Mixed Berry French Toast Casserole

‘Tis the season for large gatherings, family brunch and casseroles!

This Berry French Toast Casserole is a great way to serve a crowd! You can prep it 2 hours in advance, or overnight. Bursting with berries, maple syrup and egg-soaked french bread for one delicious breakfast.

Brunch is without a doubt my favorite meal. Basically because you get the best of both worlds: savory and sweet.

Whenever we go out for brunch I always have the hardest time deciding if I want sweet or savory. I typically go for savory because when I’m at home, I often go the sweeter route. So when I’m not cooking myself, I want the most delicious savory combo the chef has on the menu.

Unless it’s french toast… French toast can be a game changer for me.

Much like this berry french toast casserole (AKA – french toast bake). However you want to look at it, it’s delicious and you need it on your brunch menu.

Delicious Berry French Toast Casserole

Ever since I made my Everything Bagel Breakfast Strata last year, I’d been meaning to make a french toast casserole.

(Only took me a year to get to!)

When I polled my Instagram audience for what flavor I should pick, berries won by far. Which is perfect considering berries are one of my favorites.

I’m not sure what I would do if I couldn’t get berries all. the. time. Thankfully, California Giant Berry Farms is able to produce and supply us with high-quality berries year round.

Read more about their sustainability efforts here.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR BERRY FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

• french bread – or challah, or something similar. Ideally, you want the bread to be about a day old. You can also cut the bread into slices and let sit overnight. Alternatively, you could toast the sliced bread if you don’t have time to wait.
• fresh berries – using a mix of California Giant blueberries and raspberries, and I threw in some strawberries too because why not?
• whole eggs – you can’t really do french toast without eggs!
• egg whites – using egg whites lightens this recipe up a bit.
• non-dairy milk, such as oat – I used oat milk here making this recipe dairy free and nut free. But feel free to use your favorite (dairy or not). Adding in some canned coconut milk or half and half will provide a richer texture as well.
• maple syrup – provides some sweetness to the casserole without having to use refined sugar.
• vanilla extract – it’s always a good idea for a little flavor boost.

If you’re looking for just two berries to use in this french toast bake, my recommendation for this recipe would be to go with blueberries and raspberries . The combination of those two berry flavors together is really delicious! Plus, less prep (no slicing necessary) and the blueberries especially hold up well when baking.

How to Make Baked French Toast Casserole with Berries

Making this baked french toast casserole is pretty simple and just takes a few steps. The main part of making this recipe is preparing the bread, and also deciding which route you want to go – making sure to plan enough time to allow the bread to dry out OR toasting the bread just slightly to dry it out.

STEP 1 – PREPARE THE BREAD

Slice day-old/dry bread into 1″ cubes. Place bread in the bottom of a greased 9×13 casserole dish. Add just about all of the berries as well, a mix of the blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, leaving a few out to top with.

STEP 2 – WHISK THE EGGS

Whisk together eggs, egg whites, maple syrup and milk.

STEP 3 – COMBINE INGREDIENTS

Pour the egg mixture over top of the bread in the casserole dish, making sure to press the bread down so that all of the pieces have been soaked. Add more berries to the top, filling in any holes you see.

STEP 4 – COVER AND REFRIGERATE

Cover and refrigerate the casserole dish for at least 2 hours. If you’ve dried out your bread, up to 8 hours (overnight).

STEP 5 – BAKE AND SERVE

Bake the french toast casserole for about 30 minutes uncovered, and another 15-20 covered with foil to keep top from browning too much.

Allow casserole to rest for about 15 minutes before serving. Once the casserole is ready, sprinkle with powdered sugar for a little extra flare.

Questions about this French Toast Casserole

How do I reheat leftovers? – While this dish is best enjoyed freshly prepared, leftovers are best kept in the fridge 1-2 days.

Can I use gluten-free bread? – I haven’t tested this with gluten-free bread but I imagine if you can find a similar loaf style to french bread that is gluten-free, then the recipe would work.

Is this recipe dairy-free? – Yes! I used oat milk in this recipe but you can use soy, cashew, almond or coconut (or a blend). You can also use traditional cow’s milk.

Can I choose just one berry variety for this recipe? – If you’d prefer to stick with one berry, I’d say go with blueberries. You may only need about 2 cup total.

If you make this recipe, don’t forget to comment and review below! I love hearing from you and it helps others learn about the recipe too! Xx Ashley

For more recipes and inspiration, check out Fit Mitten Kitchen!