Make breakfast special and memorable with this Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole. This easy recipe is perfect for holiday mornings!
Breakfast Casserole
You guys!! You are going to love today’s recipe! This recipe is super simple and delicious. Your family is going to ask for time and time again!
If you love French toast – this is a great, easy recipe that feeds a lot of people!
We enjoy this breakfast casserole a few times throughout the year. Especially on Easter or Christmas morning, for instance!
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it’s easy to put together the night before. In the morning, the casserole can bake while you are doing other things – like opening presents on Christmas morning!
Want a change? You can easily switch out the fruit, or the type of bread. No matter how we make it, it’s always requested and it’s always a hit!
Overnight French Toast Casserole Recipe
Ingredients for casserole
- day-old Italian bread
- fresh or frozen blueberries
- cream cheese
- large eggs
- milk
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- maple syrup
Ingredients for syrup
- granulated sugar
- cornstarch
- water
- fresh or frozen blueberries
- butter
How to make Overnight French Toast Casserole
Time needed: 10 hours
How to make Overnight French Toast Casserole
- Add bread cubes and blueberries to prepared pan.
Lightly grease or butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish. Sprinkle 1-1/2 cups of blueberries over the bread, and top with remaining bread cubes.
- Blend ingredients and pour over bread cubes.
In a blender, combine the cream cheese, eggs, milk, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread cubes.
- Cover the casserole and refrigerate overnight.
Cover the casserole and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove casserole from refrigerator and preheat oven.
Remove the casserole from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil 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.
- Prepare the blueberry syrup.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in 1 cup of blueberries. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, until the blueberries burst. Stir in the butter.
- Serve.
Serve the blueberry syrup over the baked French toast.
Recipe Notes
- I’ve substituted cinnamon-raisin bread and croissants in place of the Italian bread with great results.
- Change it up a bit by adding some cinnamon to the blender mixture!
- Want a new flavor? Try this recipe with strawberries – or another fruit of your choice!
- For best results, be sure your bread is partially dried out. You can let it sit out of the bag for a few hours to dry it out or bake it in a 200°F oven for about 10 minutes.
Overnight French Toast Casserole: FAQs
Up to 3 days in advance.
Yes. You can freeze it before or after baking.
To freeze before baking: Cover the casserole with plastic wrap, and wrap in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to one month. To use the casserole, thaw it in the refrigerator and bake as directed.
To freeze after baking: Wrap the cooled casserole (or individual pieces) with plastic wrap (or in freezer-safe containers) and freeze for up to two months. Allow the casserole to thaw before reheating. Microwave individual portions until heated through. For the whole casserole, remove all plastic wrap, and cover the dish with aluminum foil. Heat in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes or until heated through.
Your bread might have been too fresh or not dry enough, your eggs might have been too big, or your casserole wasn’t thawed completely.
The good news is, this is an easy fix! Increase your baking time until the casserole has reached your preferred level of doneness. You may need to cover it with aluminum foil if it starts browning too much.
Yes! Personally, we microwave individual servings. However, you can also reheat it in the oven until heated through.
This casserole is best when the bread has had a chance to soak up some of the custard mixture. Although technically it doesn’t need to sit overnight, you really should let the bread soak up the egg mixture for at least 2-4 hours before baking.
How did you like this recipe?
This recipe is a Love Bakes Good Cakes holiday favorite! We love serving this on Christmas or Easter morning! Of course, we don’t limit ourselves. We enjoy it throughout the year!
If you gave this recipe a try, I would love to hear from you. How did your crew enjoy this recipe? Leave me a comment down below letting me know!
Drop any questions or have any suggestions in the comment section as well. I’ll try my best to help!
Other recipes you may enjoy
Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
For the casserole
- 12 slices day-old Italian bread cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 1/2s cup fresh or frozen blueberries do not thaw if frozen
- 12 oz. cream cheese cut into 1-inch cubes
- 10 large eggs beaten
- 2 cups milk
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
For the syrup
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 tablespoon. butter
Instructions
For the casserole
- Lightly grease or butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish. Sprinkle 1-1/2 cups of blueberries over the bread, and top with remaining bread cubes.
- In a blender, combine the cream cheese, eggs, milk, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread cubes.
- Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
- Remove the casserole from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil 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.
For the syrup
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in 1 cup of blueberries. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, until the blueberries burst. Stir in the butter.
To serve
- Serve the blueberry syrup over the baked French toast.
Notes
- I’ve substituted cinnamon-raisin bread and croissants in place of the Italian bread with great results.
- Change it up a bit by adding some cinnamon to the blender mixture!
- Try this recipe with strawberries – or another fruit of your choice!
- To freeze before baking: Follow the recipe directions using a freezer-safe pan to prepare the casserole but do not bake it. Instead, cover it with plastic wrap, pushing the plastic wrap down onto the casserole to create an air-free barrier. Plastic wrap the casserole again. Wrap in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to one month. To use the casserole, thaw it in the refrigerator and bake as directed.
- To freeze after baking: Wrap the cooled casserole (or individual pieces) with plastic wrap (or in freezer-safe containers) and freeze for up to two months. Allow the casserole to thaw before reheating. Microwave individual portions until heated through. For the whole casserole, remove all plastic wrap, and cover the dish with aluminum foil. Heat in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes or until heated through.
Nutrition
Please note that the nutritional information listed on this page is an estimation based on the products I used. Ingredients and nutritional information can vary significantly between brands. Always be sure to read labels. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Likewise, recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them.
Jamie, that looks delicious. Hope I have an occasion to try it soon.
Sheila