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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Chef Tips
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Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Patricia D Moran Moran says
Mine also curdled and I did not add the lemon at all . Next time I will warm the milk as I think the cold milk is the culprit ! The glaze sort of masked the curdled. It was delicious and it is a winner.
Paulette C. says
Just correcting my review. That should’ve said “pulsed” it in the food processor. Not “pulled.”
Paulette C says
I just made it this morning before heading out to mass. When it was done, I turned the oven off and added the foil back on and left it in the warm oven with the door slightly ajar til we got back home. It turned out so great!! I did not let it set overnight. It rested just 15 min while the oven preheated. Phenomenal recipe. I used a 9” deep Pyrex pie dish to bake it in. And I put the batter ingredients in a food processor and pulled til it was smooth and creamy. I think what sets this apart is the vanilla bean paste glaze. Which I think is essential! We decided we’ll warm it for dessert tonight (since it’s like a bread pudding) and top it with vanilla ice cream. Can’t wait!! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Mikayla says
My cream cheese is very lumpy in the mixture, I poured it on top anyways is that going to be okay after it bakes? It’s all sitting on top 🙁
The Chunky Chef says
It should be just fine, that happens sometimes from the lemon zest. It’ll still taste amazing 🙂
Renee says
Excellent. However, when you increase the quantity ( e.g double) the pan size needs to be adjusted, obviously. However, dies the cooking time? I’ve made in an 8×8 previously, but not a 9×13. Simply delicious when I made a single batch, so fingers crossed on double.
Ronda Lirette says
Can this be made ahead of time and frozen?
The Chunky Chef says
As mentioned in the post above the recipe (under the heading “Freezing”), I haven’t tested freezing this recipe, but I included my tips for doing so. There are also a few fellow readers who’ve left comments about freezing this breakfast casserole, if you’d like to check out what they had to say 🙂
Shelly says
Delicious! I made it with strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries…it took a little longer to bake than the recipe stated, but that could be my oven. You can taste the lemon zest, but in a good way… not overpowering. The icing takes it over the top! I will definitely be making this again! It will be great for a holiday brunch! Thank you for the great recipe!
Amy says
One of my favorite breakfast dishes is this one! I have made it for large gatherings and people love it.
Jane says
Can I make this in a crockpot?
The Chunky Chef says
This recipe wasn’t designed to be cooked in a slow cooker, so that cooking method hasn’t been tested. If you’d like to experiment, I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Kari DeRosa says
We love this recipe made it several time
Mylersmom says
My whole family loves this recipe and asks for it often! I always double it, and still don’t have any leftovers.
The last couple times I made it, the cream cheese seemed to ‘curdle’ rather than mix in, but I think that was a result of me mixing in the lemon zest too early. It still tastes amazing, but if you’re out off by the idea of ‘chunks’ of cream cheese rather than a smooth mixture, wait to add the lemon zest until the very end once everything else is mixed.
Definitely do not leave the lemon zest out, as it adds a great pop of flavor that really makes this dish stand out.
Mady says
Really good. I put less sugar in mine (1/4cup) and it still came out sweet. I also substituted the cream cheese with mayo and the dish still came out delicious. I’ll be making this more often and might even make a savory version.
Regan says
This turned out just perfect! I added a little almond extract and lemon zest to the glaze and oh goodness was it Devine, I will be using this recipe for every tea I have and i know my guests will adore it!!!
Christina says
Absolutely perfect just the way it is. Not overly sweet but perfectly sweet. We made this Christmas Eve for the next morning and while we’re usually a savory family, this was devoured and already requested for a future trip.
Rebecca says
I really liked this recipe. Used all blueberries, frozen, and it came together beautifully.
Shelli Woody says
This was a 5/5 for our family. Easy to make and delicious!!! I used French bread fresh not stale. Also, I used fresh berries.
Roseann says
In this recipe do you use fresh or frozen berries.
The Chunky Chef says
Fresh 🙂
Jeanette T says
Doubled the recipe & put it in 9X13 pan; used thinly sliced strawberries & blackberries. It was fabulous!
MykellAnn says
How long did you bake it?
Renee says
Hi Jeanette, did baking time increase in 9×13?
Thomas Hodge says
Made this for a breakfast party of 14. EVERY PERSON LOVED IT. Am making one for a brunch for 8 others, DELICIOUS, DELICIOUS, DELICIOUS,
Carole says
This recipe is such a lifesaver for me. I’ve been making this at least a dozen times a year for the past couple of years. I summer on Cape Cod and winter in Celebration, FL, which is next door to Disney World. As you can imagine, we have plenty of visitors year-round! This recipe can always be counted on to be a hit with my guests. I could make it in my sleep! At any given time I have a Berry Bake casserole residing in my freezer! Many thanks for such a great breakfast casserole. It never fails.
Tip: make sure your cream cheese is at room temp and is really soft. Beat it til smooth before you start adding milk, sugar, eggs, etc. This eliminates the danger of curdling or lumpiness.