Every bite of blueberry French toast casserole is full of texture and flavor… from the cinnamon-spiced bread and juicy blueberries to the crisp brown sugar streusel on top. This make-ahead breakfast casserole benefits from an overnight rest in the refrigerator, so all you need to do in the morning is pop it in the oven. The smell of it baking will certainly lure your family out of bed and straight to the breakfast table!
This recipe is such a fan favorite, that it deserved a spot in print! You’ll also find a version of this recipe in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
I always thought nothing could beat the smell of homemade cinnamon rolls coming from the kitchen. Until I made a pan of this blueberry French toast casserole.
It’s one of my most frequently made breakfast recipesโwhether I’m hosting a holiday brunch or just want to treat my family to a little something special. Not only because of the fantastic cinnamon-spiced aromas, but because everyone always appreciates a big serving of this brown sugary blueberry French toast casserole. And good news for me (and you!!): it could not be easier to throw together.
This make-ahead recipe is best made a day in advance. Do all your slicing, whisking, and combining the day before. Then top with a crumb streusel before baking it the next morning. Much more appealing than standing over your griddle making individual slices of French toast!
Tell Me About This Blueberry French Toast Casserole
- Taste: What’s not to love about the combined flavors of blueberries, brown sugar streusel, and a cinnamon-spiced egg custard? And with hints of vanilla throughout, this recipe is the perfect opportunity to use your homemade vanilla extract.
- Texture: If you crave a variety of texture in your baked goods, blueberry French toast casserole should definitely be on your menu. Chewy bread, creamy egg custard, crisp streusel topping, and juicy blueberries shine equally in each bite. The type of bread you choose here is important, so be sure to read through “FAQ: What Kind of Bread Should I Use?” before getting started.
- Ease: Besides the taste and texture, the beauty of this breakfast bread pudding (because that’s essentially what this is!) is how easy it is. It’s equally as impressive as a blueberry cream cheese pastry braid or this giant cinnamon roll cake, but takes a fraction of the prepwork. It’s wonderful for bridal or baby showers, Christmas morning, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, Easter brunch, or really any morning that could use an extra dose of this comfort food.
What Kind of Bread Should I Use for Blueberry French Toast Casserole?
For absolute best taste and texture, make sure you’re using bread that is thick and heartyโnot flimsy sliced sandwich bread. The bulk of the casserole is your bread, so you don’t want to cut corners here. I find challah bread makes for wonderful French toast, whether as slices or as a casserole. It’s my top choice when making apple cider French toast also. You could also use sourdough bread or brioche. Other options include artisan bread, honey oat bread, or even croissant bread.
Whatever type of bread you choose, make sure it’s slightly staled and crusty. Simply slice it into cubes and let it sit for about a day before using. Bread that’s a little stale will lose some of its moisture and absorb more of the egg custard… just what you want!
Here’s a shortcut for creating “stale” crusty bread for French toast casserole. Spread the bread chunks on a lined baking sheet and toast in a 300ยฐF (149ยฐC) oven for 10 minutes. Your bread is now slightly dried out and ready to soak up all that egg custard. P.S. This trick works for my sausage & herb stuffing, too.
Yes. In place of the blueberries, try strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries. Or try a medley of berries as I do for berries & cream French toast casserole. In the fall, try it with cranberries or thinly sliced apples or pears.
You don’t need to prepare the casserole in advance, but I highly recommend you do. It will need to rest for at least 3 hours, but overnight is best. This allows the bread to really soak up that cinnamon-spiced egg custard. Both you and your blueberry French toast casserole can go ahead and get a good night’s rest… it’ll see you in the morning. 😉
A Note on the Streusel Topping
Prepare the streusel topping and add to the casserole right before baking. It’s pretty easy, and similar to how I make the crumb topping for coffee cake. Use a pastry blender (or two forks) to cut the cold butter into the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon, and then sprinkle on top of the casserole. This is the same topping I use for baked cream cheese French toast casserole. You’ll love the slight crunchy/crisp texture it adds.
