My Stuffed Croissant French Toast Bake is everything you love about buttery croissants and rich baked French toast wrapped into one swoon-worthy brunch entrée. Each flaky, golden croissant is filled with sweetened cream cheese, fresh strawberries, and a hint of lemon, then soaked in a warm vanilla custard and baked until puffed, soft, and just slightly crisp on top. It’s the perfect breakfast for holiday mornings, special occasion brunch menus, or any weekend when you want to treat yourself and the people you love.
I love creating special breakfasts for my family, especially when we have a slow Saturday or Sunday morning. Inspired by classic baked French toast and bread pudding recipes, this version trades basic sandwich bread for buttery croissant halves and amps up the flavor with a tangy, creamy strawberry filling and it is the perfect start to a relaxing weekend.
Whether you’re using fluffy croissants from your local bakery or ones that didn’t get finished at last weekend’s brunch, this is the kind of cozy, crowd-pleasing dish that turns humble ingredients into something truly magical.
French toast is hands-down one of the best things to ever happen to breakfast, and I’ll happily die on that hill. If you’re as obsessed as we are, don’t miss my Berry Breakfast Bagel French Toast Casserole, Best French Toast Recipe, Overnight French Toast, Cinnamon French Toast Sticks, and Pumpkin French Toast. Let the syrup flow!
Why We Love This Recipe
- Buttery croissants get even better when they’re stuffed with strawberries and cream cheese, then baked until golden and custardy.
- It feels fancy enough for special occasions, but it’s easy enough to pull off on a regular weekend.
- You can prep it the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning – no need to stress over brunch.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Cream Cheese – Softened so it blends smoothly into the filling and adds that classic creamy tang.
- Strawberry Jam – Sweet and fruity, it boosts the fresh berry flavor and helps the filling stay soft and spreadable.
- Lemon Juice – Brightens everything up and cuts the richness just enough to keep it from feeling too heavy.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – Adds warmth and depth to both the filling and custard. Use the real stuff if you can!
- Sliced Strawberries – Fresh berries give this baked croissant a burst of juicy sweetness in every bite.
- Large Eggs – The base of your french toast batter, they hold the custard together and give it that classic eggy texture.
- Whole Milk – Keeps the custard creamy and smooth. You could use 2% or almond milk, but whole milk gives the best results.
- Granulated Sugar – Sweetens the custard and gives the top of the croissants that irresistible golden finish.
- Salt – Just a pinch brings out all the other flavors – don’t skip it!
- Croissants – Flaky, buttery croissants are the heart of this recipe. Day-old or slightly stale croissants actually work better here.
- Optional Toppings – Think maple syrup, powdered sugar, whipped cream, or even extra fresh fruit to take it over the top.
How to Make Stuffed Croissant French Toast Bake
- Make filling – In a medium mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese, strawberry jam, lemon juice, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until smooth. Gently fold in the sliced strawberries, then set aside.
- Whisk custard – In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, whole milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Prep croissants – Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with non-stick spray. Use a serrated knife to cut a pocket into each croissant, being careful not to slice all the way through. Fill each croissant with a generous spoonful of the cream cheese mixture.
- Assemble bake – Arrange the stuffed croissants in the baking dish with the filling side up. Slowly pour the custard mixture over the top, making sure it soaks into all the nooks and crannies.
- Let it soak – Let the casserole sit at room temperature for 20 minutes so the croissants can soak up the custard. Every few minutes, use a pastry brush to spoon or brush any custard from the bottom of the dish over the top of the croissants.
- Bake covered – Sprinkle the tops of the croissants with a little granulated sugar, if desired. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes.
- Finish uncovered – Remove the foil and bake for another 8–10 minutes until the tops are golden and the custard is set. Keep an eye on it so the croissants don’t over-brown.
- Serve warm – Let the casserole cool for a few minutes before serving. Top with warm maple syrup, powdered sugar, whipped cream, and extra strawberries for a picture-perfect finish.
Recipe FAQ’s
This usually happens if the croissants are too fresh or if they soaked up too much custard. Day-old croissants work best, and letting the bake rest before slicing helps everything set up just right.
Definitely! Just toast them lightly in the oven first to dry them out a bit. It helps them hold their shape and soak up the custard without turning mushy.
