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You’ll never go back to a traditional breakfast casserole after trying this Croissant Breakfast Bake. Loaded with fluffy croissants, eggs, ham and Gruyère cheese.

overhead view of a croissant breakfast bake on a table

There’s nothing like waking up to a egg and cheese breakfast casserole on slow weekend mornings. Years ago we made a breakfast bake with sourdough bread, but today we’re sharing a new version that uses buttery croissants. And let me tell you it’s amazing.

This Croissant Breakfast Bake is the perfect holiday breakfast casserole because you can use up leftover ham. It’s loaded with protein and the most comforting way to start the day.

Why you should make this Croissant Breakfast Bake:

Uses buttery croissants. But don’t think you have to spend a lot of money on them. Grab some from the day old rack in the bakery section of the grocery store. They are better if they are a little dried out so they can soak up the egg mixture.
Features ham and cheese. I’m always looking for a new way to use leftover holiday ham. And for this recipe we pair the ham with Gruyère cheese, which melts beautifully.
Adaptable base recipe. This croissant breakfast casserole can be tailored to what you have in your fridge: sausage, bacon, onions, swiss, cheddar cheese and even dollops of cream cheese would all be delicious additions to this breakfast bake.

Ingredients Needed

ingredients for croissant breakfast bake on a table

Croissants. Save your high quality croissants for hot ham & swiss croissants or a smear of Nutella. Use grocery store croissants and grab day old if you can. You’ll bake them anyway to dry them out!
Whole milk and heavy cream. Use lower fat milk if you have to, but it have the best taste and texture with whole milk and heavy cream.
Nutmeg, cayenne pepper and dijon mustard. 3 additions that give such a unique flavor to this croissant breakfast bake.

✨ For complete ingredients and amounts, see the recipe card below. ✨

How to Make a Croissant Breakfast Bake

To prepare, preheat the oven to 250°F and grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Prepare the croissants. Tear the croissants into large chunks (about 2-inch in size). They don’t have to be in bite-size pieces because they will soften. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes to dry them out. Remove the croissants from the oven and place them in the prepared casserole dish, fitting them closely together.

Increase the oven temperature to 325°F.
Scatter the ham over the croissant pieces and sprinkle the shredded cheese on top.

croissants with ham and cheese over the top in a baking dish

In a large bowl with a pourable spout, whisk together the eggs, Dijon, salt, cayenne pepper and nutmeg until well combined.

Whisk in the milk and heavy cream and drizzle the mixture over the croissants, covering them evenly.

pouring egg mixture over croissants, ham and cheese in a baking dish

Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes (or until the tops are golden brown and the egg mixture has set).
Garnish with chopped chives before serving.

What to Serve with Croissant Breakfast Bake

Looking to serve this for a family brunch or holiday breakfast? Try with these recipes:

Can I make this ahead of time?

The recipe can be assembled up until adding the egg mixture. It is best to pour the egg mixture into the casserole dish before baking so the croissants don’t get too soggy.

Storage Instructions

Any leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave, or for crispier croissants, reheat in the air fryer.

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