This blueberry French toast casserole is a unique breakfast dish that’s a cross between blueberry cheesecake and French toast.
It’s on the indulgent side, so try to reserve it for special occasions, like when you’re hosting a party. I guarantee your guests will love it!
It’s crunchy, chewy, and creamy all at the same time. Every bite is bursting with blueberry and cream cheese goodness.
Not only does it taste good, but it also smells great. And best of all, it’s easy to make!
Whether you prepare it the night before or early in the day, it will taste fantastic.
Ingredients
- Day-old bread
You can use either challah, sourdough, French, brioche, honey oat, whatever you want. You don’t have to get the fancy kind, either.
As long as it’s crusty and stale, it’s perfect! Day-old bread works great for this dish since it will absorb the egg custard well.
- Cream cheese
Tip: freeze the cream cheese 15 minutes before you slice it into cubes. This will make your life so much easier.
- Blueberries
The dish is extremely flavorful, but to me, what makes it extra special is the blueberries.
I just love how they pop and burst with sweet juice that complements the casserole so well!
Also, while this recipe calls for fresh blueberries, frozen is fine. If you do use frozen, sprinkle them with some flour, so they won’t bleed all over the dish.
- Milk, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla
These are what make up your egg custard.
You can use whatever kind of milk you want. Low-fat milk is okay, but if you want your casserole to be creamy, the best options are either whole dairy or half-and-half.
Plant-based milk such as soy or almond is great too as it adds a nutty flavor to the dish.
For the maple syrup, my number one choice is Trader Joe’s, but any brand works fine.
As for the eggs, my preferred brand is and has always been Eggland’s Best. It never fails to provide high-quality and tasty eggs!
But again, any brand you choose will do.
- Sugar, butter, cornstarch, water, and even more blueberries.
What makes this dish even more delightful is the blueberry sauce!
This simple sauce may only take 10 minutes to make, but it’s oozing with mouthwatering sweet blueberry flavor.
It’s the best way to complete the dish. To make, all you’ll need are the five ingredients listed above.
Tips & Tricks
- While the recipe is called blueberry French toast casserole, there’s no reason not to experiment with other fruits! Blackberries, cranberries, strawberries, and raspberries are great alternatives to blueberries. Apples and pears will taste amazing, too. Instead of fruit, others like to use pecans, and I think that’s brilliant!
- To make your casserole even sweeter, a neat trick is to add confectioners sugar to your cream cheese. So, instead of cubed cheese, spread whipped cream cheese with sugar over the bread.
- For a spicy twist, add some cinnamon over the first layer and second layers of bread.
- To make your blueberry sauce even more flavorful, add a bit of fresh lemon juice.
- For best results, refrigerate the bread and egg custard mixture overnight. If you’re in a hurry, refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- If you want an extra crunch to your casserole, sprinkle the top with raw sugar.
Can You Make French Toast Casserole Ahead of Time?
Yes. In fact, this is what I love about this dish. You can make it one to two nights before and pop it in the oven in the morning.
It only takes a few minutes to bake, so it’s a great breakfast dish for those busy bees out there!
To prepare this dish ahead of time, start by slicing the bread. Leave it uncovered and refrigerate it overnight.
Then, prepare the egg custard, cover, and refrigerate.
You can also make the blueberry sauce in advance. Just cool it to room temperature before you store it.
As long as you cover and refrigerate it, it will remain fresh for 3 days.
Once you’re ready to devour the casserole, pour the egg custard over the bread, and cook as instructed.
Can you Reheat French Toast Casserole?
Yes, and it’s very easy to do so, too. Just take it out from the fridge and bake for 45-55 minutes in a 350º F. You could also microwave it until warm.
Blueberry French Toast Casserole
10
servings15
minutes1
hour15
minutes485
kcalIngredients
12 12 slices day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 (8 ounce) 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup 1 fresh blueberries
12 12 eggs, beaten
2 cups 2 milk
1 teaspoon 1 vanilla extract
1/3 cup 1/3 maple syrup
1 cup 1 white sugar
2 tablespoons 2 cornstarch
1 cup 1 water
1 cup 1 fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon 1 butter
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish, and top with cream cheese cubes. Sprinkle 1 cup blueberries over the cream cheese, and top with remaining bread cubes.
- In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour over the bread cubes. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove the bread cube mixture from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Cover, and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking 25 to 30 minutes, until center is firm and surface is lightly browned.
- In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the remaining 1 cup blueberries. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, until the blueberries burst. Stir in the butter, and pour over the baked French toast.
