This Croissant Bread Pudding with Pecan Toffee Sauce is made more decadent the use of butter croissants and rich pecan toffee sauce.
Whenever I see the quote “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” I leave the comment “then you haven’t tried my bread pudding” and I link this Croissant Bread Pudding with Pecan Toffee Sauce recipe.
I’ve been way, way thinner than I am now and while I did enjoy the compliments I did not enjoy many, many things about trying to stay thinner.
When I was at my thinnest (4/6) I was constantly thinking about what I was going to eat.
What people were thinking when I eat.
Because at that point my friends were concerned and they should have been even though I assured them I was fine and told myself they were just jealous.
For a while I started off with good intentions of going to do things the healthy way the more and more I lost the less and less I ate because I never seemed to lose as much as I wanted that week.
If I knew I was going to eat out with friends then I would exercise for hours, not eat a thing or maybe cucumbers, that way I could eat more “normal” in front of others.
That was if I went out with friends, mostly they would get blown off because I was afraid to eat something “bad” or wanted to be at the gym instead trying to burn just a little bit more.
If they bugged me about not doing things with them I would tell myself that they were just jealous.
I would tell my ex-husband that I already ate when he questioned why I wasn’t eating dinner (even though I had not eaten).
Thought constantly about what I was going to eat.
How much exercise I could do on the least amount of food in my body so as to get in a decent workout.
And I lived in constant panic that if I gained anything back people would think less of me, especially since I was a WW leader.
When I would indulge I would tell myself I was weak.
Call myself all sorts of horrible names in my head.
So while looking cute in clothing and listening to people tell me how good I looked is nice and all…it comes with so much other stuff.
Other stuff that I realize as I age is far worse than being fat.
Now am I the weight I want to be? No.
Being on high doses of Prednisone this year has not been fun for many reasons.
And weight gain is one of them.
Am I going to diet? No.
I’m going to work on only eating when I am hungry.
Which I already started again in December when they finally reduced the amount of Prednisone I was on.
Back to this bread pudding.
It’s from the first few years of blogging.
This is the recipe that people come back time and time again to tell me is their favorite.
Since 2015 will mark 10 years of blogging for me (holy cow) I decide to remake it and feature it again on the blog.
I love using croissants in bread pudding as it just brings the level of insanely good up a notch.
You don’t have to add the booze to the toffee sauce it’s tasty without it.
Happy New Year everyone…2015 is going to be a fantastic year I can feel it!
And remember when someone says nothing tastes as good as skinny feels…this does.
Want more recipes like this?
Try These:
Bailey’s Irish Nut Bread Pudding
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bread Pudding
Sticky Toffee Pudding Bread Pudding
Croissant Bread Pudding with Pecan Toffee Sauce
Ingredients
- For the Bread Pudding:
- 8 large croissants or 12 small ones, slightly stale
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 6 egg yolks
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- Pecan Toffee Sauce:
- ¾ cup brown sugar, tightly packed
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 TBSP Amaretto
- ½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- For the bread pudding:
- In a large bowl mix together the egg yolks, sugar and nutmeg.
- Then whisk in the heavy cream and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Tear croissants into pieces and place half of the croissants into a 9-x-9-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with baking spray or lightly coated in butter.
- Pour half the custard over the bread pieces in the pan.
- Press down the bread pieces with your hands until the bread is soaked with the custard.
- Add the remaining croissant bread pieces.
- While you now have half the custard mixture left, the bread pudding may not require all of it. How much custard to use next will depend on how stale your croissants are. If they are super stale they will take all the custard. If they are soft they will most likely need less.
- Place pan into a larger pan that will hold a water bath. Fill the larger pan with water until you reach the 1/2 way mark of the smaller pan. You do not have to bake this in a water bath however it is recommended to provide a constant, steady heat source and ensures even, slow cooking.
- Bake the bread pudding for 45-55 minutes until golden on top.
- Cool for 10 minutes and serve warm.
- For the sauce:
- Stir brown sugar and butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add cream and Amaretto and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for about 5 minutes and then add pecans.
- Serve on top of bread pudding.
Joy says
Can you please remind us about pledging you? I would love to but need to wait until I get paid
Peabody says
Yes Joy I’ll remind you. I’m sure I will be bringing it up a few times.
Alice says
Looks scrumptious!
