup, or chocolate fudge sauce, or caramel sauce too.
For a crunchier topping, use chopped nuts or praline (or a praline paste even).
How to adapt the recipe for different baking dishes
This recipe was made in an oval dish, but you can make it in an 8 inch square pan, or 8 inch round pan without changing the directions.
You can also make it in a 9 inch square pan or 9 inch round pan too. The depth of the bread pudding will change depending on the dish you use, which will change the baking time too. See my comprehensive pan conversion chart for more information.
The shallower the croissant bread pudding, the shorter the baking time.
To know when the bread pudding is done baking, just give the dish a little shake, and the bread pudding should have the slightest jiggle in the center when done. The middle will continue to cook even after it’s removed from the oven, and set completely when cooled.
The result is always an amazingly buttery, flaky, perfectly sweet and creamy, raspberry croissant bread pudding! 🙂
Recipe
Raspberry Croissant Bread Pudding
US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Weight measurements are recommended for accurate results whenever available.
Common Measurement ConversionsIngredients:
- 470 g croissants about 6 – 7 croissants (depends on the size)
- 4 large eggs
- 240 mL milk
- 240 mL cream between 20 – 35% fat
- 100 g sugar
- 15 mL vanilla extract
- ½ lemon (zest only) from ½ a lemon.
- 120 g raspberry jam
- Extra, fresh raspberries to top the bread pudding
Instructions:
- Butter an 8 inch pie dish, and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C.
- Cut the croissants into 1 – 2 inch cubes. Place them in a large bowl.470 g croissants
- Place the milk, cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs in a bowl or jug, and whisk to dissolve the sugar and combine everything well. Stir in the lemon zest.4 large eggs, 240 mL milk, 240 mL cream, 100 g sugar, 15 mL vanilla extract, ½ lemon (zest only)
- Pour the custard base over the croissant pieces. Gently toss to coat, and allow the croissant pieces to absorb some of the custard.
- Place half of the bread and custard mixture on the bottom of the buttered baking dish. Spread ¾ th of the raspberry jam over the soaked croissant layer.120 g raspberry jam
- Top it with the rest of the soaked croissants, and pour the leftover custard on top.
- Next, dollop the remaining raspberry jam on top. Optional step – sprinkle some fresh berries over the surface as well.
- Cover the surface of the baking dish with foil, and bake the bread pudding in the preheated oven for about 15 – 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil, and bake for a further 10 – 15 minutes until the surface caramelizes. You can also optionally sprinkle some sugar on the surface after you remove the foil. This will add a lovely, sweet crunch to the surface.
- When the bread pudding has caramelized on top, remove it from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes to allow the custard to settle.
- Sprinkle more fresh raspberries on top before serving.Extra, fresh raspberries
- Serve the raspberry croissant bread pudding while warm, with cold ice cream, or whipped cream or pouring custard. It can also be eaten at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
Storage
Leftovers can be stored for a further 2 days. Warm up the bread pudding in the oven for a few minutes. You can also use the microwave, but this will make the pudding a little soggy.Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
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