Baked French Toast
A decadent make-ahead breakfast or brunch favorite: custardy bread soaked in sweet vanilla-cream, topped with a buttery brown-sugar streusel, and finished with warm syrup and fresh berries.
Ingredients
For the French Toast
- Butter, for greasing and serving
- 1 (1- to 1½-lb) loaf crusty sourdough or French bread, torn into chunks or cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp vanilla extract
- Warm maple syrup, for serving
- 1 cup fresh blueberries, for garnish
For the Streusel Topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Instructions
Assemble the French Toast Base
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 13×9-inch baking dish with butter.
- Scatter the bread cubes evenly in the dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the custard over the bread, pressing gently to submerge any dry pieces.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours—or overnight for maximum soaking.
Make the Streusel Topping
- In a medium bowl, stir flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
- Add the cold butter pieces and, using a pastry cutter or fork, work until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Store in the fridge until ready to bake.
Bake the Casserole
- Remove the assembled French toast from the fridge.
- Evenly sprinkle the chilled streusel over the top.
- Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes for a soft, bread-pudding texture, or 60+ minutes for a crisper, more golden top.
Serve
- Scoop portions onto plates.
- Top each serving with a pat of butter, a drizzle of warm syrup, and a handful of fresh blueberries.
- Pro Tip from Foodicious Recipes
For extra flavor, swap half the vanilla extract with a teaspoon of almond extract, or stir a handful of chopped pecans into the streusel before baking.
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