I will donate. 🙂
Peabody says
Thank you so much Alice!
KB says
This looks delicious. I’d like a spoonful or six of that pecan toffee sauce to scarf by itself!
I have known a few people – not many, but a few – who really, honestly weren’t all that into food. Not in a self-denial “I’d rather be skinny” way, but they really just didn’t have much interest in it, and it wasn’t for lack of trying or variety. To them, nothing really did taste as good as slender felt, simply because of their tastes. They ate only because of their bodies’ needs for energy. I don’t diss them for that or tell them they just haven’t found their irresistible food. Maybe there isn’t one for them.
However, when I see people longingly staring at brownies or a heaping bowl of mac and cheese and uttering, “But I’m on a diet,” or, “I still need to lose five pounds,” or, “I’d rather be thin,” when it’s so clearly not true…that’s what breaks my heart, because I know how someone can talk themselves into that and miss out on so much because they’ve skewed their own perspectives. That’s when they need some bread pudding and real loving. 🙂
Becca McCann says
Making some of this tonight for my family! Thanks for sharing. Going to tell them I’ve found the food that tastes as good as being skinny feels!
Bobbi says
Love your blog and this looks absolutely amazing! I’ve never been a big bread pudding fan. That is until recently when I tried a chocolate chip bread pudding at a restaurant’s Easter buffet. And now I see “this”. I’m going to try this as written but wonder if you think it could also be adapted to a chocolate chip version. Your thoughts? The one I tried tasted like a warm, gooey, chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven.
Peabody says
@Bobbi- you could totally add chocolate chip cookies to this
Jolene says
What size pan
Peabody says
You can use a variety of pans. The smaller the pan the longer the baking time. The more shallow the pan the less baking time. This was made in a 10×10.
Jolene says
Ok oven temp?
Peabody says
350
Jody says
May I please have an explanation on how to do the water bath? Step 8 of the recipe doesn’t give any info on that, and I am kinda short on that kind of knowledge haha! Thanks!
Peabody says
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/to-prepare-a-water-bath-for-baking-105616
ELLEN EVARS says
This bread pudding looks devine. I’m probably going to use a 9X13 pan. could you help me guess on the bake time and how many people it would feed? Does it need to be served warm? I would like to bring it to some ones party already cooked
Peabody says
That will make it more shallow and reduce the baking time slightly. It’s a lot like cake…how many it feeds is how big you cut it. I would guess 6-8 in the size I make.
Abbi W. says
Can any part of this be made the night before?
Peabody says
All of it can.
Stephen says
Sounds like a great recipe. What is your guideline for how much custard to use or not use? Thanks!
Peabody says
The guideline is simply how much the bread soaks up. Sometimes it uses the whole amount and other times not. Just depends on the absorbency of the bread.
L says
My oldest daughter asked for this for the holiday. We made this last year at Christmas and it was very soggy, the day old croissants never really soaked up the custard. This year we used brioche and is worked much better. My theory, Croissants have more crust, which don’t soak up the custard as well. The brioche was perfect. Turned out great this year. It’s going in my children’s recipe books for when they leave home.
Rita says
Easy to prepare and a notch above any breadpudding I’ve ever made. This will be my go to for carrying to dinners. Loved it! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Peabody says
Thanks! I’m glad to hear you enjoy it.
Bruce Deniger says
LOVED IT
Peabody says
So happy to hear that.
Judi says
If this is getting reposted I was wondering why you would think it is a “bread” pudding. It is not at all because croissants aren’t considered a bread. They are in the pastry category. They are ladend with butter and won’t absorb the way a yeast bread would. I am still going to try it because it sounds wonderful. Thank you for your great work! Croissant Pudding sounds more interesting than bread, too! Sounds hip, lol.
Laverne says
My husband said this was the best he has ever eaten. That being said, he has eaten many other Bread Pudding’s over the years. Never really cared for it that much because it was like eating bread that was like a wet sponge with a little flavor…to mushy for me. This on the other hand was moist (not mushy) with some nice crispness and great flavor. It’s a KEEPER!
Peabody says
Glad to hear he liked it! And thanks for letting me know.
Bonnie Walker says
Can this be made in a crockpot?
Peabody says
I don’t know. I’ve never made a dessert in a crockpot.
Ceci says
Can leftovers be frozen?
Peabody says
I wouldn’t think custard would freeze well.