Croissant French Toast

Name: Croissant French Toast
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 545 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup (56g) salted butter (melted); 1/4 cup (50g) light brown sugar (lightly packed); 8 oz (1 brick) cream cheese (softened); 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar (lightly packed); 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 4 large eggs (room temperature); 2 tsp vanilla extract; 24 mini croissants (or 12 large ones); 1 cup (8oz/240mL) milk; 1/2 cup (4oz/120mL) heavy whipping cream (cold); 1 Tbsp (12g) granulated sugar

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The absolute best way to make an overnight breakfast is by making a baked croissant french toast. The croissants have a brown sugar cream cheese filling stuffed in the center and they’re baked in a pool of custard. Top with fresh whipped cream, maple syrup and/or fruit!

croissant french toast casserole topped with whipped cream and raspberries

Why you’ll love this Croissant French Toast

It’s pretty much foolproof – there’s no burnt edges and super soggy centers like so many baked french toasts. It’s perfectly moist all around and a little crispy on top!
This french toast is entirely prepped the night before, refrigerated overnight and just baked in the morning. You can even make the whipped cream the night before and store it covered in the fridge until the morning.
It’s a “sweet” breakfast but really it’s not super sweet like say cinnamon rolls, etc.

If you’re a sweet breakfast fanatic, I would definitely recommend my cinnamon roll recipe which can also be made overnight. I also have a million muffin recipes – my favorite is definitely blueberry muffins.

If you’re willing to give your hand at homemade croissants, I have a chocolate croissant recipe with detailed photos. You can skip the chocolate filling if you’d like.

slice of french toast casserole on a plate topped with whipped cream

Ingredients & Substitutions:

Butter: I used a little salted butter on the bottom of the pan. Unsalted also works, as well as dairy free butter.
Croissant: I used store bought, mini croissants. Full sized croissants would also work well but I recommend cutting them in half just so they’re easier to fit in the pan.
- Depending on the size of the croissants, the brand and how old/dry they are they may absorb a different amount of liquid so there is a little variation here. I used 24 fresh mini croissants so 22-26 minis or 12-14 large should be fine. If they’re medium sized, use about 18.
- I don’t recommend using a different type of bread.
Cream Cheese: I use the Philadelphia full-fat brick cream cheese but this recipe is not super particular so any cream cheese should work fine, even dairy free.
Sugar: I used light brown sugar for the filling and for the caramelization on the bottom but this recipe works with dark brown sugar as well, it will just slightly darken the color and give a more intense flavor.
Cinnamon: I just can’t imagine eating french toast without cinnamon. I used ground cinnamon for the filling.
Eggs: Use large, room temperature eggs.
- If you’re in a pinch, place them in hot water for 5-10 minutes.
- I don’t have an egg substitute for this recipe.
Vanilla: I recommend vanilla bean paste but pure vanilla extract works well too.
Milk: I use full-fat or 2% but fat-free or dairy free milk will work fine as well.

slice of french toast on a plate topped with whipped cream and strawberries next to it

How to make Croissant French Toast

Step 1: Combine the melted butter with the light brown sugar and spread it into the bottom of a small casserole dish (mine is xxx) or an 8 or 9 inch cake pan.

Step 2: Combine the cream cheese with the rest of the light brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

Step 3: Whisk together the eggs with the milk and vanilla until they’re well combined.

Step 4: Slice the croissants in half, spread a dollop of cream cheese mixture on top and dip into the egg mixture, allowing it to soak for a few seconds.

Step 5: Place the croissants on top of the butter in the casserole dish. Stack no more than two layers of croissants and then pour the rest of the egg mixture on top of them.

Step 6: Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350F (177C) convection for 20 minutes covered with the foil. Then remove the foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes, until the casserole is browned on top.

Step 7: Top with fresh whipped cream, maple syrup, jam and/or fresh fruit.

casserole dish with butter and brown sugar

cream cheese, cinnamon and brown sugar mixed for the filling — casserole dish with butter and brown sugar

How to bake French Toast

I’ve been really frustrated with baked french toast in the past but fear not because I’ve tested a lot. My current oven is incredibly hot on the bottom so I bake almost everything (besides pie) on convection.

If you don’t have a convection oven that’s fine, I would assume your heat is more evenly balanced than mine is then. I would just recommend baking on the top rack if it’s not on convection.

I baked it at 350F – if you have any issues with the outside browning too much and the center being too soggy, reduce the temperature to 325F. I also recommend baking with foil on top for the first half and then removing the foil to finish baking.

slice of croissant french toast on a plate topped with whipped cream

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make dairy free croissant french?

Yes, you can use dairy free butter, cream cheese and milk for this french toast. You’ll either have to find or make dairy free croissants though.

Can I use homemade croissants?

You can certainly use homemade croissants for this recipe but I really don’t feel like it’s worth it lol. Croissants are such a labor of love and I would much rather enjoy them fresh than in a french toast casserole.
If you do use homemade croissants, I would recommend using them when they’re a couple of days old.

Can I make this recipe with a different type of bread?

Different types of bread soak up different amounts of liquid so I don’t recommend using a different type of bread. You’ll end up with a really soggy center if you use bread that doesn’t soak up as much of the custard.

Do I have to refrigerate it overnight?

The french toast needs a few hours to fully soak up the custard before baking. If you don’t give it ample time, it likely won’t bake right and may be too wet and soggy.

baked croissant french toast in casserole dish and topped with whipped cream and raspberries

How to store croissant french toast casserole?

Once the french toast is baked, allow it to cool for a little before serving. Contrary to my photos (because it looked pretty to do it this way) I recommend topping individual slices with the whipped cream and the maple syrup/berries, etc. so that if you don’t finish it you can reheat it without the whipped cream melting everywhere.

Cover the leftovers with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate. I recommend microwaving individual slices or bake (covered with foil) at about 325 until it’s warm throughout.

bite taken out of a slice of french toast on a plate

Thanks so much for making my recipes and reading my blog posts! If you make this overnight croissant french toast I would really appreciate a star rating or a review below.

As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B