Lemon and Blueberry French Toast Bake
Luscious, beautiful Lemon and Blueberry French Toast Bake is a light, bright, make-ahead breakfast bursting with flavor!
Lemon and Blueberry French Toast Bake is one of our best-loved recipes for Sunday mornings, sleepovers, or special occasions! Using classic French toast ingredients—bread, eggs, milk, and butter—this delectable dish adds fresh blueberries, lemon zest, rich vanilla, and brown sugar and cinnamon sweetness for an incredibly delicious flavor combination! Refrigerate overnight, then bake to warm, wonderful, golden perfection for breakfast!
Make-Ahead Baked French Toast is Amazing!
Why spend an hour of your morning flipping French toast one slice at a time when you can assemble this amazing breakfast casserole in minutes the night before? This make-in-advance recipe sets up in the fridge overnight (so the bread fully absorbs all that glorious custard), then is oven-baked the next morning into a crave-worthy blueberry-lemon caramelized bread pudding-like casserole! It’s incredible!
Other Recipes to Serve with a French Toast Casserole
- Sweet, salty & simple, Sweet Bacon-Wrapped Tater Tots are a savory breakfast side dish!
- Spinach and Cheese Breakfast Bites – an easy, healthy addition to any breakfast. Make in advance and simply warm up when it’s time to eat!
Ingredients
Bread: We’re using French bread to make this casserole, but almost any thick-cut, solid loaf of bread will work great!
Fruit: Fresh, sweet blueberries are the star of this French Toast recipe, along with some lemon zest for a bright, tangy taste!
Custard: Eggs and egg whites, milk, and vanilla combine to make a custard mixture that the bread absorbs.
Topping: We are crowning this casserole with a combination of brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and butter that will caramelize into a sweet, crispy finish on the top!
How to Make Blueberry French Toast Bake
STEP ONE: Start with dried-out French bread and cut it into 1-inch cubes. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, egg whites, milk, vanilla, and lemon zest. Toss the bread cubes and blueberries and gently coat them with the custard mixture.
STEP TWO: Grease a 13×9 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the bread, blueberry, and custard mixture into the pan. Pour any excess egg mixture over the top.
STEP THREE: In a small bowl, mix the cinnamon, brown sugar, flour and melted butter. Drizzle this evenly over the top of the bread cubes. Cover the dish with foil and refrigerate overnight (at least 8 hours).
STEP THREE: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Remove the foil from the casserole dish and bake for 45 minutes until the topping turns golden and caramelizes. Remove and drizzle with maple syrup or spritz with whipped cream, and savor every spectacular bite!
Tips for Success
- Drizzle the baked casserole with a little maple syrup or a dollop of whipped cream!
- Frozen blueberries will work in a pinch—thaw, rinse, and pat dry before adding them to the bread mixture.
- Stale or dry bread is best for absorbing the custard mixture!
- Are you making this for a special occasion? Use heavy cream or half-n-half instead of the milk for a more decadently delicious casserole!
- Try this in late summer with fresh peaches or in autumn with apples and additional cinnamon!
- Bake uncovered so the sugary topping caramelizes.
Why is My French Toast Soggy?
The key to PERFECT French Toast, or French Toast Bake, is to begin with dry or stale bread! French toast is the best recipe for using up old bread! Fresh, soft bread will become oversaturated when soaked in the egg & milk mixture, leaving a soggy, squishy finish. But dry, crusty bread absorbs all that beautiful custard so it cooks to a perfect moist-yet-fluffy texture!
What Bread Works Best for French Toast?
The ultimate, restaurant-quality French Toast starts with sturdy, thick bread. A loaf of French bread, brioche, or homemade loaf would be wonderful, but a crusty sourdough, cinnamon raisin, or challah will also create perfect French toast!
Whatever bread you choose, ensure it has a nice, uniform texture (no thick, hard crusts or airy, holey interiors). And make sure it’s not too fresh. Leave it open on the counter for several hours or lightly toast it in the oven until it’s almost toasty (but not turning brown). The bottom line is that the bread should be thick and solid, dry enough to absorb the custard but not so dry that it crumbles.
Other Fabulous French Toast Bake Recipes
- Maple Sausage French Toast Bake
- Egg Nog French Toast Bake
- Apple Cinnamon Baked French Toast
- Baked Pumpkin French Toast
- Overnight Caramel French Toast
- French Toast Bake with Fruit
*This post originally posted on 03/30/2014
Lemon and Blueberry French Toast Bake
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread
- 4 whole eggs
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 ounces fresh blueberries
Topping
- ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon butter at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Cut the French bread loaf into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and egg whites together. Then, beat in the milk, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.
- Add the bread cubes to the custard mixture and toss to coat. Add the blueberry and stir in gently so you don't burst the berries.
- Grease a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the bread cubes and berries into the prepared dish, then pour any remaining egg mixture over the top.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon until it's crumbly. Sprinkle the streusel evenly all over the french toast.
- Cover the dish with foil and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the foil from the dish and bake the french toast for 45 minutes until golden on top.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into 8 portions and serving warm.
Can you use frozen blueberries?
Oh how I wish I had a fork full of this right now!
🙂 Come on over and I’ll fix you a plate!
This looks fabulous Aubrey! Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks Rachel! I save you a piece. 🙂