Blueberry Cream Cheese Croissant Casserole (Printer-friendly)

Buttery croissants soaked in velvety cream cheese custard with bursts of fresh blueberries, baked until golden and set.

# What You Need:

→ Bread & Pastry

01 - 6 large croissants, preferably day-old, cut into 2-inch pieces

→ Dairy

02 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - 1 cup whole milk
04 - 1 cup heavy cream
05 - 4 large eggs
06 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 tsp vanilla extract

→ Fruit

08 - 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

→ Additions & Toppings

09 - 2 tbsp powdered sugar, for dusting
10 - 1 tbsp lemon zest (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Arrange the croissant pieces evenly across the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Scatter blueberries and lemon zest (if using) uniformly over the croissant layer.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add granulated sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined.
04 - Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Pour in the whole milk and heavy cream, whisking until the mixture is smooth and pourable.
05 - Pour the custard mixture evenly over the croissants and blueberries. Gently press down on the croissant pieces to submerge them and ensure even soaking throughout.
06 - Allow the assembled casserole to rest for 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature, giving the croissants time to absorb the custard.
07 - Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the custard is fully set and the top is lightly golden brown.
08 - Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Dust generously with powdered sugar and serve warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • This is the kind of dish that makes people think you spent all morning cooking when you really just tossed things into a dish and let the oven do the work.
  • The cream cheese custard soaks into every flaky layer of croissant and turns into something halfway between bread pudding and a danish.
  • You can assemble the whole thing the night before, which means brunch guests get a hot, impressive bake and you still get to sleep in.
02 -
  • Do not skip the resting step, because croissants that go straight into the oven without soaking time will dry out and leave pockets of unabsorbed custard at the bottom of the dish.
  • If using frozen blueberries, add about five extra minutes to the bake time and expect more vibrant purple juices swirling through the custard, which is actually quite beautiful.
03 -
  • Tear a few croissant pieces larger than others so you get a mix of soft, custardy bites and slightly crisp, golden edges poking through the top.
  • The custard should coat the back of a spoon when fully mixed, so if it looks too thick, splash in a little extra milk before pouring.

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