Description
This overnight blueberry French toast casserole is everything I want on a cozy weekend morning. Pillowy cubes of French bread soak overnight in a cinnamon-spiced custard, layered with sweet bursts of blueberries and a ribbon of velvety cream cheese. It bakes up golden and crisp on top, custardy and rich beneath a breakfast that feels like a warm hug from the oven.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the cream cheese mixture:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract (divided)
- 2 loaves day-old French bread, cubed
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 2 cups blueberries (divided)
Instructions
- In a bowl, blend softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, 2 tbsp milk, and ½ tbsp vanilla extract until smooth. Fold in 1 cup blueberries gently.
- Grease a 10×14-inch baking dish. Add half of the cubed French bread to create a base layer.
- Spoon and spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the bread base. Top with the remaining bread cubes.
- Whisk together eggs, 2 cups milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ½ tbsp vanilla extract to make the custard.
- Pour custard over the bread layers, soaking every cube well. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup blueberries on top.
- Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight (or at least 8 hours). Let sit at room temp for 30–60 minutes before baking.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Bake covered for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes, until the top is golden and the center is set.
- Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy warm with powdered sugar or maple syrup.
Notes
Use day-old bread to prevent sogginess and ensure better soak. Fresh or frozen blueberries work great no need to thaw. Cover with foil while baking to avoid over-browning. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze portions for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 10–15 minutes or microwave individual servings for 1–2 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 240mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 140mg
