Spelt Croissant Bread Pudding with Berries turns day-old croissants into a soft baked custard studded with fresh berries. The spelt in the croissants keeps the crumb light, not dense, so the pudding stays tender instead of heavy.
You tear the croissants into chunks, let them soak in an egg custard, then scatter berries through the layers before baking. The top turns golden and slightly crisp while the center stays soft and custardy.
This works for a weekend brunch or a simple dessert. You can assemble it the night before and bake it fresh in the morning, which keeps the process low-pressure for a crowd.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Uses up day-old croissants instead of tossing them
- Soft custard center under a golden, crisp top
- Assembles the night before for easy morning baking
- Berries add a tart contrast to the rich custard
Ingredient Notes
- spelt croissants: Day-old croissants soak up custard without turning mushy. Regular croissants work too if spelt ones aren’t available.
- whole milk: Gives a lighter custard than all cream. 2% milk works but the pudding will be slightly less rich.
- heavy cream: Adds richness and helps the custard set. Half-and-half works as a lighter swap.
- eggs: Bind the custard and give it a soft set. Use room-temperature eggs so they blend smoothly with the milk.
- mixed berries: Fresh or frozen both work. If using frozen, add them straight from the freezer so they don’t bleed too much color into the custard.
- lemon zest: Optional, but it brightens the custard against the richness of the croissants.
- turbinado sugar: Gives the top a light crunch. Regular granulated sugar works but won’t crisp the same way.
Soft Spelt Croissant Bread Pudding with Berries
Description
Torn spelt croissants soak in a light egg custard, then bake until the center stays soft and the berries burst through the golden top.
Ingredients
Bread and berries
Custard
Topping
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180 C / 350 F. Grease a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking dish with the butter.
- Tear the croissants into 5 cm / 2-inch chunks and spread them evenly in the dish.
- Toss the berries with the spelt flour in a small bowl, then scatter them over and between the croissant chunks.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and lemon zest together in a mixing bowl until smooth.
- Pour the custard slowly over the croissants and berries, pressing down gently so the bread soaks it up.
- Let the dish rest at room temperature for 15 minutes so the croissants absorb most of the custard.
- Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the top.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden, the center has only a slight jiggle, and the custard reaches 160 F / 71 C.
- Cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 6
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 239kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 23g36%
- Saturated Fat 12g60%
- Cholesterol 140mg47%
- Sodium 220mg10%
- Potassium 180mg6%
- Total Carbohydrate 44g15%
- Dietary Fiber 3g12%
- Sugars 17g
- Protein 9g18%
- Vitamin A 450 IU
- Vitamin C 8 mg
- Calcium 100 mg
- Iron 1.5 mg
- Vitamin D 40 IU
- Vitamin E 1 mg
- Vitamin K 5 mcg
- Thiamin 0.15 mg
- Riboflavin 0.3 mg
- Niacin 1.5 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.1 mg
- Folate 30 mcg
- Vitamin B12 0.4 mcg
- Phosphorus 150 mg
- Magnesium 20 mg
- Zinc 1 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Additional Notes
- Rest the assembled pudding 15 minutes before baking so the bread fully absorbs the custard.
- Check the center for a slight jiggle, not a liquid wobble, before pulling it from the oven.
- Toss berries with a spoonful of flour so they don't all sink to the bottom.
- Cover loosely with foil if the top browns before the center sets.
