Chocolate Chip Vanilla Custard Brioches – Fancy Bakery Dessert Ideas with Bread for Brunch or Lunch

Ready to level up your brunch game? Meet the Chocolate Chip Vanilla Custard Brioches—aka brioches suisses, aka your new obsession. Soft, creamy, slightly indulgent, and packed with mini chocolate chips, they check every single box for the perfect morning (or mid-afternoon) treat.

Think of these as the sophisticated cousin of the chocolate croissant. While pains au chocolat flaunt their crispy, flaky layers, Swiss brioches take a softer approach—thanks to rich, buttery brioche dough. The texture? Pillowy perfection. The flavor? Straight out of a charming Parisian café. If you’re into European Deserts and sweet Bakery Lunch Ideas, this one’s a no-brainer.

Making these beauties does require a bit of muscle—literally. The dough is one of those Complex Baking Recipes that loves to test your patience. It starts out super sticky (like, “why is this all over my hands” sticky), and stays that way for a while. Pro tip: Use a stand mixer. It’ll save your arms and your sanity. These are what we call prime-time Kitchenaid Desserts.

No mixer? No worries—just brace yourself. I kneaded mine by hand, and let’s just say I earned every bite.

With their custard filling and melty chips, these brioches also totally count as Desserts With Bread. Serve them warm and watch everyone swoon. They’re also perfect for lazy weekends, fancy brunches, or yes—Baking With Boyfriend Recipes. It’s a fun, messy bonding experience… and you get to eat the results.

So if you're hunting for Cool Brunch Ideas, cozy Bread Pastry Recipes, or a new Brioche Danish Recipe to show off, this one delivers on all fronts.

Let’s bake something bougie!

Chocolate Chip Vanilla Custard Brioches – Fancy Bakery Dessert Ideas with Bread for Brunch or Lunch

Recipe by: Aleda

Prep Time: 8 hours
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours 12 minutes
Makes: 8 brioches
Type: Dessert

✨ Ingredients

Brioche Dough

• 250g (2 cups + 1 Tbsp) all-purpose flour
• 30g (2 Tbsp) sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 10g (0.35 oz) fresh yeast, crumbled
• 150g (3 eggs), lightly beaten
• 165g (2/3 cup) unsalted butter, softened and cubed

Vanilla Custard Filling

• 250 ml (1 cup + 2 tsp) whole milk
• 1 tsp butter
• 1 vanilla bean pod
• 2 egg yolks
• 50g (1/4 cup) sugar
• 20g (3 Tbsp) cornstarch
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Assembly & Finishing

• 120g (3/4 cup) mini chocolate chips
• 50g (1/4 cup) sugar
• 50 ml (1/4 cup) water
• 1 whole egg + 1 yolk, beaten

👩‍🍳 Instructions

Making the Brioche Dough

1. In a stand mixer bowl, add flour, sugar, salt, and yeast—keeping the salt and yeast separate to start. Give it a quick stir.
2. Pour in the eggs and mix on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until the dough starts to come together.
3. Gradually add in the butter cubes while the mixer runs. Continue kneading for 20 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky.
4. Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.
5. Gently shape the dough into a rectangle, wrap it in cling film, and chill in the fridge for 40 minutes (up to 2 hours if time allows). For a quicker cool-down, pop it in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Preparing the Custard

1. Heat milk and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Split the vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds, and add both seeds and pod to the milk.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the yolks and sugar. Add flour and cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
3. Once the milk is hot and steamy, remove the pod and gradually pour the milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
4. Return everything to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking, until thickened.
5. Pour into a clean bowl, cover with cling film pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin, and chill until needed.

Assembling the Brioches

1. Roll out the chilled dough on parchment into a rectangle about 30×40 cm (12×16 inches).
2. Spread the cooled custard over one half (lengthwise), then scatter the chocolate chips on top. Lightly press with a rolling pin to set them into the custard.
3. Fold the plain half of dough over the filled half, then press gently to seal and remove any air bubbles. Use a rolling pin to lightly even out the top.
4. Slice into 8 rectangles, each about 3–4 cm (1–1.5 inches) wide. Arrange them on a parchment-lined baking tray, leaving space in between.
5. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 more hours.

Finishing Touches

1. In a small pot, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, then cool completely to create a syrup.
2. Once the brioches have puffed up, brush them with the beaten egg + yolk mixture.
3. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 10–12 minutes until beautifully golden.
4. Remove from the oven and immediately brush with the cooled syrup. Let cool before serving.

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