This Very Berry French Toast Bake is full of fresh strawberries and blueberries as well as sweet and tangy pockets of cream cheese that take French Toast to a whole new level!
What is a French Toast Bake?
Rather than soaking individual slices of bread in an egg custard, a French toast bake is a casserole using cubed pieces of day-old bread. You make an easy custard of milk, eggs and some flavourings like cinnamon and brown sugar and pour it on top of the bread and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours or even overnight to absorb. Once the casserole sits, drizzle a little melted butter over top for decadence and bake and enjoy. You can top it with a little maple syrup or powdered sugar.
Is a French Toast Bake Cheap to Make?
Yes, a French toast casserole is a cheap and easy breakfast, but it is so darn delicious and is sure to impress any guest. The basis of the casserole is day-old bread so it can be a great way to reduce food waste. Eggs are always a cheap source of high-quality protein. Berries can be a little expensive depending on the time of year you make this, but you can always change the fruit you use based on seasonality or use frozen instead which is always at a good price point.
What type of bread is best for a French Toast Bake?
A French Toast Casserole with wheat bread is best. Any wheat bread will work but Challah is my favourite for French toast. If you are not familiar with Challah, it is a soft yeast bread with eggs that has a subtle sweetness to it. It is like brioche (which would also be delicious) but less buttery; challah is made with oil instead of butter. You also want to use bread that is at least a day old. Day-old bread is best because it can absorb the custard without falling apart or getting too mushy.
A whole grain bread will add more fibre to the recipe which is great but since this is a special occasion/once in a while recipe, I use Challah.
I don’t recommend using any low-carb bread for this because it will just fall apart.
Substitutions and Variations:
Bread – You can substitute Challah bread with any old bread you want to use up. Brioche, multi-grain, cinnamon raisin bread, or a baguette would all work. My favourite challah bread is from Cobs bakery because it has great flavour and they have a ton of great bread.
Fruit – lots of fruit will work and I recommend using what is in season for affordability. Apples or pears would be great in the fall and peaches, nectarines, or plums would be great in the summer and go well with cream cheese. You could use frozen berries as well or even frozen cherries in the off season since they are usually a good price and taste good no matter when you buy them.
Cream cheese – the cream cheese can be left over but it adds so much flavou. It creates sweet yet tangy pockets of creaminess throughout the casserole and makes it more decadent. The casserole isn’t your average weekday breakfast so I like to make it special since is something I make on occasion (although it so good I could eat it every day). You could substitute the cream cheese with mascarpone but that is more expensive. If you left it out, you could top the recipe with slivered almonds or chopped pecans for crunch and flavour.
Cream cheese blocks also freeze well so I typically buy them on sale and freeze them for later use.
Brown sugar- you could add the same amount of maple syrup instead of brown sugar to the custard
Spices – cinnamon is added for a little bit of warmth but you could also add some grated nutmeg or even cardamom would be great, especially in the fall with apples or pears.
How many people does the recipe serve?
Serving sizes really vary based on the appetite of the people eating it. The recipe should serve around 6 as a main portion but more if you are serving it as part of a brunch or breakfast spread.
Does the Very Berry French Toast Bake freeze well? Can you reheat it?
Yes – you can cook the casserole and then freeze it or freeze leftover portions for up to 3 months. It can easily be reheated in the oven but cover it with aluminum foil so it doesn’t dry out. You could also microwave individual leftover servings and it will be great!
How to make Very Berry French Toast Bake
1. Start with day-old or stale bread. Stale bread absorbs the custard better without making the bread mushy or soggy. Cut the bread into cubes and place them in a greased casserole or baking dish. A 9 x13 or similar size.
2. Cut 4oz (half a block) of cold cream cheese (room temperature would be soft and harder to cut without getting messy) into cubes. Add them on top of the cubed bread and gently mix them in between bread cubes.
3. Make the custard – whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon together until smooth. Pour on top of the bread mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
4. Once you are ready to bake, preheat the oven. Allow the casserole to come to room temperature while the oven preheats. Place the berries or fruit you are using over top and gently mix in so they aren’t right on top. You can just gently press them down with a spatula or even your hands. Drizzle with the melted butter.
5. Bake until set and the edges are golden. Start checking after 30 minutes.
6. Cool for 10-15 minutes before serving and top with maple syrup and powdered sugar. Tip: heat your maple syrup until warm – I personally don’t like cold syrup over warm French toast, pancakes or waffles.
This casserole is easy to prepare and will quickly become a family favourite. Give it a try and leave a comment with how it turned out!
If you are looking for more recipes using fresh berries, check out this favorites:
Strawberry Ricotta Cake is an easy one bowl cake recipe that is perfect for brunch. It isn’t overly sweet and is full of fresh strawberries.
Blueberry Baked Oatmeal is a healthy and hearty make ahead breakfast recipe. It is high in fibre and protein. Prepare it on a Sunday to reheat for busy weekday mornings.
Very Berry French Toast Bake
Ingredients
- 1 loaf day-old Challah bread (about 8-9 cups) cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 oz cubed cream cheese
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 3/4 cup each of sliced strawberries and blueberries
- 2 tbsp melted butter
Instructions
- Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Place the bread cubes evenly in the pan. Add in the cubed cream cheese and place them evenly throughout.
- In a bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Pour evenly over of the bread and cream cheeses. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours.
- Preheat over to 350F. Remove plastic wrap and place the berries on top of the bread mixture. Use your hands to mix them in and layer them throughout the casserole. Drizzle the melted butter over top.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until set.
- Serve warm topped with icing sugar and maple syrup.
Notes
3 Responses
I made this for brunch at the cottage last weekend. It was soo good and filling too. Large portion too and the leftovers were very good the next day. The pockets of cream cheese just added a bit of extra decadence to the dish. Another keeper recipe.
We love this recipe too!