Croissant French Toast

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This is the Croissant French Toast recipe that got over 25 million views on Instagram. And it really is that good. It’s the best twist on classic French toast you’ll ever try and turns stale croissants into a crowd-pleasing breakfast or brunch. 

an overhead view of croissant french toast on a white plate with syrup and blueberries.

No matter how many recipes I create and photograph and put on the internet, at the end of the day I’m still a parent. And that means that I deal with all of the will-my-kids-eat-it worries at dinner. But the easiest win is always breakfast-for-dinner. And no breakfast-for-dinner has ever won as many points of approval from my kids as Croissant French Toast. 

Buttery croissants dipped in rich custard, seared until golden brown, and topped with fresh berries is impossible not to love. And whether you serve this one for breakfast, brunch, or “brinner”, I can guarantee it will be your new favorite way to make French Toast. Best of all, it uses incredibly simple ingredients. Just grab some croissants on your next grocery store run and you probably have everything else you need. 

This recipe is one of my favorites for special occasions like any holiday brunch, Mother’s Day, or Easter. And while this recipe is currently tops in my house, we also love Banana Bread French Toast, French Toast Casserole (which, honestly, is more like bread pudding than classic French Toast), or my Christmas morning favorite Cinnamon Crunch Bagel Bake

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How to Make Croissant French Toast

  1. Slice. Start with day-old or slightly stale flaky croissants and slice them in half lengthwise. 
  2. Whisk. Make the custard mixture by whisking together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. 
  3. Dip. Dip each slice of croissant in the custard egg mixture.
  4. Cook. Cook the croissant slices on a well-buttered griddle or large nonstick skillet until golden brown. It takes about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. 
  5. Serve!

If you’re making this recipe for a crowd, be sure to scroll down for instructions on how to keep the croissants warm as you cook them in batches.

two croissants on a marble cutting board

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Ingredients

  • Croissants – The round, grocery store-style croissants work best for this recipe, but any croissants will work. Even the mini croissants are great here, just be sure to grab more than one per serving. If you’re using fresh, bakery croissants, it’s best to wait for a day or two so they are slightly stale and will hold up best to cooking.
  • Eggs – You’ll need eggs to make that custard mixture.
  • Milk – Absolutely any type of milk will work, though whole milk will give you the most rich, creamy texture. You can even add a splash of heavy cream to make the custard more creamy. 
  • Sugar, Pure Vanilla Extract, Salt – These just help to balance and flavor the custard. I use regular sugar, but brown sugar will give the custard a hint of caramel flavor.

That’s all you need!

What to Serve on Top

Just like regular French Toast, the croissant version is great with butter, warm syrup, a dusting of powdered sugar, and any of your favorite fresh berries. These also make a great base for a more savory breakfast, topped with a fried egg and served with crispy bacon on the side. 

Keeping French Toast Warm

If you don’t have a pan or griddle large enough to cook all of the French Toast at once, place a sheet pan in a preheated oven at 200 degrees F. As you finish cooking each slice of French Toast, transfer it to the sheet pan to keep it warm. 

two halves of a sliced croissant on a griddle

Tips for Success

  • The best croissants for French Toast are stale croissants. If you didn’t buy croissants ahead, most grocery store croissants are sturdy and will hold up well.
  • Don’t soak the croissants for more than a minute or two. While some bread will stand up to a long soak in custard, porous croissants will get too soggy.
  • Freeze any leftovers! See below for instructions. 

How to Freeze French Toast

French Toast freezes well. Cook the French Toast and then allow it to cool to room temperature. Line the slices up in a single layer on a sheet pan and freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours. Transfer the slices to a freezer-safe bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Reheat in the toaster. Frozen French Toast is best if reheated within 3 months.

More French Toast Favorites

a close up view of croissant french toast on a white plate with syrup and blueberries

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a close up view of croissant french toast on a white plate with syrup and blueberries
4.37 from 33 votes

Croissant French Toast Recipe

Whether you’re making brunch for a crowd or just for yourself, Croissant French Toast is a fun upgrade to the classic version. All you need is a few day-old croissants and the regular French Toast ingredients.
To adjust the servings in this recipe, click on the number next to servings.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • Mixing Bowl
  • Whisk
  • Griddle or Large Nonstick Pan

Ingredients 

  • 4 Croissants, preferably day old
  • 4 large Eggs
  • 1 cup Milk (preferably whole milk, but any milk will work)
  • 1 Tablespoon Sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • Butter, for greasing the pan
  • Fresh berries, whipped cream, and maple syrup (optional, for serving)

Instructions 

  • If the croissants aren’t already sliced open lengthwise, slice them open.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Add milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until combined.
  • Pour the custard into a 9×13 baking dish. Add the croissant halves in a single layer and let them soak in the mixture for one minute. Gently turn the croissants to soak the other side.
  • Heat a griddle or large nonstick pan to low-medium heat.
  • When the griddle is hot, grease the surface generously with butter.
  • Working with one croissant at a time, remove it from the custard, letting excess drip off. Cook the croissants on both sides until golden brown, pressing down gently as they cook. It should take 3 to 4 minutes per side.
  • Serve warm with fresh berries, whipped cream, and / or maple syrup.

Notes

Keeping it warm – If you don’t have a griddle large enough for a whole batch of this French Toast or if you’re making enough to serve a crowd, place a sheet pan in an oven preheated to 200 degrees F. As you finish cooking each slice of French Toast, transfer it to the sheet pan to keep it warm. 
Freezer instructions – Cook the French Toast and then allow it to cool to room temperature. Line the slices up in a single layer on a sheet pan and freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours. Transfer the slices to a freezer-safe bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Reheat in the toaster. Frozen French Toast is best if reheated within 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 227mg | Sodium: 458mg | Potassium: 233mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 810IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
Cost: $8.00
Calories: 346
Keyword: brunch, Holiday recipe
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About Jess Smith

Jess is the recipe creator and photographer at InquiringChef.com. She spent nearly a decade as the Chief Recipe Developer for the award-winning meal planning app Cook Smarts. Her colorful, healthyish recipes have been featured in popular online publications including Parade, Hallmark, and HuffPost.

4.37 from 33 votes (32 ratings without comment)

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4 Comments

  1. Try frying your French toast in brown butter. It adds another layer of decadence. It’s a little more labor intensive but definitely worth it.

  2. 5 stars
    Recently on vacation we stayed at an amazing B abd B in St. Augustine Fl. The chef was awesome. As fate would it the croissant French toast was to served the day after we left but that put the bug in our heads so I made m croissants yesterday so they would be stale for today. I tried out this awesome recipe, I had a pint of blueberries in the fridg and a bananaโ€ฆ this was truly perfection. Easy to make, quick and impressive on a plate. A new go to for just the two of us or a brunch. Thank you thank you