Sweet & delicious with a toasted golden brown crust + a soft custard-like center! This berries & cream french toast casserole is made with fresh mixed berries & dollops of sweetened whipped cream cheese. It’s an easy make-ahead brunch recipe the entire family will love!
There’s nothing I love more than a lazy weekend brunch. And whenever I think of brunch (especially with the family), I think of french toast casseroles! They’re incredibly low maintance, so flavorful and there’s so many different ways to make them. This berries and cream french toast casserole has to be one of my favorites during Spring! The fresh berries, sweetened whipped cream cheese and custard-like center are so good together!
But I think the “make-ahead” aspect of a french toast casserole is what I really love the most. There’s no spending hours in the kitchen flipping bread slices for breakfast. Instead your ingredients are put in dish and left to soak in a sweetened egg mixture overnight then bake it in the morning! The result: a flavor-packed breakfast casserole with a crispy top, soft custardy center and you got to spend the morning enjoying the company of your family!
This is one of my favorite make ahead Easter brunch recipes!
Ingredients You’ll Need
French bread loaf: Use a large bakery loaf (around 14-16 ounces) for the best results. (We love using french bread or brioche bread for ours.) Day old or slightly dried out bread works the best too!
Berries: Use your favorite mix of berries! (We love using strawberries, blackberries and blueberries!)
Cream cheese: You’ll need one block of softened cream cheese for this recipe.
Eggs: You’ll need 6 large eggs for this recipe.
Milk: Any type of milk works! (I’ve used regular and a variety of dairy free milk for this casserole and they’ve all turned out delicious!)
Maple syrup: Use pure maple syrup for the best results! It’s thinner and sweeter than other processed syrup and works so well for this french toast bake.
Vanilla: One teaspoon is used in the french toast egg mixture and a ¼ teaspoon goes in the sweetened cream cheese.
Spices: Cinnamon and salt are all you need for your french toast casserole.
How To Make A Berries & Cream French Toast Casserole
1. Make the sweetened cream cheese. Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla together in a bowl. Set is aside once done.
2. Mix the egg mixture. Whisk the eggs together in a separate bowl. Then add the milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and vanilla and whisk again. Set it aside once done.
3. Assemble. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and spread half the bread pieces over the bottom. Then dollop half the sweetened cream cheese over the bread pieces and sprinkle half the berries over the top. Repeat the layers (bread, cream cheese & berries) then pour the egg mixture over the casserole making sure it covers all the bread pieces. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and let it sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour – overnight.
4. Bake. When you’re getting ready to eat, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the foil from the dish and sprinkle cinnamon sugar (if desired) over the top of the casserole. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top is toasted and the casserole is cooked through.
5. Serve. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top then slice and serve with warm maple syrup.
We love this breakfast casserole whenever a holiday is coming up! It’s easy and hassle-free allowing us more time to spend with our loved ones. And because berries are in season right now, I can’t think of a better dish to serve for Easter brunch or Mother’s Day!
Variations
- Switch up the bread! Brioche or challah bread would be a fantastic replacements!
- Switch up the berries! Raspberries, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries are all delicious in this casserole! (Or replace the berries with chopped peaches when they’re in season! Trust me, it’s soo good!)
- Want more “cream”? Make up a double batch of your sweetened whipped cream cheese for double the creaminess!
Tips For Making Your French Toast Casserole
- Day old bread works the best for this recipe. Try to let your bread “dry out” a bit (1-2 days in advance) before using it in your casserole. This allows the bread to soak up your “batter” more and prevents your french toast from becoming too soggy.
- Let your cream cheese soften at room temperature before beating it! This makes it easier to mix and spread over your casserole.
- The longer your casserole sits before you bake it, the softer and more “custard-like” the center will be. (I suggest letting it sit overnight for the best results.)
- For thinner slices: Use a 9×13 inch pan. (You’ll have a more crisp topping and less baking time.)
- For thicker slices: Use a 7×11 inch pan. (The center of your casserole will be much more “custard-like” (think a bread pudding consistency and may require more baking time.)