What to Serve With Blueberry French Toast Casserole
Serve your blueberry French toast casserole with maple syrup, more fresh berries, homemade blueberry sauce topping, or a generous dusting of confectioners’ sugar. If you’re serving this at brunch, don’t forget a little something savory, too! Here are some other crowd-pleasing favorites:
- Easy Breakfast Casserole (another make-ahead recipe)
- Ham & Cheese Scones
- Ham & Potato Casserole
- Breakfast Strata
- Quiche
- Frittata or Breakfast Egg Muffins (individual-sized frittatas!)
More of a pancake person? Try my whole wheat blueberry pancakes instead.
Unbelievable Blueberry French Toast Casserole
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes (plus overnight time)
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
There’s not one word more perfect than “unbelievable” to describe this overnight blueberry French toast casserole. The casserole benefits from sitting in the refrigerator overnight before baking, so this is an excellent make-ahead brunch recipe! This recipe is also in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients
- 1 (12โ14-ounce/340โ400g) loaf French bread, sourdough bread, brioche, or challah*
- 1 cup (140g) fresh or frozen blueberries*
- 8 large eggs
- 2 and 1/4 cups (540ml) whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) pure vanilla extract
Streusel Topping
- 1/3 cup (69g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (41g) all-purpose flourย (spooned & leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- optional: extra blueberries, maple syrup, and/or confectioners’ sugar for topping
Instructions
- Grease a 9×13-inch pan with butter or nonstick spray. Slice, then cut the bread into cubes, about 1 inch in size. Spread cubes into the prepared baking pan and top evenly with blueberries. Set aside.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Pour over the bread. Cover the pan tightly and refrigerate for 3โ24 hours. Overnight is best.
- Preheat oven toย 350ยฐF (177ยฐC).ย Remove pan from the refrigerator.
- Prepare the topping: Whisk the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Cut in the cubed butter with a pastry blender or two forks. Sprinkle the topping over the soaked bread.
- Bake for 45โ55 minutes or until golden-brown on top. I usually bake it for 45 minutes because I like it softer.
- Serve warm. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for 2โ3 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the topping in advance, cover tightly, and store in the refrigerator. Sprinkle over the soaked bread before baking. For freezing, prepare the recipe through step 4 (without preheating the oven), and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake as directed. Baked casserole can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up in a 350ยฐF (177ยฐC) oven for 35 minutes or until warm in the center.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk
- Half Batch: This recipe can easily be halved in an 8-inch baking pan or 9-inch baking pan. The bake time will be slightly less, around 30โ35 minutes.
- Bread: Day-old, crusty bread is perfect for French toast casseroles so it can soak up the egg custard. I typically use a loaf of challah bread that I slice and let sit out overnight. You’ll wind up with about 12 cups of cubed bread. A little more or less is OK. Here’s a shortcut for creating “stale” crusty bread: Spread the bread chunks on a lined baking sheet and toast in a 300ยฐF (149ยฐC) oven for 10 minutes.
- Fruit: Instead of blueberries, try strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries. In the fall, try cranberries or thinly sliced apples or pears. So many options!
Reader Comments and Reviews
We make this every time we have overnight guests and itโs a hit every time!
I made this casserole as directed with an exception. I used 1 1/4 cup whole milk and 1 heaping cup whole milk plain yogurt. All I can say is this, between three adults, the 9×13 pan is empty…so good! For me, there isn’t a need for added syrup nor powdered sugar. The brown sugar in the egg custard, struesel, and blueberries are sufficient. Thank you for sharing this delightful dish!
Delicious! I made this for a bridal shower brunch and it was a huge hit!
I love this recipe! Iโve made it twice now and itโs been a hit both times. Is it possible to make this in a larger casserole dish (10ร15)? If so, could you advise on how recalculate the recipe and cook time? Thanks!
Hi Kate, you can certainly try making it in a larger pan, although weโre unsure of the exact bake time. Keep a close eye on it and bake until golden-brown on top. So glad this is a favorite for you!
I used leftover dinner rolls that no one ate to make my this. The only change made was to double the blueberries. Everyone seemed to like it.
Would it turn out ok if I omit the blueberries, or will it be dry?
Hi Jaclyn, you can omit the blueberries here, or here is our baked cream cheese French toast recipe that you may also enjoy.
I love this recipe & am making it again but this time Iโm wondering if I can substitute canned evaporated milk for who,e milk being as thatโs all I haveโฆ thank you!!
