Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 1.5 quart baking dish. Set aside.
Coarsely chop croissants into bite sized pieces. Place on a sheet pan and bake for 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
13 oz croissants
Whisk together eggs, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk in half and half.
3 large eggs, ⅔ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 cups half and half
Layer ½ of toasted croissant pieces in bottom of pan. Sprinkle with half of chocolate chunks. Top with remaining croissant pieces and chocolate chunks. Slowly pour custard over croissants in pan. Gently press croissant pieces into custard. Let stand for 30 minutes to allow the croissants to soak up the custard, pressing pieces into custard two more times.
½ cup chocolate chunks (semi-sweet or bittersweet)
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes. The custard should be set and the top golden brown. While the pudding is cooling for 15 minutes, make the sauce.
To make the vanilla bread pudding sauce:
Place heavy cream, sugars and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture bubbles and thickens, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and salt, if using. Drizzle over warm pieces of bread pudding.
¼ cup heavy cream, ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 4 tablespoons butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, pinch of kosher or sea salt,
Notes
Weigh your croissants for best results as sizes can vary greatly.
Any 1.5 quart baking dish works in this recipe (round, square, rectangle, etc).
It's important to press the croissants into the liquid while it's soaking so the liquid becomes evenly distributed throughout the pudding. Do this two or three times before baking.
Test if the bread pudding is done baking by gently pressing it down the middle to see if the custard has been fully absorbed. If a lot of excess liquid bubbles up, continue baking, checking every five minutes for doneness. Cover with foil, if needed, to prevent excess browning.
Substitutions:
Use chocolate chips instead of chocolate chunks. Any kind of chocolate works in this recipe: milk, semi-sweet or bittersweet.
Not a chocolate fan? Omit it entirely. Or use raisins or another dried fruit of your choice.
Don't have half and half? Substitute equal parts whole milk and heavy cream instead.
Challah or brioche bread can be substituted for the croissants for a denser pudding. Toast bread just like the croissants before assembling.
Skip the vanilla sauce and dust the pudding with powdered sugar instead. You can also use a store bought jar of salted caramel sauce or fudge sauce. Vanilla ice cream is also tasty.
Make ahead instructions:
Pour the custard over the croissants and chocolate and cover with foil. Refrigerate overnight. Allow the baking dish to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.
You can also freeze leftovers. Tightly wrap slices and freeze for up to two months. Defrost in the refrigerator and wipe off excess moisture. Rewarm in a 350°F oven until heated through (about 10-15 minutes). It will not have as crusty of a top as when freshly made, but it will still taste delicious.
Make the vanilla dessert sauce up to three days ahead of time and keep refrigerated. Reheat in the microwave until warm.