Storing & Reheating
To store: Either cover your leftover french toast casserole with plastic wrap or place your leftovers in an airtight container and keep it stored in the refrigerator. It should stay good for up to 3 days.
To reheat: Heat your leftover french toast casserole in the oven at 350 degrees until it reaches your desired temperature. Or reheat individual pieces in the microwave until warm. (I personally prefer using the oven method because the top of the casserole stays crispy.)
Why you’ll love this french toast recipe!
- A hassle-free breakfast/brunch! Make it up the night before then toss it in the oven when you’re ready to eat! It’s so easy!
- Perfect for holidays! This french toast casserole looks festive and feeds a lot of people, making it perfect for a holiday breakfast! Serve it for Easter, a Mother’s Day brunch or even breakfast Christmas morning!
- A great way to use up old bread! Don’t throw out those older bread slices! Save them instead & make a yummy breakfast with them! (Psst dried our bread makes the best french toast casserole!😉)
More recipes you might like:
- Baked Blueberry French Toast Casserole
- Breakfast Tacos with Bacon & Avocado
- Easy Stuffed Bagel Bites
- Bacon Parmesan & Chive Egg Clouds
[Made one of my recipes? Tag my Instagram @kalefornia_kravings & leave a review in the comments – I love seeing what you create!]
Berries & Cream French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
For the french toast casserole:
- 1 large french bread loaf (14-16 ounces), cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 cups mixed berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc.), diced if needed
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups milk of choice
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp salt
- Cinnamon sugar, to sprinkle over the top
- Optional toppings: powdered sugar, extra berries, warm maple syrup
For the sweetened whipped cream cheese:
- 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
- 2-3 Tbsp powdered sugar (depending on your preferred level of sweetness)
- ¼ tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Make the sweetened cream cheese. Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla together in a bowl. Set is aside once done.
- Mix the egg mixture. Whisk the eggs together in a separate bowl. Add the milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and vanilla and whisk again. Set it aside once done.
- Assemble. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray (or grease with butter) and spread half the bread pieces over the bottom. Dollop half the sweetened cream cheese over the bread pieces and sprinkle half the berries over the top. Repeat the layers (bread, cream cheese & berries) then pour the egg mixture over the casserole making sure it covers all the bread pieces. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and let it sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour – overnight. (The longer it sits, the more custard-like it will be.)
- Bake. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Remove the foil from the dish and sprinkle cinnamon sugar (if desired) over the top of the casserole. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top is toasted and the casserole is cooked through.
- Serve. Garnish with powdered sugar then slice and serve with warm maple syrup.
Notes
- Baking in a 9×13 inch pan: You’ll have thinner slices with more crispy topping.
- Baking in a 7×11 inch pan: You’ll have thicker slices with a more “custard-like” center. It may require more time to bake too. I’d suggest baking it for 50-55 minutes.
I doubled the cream cheese and used potato bread with your same fruit … blueberries, strawberries and blackberries. Thought about using frozen fruit but was afraid it would be mushy from the thawing moisture.
Hi Anna! Smart thinking to not use frozen fruit – it would have made it soggy! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Hi, can I cook this fully, refrigerate then heat up in morning? If so, how long? Thanks!!
Yes absolutely! We usually reheat it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-20 minutes. 🙂
I first made this for my best friends baby shower brunch. It was such a hit that It’s now my designated item to bring for every holiday breakfast/brunch get together and everyone wants the recipe! I use brioche bread, it gives it a bit of extra flavor and sweetness and I just bake the cubes to get crispy before assembling, I use a bag of frozen berries and it’s never been soggy. I found using cream cheese fruit dip makes it easier to “dollop” and one less step. Between the brioche bread, berries, cream cheese, egg mixture w/ vanilla and topped with powdered sugar, it doesn’t even need syrup, the sweetness is perfect. It is always the first dish to be scraped clean! Although I may have to try using fresh berries and seeing how much of a difference it makes. Thanks for a lovely recipe!
OMG Brooke – that’s amazing! 🙂 I love that you used brioche bread too, what a yummy treat! So happy everyone enjoyed it!🤗