Blueberry Cream Cheese Croissant Casserole (Printable)
Buttery croissants baked with sweet cream cheese and blueberries until golden
# What You'll Need:
→ Croissants
01 - 6 large croissants, day-old or slightly stale, cut into 1-inch pieces
→ Cream Cheese Mixture
02 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - ½ cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Egg Mixture
05 - 4 large eggs
06 - 1 cup whole milk
07 - ½ cup heavy cream
08 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
09 - ½ tsp ground cinnamon
10 - ¼ tsp salt
→ Fruit
11 - 1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries
→ Topping
12 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
13 - 2 tbsp coarse sugar (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Arrange the croissant pieces evenly in the prepared dish.
03 - In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with ½ cup sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
04 - Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the croissants, distributing as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the top.
05 - In a separate large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, ¼ cup sugar, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.
06 - Pour the egg mixture evenly over the croissants, pressing down gently to ensure all pieces are moistened.
07 - Drizzle the melted butter over the top and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using.
08 - Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
09 - Remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until the casserole is golden and set.
10 - Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, optionally with powdered sugar or maple syrup.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It transforms ordinary day-old croissants into something that tastes like it came from a French bakery
- You can assemble everything the night before and wake up to a breakfast that feels indulgent but requires zero morning effort
02 -
- The casserole should still have a slight jiggle in the center when you remove it from the oven since it will continue to set as it rests
- Assembling this the night before and letting it refrigerate overnight actually improves the texture, giving the croissants more time to absorb the custard
03 -
- Letting the cream cheese come to room temperature prevents those frustrating lumps that never quite blend into the mixture
- If your croissants are very fresh, toast them lightly in the oven for 10 minutes before cutting them up to help them absorb the custard without becoming soggy