Blueberry French Toast Casserole

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Start your day with a deliciously sweet treat with our fantastic blueberry French toast casserole. This recipe is a perfect combination of brioche bread, a simple custard, blueberries, and just enough sweetness to satisfy everyone. This baked dish is perfect for breakfast any day of the week or for special occasions.

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

This blueberry French toast casserole can be made the night before you want to eat it, making it ideal for holidays and family brunches. Just cover and refrigerate overnight, then let come to room temperature before baking as directed.

This is a great option for brunch too. You can invite your friends or family over and serve this delicious dish with other breakfast foods. It will be the hit of the gathering and you’ll be asked to make it over and over again.

And if you want a more traditional option, make the classic brioche French toast casserole instead!

Ingredients:

1 cup blueberries: You can buy fresh blueberries from the produce section of the grocery store almost all year long.
1 loaf of brioche: Buy brioche bread at the bakery section of the grocery store or at your local bakery.
4 eggs: Use fresh AA eggs for this recipe.
1 ½ cup milk: Whole milk is best to use in casseroles instead of low or no-fat milk.
½ teaspoon vanilla extract: Use pure vanilla or use your own homemade vanilla.
6 tablespoon sugar: White granulated works great to add a little sweetness here.
1 medium lemon for zest: Wash and dry a fresh lemon and use a citrus zester to remove the zest.
2 tablespoon butter: Unsalted butter is best when baking so it doesn’t alter the salt content too much.

Kitchen Tools Used

How to Make Blueberry French Toast Casserole

Before you begin making this recipe, I recommend spraying with non-stick spray or greasing your baking dish with butter. I used a classic 9"x13" baking dish but a 10" oval dish would work as well. You may also want to let your brioche sit out on the counter for a few hours, or use day-old bread that is slightly stale for this recipe.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.

2. Cut the loaf of brioche into cubes.

3. Mix brioche cubes with blueberries in a baking pan.

two hands slicing a loaf of bread on a wooden cutting board

4. Whisk eggs with milk, vanilla, lemon zest, and 4 tablespoon of sugar.

a hand holding the whisk beside the glass bowl with eggs and milk

5. Pour egg mixture on top of the bread and let it soak for at least 1 hour (you can let it sit in the fridge for up to overnight).

pouring egg mixture over cubed bread and blueberries in baking dish

6. Top casserole with cubes of butter and 2 tablespoon of sugar.

a hand sprinkling cubed butter over casserole

7. Bake for 45 minutes.

two hands holding baking dish before baking

8. Serve hot with a drizzle of maple syrup and some powdered sugar dusted over the top. If on hand, the blueberry syrup is another great addition to serve, as is whipped cream.

FAQ's:

What other types of bread can I use in french toast casserole?

If you can’t find brioche or want to use another type of bread, you can try croissants, white Texas bread, or challah. You could even use leftover blueberry bread or raisin bread.

How can I make this casserole healthy?

To make french toast casserole a bit healthier leave out the cream cheese and add more fruit. Also, try to pair it with other healthy sides and not smother it in maple syrup.

Can I make this dish in a crockpot?

You can make blueberry french toast casserole in a slow cooker if you’d like. To do so, tear the bread into pieces and put them in the bowl of the crockpot. Pour the egg mixture over the top and let it sit for at least an hour. Sprinkle the cubed butter and sugar over the top, cover, and cook on high for four hours.

Tip: For easier cleanup, use a slow cooker liner for this method.

Tips for success:

Here are a few tips for success and variations you can try to make this the best blueberry french toast casserole you've ever had.

Make stuffed french toast casserole by adding cream cheese and fruit in between layers of brioche bread.
Cheesecake french toast is a delicious alternative to this casserole. To make it, add a bottom layer of graham cracker crumbs mixed with butter and dollops of cream cheese.

a slice of baked blueberry french toast casserole on a white plate

What else can I add to this blueberry casserole?

Want to add some other fruit to your french toast? If you’re at the grocery store and see some beautiful, fresh strawberries or cherries, it would be a shame not to add them to your french toast casserole.

You can also add cinnamon, nutmeg, mascarpone cheese, or almond extract in place of vanilla.

What can I top my french toast casserole with?

This creamy dish is still french toast at its core and we want to add some toppings to it right??

Here are some ideas that will take your french toast to the next level.

Peanut butter
Nutella
Honey
Maple syrup
Sliced fruit like bananas, strawberries, or peaches
Chopped pecans or walnuts

And if you are feeling especially extravagant, I can recommend this whiskey vanilla caramel sauce as a delicious addition to the top of your casserole.

How to Store French Toast Casserole

If you have leftovers, you can easily store them in an airtight container or simply wrap the casserole dish with plastic wrap and place them into the refrigerator. This dish is good for up to 5 days after baking.

You can also freeze this casserole ahead of time. You can assemble and freeze either before or after baking. Just wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then add a layer of aluminum foil over the top. Label and date the recipe with any cooking directions for convenience. This is good in the freezer for 3 months.

Remember that if you cook it from frozen, it will take longer to cook in the oven without thawing first. Keep the foil on until the last 30 minutes of cooking so the top can brown,

More Breakfast Casseroles

Need something savory on your breakfast table alongside or instead of this blueberry French toast casserole? Below are a few more of our family's favorite dishes. These have tons of flavor and are ideal for making ahead of time. Mix these with a sweet breakfast for the ideal brunch or holiday breakfast for the family. Make sure that you bookmark these, print out the recipes, or pin them to Pinterest so they are handy for your meal plan!

Yield: 6 servings

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

A decadent blueberry French toast casserole is a great way to serve a sweet breakfast with ease! Simple custard, bread, and tons of delicious berries in every bite!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

1 cup blueberries (148g)
1 loaf of brioche bread
4 large eggs
1 1⁄2 cup milk (375ml)
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract (2.5ml)
6 tablespoon sugar (85g)
1 lemon (zest)
2 tablespoon butter (30g)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
Cut the loaf of brioche into cubes.
Mix brioche cubes with blueberries in a baking pan.
Whisk eggs with milk, vanilla, lemon zest, and 4 tablespoon of sugar.
Pour egg mixture on top of the bread and let it soak for at least 1 hour (you can let it sit in the fridge for up to overnight).
Top casserole with cubes of butter and 2 tablespoon of sugar.
Bake for 45 minutes.