Cover the dish with foil for most of the baking time, then take it off for the last 10 minutes to get those golden, flaky tops without overbaking.
Totally! Skip the sugar and vanilla in the custard and fill your croissants with cheese, bacon, ham, or anything else that sounds good. It’s super flexible.
Yes! You’ll just need more of them. They’re great for soaking up the milk mixture and give you lots of flaky little pockets of goodness in every bite.
Cover cooled leftovers with foil or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm the whole dish in a 300°F oven.
Yes, it freezes beautifully! Once baked and cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil. It’ll keep in the freezer for up to 2 months and can be reheated straight from frozen.
Absolutely. Assemble the bake the night before, cover it well, and refrigerate. Let it sit at room temperature while your oven preheats in the morning.
Tips for Success
- When you’re brushing the custard over the croissants during the resting time, don’t just dab – really coat the tops to help them puff up and caramelize beautifully in the oven.
- Use a serrated knife and take your time when cutting the pockets. It helps keep the croissants from collapsing and makes room for more filling.
- Keep a close eye on the bake during the last few minutes. If the tops are browning too fast, loosely tent with foil to keep them from burning while the center finishes cooking.
How to Fill Croissants Without Tearing Them
Croissants are delicate, so go slow.
Use a serrated knife to gently saw a slit about two-thirds of the way through the side – don’t slice all the way or pry them open too hard.
A small offset spatula works best to scoop and spread the filling into the pocket without crushing those flaky layers.
If a croissant crumbles a bit, just press it back together. Once it bakes, nobody will notice a thing.
Treat them gently, and they’ll reward you with bakery-worthy results.
More Cozy Weekend Brunch Ideas
- Easy Caramel Monkey Bread
- Lemon Raspberry Sweet Rolls
- Berry Breakfast Cake
- Small Batch Sticky Buns
- Rhubarb Cake
- Homemade Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Hot Cross Buns
Stuffed Croissant French Toast Bake
Ingredients
Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/3 cup strawberry jam
- Juice of ½ lemon (about 1 Tablespoon)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
Custard
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Assembly
- 6 large croissants
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar for sprinkling on top
- Fresh strawberries, sweetened whipped cream, maple syrup, and powdered sugar for serving
Instructions
- Place the softened cream cheese, strawberry jam, lemon juice, & vanilla extract into a medium sized mixing bowl. Using a handheld mixer, beat together until smooth and creamy. Gently fold the sliced strawberries into the cream cheese mixture and set aside until assembly.8 ounces cream cheese, ⅓ cup strawberry jam, Juice of ½ lemon, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 cup sliced strawberries
- Add the eggs to a small mixing bowl and beat using a whisk or fork. Add the whole milk, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla and whisk until the custard mixture is fully combined.3 large eggs, 1 cup whole milk, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Using a sharp knife, cut a slit into the thickest side of each croissant, creating a pocket for the filling. Divide the strawberry cream cheese filling between the 6 large croissants. A small spatula works well to scoop and spread the mixture into the pockets of the croissants. Place each stuffed croissant into the prepared dish with the filling side up.6 large croissants
- Pour the custard mixture slowly across the top on the stuffed croissants.
- At this point, preheat the oven to 375°F while the prepared dish sits at room temperature. By allowing the dish to sit for 20 minutes some of the custard mixture will soak into the croissants. Every5 minutes, use a pastry bush to brush the custard mixture that has pooled in the bottom of the dish across all the croissants.
- Before baking, sprinkle ½ Tablespoon of granulated sugar across the croissants, if desired2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove the aluminum foil and continue baking for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown and the custard is set. Watch closely so that the croissants do not over-brown.
- Pull the dish from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes. Serve warm with your favorite toppings!Fresh strawberries, sweetened whipped cream, maple syrup, and powdered sugar
Notes
- This dish is best served the same day it is baked.
Storage & Make Ahead
- Store: Once cooled, transfer leftovers to an airtight container or wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Wrap individual portions or the whole casserole in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Warm slices in the microwave or reheat the full dish in a 300°F oven until heated through.
- Make Ahead: Assemble the night before, cover well, and refrigerate. Let it sit at room temperature while the oven preheats the next morning.
