The Simple Way to Turn Leftover Baked Goods into a Decadent Breakfast

If you live by yourself or are an avid baker, chances are you'll have to deal with leftover baked goods once or twice in your life. Sure, you can hand them out to friends and family or try to freeze them for later, but more often than not these unconsumed baked goods end up in the trash. So instead of throwing away your stale baked goods and wasting food, why not repurpose them into a satisfying breakfast casserole that breathes new life into them? With just four additional ingredients you can make a comforting breakfast casserole reminiscent of bread pudding. Here’s how to do it.

Memorize this Formula to Turn Any Leftover Baked Good into a Satisfying Breakfast

To transform your leftover baked goods into a rich, bread-pudding-like casserole that is perfect for feeding a crowd, all you need to do is make a quick four-ingredient custard. Then, just pour the custard over the diced baked goods and bake it into a comforting and rich breakfast bake that’s perfect for serving with maple syrup, whipped cream, or fresh berries.

For every pound of diced baked goods (about 10 cups) use this base recipe as the glue that holds everything together. If you use more than one pound of leftover baked goods, just multiply the recipe to scale it up; it’s incredibly forgiving so there’s no need to stress.

Base Custard Recipe:

• 4 cups dairy (such as milk, half-and-half, or your favorite non-dairy alternative)
• 4 large eggs
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Extract, citrus zest, or spices to taste (optional)

Method: Whisk together the dairy, eggs, granulated sugar, salt, and any additional flavorings in a large mixing bowl until no streaks of unincorporated egg remain. Arrange the diced baked goods in a buttered 9x13-inch baking dish and pour the custard mixture evenly over the top so the baked goods are completely saturated. At this point you can wrap the arranged casserole in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge to bake the next day, or immediately bake it at 350°F until the top is golden brown and the casserole no longer jiggles when moved–about 40 to 60 minutes.

What Baked Goods Can I Use in This Recipe?

The best thing about this recipe is that you can use just about any leftover or stale baked goods you have on hand. Bread, in any form, is an obvious choice and one that makes for the most traditional bread pudding-esque casserole. Any cakey baked goods (such as pound cakes, muffins, cupcakes, or shortcakes) are prime for using in this recipe. Even if the cakes are glazed or lightly iced, you can still use them without issue. Flaky baked goods such as croissants or biscuits also work well, as do yeasted and cake-style doughnuts. Even cinnamon rolls work. The only baked goods you should avoid using are cookies, chocolate-covered items, or heavily frosted cakes. If the baked good is relatively dry and doesn’t contain a significant amount of frosting, it should be good to use.

A Note on Cutting (or Tearing) Your Baked Goods

No matter which type of baked good you use, cut or tear it into roughly 1-inch-sized pieces. (Cutting will provide a more uniform-looking casserole while tearing will provide rougher edges that will crisp up on top.) You can also cut up your stale baked goods, put them into a zip-top bag, and freeze them until you’re ready to make the casserole. You’ll never throw out excess baked goods again!