Soft, buttery croissants baked in a rich white chocolate custard and drizzled in THE most delicious blueberry topping!
Spring might have officially sprung, but where I live, things are still a little chilly and drizzly. Unfortunately, it’s going to be a couple more months until we get into warmer, DRIER weather…
On the bright side though, at least that gives us plenty of time to enjoy warm, comforting desserts like this…
You know I LOVE me some bread pudding, and this Blueberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding is nothing short of divine. With soft, flaky croissants soaked in decadent white chocolate custard and a luscious homemade blueberry topping, this bread pudding has comfort food written ALL OVER IT, baby.
As with most of my bread pudding recipes, I prefer to use croissants. Not only are they much softer and fluffier than your average baguette or sliced bread variety, but as they bake in that beautifully rich custard, they take on the most heavenly melt-in-your mouth texture.
And if blueberries or white chocolate aren’t quite your thing, head on over to my Salted Caramel Croissant Bread Pudding or my Apple Pie Bread Pudding to get in on this marvelous croissant bread pudding action!
While I HIGHLY recommend that you use croissants in this bread pudding, you’re welcome to use other breads–challah, french, Texas Toast, etc. Just make sure that the bread is stale or dry. In fact, the dryer the better! This is absolutely KEY to ensure that the bread soaks up as much of the custard as possible.
Since I don’t usually keep bread long enough for it to dry out, I just use the oven method. Scatter your torn-up bread into an even layer on a baking sheet, then dry/toast in a preheated 350ºF oven for 8-10 minutes. It’s ok if they get a little toasty–just make sure they don’t get too dark!
The next major component in making this bread pudding is the custard that the croissants soak in. I like to use an even ratio of milk to heavy cream since it provides the perfect amount of richness and creaminess. I also remove most of the egg whites from the eggs to prevent that not-so-appetizing sulfuric egg taste. As far as sweeteners go, just a 1/3 cup of granulated sugar is needed since you’re going to add a pretty good amount of white chocolate. Once the white chocolate is melted into the custard mixture, a dash of salt, a splash of vanilla, and a few drops of almond extract are added to round out the flavors.
Now, when it comes to soaking time, I prefer to allow my bread pudding to sit/soak overnight. While a couple of hours will do, I’ve found that the longer you let the bread soak in the custard, the more the flavors are able to develop since the ingredients have had plenty of time to “mingle”.
To create that delicately crisp crust on top of the bread pudding, I like to sprinkle a little bit of granulated sugar on top right before baking it into the oven. It also adds a little extra sweetness, so why the heck not??
As the bread pudding is baking (more like beautifying) in the oven, you can make the blueberry topping! And no, canned store-bought blueberry pie filling is NOT acceptable. I know it’s super duper convenient, but trust me on this one, guys. You won’t regret making your own from scratch, especially when you discover how flippin’ easy it is! Literally, all you have to do is heat your blueberries (fresh or frozen) in a medium saucepan on the stove until their juices begin to release. Then combine your sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon and stir it into the blueberries. Cook this mixture for a few minutes until it thickens into a nice luscious topping, and that’s it!
Now that you’ve got your fresh blueberry topping and warm bread pudding, it’s finally time to bring this lovely couple together for the holiest of matrimonies. (I know, I’m such a dork for even coming up with this sentence.) Grab a bowl, scoop up a spoonful of steamy white chocolate bread pudding, and pour on as much of that glorious blueberry topping as your heart desires!
Blueberry White Chocolate Bread Pudding
Ingredients
- 12 ounces croissants torn (about 5 croissants)
Custard:
- 8 ounces white chocolate, chips or chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar, for topping
Blueberry Topping:
- 3 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF degrees. Scatter the torn croissants evenly in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until dry and toasted, about 8-10 minutes.* Allow croissants to cool while you prepare the custard.
Make the Custard:
- Place the white chocolate in a large mixing bowl; set aside.
- Pour the heavy cream, milk, and sugar into a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to boil. Immediately pour hot cream mixture over the white chocolate and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and egg together. Slowly whisk in a few tablespoons of the warm cream mixture. Pour the egg mixture into the warm cream, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the salt, vanilla, and almond extract. Gently fold in the croissants.
- Pour mixture into a greased 8-inch square baking dish, gently pressing down on the bread to assure all the pieces are saturated in the custard. Allow to sit and soak for at least an hour**.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Sprinkle the tablespoon of sugar evenly over the bread pudding. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until golden and toasty.
Make the Topping:
- In a medium saucepan, heat the blueberries over medium heat until they soften and their juices start to release, about 3-4 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon. Add mixture to the blueberries and continue cooking until it begins to thicken, about 2-3 minutes.
- To serve, slice/scoop bread pudding into bowls, and top with the blueberry sauce.