A great breakfast doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming to make! This overnight sweet croissant breakfast casserole is assembled the night before, studded with juicy mixed berries and sweetened cream cheese, then drizzled with a mouthwatering vanilla bean glaze. It seriously tastes like a danish!
We love tasty breakfast recipes like this Croissant Breakfast Casserole! It’s perfect for holidays or a fun weekend with family. Other family favorites are my Loaded Overnight Breakfast Casserole and Homemade Breakfast Sausage Patties. This is one of my Breakfast recipes you’ll want to hold on to!
SWEET BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been a huge breakfast food fan. Although, I don’t generally like to actually cook breakfast in the mornings. That sounds weird, right?
Mornings for me are basically a trudge to the kitchen where I tiredly heat up some water for my hot tea, and I’m not all that functional until about 30 minutes after that when the caffeine kicks in.
Definitely not when I want to be hanging out with sharp knives and hot stove tops!
That’s why I LOVE breakfasts like this Berry Croissant Bake… not only do they look fantastic, but they are actually made up the night before and sit overnight in the refrigerator.
Then all you have to do in the morning is preheat the oven and bake it. Breakfast is done!!
HOW TO MAKE THIS SWEET BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
- Add chopped croissants to a greased baking dish and top with berries.
- Beat cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth, then beat in milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest.
- Pour over the croissants and berries.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Let baking dish sit on counter while your oven preheats.
- Bake, covered, for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake another 15 minutes or so.
- While casserole is baking, combine powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla in a bowl and whisk to create the glaze.
- Drizzle over top of warm casserole when finished baking and enjoy.
COOKING TIPS FOR THIS BREAKFAST BAKE
- Use quality croissants – for this recipe you’ll want to use the flaky, buttery croissants from the bakery section of the grocery store… not the kind that come in a can with a little dough boy on the label. Nothing against that kind, but you want alllll those fabulous little nooks and crannies of the real croissants, as they soak up the amazing sauce.
- Use whichever berries you like best – I tested this recipe using fresh berries, but I’ve had some readers reach out to me and say they used frozen berries with great results as well. Fresh or frozen, use your favorite berries! I chose a mixture of raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.
- Use the hand mixer – it’s tempting to just grab a whisk and save getting out the mixer, but I found I couldn’t get a really smooth consistency when whisking the cream cheese by hand.
- Room temperature – speaking of cream cheese, set it out for a bit beforehand so it’s softened to room temperature, or you’ll really have a tough time getting it smooth.
VARIATIONS OF THIS RECIPE
- Other breads – if you’d rather use a different kind of bread than croissants, you can switch it up and try a hearty Italian or French bread. I’ve even had one reader use chopped up cinnamon swirl bagels! For an Italian or French bread, I’d try to let them sit out a day or so, so they’re a little stale, that way they’ll absorb more of the liquid.
- Other sauce flavors – a pinch of cinnamon, almond extract, orange zest instead of lemon… you can really flavor this up to your hearts’ content.
- Not-so Overnight – even though this recipe was created to be an overnight breakfast casserole, you can still make it the day of if you’d like. Just make sure it can sit for 30 minutes or more so the croissants can soak up the liquid.
MAKING BREAKFAST CASSEROLE AHEAD OF TIME
The beauty of this sweet breakfast is that it’s designed to be made ahead of time! Don’t you just love recipes like that?
Just follow the written recipe down below and you’ll be all set to make this a day ahead of time. I wouldn’t do much longer than that, as you don’t want it to start to dry out.
FREEZING
I have not officially tested freezing this recipe, but if you’d like to try it, here are my tips.
Complete recipe through step 3, then cover tightly and freeze for up to 2-3 months.
To thaw, place (still covered) in the refrigerator and let thaw overnight.
Bake as directed, checking to make sure it’s done (since this casserole may be colder than the regular version). If not done baking, add another 5-10 minutes.
STORAGE
Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and consumed within 3-4 days.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR THIS RECIPE
- 8×8″ baking dish – I love the simple elegance of this dish, and it’s a breeze to clean!
BE SURE TO SCROLL DOWN TO CHECK OUT OTHER READERS’ COMMENTS FOR TIPS AND REVIEWS.
AND DON’T FORGET, IF YOU’VE MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING LETTING ME KNOW HOW YOU ENJOYED IT!
Originally posted in April of 2017, and has been updated in February 2020 with additional information.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 4 large croissants (from the bakery) sliced into 1 inch cubes
- 1 1/2 cups mixed berries (I used raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries)
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup milk (whole or 2%)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Vanilla Bean Glaze:
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp heavy cream (or half and half and milk)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract if you don't have the paste)
- powdered sugar for dusting (optional but recommended)
Instructions
- Grease an 8x8" baking dish, fill with sliced croissants and mixed berries. Set aside.
- Add cream cheese to mixing bowl and beat with hand mixer until smooth. Add milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla and lemon zest and beat until combined.
- Pour mixture over croissants and berries.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove baking dish from refrigerator and let sit on the counter. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
- Bake, covered with aluminum foil, for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for 15 minutes, until golden and when a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
- While casserole is baking, add powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla bean paste to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine until smooth and pourable.
- Drizzle glaze over casserole after it's finished baking. Serve warm and dust with powdered sugar if desired.
