Thursday, September 19, 2024

Berry French Toast Casserole | Life, Love and Sugar


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This Berry French Toast Casserole is a simple make-ahead breakfast! The flavorful pops of contemporary fruit and melt-in-your-mouth buttery streusel topping, are scrumptious. It’s simply our favourite french toast casserole!

A slice of berry French toast casserole served on a plate with maple syrup.

Why You’ll Love This Berry French Toast Casserole Recipe

  • Vibrant pops of fruit. I’ve at all times liked a traditional in a single day French toast casserole, however this one has little one thing additional particular. The addition of seasonal berries provides vibrant pops of taste and a little bit of added moisture that’s simply to die for.
  • Buttery streusel topping. I like the buttery, cinnamon-y streusel topping on this candy breakfast deal with. It provides much more taste and moisture.
  • Nice to make-ahead. This French toast casserole is so fast and straightforward to throw collectively after which pop within the fridge the night time earlier than you need to bake it up. It’s the proper make-ahead breakfast/brunch recipe.

What You’ll Want

Right here’s what you’ll have to make this berry French toast casserole. You’ll want to scroll to the recipe card beneath for exact measurements.

Ingredients for berry French toast casserole.
  • Sourdough or French bread – I personally love sourdough bread, however any crusty bread will work. You don’t need one thing too comfortable or it received’t maintain up effectively.
  • Blueberries and strawberries – You might even add raspberries, when you’d like. I desire contemporary berries, however thawed frozen berries needs to be okay. Simply remember that they could be somewhat extra mushy.
  • Eggs – Use massive eggs, not medium or additional massive.
  • Milk – I like to recommend utilizing entire milk or 2% milk.
  • Heavy whipping cream
  • Granulated sugar and light-weight brown sugar – I like utilizing each. The sunshine brown sugar deepens the flavour profile of the custard and the streusel topping.
  • Vanilla extract
  • Cinnamon – I like the way in which cinnamon and berries style collectively. It’s one in all my favourite combos! If you wish to add somewhat additional, go for it!
  • All-purpose flour
  • Salt – For taste, so your casserole isn’t bland.
  • Butter – I exploit unsalted butter. When you’ve got salted butter readily available, you should utilize that. Simply omit some or all the added salt.

How To Make In a single day Berry French Toast Casserole

Right here’s a fast overview of the best way to make this brunch delight. Don’t neglect to scroll to the recipe card beneath for extra detailed directions.

  • Lay the muse. Reduce the bread into 1-inch chunks and scatter the bread and fruit within the backside of a greased 9X13-inch casserole dish.
  • Add the custard. Whisk collectively the eggs, milk, cream, sugars, vanilla, and cinnamon and pour the combination evenly over the bread and berries.
  • Chill. Cowl the casserole and chill within the fridge for a couple of hours or in a single day.
  • Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Make the streusel topping. Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Then minimize the butter into the dry substances. Crumble the streusel topping over the casserole.
  • Bake. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. I don’t cowl the casserole whereas it bakes, however you’ll be able to. It could simply want a couple of extra minutes within the oven.

How Do You Know When French Toast Casserole Is Carried out?

It may be a tad tough to inform when french toast casserole is completed. You need it to be somewhat liquidy within the heart, however you might want to make sure the liquid is from the berries (quite than undercooked custard).

Stick a butter knife into the center of the casserole and push it to the facet a bit. When you can nonetheless see milky/eggy-looking liquid, bake the casserole for a bit longer. When you see a colourful, fruity liquid, these are probably simply fruit juices. Your casserole is completed and able to take pleasure in!

Overhead image of berry French toast casserole in a baking dish.

Suggestions & Methods

Earlier than diving headfirst into this recipe, check out these easy suggestions and methods.

  • Use a crusty bread. Gentle bread with extra moisture won’t take in the custard correctly and can probably yield soggy outcomes. So go together with a pleasant crusty bread. If you wish to use a softer bread (resembling challah or brioche), let the bread cubes sit out for a couple of hours to dry up earlier than including the custard.
  • Grease the baking dish. This French toast casserole loves to stay to the underside of the baking dish so make sure you grease your 9X13 liberally earlier than loading it up with bread, fruit, and custard.
  • Don’t skip the coolness. When you pour the custard over the bread and fruit, give the casserole at the least a number of hours to relax within the fridge. Throughout this time, the bread will soak up the candy, creamy custard.
  • Prepare dinner it the way you prefer it. Some folks like their French toast casserole somewhat extra cooked and firmer whereas others prefer it much less cooked and extra custard-like. The selection is yours. Extra time within the oven provides you with a firmer casserole. Much less time provides you with gooey-er, custard-like outcomes.
A slice of berry French toast casserole on a plate with a couple of bites taken out of it.

Enjoyable Variations

  • Enjoyable with fruit. When you aren’t a berry particular person, you’ll be able to completely use a special fruit of your selecting. Chopped peaches and apricots could be enjoyable. So would chopped mango.
  • Tropical twist. You may as well substitute the berries with chopped mango and/or pineapple, add a touch of coconut extract to the custard, and sprinkle some flaked coconut over the topping.
  • Attempt it with chocolate. If you want to fold some white chocolate or darkish chocolate chips in with the fruit or sprinkle them on high, you completely can.

Serving Strategies

I wish to hold issues easy and serve this in a single day berry french toast casserole with a drizzle of heat maple syrup and a swirl of Do-it-yourself Whipped Cream. Typically, once I’m in an additional candy temper, I’ll mud the casserole with powdered sugar and end it with a drizzle of Sizzling Fudge Sauce or Strawberry Sauce.

Searching for extra enjoyable brunch objects? This French toast goes so effectively with my Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole or a few easy Laborious Boiled Eggs. Spherical out the meal with a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice or my favourite Inexperienced Smoothie.

A slice of berry French toast casserole on a plate.

Correct Storage

  • Fridge. As soon as the French toast casserole has cooled to room temperature, cowl the baking dish tightly with a layer of plastic wrap or switch slices to an hermetic container. You may retailer it within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
  • Freezer. Permit the casserole to chill fully after which wrap the baking dish tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap. Alternatively, organize slices in a single layer in an hermetic container. You may retailer the leftovers within the freezer for as much as 3 months. Permit them to thaw within the fridge earlier than reheating.
  • To reheat. When you can take pleasure in leftover berry French toast casserole chilly, it’s a lot better reheated. Take away the plastic from the casserole dish or switch leftover slices to a baking dish. Cowl the dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for quarter-hour or till the casserole is heated via. You may as well microwave a serving or two in 30-second intervals till heat.

Extra French Toast Casserole Recipes

This recipe was up to date 6/25/2024. When you’d like the unique recipe, you’ll be able to obtain this PDF.

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A slice of berry French toast casserole served on a plate with maple syrup.