Croissant Bread Pudding is decadent yet simple, featuring an easy, homemade, 5-minute caramel sauce for the perfect recipe to use up stale or leftover croissants!
5cupstorn pieces of all-butter croissantsabout 2 jumbo or 4 small croissants
4tablespoons(½ stick) butter
½cupbrown sugar
⅓cupheavy cream
½teaspoonpure vanilla extract
Pinchof salt
2eggs
Freshly whipped creamfor garnish (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the caramel sauce by placing a medium saucepan over medium-low to medium heat. Add butter and allow to melt. Mix in brown sugar and stir for 2 minutes. Mix in heavy cream and stir for 2 more minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla and salt until well incorporated. Set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a shallow 1-quart baking dish. Place the torn croissant pieces in the bottom of the dish in an even layer.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs. Very slowly and gradually, pour in the (warm but not hot) caramel sauce, rapidly whisking the whole time. (If the caramel sauce is too hot, or if you pour it in all at once, or if you're whisking too slowly, the eggs may scramble, which is not the goal!)
Pour caramel sauce mixture over croissant pieces. Press down on croissants so that all of them are submerged in caramel sauce and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove to a rack and cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm with optional whipped cream.
Notes
TO MAKE WHIPPED CREAM:(1.) Using the wire whisk attachment(s) of an electric mixer, beat½ cupchilledheavy creamat medium speed until soft peaks begin to appear. (2.) Sprinkle2 tablespoons powdered sugarand½ teaspoon vanilla extractover the whipped cream. (3.) Beat at medium-high speed until stiff peaks just form. (Be careful not to overbeat or you'll end up with butter instead of whipped cream!)TIP:Whipped cream beats up the fluffiest when your heavy cream, your whisk, and your bowl are all chilled.