Hi Cheryl, we haven’t tested evaporated milk here, but would expect different results if not using whole milk. For best results we would wait to make this French toast casserole until you have whole milk!
Can I use extra creamy oatmilk instead of whole milk?
Hi Stacy, the texture may not be quite as creamy but that should work just fine.
We loved this recipe! Thank you Sally!!! It wouldnโt let me give a 5 star review, definitely 5 STAR! Also would love to get the macros/nutrition facts for this recipe!!! Please!!!!โ
Hi Bridget, We donโt usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
I loved this recipe!!!! So yummy!!! But curious if thereโs nutrition facts/macros for this.
Hi Bridget, We donโt usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Sally,
Everyone loves this recipe when I make it. 10/10. Usually we eat it right away, but this time I plan to prep ahead and freeze for my maternity leave. Curious if I should put the streusel on before I freeze or if I should add that once I thaw?
Hi Katie, you can freeze the entire casserole with the topping on it.
Iโve made this recipe twice for church breakfast. I made it by your recipe,adding a mixture of 12 oz softened cream cheese mixed with 1/4 cup sugar & 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. I dolloped this over the bread cubes before adding 1 1/2 cups blueberries. It was delicious!! Was asked to share the recipe!! I am new to your website and looking forward to trying some of the other recipes. I love making breads. Do you have bread machine recipes??
Hi Sally. I am fully cooking this recipe a day ahead of time and have to re heat it when I get to my destination. What temp should I do that at and should I cover it when re heating? Also the Streusal Topping should I wait till I re heat it to put it on or do it on the first cook?
Hi Angie, you can bake the casserole with the streusel topping, let cool completely, then tightly cover and refrigerate. When you get to your destination, reheat it in a 300-350F oven, loosely covered with aluminum foil, for about 30 minutes or until warm all the way through.
Thank you
this recipe is great!! weโre on vacation and didnโt have any flour. so i improvised and used this pancake mix.. made with whole wheat flour and oats, and it turned out great. also added a pinch of salt to the topping. but the base is great, not soggy. very fluffy, would definitely make again.
I havenโt tried it yet itโs in the refrigerator ready to bake tomorrow. Just wondering: I feel like not all the pieces of bread are touching the mixture or are soaked. the mixture probably only covered The bottom of the pan is that okay or should it be Higher up and touching all the pieces of bread? Wondering if I should make more mixture, but I followed the directions
Hi Katie, you want some poking out – this gives a nice variety of texture.
I have made this recipe many times, and our family really enjoys it! Thank you! I prepared it yesterday morning with the intention of having it for dinner last night. However we decided to wait to have it tonight instead. Will it be ok to leave it in the fridge longer than 24 hours before baking (about 30 hours) or would it be better if I go ahead and bake it this morning and reheat it for dinner?
Hi Amy! It could get too soggy if left for longer. We would bake it and reheat!
I would like to make this! Would using leftover rolls from Thanksgiving work? I donโt see why not. Have you tried making this vegan?
Hi Alexis! The texture will be softer overall with dinner rolls. We haven’t tested making this vegan, but eggs are a key ingredient here.
Sally this is one of my favorite recipes ever! We make it so often. I hope you can and will answer this for me. I would love to try this base as a savory overnight French toast – sausage, a bit of veg, an appropriate herb or spice Thank you for your advice! – and the important part – no cheese. Can it be used like this in your opinion? Milk or cream is fine; my husband is very averse to cheese.
Hi Donice, we’re so glad this is a favorite for you! We’d recommend on of our savory breakfast casserole recipes instead: easy make ahead breakfast casserole, breakfast strata, everything bagel breakfast casserole, biscuit breakfast casserole. You can omit the cheese in any of them if you wish. Let us know if you try them!
Iโve made this countless times, and it is SO good. Iโve recently perfected making sourdough. Think I can use sourdough bread in place of the French bread?
Absolutely!
Is this baked uncovered?
Hi Natty, we bake it uncovered.
This is my favorite go-to breakfast/brunch for company. Always a hit.
I’ve made this recipe many times in the past and have always loved it. Yesterday I had a bunch of leftover plain bagels so I substituted the french bread with the bagels and it turned out fantastic! I hate waste and I knew the bagels weren’t going to get eaten unless I transformed them! Lol