French toast always sounds like a good idea for a large breakfast gathering—until you’re the one standing at the griddle, sweating your way through a loaf of bread. Enter blueberry French toast casserole, one of those slam-dunk make-ahead brunch recipes that everyone (especially the cook) loves.
This make-head breakfast casserole is like stuffed French toast but better. Mostly because the fully prepped layered blueberry French toast casserole slides straight from the fridge to the oven and bakes while you relax with your morning coffee. Because this breakfast mashup enjoys a good soak, it’s fantastic during holidays, for a group brunch or just a lazy weekend.
Use the freshest blueberries you can find, or frozen work in a pinch. Or just choose another fruit variation and follow the harvest calendar with seasonal breakfast bakes. Decadent French toast recipes like this are good any time of year.
Ingredients for Blueberry French Toast Casserole
- Bread: Use day-old bread, so it can soak up the batter better; if you only have fresh, toast it slightly in the oven. For more texture in the casserole, chose a rustic white loaf and leave the crust intact.
- Cream cheese: Cream cheese cubes turn gooey as the casserole cooks but still hold a soft shape for cheesy bites in each serving. Cold blocks of cream cheese slice more easily than the contents of a whipped tub. If the dish seems too decadent, use half of the cream cheese or lower-fat Neufchatel.
- Blueberries: Fresh blueberries work best in this recipe. If you have extras, use them in one of these recipes made with fresh blueberries. Out of season, sprinkle still-frozen blueberries into the pan. They will slowly thaw as the casserole sits overnight in the refrigerator, without leaching all of their color into the custard.
- Eggs: Eggs intentionally dominate this dish, making it taste more like French toast than bread pudding. If you find the flavor too strong, you might prefer to switch from breakfast to dessert with one of our best bread pudding recipes.
- Milk: Using 2% milk creates a light batter that balances the cheese in this dish. If you want a richer casserole, use a blend of milk and half-and-half or heavy cream.
- Maple syrup or honey: Either works as a light sweetener for this bread pudding. These maple syrup recipes prove it’s not just for pancakes!
- Blueberry topping ingredients: The combination of sugar, water and cornstarch creates a thick base for the blueberry sauce. The longer you cook the topping, the more jellied it will become. For a tarter sauce, cut the sugar in half. For a thinner, more pourable sauce, cook just until the berries start to burst on their own and then puncture most of the others yourself.
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the base
Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. Spread half of the cubes in a single layer across the bottom of a greased 13×9-inch baking dish. Cut the cream cheese into 1-inch cubes, and scatter them over the bread. Sprinkle the blueberries over the cheese layer, followed by the remaining bread cubes.
Editor’s Tip: Cold cream cheese slices more easily than a room temperature block. If it still sticks to the knife, dip the blade in hot water and wipe it clean between slices. If you prefer fewer cheese chunks, beat the cream cheese with the sweetener before adding the eggs and then the milk so that it becomes part of the custard.
Step 2: Make the batter
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and syrup or honey. Pour the batter evenly over the bread mixture. Cover the baking dish with a lid or food wrap and refrigerate for eight hours or overnight.
Step 3: Bake the French toast
Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Replace the baking dish’s cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25 to 30 minutes longer or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Editor’s Tip: It’s important to let the chilled baking dish warm up before putting it into the oven. You’ll lower the risk of it breaking.
Step 4: Make the sauce base
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cold water and cornstarch, whisking until smooth. Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium heat and then cook and stir for three minutes or until thickened.
Step 5: Finish the blueberry sauce
Stir the blueberries into the sauce and return it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the berries burst, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat; stir in the butter and serve the sauce warm with the French toast.
Blueberry French Toast Casserole Variations
- Use different bread: Sliced sandwich-style white bread gives consistency to each bite of the casserole. For more texture, cut a homemade or bakery loaf into thick slices and consider leaving the crusts on the cubes. Choose sourdough for a more complex flavor, or challah or even brioche rolls for a buttery one. A cinnamon-swirl bread will add a hint of spice, or you can do that yourself by stirring a teaspoon of ground cinnamon into the batter.
