Baked French Toast with Blueberries has slices of hearty bread in a creamy custard with sweet fresh blueberries. It bakes up warm and comforting under a generous brown sugar cinnamon topping.
A Fantastic French Toast Breakfast Casserole
We’re long overdue sharing this very delicious Baked French Toast with Blueberries recipe with all of you.
It’s another amazing recipe that my sister-in-law Pam gave to us – and if you’ve made our Best Apple Cake Ever, Whoopie Pies, or Cranberry Orange Scones recipes – then you know that Pam is a fantastic baker!
She makes this easy French toast casserole with blueberries for just about every family gathering, and it’s always a crowd favorite. You can make it with freshly picked summer blueberries or frozen blueberries. It’s a great option for breakfast, brunch, or even dessert.
Why you'll love Baked French Toast with Blueberries
- This breakfast casserole is sweet, creamy comfort food – and it’s absolutely delicious!
- All the prep is done the night before, so you can get breakfast on the table without a lot of fuss.
- It’s a versatile recipe. Change up the fresh fruit based on the season or availability at the supermarket. (Pam tells us that it’s equally good with a mix of raspberries and blueberries!)
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Bread – Chose a dense, firm loaf such as a country bread or French bread.
- Blueberries – Buy fresh in-season blueberries for the best results. You can use frozen blueberries as well, but don’t thaw them ahead of time.
- Eggs
- Whole Milk – You can use a lower fat milk in the custard, but it won’t be as luscious or creamy.
- Granulated Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Brown Sugar
- Ground Cinnamon
- Butter – We use unsalted butter but salted is fine if that’s what you have on hand. This is used in the topping as well as to butter the baking dish.
Special Tools Needed
- 9×13-inch casserole dish
- Cutting board and bread knife
- Medium Bowl, to mix custard
- Small Bowl, to mix topping
- Pastry Cutter, optional but recommended to mix topping (two forks can be used instead)
- Small Pan or Plates, these should fit inside the casserole dish
Chef's Notes
- Doing the prep ahead of time makes it easier to bake and serve in the morning (especially when you have a house full of guests), and
- Chilling overnight allows the bread to fully absorb the custard.
How do I make Baked French Toast with Blueberries?
- Slice bread into ¾-inch slices and lay out in a buttered casserole dish.
- Make custard by beating eggs with sugar, milk and vanilla.
- Pour custard over bread. Cover with plastic, pressing down on the wrap so it sits directly on the bread and custard. Use a small pan or plate as a weight to press the bread into the custard – you can add a few canned goods on top of the pan or plate as well to keep it submerged.
- Refrigerate casserole dish overnight.
- Mix topping, then cut in butter to create small crumbs.
- Refrigerate topping overnight as well.
- In the morning, remove weight and plastic wrap from casserole dish.
- Sprinkle blueberries over the top, then sprinkle on the topping and bake until set. If you’d like, you can broil the top to brown and crisp up the top – but watch closely to avoid scorching and burning.
- Let set five minutes, cut into squares and serve.
Serving Suggestions
- Baked French Toast with Blueberries is delicious on its own – especially when it is still warm out of the oven.
- You could top it with a drizzle of maple syrup.
- My sister-in-law Pam serves it with a simple whipped cream and fresh strawberries on the side. (Other fresh fruits would be delicious too.)
- When served still warm, this French toast casserole would wonderful with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
- Our Fresh Blueberry Sauce or Roasted Strawberries would also be great options spooned over the top.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make Baked French Toast with Blueberries ahead of time? Yes, the prep should done ahead of time and refrigerated overnight.
- How do I store leftovers? Refrigerate covered for up to three days.
- How do I serve leftovers? Serve any leftovers chilled, or gently warm individual servings in the microwave.
- Can I freeze? Yes, freeze individual portions tightly wrapped in plastic.
You might like these other Blueberry Recipes:
Click here for more delicious Breakfast Recipes!
Baked French Toast with Blueberries
Baked French Toast with Blueberries has slices of hearty bread in a creamy custard with sweet fresh blueberries. It bakes up warm and comforting under a generous brown sugar cinnamon topping.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes plus overnight to chill
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes plus overnight to chill
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
- Category: Breakfast, Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
8 ounces dense country bread sliced into 3/4 inch slices (half of a one-pound loaf)
4 whole eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups whole milk
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons cold butter (1/2 a stick), plus more for preparing the pan
1 cup fresh blueberries
For serving, whipped cream and strawberries, vanilla ice cream, or fresh blueberry sauce. (optional)
Instructions
- Butter a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
- Slice the bread into ¾ inch somewhat uniform slices and lay out in prepared pan, overlapping as needed.
- In a medium bowl, beat eggs with sugar, vanilla and milk and pour over the bread, pressing the bread into the liquid.
- Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic down onto the top of the bread. Then place a heavy weight on top such as a smaller pan or plate. Weigh the pan down if needed with canned goods or anything heavy. Refrigerate overnight.
- In a small to medium bowl, mix flour, brown sugar and cinnamon and with a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter into the mixture to about pea size. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and remove the casserole dish from the refrigerator.
- Remove the weight and plastic and sprinkle the blueberries over the top.
- Sprinkle on the topping and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the custard is set.
- Broil for a minute or two to brown the top, if desired. Remove from oven and let sit five minutes to set up.
- Cut 3X4 into 12 portions and serve while still warm.
- Feel free to serve with whipped cream and strawberries, vanilla ice cream, or our fresh blueberry sauce (linked above in the ingredients list).
Notes
A big thank you to my sister-in-law Pam for sharing this recipe!
