Flakey croissants submerged in a creamy tres leches custard, baked to golden perfection, and drizzled in a silky smooth Mexican chocolate sauce!

When it comes to savory cuisine, I would definitely say that Mexican is my most favorite. I could literally eat tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, tortilla chips, and salsa for days on end without getting sick of it. I just can’t get enough of those fresh, spice-infused flavors!

With that being said, I have some catching up to do in the Mexican desserts department. So with Cinco De Mayo just around the corner, I figured now was the best time to unveil this bread pudding with a Mexican twist!

This Tres Leches Bread Pudding is a comforting homage to the classic Tres Leches Cake. It contains buttery croissants that have been submerged and steeped in a custard that contains three milks–whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk. After its beauty soak, the bread pudding is baked to goldenlicious perfection, giving it that delicately crisp top. And because bread puddings simply aren’t complete without a drizzle of sweetness on top, this bread pudding is finished off with a smooth and silky cinnamon-kissed chocolate sauce.

Can you say ¡ñam, ñam! ?!

What is Tres Leches Cake?

Tres Leches Cake is a light sponge cake soaked in a mixture of three different milks: evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and whole milk. In English, “tres leches” translates to “three milks”. The cake originated in North, Central and South America, and has become a symbol of celebration, frequently served at weddings, birthdays, and holidays.

What is Mexican Chocolate?

Traditional Mexican chocolate typically comes in the form of a paste or a block, and it’s made with cacoa, sugar, and cinnamon. It has a grainy texture and a rather complex flavor due to its incorporation of spices and flavorings like vanilla or chili. Mexican chocolate is most often used to make hot chocolate, and it’s a key ingredient in many Mexican dishes, such as mole sauce. Although this recipe doesn’t actually contain Mexican chocolate, it’s served with a Mexican chocolate sauce that contains the same flavors of traditional Mexican chocolate.

Why I LOVE Bread Pudding

Perfect for using up stale/old bread: Being the resourceful person that I am, I love any kind of recipe that involves repurposing ingredients that would otherwise be thrown away. The fact that this dessert RELIES on stale bread to make it so delicious is a win-win for me.

Great for dessert OR breakfast: Some might disagree, but I think bread pudding could also be considered breakfast. It’s very similar to something like a french toast casserole in that it involves soaking bread in a custard base. Of course, THIS bread pudding is cloaked in a rich chocolate sauce, but still!

Make ahead, bake later: Bread pudding can be assembled ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator, then baked the next day. In fact, the longer it soaks, the better! As the dry bread steeps in the custard, it acts as a sponge and absorbs all of that flavorful liquid, lending the bread pudding a perfectly moist texture.

The flavor possibilities are endless: If you search bread pudding on my blog, you’ll find quite the array of bread pudding recipes. It’s the kind of dessert that would blend well with pretty much any flavor imaginable, be it chocolate, pumpkin, caramel, blueberry, even cookie butter!

Tips for Making Tres Leches Bread Pudding

Use dry or stale bread: This is absolutely key to preventing soggy bread pudding. As mentioned earlier, the bread acts like a sponge, soaking up every delicious drop of custard. You’re basically rehydrating the dry bread by soaking it in the liquid. Starting with fresh bread results in a mushy, unpleasant texture that you really don’t want. If all you have is fresh/non-stale bread, no worries! Read my next tip below.

Toast fresh bread in the oven: Since I very rarely keep bread long enough for it to go dry or stale, this is what I end up doing. I take the bread, tear/cut it up into pieces, scatter it on a large baking sheet, and bake it in a 350ºF oven for about 8-10 minutes. This technique not only dries out the bread, but it toasts it at the same time, lending extra flavor to the bread pudding.

Croissants are superior: Now I might be a tad bit biased, but I believe croissants reign supreme when it comes to the best bread for bread pudding. Some say challah or brioche are best, but it’s really hard to beat the fluffy, flakey texture that you get with croissants, as well as the buttery flavor it provides.

Sprinkle some sugar on top: Just before placing it in the oven, I always like to sprinkle the entire surface of the bread pudding with a couple of tablespoons of granulated sugar. Not only does it add a little overall sweetness, but it creates that perfectly crisp top.

Allow it to rest: Once the bread pudding is out of the oven, you’ll want to give it some time to rest, about 15-20 minutes. This allows the custard to set and the bread to finish absorbing the liquid.