Caramel Croissant French Toast Bake
A twist on the classic French Toast recipe! Made with soft, buttery, and flaky croissants, cream cheese, and rich bourbon caramel, This Caramel Croissant French Toast Bake is a must-have. What could be any better!
An Upgraded Breakfast!
If y’all haven’t realized it yet, Breakfast and Brunch are two of my favorite meals of the day! There are so many options to choose from. Honestly, I want to sample them all whenever I go out to eat. Plus, they both can instantly change your day! One of my go-to dishes of choice is French Toast!
But, my Caramel Croissant French Toast Bake is an upgrade to the traditional dish! When I say I put my foot in this dish, I MEANT IT! It will make you want to shout! Trust me, I did a few times. It is buttery, flaky, and rich! Oh and the bourbon caramel sauce that goes with makes it even more mouthwatering.
Tips & Tricks for Making the Best French Toast Bake
French Toast is one of the easiest breakfast/brunch items to make! But, it can easily be messed up with the wrong steps. You don’t want to end up with a wet mess. Here are a few tips & tricks that will help you make the best French Toast Bake:
Day-Old Bread (Croissants): Day-old bread is the perfect choice for this recipe. The bread is firmer the next day and soaks up the custard mixture a lot easier. When baked, the recipe becomes more solidified rather than soggy and runny.
Allow the Bread to Soak: This part is the most important. Allow the bread to set out or in the refrigerator after mixing with the custard. You want the bread to absorb as much of the custard as possible. 15 - 20 minutes (or even longer) is perfect.
Cut the Bread into Smaller Pieces: If you have ever used another type of bread (i.e. challah, brioche, etc.), you’ll want to use small pieces. The smaller the pieces the easier the custard will absorb. For the croissants, I wouldn't suggest breaking them into smaller than four pieces each.
Add Some Extra Toppings: This recipe is already delicious on its own. But, a few extra toppings would be great! Some fresh fruit, whipped cream, maple syrup, and extra nuts would be delicious with this recipe.
what to serve with this recipe
Whenever I make this recipe, it is the star of the table! It will fill you up all on its own, but who wants just one thing for breakfast! I love a few extra dishes to go with this recipe. Here are just a few that would go great with it: Scrambled or Fried Eggs, Mini Vegetable Frittatas, Maple Sausage Links, Pork Sausage Patties, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Hashbrowns, Breakfast Potatoes, Corned Beef Hash, etc.
Caramel Croissant French Toast Bake Ingredients
The ingredients in this recipe are probably sitting in your pantry right now! They are very easy to use and can easily be found in any store. But, let’s still walk through them to understand them.
Butter Croissants: You can pretty much make French Toast out of any type of bread that you like. Croissants were a perfect choice because they are so flaky and buttery. Since they are airy and thinner, they easily soak up the custard mixture making this bake even more delicious! Day-old croissants are better since they are drier, but fresh ones will work just fine.
Large Eggs: The eggs act as the first main ingredient of the custard base. They will help the croissants bind together to create the bake. Plus, they will rise slightly in the oven because of them.
Half & Half: I see a lot of custard recipes use milk as their dairy ingredient. I chose half & half because of the additional cream component. It makes the custard even richer.
Sugars: I used both granulated white sugar and brown sugar in the custard mix. The granulated adds sweetness, of course, but the extra molasses flavor from the brown sugar puts this recipe over the top. Plus, it works well with the caramel sauce and pecans.
Pure Vanilla Extract: You can’t have a good custard mix without some pure vanilla extra. Getting a good quality vanilla extract makes the difference in your baked goods! Trust me, you can taste when someone uses artificial flavorings.
Kosher Salt: Salt is a great balancer for this recipe. It helps to mellow out the overall sweetness of the dish. You only need a small amount of it to do so. Do not add more than you need. We’re not looking for a salty French Toast bake.
Spice Mix: A little spice in any French Toast recipe makes a big difference! You’ll need a little of the following: ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger. The cinnamon and nutmeg add warmth while the ground
Cream Cheese: To add some additional flavor and creaminess to this dish, I added about 8 oz of softened cream cheese. I nestled the cubed cream cheese into the layers and corners of the croissants. It melts beautifully into the croissants.
Pecans: To add some additional texture, I added in some chopped pecans. They go great with the bourbon caramel sauce as well. Try toasting them for some additional flavor!
