Easy Blueberry Lemon Baked French Toast Casserole

What Makes This Special

• Great for crowds: this casserole can be prepped ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready. Skip cooking each slice individually and make a big pan of this French toast that can be served family style!
• Made with simple ingredients: brioche bread, eggs, milk, lemonade, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest are the base ingredients of this dish, many you probably have on hand.
• Perfectly Custardy Texture – Baking creates a golden, slightly crisp top while keeping the inside soft, pillowy, and soaked with delicious custard.
• Easy & Make-Ahead Friendly – Prep it the night before, let it soak, and just pop it in the oven in the morning—perfect for stress-free brunches and holidays. This casserole can sit for as long as 24 hours or as little as 30 minutes before baking.
• Toppings – Serve with maple syrup, extra fresh berries, or whipped cream, I prefer homemade whipped cream which can easily be whipped up in just minutes with a whisk. A dusting of powdered sugar never hurts either.

What Is Baked French Toast

Baked French toast is a make-ahead version of classic French toast—perfect for feeding a crowd or a stress-free breakfast casserole. Instead of dipping slices of bread and frying them individually, we lightly dip slices in the custard mixture and layer them in a baking dish. Extra custard is poured over the slices for the bread to soak it all up. Leave the casserole to soak for an hour or overnight and then bake until golden brown. The result is similar to a bread pudding.

Key Ingredients

This casserole is made with a handful of simple items. Many of the ingredients needed can be substituted, read below to find substitutions if available:

• Whole eggs: I like fresh pasture raised farm eggs if available, but any kind will work for this egg bake. Liquid eggs can be used if needed. Whole eggs are recommended, using just egg whites or egg yolks will change the consistency.
• Brioche bread: find this at most grocery store bakeries, it is often pre-sliced, you want about 1 inch slices. Challah bread, thick sliced cinnamon bread, or thick French bread can be substituted. Stale breads works too.
• Milk:/Cream I recommend using heavy cream or whole milk. Low-fat milk or half and half will also work. Skim milk will work in a pinch, but doesn’t provide the same custard-like texture.
• Lemonade: the star of the show is AE Dairy Classic Lemonade, it’s adds the lemon flavor and the perfect touch of sweetness.
• Granulated white sugar: white sugar works the best here, substitute brown sugar or coconut sugar (in a pinch).
• Pure vanilla extract: use homemade or store-bought vanilla extract. Vanilla bean paste can also be used.
• Lemon Zest: fresh lemon zest adds brightness and additional lemon flavor.
• Blueberries: I recommend fresh blueberries but frozen will also work.

How To Make The Baked French Toast

Let’s talk a little about how to make this Easy Blueberry Lemon Baked French Toast Casserole (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Quick overview:

• Combine the egg mixture, dip in the slices of bread.
• Layer bread in baking dish, pour over remaining egg mixture. Top with berries and chill.
• Bake loosely covered, uncover and finish baking in the oven.

• Grease a 4 qt. baking dish or a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, lemonade, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until combined. Dunk each slice of bread into the egg mixture, let soak for a minute or two and evenly arrange the bread in the prepared baking dish. Pour the remaining egg mix over the top. Top with fresh blueberries. Chill casserole in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Loosely cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes until golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and serve warm or at room temperature garnished with powdered sugar, whipped cream, and maple syrup.

Tools I Recommend

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• Glass Mixing Bowl – I love this lidded mixing bowl, it has measurement lines and the high sides are perfect for mixing without making a mess! Plus the lid is great for doughs and batters that need to chill in the fridge.
• Casserole Dish -I love the sizes and color these casserole dishes come, versatile for many recipes.
• Large Wire Whisk – a wire whisk is a must for whipping up light and airy eggs, this is one of my favorite whisks. It is sturdy and doesn’t hold water inside when washing.

More Tasty Brunch Treats

If you like this baked French toast, you’ll love these other easy brunch recipes:

• Overnight Baked Pumpkin French Toast Casserole – full of pumpkin puree and egg nog flavors!
• Egg Nog Coffee Cake – a fun seasonal dessert!
• Banana Cake Recipe with Oil – a quick cake recipe that doesn’t require a mixer!
• Coffee Cake Banana Bread – easy banana bread layered with a cinnamon streusel.
• Coffee Cake Cookies – the best part of coffee cake in cookie form!
• Easy Double Banana Chocolate Cake – a great recipe for ripe bananas!

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