Description

A decadent and easy-to-make Chocolate Croissant Breakfast Bake featuring mini croissants soaked in a creamy custard with rich cream cheese and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Perfect for a weekend brunch or special occasion, this bake combines the flakiness of croissants with the smoothness of cream cheese and the sweetness of chocolate in a comforting casserole-style dish.

Ingredients

Scale

Bakery

1 (10 to 13-oz) package mini croissants, chopped

Dairy

2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups milk
4 large eggs

Sweeteners & Flavorings

1⅓ cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
Arrange Croissants and Chocolate: Place the chopped mini croissant pieces evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the semi-sweet chocolate chips evenly over the croissant pieces.
Make Custard Mixture: In a medium bowl, beat the room temperature cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract, then continue mixing until the mixture is well blended. Gradually add milk while mixing until the custard is fully combined and smooth.
Combine and Soak: Pour the prepared cream cheese custard mixture evenly over the croissant pieces and chocolate chips in the pan, ensuring all croissant pieces are soaked.
Rest the Mixture: Let the mixture stand at room temperature for 20 minutes to allow the croissants to absorb the custard. Alternatively, cover the dish and refrigerate overnight for a more infused flavor and texture.
Bake: Bake the dish uncovered in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the center is set and the top is lightly golden.
Serve: Remove from the oven and serve warm for best flavor and texture.

Notes

You can prepare this bake the night before by refrigerating overnight; this allows the croissants to soak up more custard resulting in a richer taste.
Use full-fat cream cheese and whole milk for the creamiest texture.
Feel free to substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips with dark chocolate chips or chunks for a more intense chocolate flavor.
To reheat leftovers, warm in an oven at 300°F for 10-15 minutes to restore freshness.
Ensure cream cheese is at room temperature to avoid lumps in the custard.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Category: Breakfast Casserole
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: chocolate croissant bake, breakfast casserole, cream cheese custard, holiday brunch recipe, chocolate chip breakfast bake