• Start by preheating your oven to 375F/190C. You can use a large oval, round or square casserole dish for this recipe. Spray the inside of the dish with a baking spray and brush it evenly over the dish.

Preparing the Custard:

• Prepare the egg custard: Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl and add in the maple syrup, sugar, vanilla extract, salt and ground cinnamon. Use a whisk to beat the eggs for a few minutes, until they’re well beaten.
• Next, pour in the milk and cream. You can use all milk (for less calories), or all cream (for a richer tasting toast).
• Whisk the eggs and dairy together, then set aside the custard.

Assembling the French Toast:

• Using a serrated knife, carefully split each croissant in half lengthwise. If you’re croissants are extra-large, you can also split in them in half vertically so the casserole is easier to serve.
• Prepare the berries by washing them first. If adding strawberries, section them into smaller pieces.
• Drop one piece of halved croissant at a time into the prepared egg custard, allowing the bread to become well saturated with the mixture.
• Layer the croissants into the prepared casserole dish, adding a small handful of berries with each croissant. I like to add the berries in between the halves, too. Continue with these steps until the entire casserole is filled.
• Pour any remaining custard over the top of the casserole and sprinkle more berries over the top.

Baking the Casserole:

• Cover the casserole with foil and bake the French toast at 375F/190C for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custard is completely set. Remove the foil for the last 6 to 8 minutes, to allow the croissants to become golden brown.

If you’re planning to bake this croissant casserole in the morning, simply follow these steps.

• Prepare the casserole per the instructions above, then cover with foil and place into the refrigerator to chill overnight.
• In the morning, remove the casserole from the refrigerator while you’re preheating the oven.
• Bake the casserole at 375F/190C for about 50 minutes; you’ll need the additional 10 to 15 minutes time since the bread will be cold out of the fridge.
• Once the croissant casserole is done, dig right in! I recommend serving it right away or keeping it warm until you’re ready to serve. Add a few dabs of butter on top while it’s still warm.
• Using a large spoon, scoop out each croissant onto a serving plate. Add a drizzle of pure maple syrup and more fresh berries, then enjoy!