Powdered Sugar: The powdered sugar is totally optional! I added it to garnish the top of the French Toast. It adds a little extra something if you want to impress your guests.
Bourbon Caramel Sauce: THIS SAUCE RIGHT HERE was BOMB! It paired so well with the French toast and wasn’t overly sweet. It’s a mixture of salted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, bourbon, and heavy cream. It’s quick and easy to make as well!
How to Make Caramel Croissant French Toast
Getting the ingredients together is harder than actually making this recipe! Once the ingredients are fully mixed you are good to go!
The steps are simple and can easily be done in a short amount of time. It’s one of those recipes where you don’t have to think so much.
The full written recipe is below, but here’s an overview.
STEP 1: Preheat the Oven & Prep the Baking Dish. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick baking spray. Set the baking dish aside for later use.
STEP 2: Prep the Croissants & Make the Custard. Tear the croissants into halves and set them aside in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, half & half, white sugar, light brown sugar, pure vanilla extract, kosher salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg.
STEP 3: Pour the Custard over the Croissants. Pour the custard mixture on top of the halved croissants and gently mix. Allow the croissants to sit for at least 15 - 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
STEP 4: Make the Caramel Sauce. While the croissants are soaking up the custard mixture, add 1 stick of butter to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. When the butter has melted add a ½ cup of granulated sugar and 1⁄2 cup of brown sugar and mix. When the sugar has heated add the bourbon and mix. Allow the mixture to simmer for 5 - 7 minutes.
STEP 5: Finish the Sauce. Remove the sugar mixture from the heat and slowly add the heavy cream while stirring. When the sauce has come together, set it aside for later use.
STEP 6: Layer the Croissants in the baking dish. Scoop half of the soaked croissants into your greased baking dish. Add half of the cubed cream cheese into the croissants. Add half of the caramel sauce chopped or halved pecans on top.
STEP 7: Add the Cream Cheese. Add the remaining soaked croissants on top and the rest of the cubed cream cheese and pecans. Save the remaining caramel sauce for after baking.
STEP 8: Bake the French Toast. Bake the dish for 35 - 40 minutes or until the top of the dish is golden brown. Lightly cover the dish with aluminum foil if the French Toast begins to over-brown. Remove from the oven, add the remaining caramel sauce, and dust with powdered sugar. Serve hot and enjoy!
I’d love to hear your feedback about this EASY Caramel Croissant French Toast Bake Recipe! Leave me a message in the comments section below. Remember to share and enjoy! Follow Be Greedy Eats on Pinterest and Instagram as well!
Caramel Croissant French Toast Bake
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick baking spray. Set the baking dish aside for later use.
- Tear the croissants into halves and set them aside in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, half & half, white sugar, light brown sugar, pure vanilla extract, kosher salt, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg.
- Pour the custard mixture on top of the halved croissants and gently mix. Allow the croissants to sit for at least 15 - 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
- While the croissants are soaking up the custard mixture, add 1 stick of butter to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. When the butter has melted add a ½ cup of granulated sugar and 1⁄2 cup of brown sugar and mix. When the sugar has heated add the bourbon and mix. Allow the mixture to simmer for 5 - 7 minutes.
- Remove the sugar mixture from the heat and slowly add the heavy cream while stirring. When the sauce has come together, set it aside for later use.
- Scoop half of the soaked croissants into your greased baking dish. Add half of the cubed cream cheese into the croissants. Add half of the caramel sauce chopped or halved pecans on top.
- Add the remaining soaked croissants on top and the rest of the cubed cream cheese and pecans. Save the remaining caramel sauce for after baking.
- Bake the dish for 35 - 40 minutes or until the top of the dish is golden brown. Lightly cover the dish with aluminum foil if the French Toast begins to over-brown. Remove from the oven, add the remaining caramel sauce, and dust with powdered sugar. Serve hot and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
1335Fat (grams)
83Sat. Fat (grams)
42Carbs (grams)
128Fiber (grams)
5.00Net carbs
123Sugar (grams)
88Protein (grams)
22Sodium (milligrams)
950Cholesterol (grams)
383This recipe is seasoned to taste with kosher salt and ground black pepper. The nutritional facts above only account for the amounts listed in the ingredients section above.
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