Blueberry French Toast Casserole
This Blueberry French Toast Casserole has the perfect mix of sweet cinnamon and juicy blueberry all wrapped in a creamy custard that is amazingly delicious with every bite.
Why You Should Make Blueberry French Toast Casserole
I am not going to lie… this is the best French toast casserole I have tried. It has the perfect mix of ingredients and the flavors of cinnamon, blueberry and a hint of almond that will explode in your month with your first bite. French toast is a staple in our family, definitely a top morning request. I love that the recipe is flexible enough that I can make it ahead of time, especially if I have friends coming over for a brunch. If you have 10 minutes you can make it quite spur of the moment as well.
Ingredients for Blueberry French Toast Casserole
- Bread: You really want to use a bread that is a bit more hardy for a breakfast casserole. My preference is a sourdough, french bread, brioche or challah. These all make a thicky, fluffy french toast casserole.
- Eggs: Large eggs.
- Milk: You can use any type of milk you prefer – if you use a sweetened milk, then you can probably reduce the honey.
- Honey: Gives a delightful sweetness and adds a creaminess to the custard.
- Vanilla and Almond Extract: The perfect balance of extracts that really enhance the flavors without overpowering.
- Cinnamon: Don’t be shy – ground cinnamon makes this french toast casserole amazing.
- Blueberries: I like fresh blueberries for this recipe, but frozen work well also if fresh are out of season.
How to Make Blueberry French Toast Casserole
I said 10 minutes of prep and I’m not kidding, take a look.
- You cut up the bread slices into cubes or about 6 cups worth.
- In a mixing bowl you combine all the ingredients except the blueberries and whisk well.
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and fill it with the bread cubes. Pour the liquid mixture over the bread and toss (like a salad!).
- You can either let it sit for 30 minutes before popping it into the oven @ 350 for 40-45 minutes or you can let it sit overnight and cook it in the morning. This recipe can feed up to 10 people!
Breakfast for Dinner
Our family could eat it any time of the day, and it’s fairly common to find us eating some kind of breakfast recipe for our dinners, especially when we are so busy on week night with our kids. Sometimes we get off track with our breakfast choices but not with this recipe. It is simple to throw together and it is beyond delicious and filling.
If you are bored with the standard French Toast recipes out there then this Blueberry French toast casserole is the way to go. You will be trying to fit the next bite into your mouth before you’re finished with the first. Before my kids dig into this deliciousness they like to add some pure maple syrup and a little powdered sugar dusted on the top. If you happen to have extra blueberries – check out some of our other yummy Blueberry Breakfast recipes!
Why is My French Toast Casserole Soggy?
If you have experienced a soggy breakfast casserole, it is almost enough to turn you off from eating it altogether! There are a few reasons this might be happening:
- Too much egg mixture. The right bread to egg mixture is important so that it can soak it up, but not too much and cook through within the bake time.
- Not baking long enough. This casserole really needs close to an hour to bake all the way through. If you turn the temp up, you might get a burned top and a soggy middle, and so you just need to be patient.
- Too fresh bread. When you are making a breakfast casserole with bread, it is kind of like stuffing. If you use really fresh bread, it will soak up the egg mixture really quickly and become soggy instantly. It is best if you use day old bread, or let it sit out for a bit before pouring your egg mixture on it.
What is the Best Bread to Use for French Toast Casserole?
The best choices for french toast casserole are sourdough bread, a day old french bread, brioche or challah. These are all thick hearty breads that will hold up when covered with a custard.
Favorite Breakfast Casserole Recipes
- Sweet Potato Hash Brown Casserole
- Baked Banana French Toast
- Healthier Hash Brown Casserole
- Classic Breakfast Casserole
Blueberry French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 loaf sourdough or french bread
- 8 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Cut bread slices into cubes (enough for 6 heaping cups).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, honey, vanilla, almond extract, and cinnamon. Whisk well.
- Spray a 9X13 baking dish with cooking spray and fill it with the bread. Pour the egg mixture over top, and toss to ensure all the bread is moistened. Sprinkle blueberries throughout. Allow to set for at least 30 minutes, but you can also cover and put in your fridge overnight.
- When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the bread is golden.
- Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
www.superhealthykids.com
Natalie Monson
I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.
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hi there…just joined your site..theres no recipe with this post. please can you reload it. thanks! nadia
Hi Nadia! Thanks for bringing that to our attention! Our amazing author of that post is out of town for a few days, so hang tight, but we’ll be sure to get it up as soon as she is back!
