Jamie Oliver Croissant Bread And Butter Pudding

This dessert, It’s messy. Sweet. Silky in the middle, with dark crispy edges that cling to your fork like a secret. The Jamie Oliver Croissant Bread And Butter Pudding isn’t about precision or perfection. It’s about indulgence—the kind you don’t explain to anyone. I made this on a grey-skied Saturday when everything felt like too much, and it somehow reset me. You scoop it out, steam rising, chocolate pockets melting into orange tang… and yeah. Everything softens. (inspired by Jamie Oliver)

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the pudding:

• 125 g unsalted butter, plus a bit more for greasing
• 4 tablespoons demerara sugar
• 8 croissants, torn with your hands like you mean it
• 1 vanilla pod, split open, seeds scraped with the back of a knife
• 300 ml double cream
• 300 ml whole milk
• 5 large eggs
• 100 g golden caster sugar
• 60 g really good dark chocolate, chopped rough
• 60 g bitter orange marmalade, the chunky kind if you can find it

How To Make Jamie Oliver Croissant Bread And Butter Pudding

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Grab a tart tin (28cm if you’re measuring). Butter it up.
3. Take half your sugar, crush it down until it’s almost dust, mix it with the rest.
4. Use that mix to coat the tin. Shake out what doesn’t stick.
5. Tear those croissants. Don’t be neat.
6. Press them into the tin like a patchwork quilt.
7. Press hard. Make them hold hands. Build the base.
8. Pour cream and milk into a pot.
9. Add the butter, vanilla pod, and seeds.
10. Warm it slowly. Don’t boil. Just a whisper of steam, then turn it off.
11. In a big bowl, whisk the eggs and golden sugar.
12. Slowly pour in the warm cream while whisking. No scrambling!
13. Fish out the vanilla pod and ditch it.
14. Pour a bit of custard into the croissant base. Let it soak a minute.
15. Soak the rest of the torn croissants in the remaining custard.
16. Pour over leftover custard. Let it soak in.
17. Sprinkle the top with the last of the sugar.
18. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden with a slight wobble.
19. Eat it warm with cream, custard, or ice cream. Or cold. Still perfect.

Why I Love This Recipe

I made this after a lazy brunch where no one touched the croissants. It started as a way to not waste food. But when I pulled it out of the oven, something about it made everyone go quiet. It’s rich but not cloying. Sweet but smart. The bitterness from the marmalade cuts through the sugar like a sharp memory. It’s not fancy. But it feels special.

Recipe Tips

• Stale croissants work better. They soak and puff without going mushy.
• Don’t be too tidy with layers. Let the chocolate clump. Let the marmalade surprise you.
• Crush that sugar for a crunchy top. Seriously, don’t skip that.
• Watch the oven. Don’t let it go too far or you’ll lose that soft middle.
• Scrape your vanilla pod like your life depends on it. That’s where the magic lives.

How To Store This Jamie Oliver Croissant Bread And Butter Pudding

• Room temp: Let it cool, then into a container. But don’t leave it out past two hours. This is custard we’re talking about.
• Fridge: Covered and chilled, it stays good for about three days. The texture changes, but in a good way.
• Freezer: Wrap it tight. Then again in foil. Freeze up to a month. Let it thaw in the fridge when you’re ready.

Reheating:

• Oven works best. Cover with foil and go gentle—150°C for 15–20 minutes.
• Microwave if you must. Just don’t overdo it. You want warm, not rubber.

Let’s Answer a Few Questions! (FAQs)

Can I skip the orange marmalade?
Yes. Use another jam. Apricot, raspberry. Even lemon curd if you’re feeling wild.

What if I can’t do dairy?
Use coconut cream, almond milk. It’ll taste different but still lush.

How do I know it’s done?
Golden top. Slight wobble. Knife comes out mostly clean. Trust your gut.

Can I make it the night before?
Yep. Assemble, cover, and chill. Bake the next day. It’s even better that way.

Do the croissants really need to soak?
Let them. At least 5 minutes. More if you can. They need to drink it all in.

Nutrition (Per Serving-ish)

• Calories: 300
• Carbs: 36g
• Protein: 6g
• Fat: 15g
• Sugar: 22g
• Fibre: 1g
• Sodium: 120mg

Try More Recipe:

• Jamie Oliver Olive Bread
• Jamie Oliver Olive Bread
• Jamie Oliver Pear Chutney