Blueberry Cream Cheese Croissant Casserole (Print version)

Buttery croissants meet creamy cheese and sweet blueberries in this golden baked breakfast dish perfect for brunch.

# Ingredient List:

→ Croissants

01 - 6 large croissants, day-old or slightly stale, cut into 1-inch pieces

→ Cream Cheese Mixture

02 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - ½ cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Egg Mixture

05 - 4 large eggs
06 - 1 cup whole milk
07 - ½ cup heavy cream
08 - ¼ cup granulated sugar
09 - ½ tsp ground cinnamon
10 - ¼ tsp salt

→ Fruit

11 - 1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries

→ Topping

12 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
13 - 2 tbsp coarse sugar (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Arrange the croissant pieces evenly in the prepared dish.
03 - In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with ½ cup sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
04 - Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the croissants, distributing as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the top.
05 - In a separate large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, ¼ cup sugar, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.
06 - Pour the egg mixture evenly over the croissants, pressing down gently to ensure all pieces are moistened.
07 - Drizzle the melted butter over the top and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using.
08 - Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
09 - Remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until the casserole is golden and set.
10 - Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, optionally with powdered sugar or maple syrup.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It transforms humble leftover pastries into something that tastes like it came from a fancy French bistro
  • The contrast between the creamy cheesecake pockets and burst blueberries makes every bite interesting
  • You can assemble it the night before and wake up to something incredible with zero morning effort
02 -
  • Pressing the croissants into the custard is crucial, otherwise you will have dry patches that no amount of syrup can fix
  • The cream cheese dollops will not spread completely and that is exactly how it should be
  • Testing doneness by jiggle is more reliable than a toothpick because this is supposed to be custardy
03 -
  • Cut the croissants into varying sizes, some larger chunks and some smaller pieces, for better texture variety
  • Really beat that cream cheese until it is silky, because any lumps will not disappear during baking

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