It doesn’t get more decadent than this insanely good chocolate croissant bread pudding. Buttery croissants are used in place of the bread, and chocolate chips take it to the next level!
If the croissants aren’t already stale, spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet, and place in a 300 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until they’ve dried out a bit on the surface.
Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Butter a 4-quart casserole dish (or a similar sized baking dish), set the dish on top of a baking sheet, and set aside.
Combine the croissants and milk in a large bowl. Let the ingredients sit until most of the milk is absorbed, approximately 10 minutes.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, cream, cinnamon, and vanilla until evenly combined. Add to the croissants, then stir the chocolate chips, reserving about 1/4 - 1/3 cup to sprinkle on top.
Pour the ingredients into the prepared casserole dish, and let stand on the counter for 20 minutes to give the mixture time to soak into the bread.
At this point, you can optionally press down on the bread with clean hands, gently, to compress the ingredients a bit. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the bread pudding and top evenly with the pieces of butter.
Bake for approximately 55-65 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool for at least 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 5 days.
Notes
My favorite brands for chocolate are Guittard and Valrhona. Ghirardelli is also a good option. I tried making this recipe at one point with Hershey’s chocolate chips and it didn’t taste nearly as good, so I recommend avoiding those.