Summer Fruit Panzanella Recipe

For this breakfast version of bread salad, we cube and toast croissants with cinnamon sugar and toss them with ripe, juicy summer fruit and chopped mint.

Carrie Vasios Mullins

Updated March 06, 2025

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Closeup of plate full of summer fruit panzanella. — Serious Eats / Carrie Vasios Mullins

We're definitely reaching that season when less is more. The season when I want nothing more than a fat ripe tomato, sliced and lightly sprinkled with salt. When I do bake, easy, rustic pies and crumbles are generally the order of the day.

But what if you want to bake for breakfast (it doesn't matter the season, nothing says "good morning!" like a homemade treat) but you ate all of last night's pie, as some of us are want to do? Then run to the store and pick up a few croissants and the best looking fruit you can find. In no time, you can have a delicious, light-yet-decadent spin on panzanella.

Instead of toasting cubes of bread, I soaked cubes of croissant in a little melted butter, rolled them in cinnamon sugar, and baked them until they were nice and toasty. Blackberries have been exceptionally sweet in these parts, so I chose them to anchor an all purple and blue color scheme along with plums and blueberries. The result is a breakfast that is both light and seasonal and satisfies that morning urge for a little something bready, buttery, and sweet.

July 2012

Recipe Details

Summer Fruit Panzanella Recipe

Prep 10 mins

Cook 15 mins

Active 15 mins

Total 25 mins

Serves 4 to 6 servings

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Ingredients

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
5 cups mixed summer fruit (see note)
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 cups cubed croissants (see note)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Directions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine fruit and 1 tablespoon sugar in a medium bowl; set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together cinnamon and sugar. In a large bowl, combine cubes of croissant and butter and toss until bread absorbs butter. Add about 3/4 of cinnamon sugar mixture and toss to combine. Spread cubes out on baking sheet, sprinkling with remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake until toasted and golden, about 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, combine fruit and their juices with toasted croissants and mint and gently toss to combine. Divide between plates and serve.

Notes

I tried a variety of different breads before settling on croissants. They were of the store-bought, puffy variety, not flaky or delicate, which meant they held up well in the oven. A good substitution would be challah, though any day-old bread you have can be substituted in a pinch.

I used a combination of blueberries, blackberries, and plums, but for the best results, use whatever fruit is ripest.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
839	Calories
44g	Fat
101g	Carbs
14g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	839
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 44g	56%
Saturated Fat 25g	124%
Cholesterol 132mg	44%
Sodium 710mg	31%
Total Carbohydrate 101g	37%
Dietary Fiber 7g	25%
Total Sugars 41g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 61mg	303%
Calcium 90mg	7%
Iron 4mg	20%
Potassium 493mg	10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.