The recipe should be attached now!
I don’t see the actual recipe in this post. Am I just missing the link? I am on my phone if that matters! Sounds delicious! My daughters (4 & 1) are blueberry obsessed!
Hi Kim! Thanks for bringing that to our attention! Our amazing author of that post is out of town for a few days, so hang tight, but we’ll be sure to get it up as soon as she is back!
The recipe should be attached now!
Although it sounds like a wonderful recipe I’d love to try I still didn’t see the ingredients I need to use to make the mixing. The recipes used to come at the end of the article in a red box. ???
Thanks for bringing that to our attention! Our amazing author of that post is out of town for a few days, so hang tight, but we’ll be sure to get it up as soon as she is back!
The recipe should be attached now!
The egg ingredient – is that meant to be 8 egg whites? Not 8 whole eggs? I couldn’t find anything in the context of the post to identify either.
Do you use 8 egg whites or 8 whole white eggs?
If you make it the night before, should you wait and add the blueberries just before you bake the next morning?
Does this reheat well? Considering making it for work and reheating in microwave
I have the same questions — why not 8 whole eggs….? And, what about preparing it the night before: any guidance?
Best Christmas breakfast ever! I top mine with coconut oil and maple syrup. Fantastic!
I was wondering about the eggs too (only whites?) and preparing ahead instructions like others have asked – I didn’t see the answer though so thought I would ask as well. Thanks! 🙂
I don’t use almond milk. I am guessing I can use 1% milk?
Yes! That is perfectly ok to use. 🙂
This was the best recipe I’ve tried for French toast casserole! I topped mine with sugar and broiled for a couple minutes. Thank you so much for this recipe.
I have the same question about using whole eggs. Is it ok?
Does this dish freeze decently?
Hi Kate! In our experience, French toast usually freezes pretty well, so I would think this would freeze just fine, too.
We made this recipe for dessert….and then we had leftovers for breakfast. Definitely a hit in our house ?
I was also wondering if the recipe calls for 8 egg whites or 8 whole eggs. Please advise. I see that this question has been asked several times and no one has responded yet. Thank you.
Hi Tracy, the recipe should use whole eggs. I’ll update it so that’s clear. Thanks!
Made this with leftover bread ends, that nobody likes to eat. Delicious casserole, my family loved it! We will definitely be making it again! I left out the honey and it still tasted amazing!
I halved the recipe and it turned out great! My boys both loved it and wanted to make sure that we rated it!
Was worried about the almond extract but my picky 16 year old loved this. Used cow’s milk with some yeasty leftover rolls.
can we use frozen blueberries?
Yes!
Thank you! Love this. Made some minor adjustments but love it!
Can I freeze the blueberry French toast casserole?
After baking, you can freeze for a month or two! Thaw in the fridge and heat in the oven if you want to crisp it back up. 🙂
What should I substitute the almond milk and extract with?…unfortunate almond allergy in our home. Thank you for your help!
You can use regular milk and vanilla extract!
What is “1 none cooking spray?”
Sorry for the confusion- I have fixed the recipe. It’s just an odd way the system had of adding that ingredient. 🙂
Prepared this the night before for Christmas. Simply baked the morning of! This was the “toddler friendly food” but it was a hit with everyone. Only changes I made were:
(1) Maple syrup instead of honey,
(2) No almond extract – didn’t have any,
(3) Used day old challah for a treat, and
(4) Frozen blue berries.
Will make this again! Very good!
Thanks for sharing your changes- I’m happy to hear it was such a hit!
Thanks for this wonderful recipe! I have tried other baked French toast recipes that were too sweet…..nice for the holidays, but too much sugar for a healthy everyday breakfast. I used maple syrup in place of the honey and used up leftover bread ends (as someone else suggested, which is ideal), and we enjoyed this for supper last night. It’s the perfect balance of sweetness and can be adapted by the types of bread one uses. I used only 1/2 tsp of pure almond extract, and that was enough for good flavor. I will definitely make it again. 🙂
I made this for a committee meeting at my house, and it was a big hit. I used raspberries because of what I had on hand, and it was wonderful, but I look forward to blueberries next time. For the same reason, I used Egg Beaters and had no problem. I’m thrilled about the whole-wheat bread and calorie count. My sister and I used to make a very fattening, sugary version, and while I loved it, I would rarely indulge.
This was amazing! Made it just as the recipe stated. Fat free redo whip with just a little glaze of maple syrup on top is all you need for sweetness. Decadent and still healthier than those store bought blueberry muffins 🙌