French Toast Bake with Fresh Berries
Mother’s Day is this Sunday and she could wake up to this french toast bake with fresh berries! Many homes have a tradition of making breakfast for mom as part of this day of celebration. So this week, I am focusing on great ways to help mom start off her day.
The great thing about this french toast is it is prepped the night before. Mornings even easier when preparing breakfast. Then while it bakes in the morning you can get your fresh berries ready and anything else you want to serve along with this.
One difference with this dish also uses a combination of vanilla extract and almond extract, which I absolutely love. Consequently, if you aren’t a fan of almond extract, it can be left out and the french toast will still be delicious.
Cinnamon sugar gets sprinkled on top before baking. This makes this french toast bake with fresh berries exceptionally tasty. However, you can leave that out if you want to reduce the amount of sugar used in this dish.
French Toast Bake with Fresh Berries
Real Mom Kitchen
Ingredients
- 8 cups cubed French bread
- 7 large eggs
- ¼ cups milk
- 2 cups half & half
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 â…“ cup brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- ½ cup melted butter melted
Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Serve with maple syrup and fresh berries
Instructions
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread bread cubes out evenly in the dish. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add eggs, milk, and half & half. Whisk together until blended. Add in the extracts, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Whisk together until fully incorporated and no clumps of brown sugar remain. Then, while whisking, slowly drizzle in the butter to the mixture. Pour the mixture slowly and evenly over the bread cubes. Use a spoon to gently tossing any bread as needed to coat with egg mixture. Bread cubes should be mostly soaked. Cover with foil and chill overnight.
- In the morning, remove casserole from fridge and uncover. Let rest at room temp while you preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar together for the topping. Sprinkle over the bread. Bake uncovered for 45-55 minutes until puffy, golden brown, and set in the center. You can insert a knife in the center to test this. Allow the dish to rest at least 5 min before cutting and serving. Serve topped with fresh berries and a light drizzle of maple syrup. Makes 12 servings.
Recipe adapted from Chew Out Loud.
