Blueberry Cream Cheese Croissant Casserole (Print Version)
Buttery croissants baked with sweet cream cheese custard and bursts of fresh blueberries
# What You Need:
→ Croissant Base
01 - 5 to 6 large buttery croissants, preferably day-old (about 12 oz), cut into 2-inch pieces
→ Berry Layer
02 - 1½ cups (8 oz) fresh or frozen blueberries
→ Cream Cheese Mixture
03 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
04 - ⅓ cup (2.3 oz) granulated sugar
05 - 2 large eggs
06 - ⅔ cup whole milk
07 - ⅓ cup heavy cream
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
→ Topping
10 - 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar or granulated sugar (optional, for crunch)
11 - Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Scatter the croissant pieces evenly across the prepared dish. Sprinkle the blueberries uniformly over the croissant layer.
03 - In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and granulated sugar together until smooth and creamy.
04 - Add the eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and lemon zest if using. Whisk until fully combined and the mixture is silky smooth.
05 - Pour the cream cheese custard evenly over the croissant and blueberry layers. Gently press the croissants down with a spatula so they absorb the custard.
06 - Sprinkle turbinado or granulated sugar over the top for a golden, crunchy finish.
07 - Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, until the center is firmly set and the top is golden brown.
08 - Allow the casserole to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It turns stale croissants into something so indulgent that nobody will ever guess you were cleaning out the pantry.
- The cream cheese custard sets like a soft cheesecake woven through buttery bread, and every spoonful has a different texture.
02 -
- If you assemble it the night before, pull it out of the fridge while the oven preheats so the baking dish does not crack from a sudden temperature change.
- Do not skip pressing the croissants into the custard because dry cubes on top will burn while the bottom stays soggy.
03 -
- Cut the croissants into uniform pieces so every bite has the same ratio of custard to bread to berry.
- A microplane zester on the lemon will give you fine fragrant zest without any bitter pith dragging the flavor down.