Blueberry Cinnamon Baked French Toast
Indulge in a slice of heaven with this Blueberry Cinnamon Baked French Toast! Whether it's a lazy weekend morning or a special brunch, this oven-baked French toast brings together the warmth of cinnamon and the burst of fresh blueberries in every heavenly bite. This overnight recipe has a soufflé-like texture, and is perfect for entertaining.
Top with some Blueberry Simple Syrup & Topping, or with a drizzle of pure maple syrup, and enjoy! To learn how to make this amazing brunch recipe see the printable recipe card below, or take a look at the recipe video. For other recipe variations, visit the Pimp My Recipe section in my Blog Comments & Tips below.
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RECIPE
(Printable recipe card below.)
BLUEBERRY CINNAMON BAKED FRENCH TOAST
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350°F. Thoroughly grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter, and set aside.
- Cut challah bread into 1 inch cubes, and set aside.
- To a large mixing bowl, add eggs, and whisk until frothy. Add milk, maple syrup, sea salt, lemon zest (or orange zest), vanilla, and cinnamon, and whisk to combine.
- Add cubed bread, and mix well to coat the bread in the custard. Add blueberries, and fold to combine. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spread out evenly, then press down with the back of a spatula. Cover tightly with plastic, and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, pull your baking dish from the fridge, and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes while you preheat your oven. Just before you are ready to bake, dot soaked bread with cubed butter.
- For the topping, to a small bowl, add cinnamon and sugar, and mix well to combine. Sprinkle evenly, and bake for 50 to 60 minutes (see Note #1), until set and golden brown. Serve immediately while it’s puffed up like a soufflé. Drizzle with more maple syrup, or top with Blueberry Simple Syrup & Topping.
Notes
- This baked French toast will puff up like a soufflé, and will fall quickly as it cools. For a softer bread pudding-like texture, bake for 50 minutes. For a more firm texture, bake for up to 60 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on your oven. To test for doneness, a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Recipe can be made ahead of time, soaked overnight, and baked the next day.
- Makes 8 servings.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
371.25Fat (grams)
11.47 gSat. Fat (grams)
4.87 gCarbs (grams)
54.52 gFiber (grams)
2.67 gNet carbs
51.87 gSugar (grams)
24.53 gProtein (grams)
11.89 gSodium (milligrams)
361.06 mgCholesterol (grams)
166.53 mgNutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods. Blueberry Topping, Blueberry Simple Syrup, and maple syrup for drizzling, are not included in the nutritional calculations.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
VIDEO
How to Make Blueberry Cinnamon Baked French Toast!
Blog Comments & Tips
The perfect brunch recipe!
This delectable recipe combines the rich flavors of fluffy French toast with the burst of freshness from juicy, ripe blueberries. Blueberry Cinnamon Baked French Toast is made easy with this overnight recipe. Just assemble all the ingredients, pour into the baking dish, and let the delicious challah bread soak up the cinnamon-infused custard while you are resting. Pop it into the oven the next morning and enjoy the soufflé-like texture.
This is the perfect dish to serve if you are hosting brunch for friends and family. Whether you prefer a softer bread pudding-like texture, or a more firm texture that is akin to pan fried French toast, just bake it to your liking. Either way it will puff up like a soufflé!
This Blueberry Cinnamon Baked French Toast is absolutely delicious. My godfather and husband loved it so much, they each had 3 servings!
Whether you serve this baked French toast for breakfast or brunch, you will find that it’s as beautiful as it is delicious. It’s so light, fluffy, and the flavors are perfectly balanced. I can go on and on about this baked French toast. This recipe was originally inspired by Giada De Laurentiis’ recipe for Baked French Toast with Blueberries. Over the years I perfected the recipe, and everyone one of my taste testers has been more than pleased with the results. My version of the recipe has more flavor, a different ratio of bread to custard, and I used a different technique to yield a better texture. Based on the reaction of my guests each time I’ve made it, my version of the recipe is a winner!
How do you ensure the best results from this recipe?
My 5 tips to making this Blueberry Cinnamon Baked French Toast:
Use challah bread (egg bread). It adds more flavor and is lighter than white or sourdough bread. It also has a better texture for this baked French toast. I used Trader Joe’s braided challah bread for this recipe, but Stern’s Bakery challah bread (15 ounce loaf) will work well, too.
It’s best to use day-old bread so it soaks up the custard more easily. If you have a new package of bread, just cube the bread, and allow it to sit out on the counter for a while before adding it to the custard. The overnight soaking time will allow the bread to absorb the custard, even if it isn’t day old or stale bread.
Use fresh blueberries for best results. You can use frozen blueberries, but make sure you allow the ice to melt, and drain them completely before adding them to the bread and custard. Otherwise, it will be too watery and may impart a “freezer-flavor” to your dish.
After refrigerating overnight, pull your baking dish from the fridge, and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes while you preheat your oven.
Once it’s baked, serve immediately. The baked French toast will start to settle and deflate as it cools. For example, my photos for this recipe were taken within 15 minutes of removing the French toast from the oven. As you can see in the serving photos, it’s deflated a bit in comparison to the moment I pulled it from the oven (as shown in the original recipe video). It will still taste wonderful either way, but it’s best to serve right away for the best presentation.
It’s time to customize and Pimp My Recipe.
Pimp My Recipe:
Make it Nutty: For a nutty crunch, add 1 cup roughly chopped pecans to the other ingredients in Step 4.
Make it Richer: Instead of using 2 cups whole milk, use 2 cups of half & half.
Make it Lux: Instead of using 2 cups whole milk, use 1 ½ cups whole milk and ½ cup heavy whipping cream. For the topping, along with the cinnamon sugar mixture, dot 4 tablespoons unsalted butter before baking. For an extra special treat, don’t forget to serve with my Blueberry Simple Syrup & Topping!
Make it with Frozen Blueberries: Although using fresh blueberries yields the best results, you can use frozen blueberries. Place the frozen berries in a fine mesh strainer, then allow the ice to melt, and drain completely before adding them to the bread and custard. If you don’t go through this process, it will be too watery and may impart a “freezer-flavor” to your dish.
Enjoy and let me know what you think by commenting below, rating my recipes, subscribing, following, and liking Prep My Recipe on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Happy Cooking!
Mich
Footnote: Remember to allow the French toast mixture to soak overnight for best results. Then let it come to room temperature 30 minutes before baking.
Inspired by the Baked French Toast with Blueberries recipe by Giada De Laurentiis. I used her recipe as a base, and have perfected my version over the years. My version has a lot more flavor, different ratios of bread to custard, and sits overnight to allow the bread to soak up the custard and stay moist. Giada’s version was good, but I found it to be much too liquidy, not enough bread to custard, and much too heavy on the cinnamon. I hope you try my version and enjoy it as much as all my guests have over the years!
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