This blueberry French toast casserole is a unique breakfast dish. It’s a cross between blueberry cheesecake and French toast.
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!
Overnight Blueberry French Toast
This family breakfast recipe has been one of my favorites for years. It’s perfect to serve when you have guests visiting.
Since you can easily make it ahead of time, you can take it out of the fridge the morning you want to bake it.
Full of blueberries, cream cheese, bread, and maple syrup, it’s a French toast recipe variation no one will forget.
Ingredients
With just a few simple ingredients, you’ll have the most scrumptious breakfast casserole to serve to guests.
- Day-old bread: Use bread that’s crusty and stale, so it will absorb the egg custard well.
- Cream cheese: Freeze the cream cheese for 15 minutes before you slice it into cubes. This will make your life so much easier.
- Blueberries: This recipe calls for fresh blueberries, but frozen is fine. Just 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.
- Blueberry sauce. A mix of sugar, butter, cornstarch, water, and more blueberries.
What Type of Bread is Best for French Toast?
The bread you choose for this breakfast casserole will make or break it. You want bread that’s sturdy enough to hold up in the oven.
Some of the best options are:
- Sourdough
- French bread
- Artisan bread
- Challah
- Brioche
Whatever you choose, be sure to use day-old bread.
How to Make Blueberry French Toast Casserole
Follow these easy steps for the most delicious family breakfast! If you’re making it ahead, follow steps 1-2 and then leave it in the fridge until you’re ready to make it.
1. Grease a 9×13 baking dish and add the bread. Just half to start with, and top it with cream cheese cubes.
2. Add the blueberries and the rest of the bread. This way, you get a nice filling, and the berries won’t burn.
3. Mix the custard and pour over the bread. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour the mixture over the bread cubes, cover, and refrigerate it overnight.
4. Warm the dish, then bake. Let the cold dish come to room temp for 15-20 minutes. Then bake, covered, at 350F for about 30 minutes.
5. Uncover and bake again. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and set.
6. Make the sauce. While the casserole bakes, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and water in a pot. Cook for 3-5 minutes until smooth and thick, then add the blueberries and stir.
7. Serve and enjoy! Let the dish cool slightly, serve with blueberry sauce, and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
This breakfast casserole is delicious enough as it is. But with a few simple tips and tricks, you can take it over the top!
- Get creative with the fruit. Blackberries, cranberries, strawberries, and raspberries are great alternatives to blueberries. Apples and pears will taste amazing, too.
- Add more sweetness and creaminess. To make your casserole even sweeter, add confectioner’s sugar to the cream cheese. So, instead of cubed cheese, spread whipped cream cheese with sugar over the bread.
- Spice it up! For a spicy twist, add some cinnamon over the first and second layers of bread.
- Add a refreshing twist. To make your blueberry sauce even more flavorful, add a bit of fresh lemon juice.
- Don’t be in a hurry! For the best results, refrigerate the bread and egg custard mixture overnight. If you’re in a hurry, refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Add a sweet finishing touch. If you want an extra crunch on your casserole, sprinkle the top with raw sugar.
Why Is My French Toast Soggy?
Chances are it’s soggy because you didn’t use day-old bread. Fresh bread gets soggy much faster.
If you only have fresh bread, cut it into cubes. Then, toast it for 10 minutes in a 350-degree oven before following the French toast recipe.
How to Store French Toast Casserole
Since this is already a make-ahead recipe, it’s easy to prepare and bake when you’re ready. You can make it one to two nights before and pop it in the oven in the morning.
If you have leftovers, here’s how to store and freeze it to enjoy it at a later date.
To Store: Place the cool French toast in an air-tight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To Freeze: Follow the same steps, but be sure to use a freezer-safe container. Store the casserole in the fridge for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Thaw the frozen dish in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat in the oven at 350°F for 30 minutes or until warmed through.
What to Serve with Blueberry French Toast Casserole
This blueberry breakfast recipe is hearty enough to be a standalone meal. But for a feast of champions, serve it with other tasty staples.
For example:
- Bacon
- Fresh fruit
- Sausage links
- Maple syrup
Oh, and don’t forget the mimosas if you make this for brunch!
More Breakfast Recipes to Try
Crescent Roll Breakfast Casserole
Cinnamon Roll Waffles
Gordon Ramsay Scrambled Eggs
Quiche Muffins
Eggnog French Toast
Blueberry French Toast Casserole
10
servings15
minutes1
hour15
minutes475
kcalThis blueberry French toast casserole is a cross between blueberry cheesecake and French toast. It’s perfect for serving to guests and is just delicious!
Ingredients
12 slices day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups fresh blueberries, divided
12 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 tablespoon 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 Fahrenheit.
- Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 25 to 30 minutes, until the center is firm and the surface is lightly browned.
- In a medium saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Mix in the remaining 1 cup of blueberries, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, until the blueberries burst. Stir in the butter.
- Pour the mixture over the baked French toast.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- For the best results, refrigerate the bread and egg custard mixture overnight. If you’re in a hurry, refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Nutrition
- Calories: 475kcal
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Cholesterol: 253mg
- Sodium: 446mg
- Potassium: 228mg
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 1g
- Sugar: 33g
- Protein: 14g
- Calcium: 176mg
- Iron: 3mg
Just Love these down home easy recipes!
Love y’all here in Texas!
Take Care Now…
K.K.
Thanks so much, Kimberly! I’m so happy you like them!
Can you freeze the leftovers?
Absolutely, Shelley! Freeze them in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the oven at 350F until warmed through. 🙂
Will honey work instead of maple syrup? Absolutely cannot stand even the smell, let alone the taste but the rest sounds scrumptious!
Hi, Sue!
Yes, I think honey would work just fine in this recipe (though, to be fair, I’ve never tried it, so that’s just my opinion.)
Here are a couple of things to keep in mind when making that swap:
– Honey is sweeter and thicker than maple syrup, so you may want to use slightly less honey than the 1/3 cup called for here. Maybe start with 1/4 cup, then taste and adjust as needed. Also, because it IS thicker, it may take a little more elbow grease to whisk it in with the egg, vanilla, and milk.
– The water contents of honey and maple syrup are different. This may (or may not) mean the bake time should be a little different in either direction. Just keep a close eye on it when it gets near the end of that last round of baking, and this shouldn’t present much of an issue.
Could you use blueberry pie filling instead of fresh berries and skip the making of the sauce ???
Hi, Lynn!
So, I haven’t actually made this recipe yet. (It’s definitely on my list, though!)
But yes, I think you could use blueberry pie filling instead of fresh blueberries. Here’s how I’d adjust the recipe:
Ingredients:
12 slices day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 (21-ounce) can blueberry pie filling
12 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup maple syrup
Instructions:
1. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish and top with cream cheese cubes. Spread the blueberry pie filling evenly over the cream cheese, and top with remaining bread cubes. (Reserve a bit of the pie filling to top the casserole later if desired.)
2. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour over the bread cubes, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
3. Remove the bread cube mixture from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 25 to 30 minutes, until the center is firm and the surface is lightly browned.
(optional) Add the reserved blueberry pie filling as a topping during the last 5 minutes of baking.
Remember — this is just me speculating! But if you try it, please let me know how it turns out. 🙂