- Add other berries: Mix up the berry flavors by replacing some of the blueberries with blackberries, cranberries or fresh strawberries. Sliced fruit works well too, like peaches or pears. Raspberries get too soft in the oven, so sprinkle on fresh ones when you serve the French toast casserole.
- Make a streusel or nutty topping: If you’re a fan of crunchy toppings on other casserole recipes, make a sweet version for this breakfast bake. Mix up a quick streusel for a crumbly topping that will turn crispy in the oven. If you’re using maple syrup in the dish, steal the nutty topping from this baked French toast with strawberries recipe. For an even simpler topping, toss some sliced almonds, chopped walnuts or pecans with a pinch of nutmeg and sprinkle them over the surface.
How to Store Blueberry French Toast Casserole
This casserole feeds a group, so if you’re making it for just a couple of people, you’ll end up with leftovers. Once baked and completely cooled, it keeps well in the refrigerator for up to three days. Cover the baking dish with a well-fitting lid or transfer the leftovers to an airtight container.
Eat the casserole cold or reheat the same way you originally baked it: Let the pan sit at room temperature while you preheat the oven and then heat the French toast in a 350° oven until warmed through, about 30 minutes.
Can you freeze blueberry French toast casserole?
If you plan to serve the casserole to company, freeze it unbaked. It will last up to three months in the freezer. The night before you want to serve it, move the dish to the refrigerator to thaw overnight and continue with the baking.
You can also freeze leftover blueberry French toast casserole after baking it, but it will dry out quite a bit. If you’re trying to extend the life of leftovers, wrap and freeze in individual portions. They’ll last up to two months in the freezer. Use the microwave to reheat smaller portions.
Blueberry French Toast Casserole Tips
What type of bread is best for French toast?
We often reach for white bread for French toast, but just about any type of bread works. Thick slices better absorb the custard without falling apart, making an artisan French or sourdough loaf that you slice yourself a good choice. You can always fall back on sliced sandwich-style bread. Breads baked with butter or eggs, such as brioche or challah, add more richness to the casserole.
You’ll notice a different texture and taste if you use sprouted or whole-grain bread. Bread with seeds or other ingredients sprinkled on top or mixed into the loaf will be distributed throughout the dish. Cinnamon swirl bread and Hawaiian bread will spread their sweet flavor through the casserole, too.
Do you need to use stale bread for blueberry French toast casserole?
Fresh bread becomes quite soggy and breaks down as it absorbs French toast custard. Cubes that have dried out a bit let the custard seep into the crumb yet stay sturdy and retain their shape.
You don’t need completely stale bread for French toast—in fact, bread that has gone beyond simply losing moisture and turned rock hard might become leathery when soaked and baked. If bread has been sitting on the counter for a couple of days but still has a bit of give, use it in your French toast casserole. If it’s fresh and soft, cube the bread and toast it in a 275° oven for 10 to 25 minutes, tossing occasionally so that the cubes dry evenly.
Can you make blueberry French toast casserole in a slow cooker?
The beauty of overnight French toast casserole is its flexible timing. If you need to drag out the cooking process for a midday brunch, try this technique for slow-cooked blueberry French toast. It’s similar to the oven-baked process but gives you an extra few hours to prepare everything else for the brunch spread. It also frees up the oven and remains hands-off throughout the cooking time.
What can you serve with blueberry French toast casserole?
This fruit-and-cheese casserole hits several food groups and can stand on its own as a one-dish breakfast. Serve sausage or bacon on the side for a sweet-and-salty combination. Instead of the blueberry sauce, offer a bowl of fresh fruit and yogurt or sour cream for those who like its tang. If you didn’t opt for a nutty topping, set out some granola that can be sprinkled on individual servings.
Amid a larger spread, blueberry French toast casserole covers the sweet end of the breakfast spectrum. Fill the rest of the table with a couple of our savory top-rated breakfast recipes. Don’t forget some beverages. Beyond the usual coffee, tea, fresh juices and water, sparkling lemonade tastes refreshing with blueberry French toast casserole.