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Judy Van Til says
This recipe was amazing!! So delicious!! I doubled the recipe because I wanted to bring one dish to a friend who was recuperating from surgery. I’m so glad I did so that I got some for myself. I used strawberries and raspberries and it was perfect. This is such a good way to use up the huge box of croissants that you can get from Costco. I’m going to make it again today. Thank you for a fantastic, easy to make recipe. Oh, and my friend raved about it, as well.
Denise says
This was absolutely amazing! I served it at Easter brunch and it will now make an appearance every year. I followed the instructions you gave in the comments section for preparing in a 9 x 13 pan. I also added white chocolate chips as suggested in another comment. I can’t say enough good things about this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing.
Lynette Minnich says
Oh my woooorrdd….this is delicious! I made this and my hubby and I both flipped out over it. One day he literally had a serving at breakfast, a snack in the afternoon and again after dinner that evening! LOL Ok, we can’t make that a habit. But seriously – this is wonderful! Basically a delicious bread pudding.
Dee says
A great & easy recipe. My kids love it! The first time I made it my daughter had it for breakfast, lunch AND dessert the first day! I have used fresh & frozen berries. Fresh is best but frozen works just fine too.
Susan Darlington says
This is a great tasting casserole. I don’t however limit it to breakfast since it also makes a great “bread pudding” dessert. I’ve made it 4 times this month for different events and it has gotten rave reviews from family and friends! Love it!
Rita says
I had a large amount of bagels left from a gathering last year. I did a very similar recipe with them. Minus the fruit. for some batches I sliced them thin, others I cubed. some batches I didn’t add sweetener since they were cheesy &/or had seeds. ( I added shredded cheese to those and bacon/sausage to some) All batches worked out wonderful. I had so much that I wrapped and froze some in single serving pieces after baking. I shared them with friends and family since there was so much. I reheat them in the toaster oven. I served some as a dessert with a scoop of vanilla Ice cream & Maple cream liqueur when I had company and it was a hit! This type of recipe is so versatile! I LOVE it!
Sheri says
Very delicious. Everyone loved it and I’m making tomorrow so we can have it for breakfast 2021!
Haley says
Can I not add cold milk to this? Am I missing something? I added cold milk to the beaten cream cheese and had it sit while I got the other ingredients ready, and when I mixed it all the cream cheese got cold again and chunky. The whole mixture was ruined
The Chunky Chef says
I don’t advise adding really cold milk and then letting it sit while you prepare the other things, as it will cause the softened cream cheese to stiffen up.
Claudette Wohl says
I just made this for the first time last night and served it this morning for my husband and his weekly coffee group and it was a hit! Very easy to make and packed with flavor.
I only added raspberries and no other berries and added semi sweet chocolate chips and at the last 15 minutes of baking added sliced almonds. Next time for myself I will try it with blueberries. So I will definitely make this again!
jane sheeley says
I have a double batch of this soaking now in a 9×13 casserole dish; my question is, do you think I could cook this in my slow cooker casserole on low for maybe 6 hours? Thanks! Can’t wait to taste it!
The Chunky Chef says
Without testing it myself, I can’t say for certain, but I think that might work 🙂
Denise W says
This was quick & delicious. My 9-yr old had it for breakfast AND lunch the first day! Will make again.
Terri Brown says
I have made this many times, it’s amazing and I catch them sneaking what’s left for lunch. My question is can I freeze this for company arriving in 3 weeks? And how is your recommendation to do this. I have it in a glass baking dish?
The Chunky Chef says
So glad you love this recipe! Have you already baked it? Or just assembled it? I’ve never tested freezing it once it’s been baked, but from assembled, you’ll want to complete recipe through step 3, then cover tightly and freeze for up to 2-3 months. To thaw, place (still covered) in the refrigerator and let thaw overnight. Bake as directed, checking to make sure it’s done (since this casserole may be colder than the regular version). If not done baking, add another 5-10 minutes.
Lisa says
Could I use unbaked biscuits in this recipe?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve only tested this recipe as written, so I can’t say for certain. I’m not sure they’d soak up the liquid the same way.
Dennis says
Made this once before it was delicious
Was wondering if you can make the night before
The Chunky Chef says
It’s actually written to be made the night before 🙂
Andrea Jones says
I made it for my husband this morning he loved it not to sweet. Will make again.
Mary says
I’m going to make this for a breakfast with a bunch of friends; what sides would be good with this casserole.
The Chunky Chef says
How fun! I think some bacon, hashbrowns, sausage links or patties, and maybe some fresh fruit (that isn’t in the casserole), would be nice 🙂
Debby says
What is the oven temperature for this casserole? Please hurry with response. I’m making it in the morning!!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Debby, step 5 of the recipe calls for a 350°F oven.
Katherine says
What temp do you suggest for reheating?
Deborah says
I doubled this recipe and used a 9×13 dish, using six large croissants. It was perfect. Will absolutely keep this in rotation for brunch and work meetings. Beautiful dish, my guests loved it.
Martha Praska says
Can I double this? I need to feed more of a crowd – like a 9X13 pan full?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, absolutely 🙂
Gabby says
Hello! What would you recommend as substitutes for eggs and milk in this recipe?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve only made this recipe as written, so I truly cannot say for sure. I would guess a liquid egg substitute and non-dairy milk, but without further testing, this is just a guess.